I must confess, I approached this issue largely wanting to judge Andy Diggle's writing skills, and see if I should be as excited about his upcoming Losers series as I have been. As it turns out, not only should I be excited about that, but I am clearly going to enjoy his tale of espionage and magic in the 1700s that is Lady Constantine. Diggle serves up a character who is recognizably similar to her descendant John, but has a zest for life and adventurous streak that he generally lacks. Even better, the book features art by Goran Sudzuka, whose work I quite enjoyed on Outlaw Nation, and I'm glad to see his art on a book where I have more interest in the characters and story.
Then again, I didn't start with much interest in this character, but Diggle's script won me over. About 300 years before Charlie's Angels, Sidney Bristow and Buffy Summers, Johanna Constantine is nonetheless strongly evocative of the model of those characters. She's smart, sexy and physical, and she has the same ability that John Constantine has to impress others with powers she doesn't necessarily have. While Johanna is working toward a title, she doesn't act like a prim and proper lady of the 18th century, she's more like a modern-day heroine who lets no one else control her.
Despite her strong will and self-determination, though, Diggle also gives Constantine a more human and tender side in the form of friends or at least allies. While I wasn't crazy about Mouse, whose relationship reminded me too much of Catwoman and Holly, I loved the way that Johanna interacts with Captain Rafe McCallister and Jack of the Green. In some ways, Rafe is the predecessor of John's Chaz and Jack is very much the predecessor of Swamp Thing, but there are differences in those relationships, so that while Diggle is nodding toward the future of the character (and past continuity), he's also blazing a new trail for her.
Central to grabbing my attention in the book is Sudzuka's art, which really brings to life the dirty settings of 18th century London and the contrast of nobility alongside it. One needs only look at Johanna Constantine in contrast to the noblemen who are engaging her services to see who we want to like, and Rafe has a rakish charm to his appearance that makes him instantly likable as well. In addition, I was stunned by the detailed and beautiful work that Sudzuka does on McCallister's ship, the Jezebel. Though this issue calls for relatively little of it, I'm also certain we're in good hands as far as Sudzuka's ability to draw the creepy and supernatural, as the opening sequence and closing sequence show.
Though I came into this book unfamiliar with the writer and not overly fond of the character, I leave it anxiously awaiting the next issue and the rest of the story. Those who have been enjoying Mike Carey's work on Lucifer and Hellblazer will definitely want to check this out, as it captures some of the style he has employed in both of those. Not to mention, of course, that Johanna Constantine will probably appeal to those who appreciate her manipulative and charming descendant.
