Hellblazer fans! What are the filler issues?

[AidanH]

A while back, I read the first printing of vol 5 of Hellblazer (Dangerous Habits), and I really enjoyed it. Now in the last couple months i've been buying a lot of graphic novels and picked up the first 8 books in the newer printing. I love where the series goes from the Garth Ennis run and I am anxious to get their at vol 5, but I seem to get bored with most of what is going on in the earlier books. I thought book 1 was good but didn't serve much to the actual story, more of just a collection of Constantine issues. However when I got to book 2, I really enjoyed the dark and weird tone in the first few issues, but I started to dread the issues following (about half way through). I looked it up and the rest of the book didn't seem to connect much to the continuation of the Hellblazer story, so I tossed in the towel and didn't finish the rest. Unfortunately, the reviews for books 3 and 4 seem to reflect a similar pattern and I would like to enjoy reading about such a great character. It would be helpful if anyone could give me pointers on if there are any filler / bad issues in book 3 (The Fear Machine) and book 4 (The Family Man) that I could skip over without missing any important details.

[TomSlick]

A while back, I read the first printing of vol 5 of Hellblazer (Dangerous Habits), and I really enjoyed it. Now in the last couple months i've been buying a lot of graphic novels and picked up the first 8 books in the newer printing. I love where the series goes from the Garth Ennis run and I am anxious to get their at vol 5, but I seem to get bored with most of what is going on in the earlier books. I thought book 1 was good but didn't serve much to the actual story, more of just a collection of Constantine issues. However when I got to book 2, I really enjoyed the dark and weird tone in the first few issues, but I started to dread the issues following (about half way through). I looked it up and the rest of the book didn't seem to connect much to the continuation of the Hellblazer story, so I tossed in the towel and didn't finish the rest. Unfortunately, the reviews for books 3 and 4 seem to reflect a similar pattern and I would like to enjoy reading about such a great character. It would be helpful if anyone could give me pointers on if there are any filler / bad issues in book 3 (The Fear Machine) and book 4 (The Family Man) that I could skip over without missing any important details.

As a huge Helllblazer fan, I liked Delano's run (which is what you're referring to) and you probably want to read them all or at least try. The one thing about HB is that the writers often would refer back to key events from other writers and bring back other characters. That was the great thing about the series is that Constantine aged almost - not entirely - in real time, so they tried to remain true to continuity.

That said, the Garth Ennis stuff is just bad ass and if I introduced someone to the series - as much as I liked Delano - I'd push them straight to Ennis.

[Balakin]

The Fear machine storyline is heavily referenced later along with what happened in Newcastle although I've found the Fear machine quite underwhelming (I've also started with Ennis and then went back).
There is an issue I think the one right after the last issue of Fear machine where John is just wandering around the beech somewhere and stuff happens. I would definitely skip that it was horrible, just some artsy hallucination bs.

[TomSlick]

The Fear machine storyline is heavily referenced later along with what happened in Newcastle although I've found the Fear machine quite underwhelming (I've also started with Ennis and then went back).
There is an issue I think the one right after the last issue of Fear machine where John is just wandering around the beech somewhere and stuff happens. I would definitely skip that it was horrible, just some artsy hallucination bs.

Ha ha, I remember that one. Yeah, it was bad. Ennis had a similar issue if I recall that was like that one, too.

[Hilden B. Lade]

The Family Man is one of the best Delano storylines, though it's a change of pace as it focuses on John trying to outwit a serial killer instead of the usual magic and demons. If you plan to continue all the way to the Jenkins run (collected in Books 9 - 12), one of John's personal losses in in The Family Man will be revisited in Issue 100.

There are a couple of "filler" issues collected in the volume. Three of the issues - a two-parter by Grant Morrison and a one-shot by Neil Gaiman (issues 25-27), are worth reading. However, they are placed awkwardly storywise - since the issues are collected in the order they were originally published, they function as a kind of intermission between the first and second halves of The Family Man storyline which throws off the pacing. I recommend skipping them the first time through, and reading them after you finish the main storyline.

The other two filler issues (plus a Hellblazer prose story) are collected at the very end. The first is a guest issue by Dick Foreman featuring John vs. a demonic dog, and it's inconsequential. If you were a fan of the over-the-top gore and gross-outs that Ennis utilized in his Hellblazer, it might be worth checking out though. The last is written by Delano, kind of a day in the life issue, and if you aren't a fan of the "artsy-fartsy" experimental aspects of his Hellblazer it can be skipped.

[Balakin]

Ha ha, I remember that one. Yeah, it was bad. Ennis had a similar issue if I recall that was like that one, too.

the one with the dead pilot's ghost? I think that was alright nowhere near to the beach issue thankfully.

[TomSlick]

the one with the dead pilot's ghost? I think that was alright nowhere near to the beach issue thankfully.

I vaguely remember the dead pilot one. Is that the same one where he wanders aimlessly down the highway and JFK is in it?

I guess at the end of the day, everyone phones in a story or two. LOL

I'll probably get creamed for this, but I"ve never been impressed with the Gaiman issue. It didn't suck but at one time it was a $20 back issue. I guess because Gaiman was a hot writer. I thought it was average at best.

They just wrapped up Azzarello in the new trades and are on to Carey. I really, really liked his run.

[Balakin]

I vaguely remember the dead pilot one. Is that the same one where he wanders aimlessly down the highway and JFK is in it?

I guess at the end of the day, everyone phones in a story or two. LOL

I'll probably get creamed for this, but I"ve never been impressed with the Gaiman issue. It didn't suck but at one time it was a $20 back issue. I guess because Gaiman was a hot writer. I thought it was average at best.

They just wrapped up Azzarello in the new trades and are on to Carey. I really, really liked his run.

can't remember JFK it was when SPOILERS: he gets dumped and wanders around the city as a hobo.

Haven't read the Gaiman and Morrison issues yet even though I love both writers but I just had to stop with that era for a while and jump back to some modern Hellblazer.
I'm not the biggest fan of Azzarello's run but I've only read the first trade with him. It's entertaining with very good artists but I don't like his take on the character.

[TomSlick]

can't remember JFK it was when SPOILERS: he gets dumped and wanders around the city as a hobo.

Haven't read the Gaiman and Morrison issues yet even though I love both writers but I just had to stop with that era for a while and jump back to some modern Hellblazer.
I'm not the biggest fan of Azzarello's run but I've only read the first trade with him. It's entertaining with very good artists but I don't like his take on the character.

I loved the hobo stuff - especially when he runs into the vampire.
I liked Azz's run but if you didn't enjoy the first trade I suspect you won't like the rest. His run was somewhat divisive when it first came out. Again, I really liked it but I can admit it didn't come off as Hellblazer.