Forever Evil Event Event: Constantine 11

Constantine 11

Ray Fawkes, Aco

Forever Evil Crossover

Spoiler alert!  You have been warned!

Don’t let the lack of the Forever Evil banner on the cover fool you…  This issue is very much part of Forever Evil: Blight.  In fact, come to think of it, DC is really doing a disservice to not only this series and event-within-an-event, but its creators as well.  This is the second issue in a row without the simple Marketing 101 technique of getting readers to pick up a book they might not usually even notice.  Bad form, DC.  Bad form.  Anywho, writer Ray Fawkes continues the momentum he picked up with last issue’s trip to Heaven and continues John’s less-than-noble quest to save Zatanna at any cost.  Artist Aco does a superb job providing the visuals for what is a pretty good script from an up-and-comer like Fawkes.

After sneaking into the Nanda Parabat stronghold of the Crime Syndicate’s Secret Society, John immediately gets separated (as per usual with this group) from the rest of the Justice League Dark.  Swamp Thing, Zauriel, the Phantom Stranger, Pandora, and Deadman (in the Sea King’s corpse) are nowhere to be found and that leaves John and the Nightmare Nurse to fend for themselves against the machinations of all the remaining evil magic in the world.  Then they stumble upon the “prison” holding his former (and possibly future) teammates captive.  We glimpse Black Orchid, Cassandra Craft, Shade the Changing Man, Blackbriar Thorn, Blue Devil, Papa Midnite, and Sargon the Sorceress stuck in a mystical deathtrap, but there is no sign of Zatanna.  That’s when John makes a revelation: He knows (and has known for quite some time) that Nightmare Nurse is not exactly who she says she is, but rather, his old nemesis, Necro.  This comes as a surprising, but altogether effective and exciting plot twist.  I can honestly say that I did not see this coming.  At all.  But because it’s his book, John overcomes Nick’s attacks and is immediately overpowered (from behind, of course) by the real threat, Felix Faust, who is looking especially creepy these days.  Being tied up into the same evil magic contraption as his teammates, Constantine does not lose faith.  After all, the new team is on their way to save him.  Any minute now, right?

Wrong.  The last page shows that they’ve been captured as well.  So I guess we’ll have to see what happens next in the pages of Trinity of Sin: Pandora.  And then, of course, with the upcoming finale on the horizon, we’ll have to see who lives, who dies, who is forever changed, and just who makes the cut for the new Justice League Dark.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these four titles that made up this event-within-an-event have been a fun ride, but are starting to prove that they really deserve a quality ending.  Put J. M. DeMatteis and Ray Fawkes on the new Justice League Dark title and give all of these characters backup stories.  As for the artists, just put them on a rotating schedule.  Everyone wins, creators-wise, and most importantly, the characters don’t get ruined.  They get their nice little ending and continue their stories at a less expensive rate.  Which, of course, makes the fans the real victors.  All in all, these series are okay and the event has made them good (sometimes even great), but that won’t and can’t last long.  Please, DC.  Do the right thing.

My Rating: 4/5