In the midst of Trinity War, there are three titles that are tying into the event and one of them is Constantine. While tie-ins are usually really not all that great or memorable with certain exceptions, perhaps this one can raise above it. Is it good?
Constantine #5 (DC Comics)
The basic idea of this issue is following up on where Constantine and Shazam went while all of the heroes were yelling at each other back in Justice League Dark #22. Constantine takes him to a secure location, tricking the kid about what his true intentions are, and tries to steal his powers. Then the Cold Flame, a recurring threat to Constantine, sends a demon type creature to attack them. That’s pretty much it.
There’s really not much to this story and it’s really not much of a tie-in either, other than to explain why Constantine will most likely be out of the picture for the rest of Trinity War. As a tie-in, it’s not really that good. However, as a standalone little tale that continues what has been going on in the book, it’s good. It follows up on some of the plot threads the comic has been dealing with, characterization feels on point for Constantine so far, and leaves off a genuine good cliffhanger.
The art by Renato Guedes continues to be good, making the magic and characters all look unique and memorable. The fight scene was pretty solid as well, with a great use of color for the magic in it. On the other hand, the comic continues to have the same coloring problem I mentioned a while back; it’s just too bright. The color scheme just does not match up with the mood or tone of the book, especially during the most gruesome part of this comic. A darker palette, with maybe the magic still looking bright, would be more preferred.
7.5
- Decent little one-shot that continues its own story.
- Constantine and Shazam are both good and clever in this.
- Good looking art.
- Not a good tie-in.
- There’s really not much to this story.
- The color’s too bright for the tone of the comic.
Is It Good?
To a certain degree, it is. It’s not really a good tie-in since it barely has anything to do with what is happening in Trinity War. However, it works as being another regular issue of the comic, with it continuing its own storyline decently. If you are only interested in getting this because it is a tie-in, just avoid it. If you are regularly picking up the book, you don’t have to worry about anything getting sidetracked.
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