Broken Frontier

This January, DC Comics will celebrate the February 18, 2005 opening of the Warner Bros. Pictures film Constantine, starring Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz, with commemorative publications from VERTIGO and two movie-inspired items from DC Direct.

John Constantine is a man who has literally been to hell and back in the Warner Bros. Pictures film Constantine, a supernatural thriller based on the long-running hit DC Comics/VERTIGO HELLBLAZER graphic novels.  When Constantine teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.  Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.

From VERTIGO are:

CONSTANTINE: THE OFFICIAL MOVIE ADAPTATION (NOV040328) is a 64-page Prestige Format Special written by Steven T. Seagle with art by Ron Randall & Jimmy Palmiotti and a photo cover.  Scheduled to arrive in stores on January 5 with a cover price of $14.95 U.S., the Special tells the story of this supernatural thriller.

CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER COLLECTION TP (NOV040329) collects the official 64-page adaptation of the film, along with three classic issues of the ongoing series, JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER.  Included are issue #1 ("Hunger," written by Jamie Delano and illustrated by John Ridgway & Alfredo Alcala); #27 ("Hold Me") written by Neil Gaiman with art by Dave McKean; and #41 (“The Beginning of the End,” written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Will Simpson & Mark Pennington).  CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER COLLECTION TP is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 5 with a cover price of $14.95 U.S.

The JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER — RARE CUTS TP (NOV040330) assembles six issues of JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER that have never before been collected, including #11 (written by Jamie Delano with art by Richard Piers Rayner & Mark Buckingham); #25-26 (written by Grant Morrison with art by David Lloyd); #35 (written by Delano with art by Sean Phillips); #56 (written by Garth Ennis with art by Lloyd); and #84 (written by Delano with art by Phillips).  Also included are pages from VERTIGO Secret Files: HELLBLAZER #1.  The JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER — RARE CUTS TP is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 12 with a cover price of $14.95 U.S.

Written by Mike Carey with art and cover by Leonardo Manco, JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER — ALL HIS ENGINES HC (OCT040358) is an original 128-page graphic novel by the writer and new artist of the monthly HELLBLAZER.  When a mysterious worldwide plague puts millions of people into deadly comas, Earth's foremost expert on the bizarre, John Constantine, steps in with the “cure.”  The JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER — ALL HIS ENGINES HC is available for advance reorder and is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 12 with a cover price of $24.95 U.S.

Constantine’s deadly nemesis Papa Midnite, a featured character in Constantine, returns in February in the 5-issue miniseries JOHN CONSTANTINE — HELLBLAZER SPECIAL: PAPA MIDNITE #1, written by award-winning novelist Mat Johnson (Hunting in Harlem, Drop) with art by Tony Akins (FABLES) & Dan Green (THE WITCHING, ROSE AND THORN) and covers by Ronald Wimberly.  The miniseries reveals the hidden origin of this immortal voodoo sorcerer/gangster/nightclub owner. JOHN CONSTANTINE — HELLBLAZER SPECIAL: PAPA MIDNITE #1 is solicited in the December issue of Previews (Volume XIV #12) and is scheduled to arrive in stores on February 2 with a cover price of $2.95 U.S.

DC Direct’s Constantine-inspired items are:

The CONSTANTINE MOVIE STATUE: KEANU REEVES AS CONSTANTINE (NOV040364) is a hand-painted, cold-cast porcelain movie scene statue sculpted by Gentle Giant in the likeness of Keanu Reeves as Constantine measuring approximately 10.25" tall x 6" wide x 6" deep.  The statue includes a full-color certificate of authenticity, and is packaged in a 4-color box.  This statue is strictly limited to 1,000 pieces.  The CONSTANTINE MOVIE STATUE: KEANU REEVES AS CONSTANTINE is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 5 with a price of $195.00 U.S.

The CONSTANTINE MOVIE PROP REPLICA: THE SHOTGUN (NOV040363) is a hand-painted movie prop replica molded directly from a casting taken from the original mold produced for the stunt prop in the film and is an accurate “life-sized” movie replica of the Shotgun.  It is held in place by demon hands on a cold-cast porcelain base.  The Shotgun is not removable from the base.  This replica includes a certificate of authenticity, measures approximately 10" high x 10" deep x 23" long and is packaged in an elegant black gift box with gold foil stamping. This prop replica is strictly limited to 500 pieces!  The CONSTANTINE MOVIE PROP REPLICA: THE SHOTGUN is scheduled to arrive in stores on January 12 with a price of $350.00 U.S.