Justice League: Incarnate has reintroduced an obscure Multiverse variant of the Master of the Dark Arts, John Constantine.
In the series' upcoming second issue, the members of Justice League Incarnate finds themselves on Earth 13, which is outlined as being a world filled with magic users. The world's first appearance was in The Multiversity: Guidebook #1, where it details that this Earth is always in twilight, with each day consisting of 13 hours and each year lasting 13 months. The issue also explains that the world's heroic team is called the League of Shadows, and also features the first appearance of one of these heroes, Hellblazer, with the hero returning in a preview of Justice League Incarnate.
Hellblazer is John Constantine if he decided to ditch the trench coat for some superhero spandex. Though the character first appeared in 2005, he has rarely been seen or done much in comics since then, last appearing in Flash Forward #4 while Wally West was running around the Multiverse. Panels featuring him until now have either shown him standing in the background or beaten down to the ground, with the apparent only time he has spoken in comics being in The Multiversity #2, which coincidentally features the first appearance of Justice Incarnate.
The preview for Justice League Incarnate #2 is the most Hellblazer has spoken in comics, while also acting more like the John Constantine that fans know and love. After greeting President Superman (who is apparently Hellblazer's favorite Superman) and the other Leaguers, Hellblazer welcomes them into the "Tavern of Mystery, filled with other mystical beings drinking and enjoying themselves.
The never-before-seen locale is an obvious spin on the House of Mystery, the home that Constantine claims to have won ownership over in a card game with Father Time and Doctor Occult. To act more like the mystical cynic fans know and love, after speaking with Superman, Hellblazer then lights up a cigarette as he waits for the League of Shadows to get together.
The last time John Constantine was seen as a caped superhero was in the Elseworld story, DCeased: Dead Planet, where he dawned Ragman's Suit of Souls, used Madame Xanadu's crystal ball and took the power of Doctor Fate, Deadman and the wizard Shazam to face off against Trigon. The main John Constantine, however, has been running around the Justice League Dark backup stories in the current Justice League ongoing series.
The preview and solicitation for Justice League Incarnate #2 can be found below.
JUSTICE LEAGUE INCARNATE #2
- Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON and DENNIS CULVER
- Art by KYLE HOTZ and ANDREI BRESSON
- Cover by GARY FRANK
- Variant cover by JORGE FORNES
- 1:25 variant cover by KYLE HOTZ
- $4.99 US | 40 pages | 2 of 5 | $5.99 US Variant (Card Stock)
- ON SALE 12/7/21
- As Darkseid’s quest leaves a bloody trail across the MultiversE, the Justice League Incarnate ventures to the dark world of horror known as Earth-13. They must enlist the aid of Super-Demon and his League of Shadows against not only Darkseid but also the evil power couple of Asmodel and the Sheeda Queen! While on Earth-11, the Batwoman Who Laughs begins her schemes.?
Justice League Incarnate #2 is written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver, with interior art by Kyle Hotz, Andrei Bressan, Paul Pelletier and Norm Rapmund. Colors were done by Hi-Fi, with letters by Tom Napolitano. Main cover art was done by Gary Frank, with a variant cover from Hotz. The issue goes on sale Dec. 21 from DC Comics.
Source: DC Comics