Comic Book Review: Constantine the Hellblazer #10 - DC Comics (2016)

"Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic"

Written by Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV
Pencils by Travel Foreman
Inks by Joseph Silver
Colors by Ivan Plascencia

John Constantine is in a place worse than Hell; Faerie.  He needs to escape this land and get back to Earth-world in order to stop the demon Neron from destroying humanity.

Ten issues in and this has been a fun ride.  Constantine has been everywhere and he's had to use his wits, along with snarky replies, to get through all of the awful situations he finds him in.  I like when art imitates life, as the evil demon Neron, with his terrible hair and all wishes to "Make Hell Great Again."

I am also a fan of John Constantine's inability to have a relationship due to his lifestyle.  More accurately, I like how this comic series shows what a detriment to others it can be to be involved in Constantine's life.  The tragedy of the story is incredibly compelling as Constantine has a charisma to him, but he can be downright despicable toward people and it's mainly because he needs to be for their safety.

Travel Foreman is in charge of pencils for this issue which definitely works, especially in the realm of Faerie.  Constantine the Hellblazer is an absolute incredible value with excellent writing, wonderful artwork and a price tag of only $2.99.

What are your thoughts on Constantine the Hellblazer?  What other comic books would you like Maskerpiece Theatre to review?  Please comment in the section below.

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Comic Book Review: Constantine the Hellblazer #9 - DC Comics (2016)

"The Art of the Deal"

Written by Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV
Art by Riley Rossmo

John Constantine and Papa Midnite are in Hell being tortured by Neron's minions.  They learn more of Neron's plans for New York City and are devising a plan to escape.

I am really enjoying this series.  I am really enjoying the scenery in the City of Dis inside Hell.  Riley Rossmo is able to draw some of the most sick and twisted imagery in comics right now.  What better place to do so than the worst place imaginable?

Ming DOyle and James Tynion IV keep you guessing as to where this story is heading.  Just when you may think things are coming to a head, there is a monkey wrench thrown into the plans.  The essence that is John Constantine is captured so well with this writing team.  There's no rush to make Constantine the every-guy hero.  They keep him flawed and arrogant and that's what has made this one of the surprise books for DC Comics and keeps me purchasing every month.  The cost of the book is only $2.99 per issue making it one of the best values in all of comics.

What are your thoughts on Constantine the Hellblazer?  What other comic books would you like Maskerpiece Theatre to review?  Leave your comments below or let us know through social media.

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Comic Book Review: Constantine the Hellblazer #8 - DC Comics (2016)

"Midnight in the V.I.P. Room of Good and Evil"

Written by Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV
Art by Riley Rossmo

Papa Midnite has recruited John Constantine by nefarious means to get help taking control of Midnite's night club.  This is no simple task as this is not your normal everyday night club.

I had stated in an earlier blog that there was a build-up happening within the background of this comic book series.  I feel like this is where it starts to come to a head.  Constantine has been very consistent about magic within New York City not being the same.  It looks like we start to get some answers within issue #8.

Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV have crafted this story incredibly well.  If you haven't been reading, you should get started now.  Pick up the back issues as this would be a fun binge read.  The cover price is $2.99 so you aren't breaking the bank as much as you might with so many other titles out there.

Riley Rossmo is an incredible artist who has the task of drawing some of the most odd conceptions in print today.  The book is rated T+ and his art pushes that limit.  Constantine the Hellblazer is an absolute treat of a horror comic book.

What are your thoughts on Constantine the Hellblazer?  What comic books would you like to see Maskerpiece Theatre review?  Do you have a comic book series of your own you would like us to read and review?  Please leave your comments below.

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Comic Book Review: Constantine the Hellblazer #7 (2015)

Written by James Tynion IV & Ming Doyle
Art by Riley Rossmo

The trees appear to be coming to life in the park, attacking and killing lovers who attempt to show physical affection in the bushes.  John Constantine is met by the Swamp Thing to find out why this is happening.

I was really excited to see the Swamp Thing on the seventh issue of Constantine the Hellblazer.  I know it's not the Swamp Thing I grew to truly enjoy when it was written by Alan Moore but it's still a lot of fun.  I also liked that this issue was able to tell the story within one issue but still was able to leave you with a cliffhanger and get you ready for the next issue.

Riley Rossmo works so well as the artist of Constantine the Hellblazer.  I was really excited to see his take on Swamp Thing and that definitely did not disappoint.  The final page of the book is such an eerie vision, you'll be ready for the next issue.

What are your thoughts on Constantine the Hellblazer?  Leave your comments below.

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Maskerpiece Theatre: Year In Review: 2015

Year In Review: 2015

2015 is coming to a close. We at Maskerpiece Theatre want to thank all of you who have come along on this journey with us. As we have grown from a site that just posted podcast which at times were challenging to listen to……Thanks to the ghost of Harold! We transformed into a site that has brought you Cosplay photo’s from different Comicons, Movie Reviews, Comicbook Reviews and Television Reviews. We hope you continue to visit us for all these and much more in 2016

Here is a look back on 2015 and the Top Ten most visited Post. Click the links to re-visit each post.

#10 - Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest 2015 (Part Two)

#9 - Original Comic Book: Twisted Magic

• "If the moral compass created by your past didn't exist, who would you become? If you had no one to tell you who you were, who would you think you are?"

#8 - The Flash Review: Season 2 Episode 7 “Gorilla Warfare”

• “the writers for Flash always do a fantastic job of never drawing story’s out past what is necessary. This is definitely the case for this episode.”

#7 - Arrow Review: Season 4 Episode 9 “Dark Waters”

• “First lets just say great Mid Season Finale, the type which makes you wish this show was a Netflix property and that you didn’t have to wait a month and half to see where it was going to lead.”

#6 - The Flash Review: Season 2 Episode 9 “Running To The Start”

• “Wentworth Miller may be the best at playing Captian Cold but the original Trickster Mark Hamill is still perfect for the role of James Jesse.”

#5 - Arrow Review: Season 4 Episode 8 “Legends of Yesterday”

• “Every episode this season has been on point, much improved and more enjoyable. Surprisingly this may be the best season yet of Arrow”

#4 - The Flash Review: Season 2 Episode 8 “Legends of Today”

• “This was another great episode and I am loving the crossovers. This DC Television Universe is by far the best and in my opinion is more enjoyable than what we get with Marvel.”

#3 - Comic Book Review - Herald: Lovecraft & Tesla #3 - Action Lab Comics

• “I love a good capture and escape type of story.  This is exactly that and I especially love it when science and a bit of creative trickery is used.”

#2 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) A Masked Blogster Movie Review

• “It's a great movie and highly recommended.  The theater experience makes it even better as you hear the cheers, oohs and ahhs.”

#1 - Arrow Review: Season 4 Epsiode 5 “Haunted”

• “Matt Ryan once again nailed his performance and gave us the Constantine we all want.”

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Comic Book Review: Constantine the Hellblazer #6 - DC Comics(2015)

Written by James Tynion IV & Ming Doyle
Art by Riley Rossmo

John Constantine is back in New York City after his encounter with his ex-girlfriend turned ghost-killer in the United Kingdom.  Constantine hates being alone and decides to take the Ghostbusters route and taking all kinds of ghostly jobs.  John also has been thinking of the handsome man he met back in issue one.

This book was a bit of a let down after the story line that went through the first five issues.  I'm assuming it will be a book that we look back on and say, "that's where it started."  With that said, this was not a bad comic book. It was quite good and really delved into the psyche of John Constantine and his motivations.

Riley Rossmo's artwork was on display incredibly well in this issue.  Rossmo was able to put together some wonderful panels with all kinds of demons and monsters with Constantine taking all of the odd jobs he was working.  The jobs felt like they could have been spread out into multiple books.  This is why I am thinking there is another big story line coming up as opposed to a monster of the month type of book.

Again, I love the writers of "Constantine the Hellblazer" even if this wasn't my favorite book.  I'm looking forward to seeing where everything goes from here. "Constantine the Hellblazer" is available now and the cover price is only $2.99.

You can read more of my blogs here on Maskerpiece Theatre and also on http://cinemaheadcheese.blogspot.com/

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Comic Book Review - Constantine The Hellblazer #5 - DC Comics

Written by: Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV
Art by: Riley Rossmo & Scott Kowalchuk

John Constantine must face his first love who is now a tentacled monster that has been killing the ghosts of John's past.  He implores the help of his friend Georgie in hopes of stopping Veronica from killing anyone else.

This is the conclusion of this story-arc and it is very John Constantine.  He goes through all the research to find out what can be done to stop Veronica.  Even when he does find the only way, he still finds his own way at the end(much to the dismay of Georgie).

Issues 1-5 made for an excellent jumping off point for this comic book series.  I'm hoping it continues because this feels much more like a Constantine comic book than some of the recent iterations.  Plus the art has been incredible and totally fits the stories being told.  $2.99 for each book isn't a bad price point so go check the back issue bins and get caught up on this series.

Please comment below to let me know what you think of Constantine The Hellblazer,

You can read more of my blogs here on Maskerpiece Theatre and also on CinemaHeadCheese.blogspot.com

Comic Book Review - Constantine The Hellblazer #4 - DC Comics

Written by: Ming Doyle &James Tynion IV
Art by: Vanessa Del Rey & Chris Visions

John Constantine is drunk.  Really drunk.  He spends time within this comic book in a state of self-loathing due to the pain he has caused.  Flashbacks show his relationship with Georgie and his former lover Veronica.  By the end of the book, he calls out the ghost killer and something Constantine did not expect is revealed.

As stated in the synopsis, this is a very self-loathing version of John Constantine. Walking the streets, going to many of his past haunts(unintentional pun but I'll take it), and being the jerk he knows he can be.  We are given more flashbacks and you see why Constantine is drinking away his past regressions.  He feels responsible for the hurt in his friends' lives and also feels responsible for there demise as well.

There is a reveal at the end that pulls this story together.  I'd like to type more but I have issue number five waiting for me to read so I'm going to get to it!

Please leave your comments and let me know if you're reading this series and if you are enjoying it as well.

You can read more of my blogs here on Maskerpiece Theatre and also on CinemaHeadCheese.blogspot.com

Comic Book Review - Constantine The Hellblazer #3 - DC Comics

Written by: Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV
Art by: Ming Doyle & Vanesa Del Rey

John Constantine heads back to England to seek the help of Georgie, an expert in the occult.  As with any John Constantine acquaintance or relationship, there is a past that he will likely need to address.  Georgie is on a case when Constantine arrives and he agrees to help out in hopes Georgie can help out with his Ghost Killer problem.

We have a couple different art styles within this store which I found to be pretty awesome.  The gritty look we have become accustomed to for present day and a bit more of a brighter and cleaner look for the flashbacks.  Constantine having to find some way to reconcile for his past is a mainstay in his books and this is done very well.  He wants to find this Ghost Killer but he now knows he can't do it alone.  Adding in the hunt for what Constantine thought was a succubus was a great way to show that he would help Georgie, but of course doing it his way.

Three issues in and this is a delightful series.  With a $2.99 price tag, it's worth picking up to see if it is something that works for you as well.  Please leave comments below and let me know what you think.

You can read more of my blogs here on Maskerpiece Theatre and also on CinemaHeadCheese.blogspot.com

Comic Book Review - Contantine The Hellblazer #2 - DC Comics

Written by: Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV
Art by: Riley Rossmo

Ghosts are being killed and this time it's for good.  John Constantine looks to put a stop to this by gathering enough ghosts together and finding a "Thin" place so that he may conjure enough power to stop whatever is killing the ghosts.

I'm going to start off with the art in this book.  I love the gritty feel.  Sharp lines that go thick to thin make this so visually appealing to the type of book Constantine The Hellblazer is.  Dark backgrounds and the use of shadows is done so incredibly well.

As for the story, it has definitely got my interest.  I've been a big fan of John Constantine for a while and this feels like we are bringing him back to the type of character we are accustomed to.  The type of guy that will do anything and everything he feels is the right way to handle a situation, regardless of what anyone around him may say.  He also tends to get distracted if someone attractive is within his line of sight so that brings a bit of shallowness that contributes to the depth of his character.  That sentence makes sense in my head anyway.

So far, so good with this series.  I'm going to continue reading and hope to read your comments below.

You can read more of my blogs here on Maskerpiece Theatre and also on CinemaHeadCheese.blogspot.com

Act 89: Podcasting In the New Year

The crew records the podcast from 2014 into the year 2015.  They chat about the bests of 2014 including best movie, best TV show, best song, Stilt-Man of the year and more subjects.

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