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By Andy Diggle & Goran Sudžuka (Vertigo)
ISBN 1-84576-263-0
Andy Diggle’s premier outing for DC Comics was somewhat lost in the shuffle when originally released as a four issue miniseries, which is a shame rectified by this compilation. This sly, witty and engrossing horror tale features the ancestor of Vertigo’s resident magician in an expansive historical romp.
1875. The temporarily disadvantaged Joanna Constantine and her little sister are failing to make ends meet on the cruel streets of London when commissioned by the King’s Secret Service to retrieve a magical box from the depths of the Ocean and the clutches of England’s enemies, natural and otherwise. In return she will be rewarded by the return of her title and a huge pension for the rest of her life.
Seduced by the lure of a safe life she undertakes a hellish voyage to the frozen North, aided by an intriguing coterie of rogues and monsters, only to find herself battling to save the world with tragic consequences for all involved.
This excellent and all too brief look into the history of one of adult comics’ most fascinating characters and concepts is a heady and impressive blend of terror and derring-do, well able to stand alone, but full of revelatory insights and asides for fans of the parent series. If you are a lover of Hammer Films and traditional thriller fare this might be the ideal first comic book for you.
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