Review: Constantine Vol. 1- The Spark and the Flame

Quick Summary

Pros: The main narrative is exciting and has potential to become more interesting as it progresses. Magic is approached in a creative way.

Cons: Hurried pacing diminishes the importance of some plot points. The Trinity War crossover is intrusive and not entertaining. Constantine has less appeal than he had in the past.

Overall: This is a collection with mixed quality. Aspects of the book, like the magic and main storyline, keep things exciting and interesting. However, a few narrative mistakes and a few problems with the book’s main character keep the collection from living up to its full potential. In the end, this volume may appeal to readers looking for intense and creative displays of magic, as long as they are ok with some storytelling problems.

Story

Constantine Vol. 1: The Spark and the Flame, by Ray Fawkes and Jeff Lemire, has some potential but makes some noticeable missteps along the way. In this volume, a compelling story about a war between magicians begins. This war is filled with tense situations and details magic in a way that is fun to read about. However, lackluster pacing and an intrusive Trinity War (Review) (Reading Order) tie-in hamper this otherwise entertaining narrative. Plus, Constantine is written in a way that is unlikely to seriously appeal to new or old readers. I’m hoping this comic develops into a series worth watching out for but, at this point, it is still pretty mixed.

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The major positives in The Spark and the Flame come from the book’s main narrative. This is a high-stakes story about a man attempting to stop an evil cult from grabbing unimaginable levels of power. There are numerous points where Constantine appears to be on the verge of disaster, making his victories even sweeter. This larger narrative is also still in its infancy, meaning it has the potential to get even more appealing as storylines and characters are further developed.

The Spark and the Flame also has a unique approach to magic that may appeal to fans of the arcane. Animals are used to prevent divination, other dimensions reside under the normal world, and defensive spells can pack more of a punch than one would expect. In general, the way magic is approached in this series makes the magical world feel robust and interesting.

However, alongside these positives are a number of negatives. The main narrative is poorly paced as it rapidly jumps from story to story, passing by interesting characters and diminishing the impact of plot points. This makes story elements that should be important, like the death of Chris, feel like minor bumps in the road. The main narrative is also seriously derailed in the Trinity War (Review) (Reading Order) crossover chapter, which ends up being the collection’s low point.

In addition, this version of Constantine is a weird departure from previous versions. His heavy reliance on trickery and con artist-style tactics is mitigated and replaced with a propensity for elaborate spells instead. This makes Constantine seem less unique and gives him less appeal. Fans of previous Constantine titles are unlikely to enjoy this change, as it is a big departure from what made this character great. Meanwhile, fans simply looking for flashy magic may find a much better reading experience over in the Justice League Dark series, which is more appealing overall.

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Art

The artwork in The Spark and the Flame is alright and matches the tone of this particular comic. Visuals from Renato Guedes look grim and unapologetic. They make the book’s situations feel bleak while still emphasizing the severity of what is taking place, which is exactly what the story appears to be going for. However, there are places where the artwork looks strange or distorted, especially in regards to the reactions seen on the characters’ faces. These problems are not significant but are unfortunately noticeable in a few places. In the end, the visuals in this collection work in telling the story but aren’t anything to write home about.

Continuity

Constantine Vol. 1: The Spark and the Flame starts the Constantine New 52 series. This means that this is the first volume in a brand new continuity, so there are not many references to previous books or specific character histories.

The story started here is continued in Constantine Vol. 2: Blight (Review).

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• The premonitions in Constantine #4 are references to the events of Trinity War (Review) (Reading Order).
• Constantine #5 is a direct tie-in to the events of Trinity War (Review) (Reading Order).
• Constantine #5 makes a number of references to Shazam’s recent history. This history is detailed in Shazam! (Review).