What it's about: A comic book adaptation that's hiding its roots a little, the American public at large will be more familiar with the Constantine character from the 2005 movie that saw Keanu Reeves star as the tormented, chain-smoking paranormal detective. The small screen iteration will be a little more faithful to the source material, with our titular hero sporting the bleach blonde bonce, trenchcoat and British accent of the original Hellblazer comics. Welshman Matt Ryan plays John Constantine, total mess and magical whizz-kid who pinballs around the United States, dipping his toes into an eternal war between Heaven and Hell, his cheerfully cynical demeanour masking a murky past he's constantly on the run from. It's Supernatural before there was Supernatural, except with one less brother, and more sarcasm. And more Englishness. Both of which we are fans of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPE2oBnzROY Why it looks good: We're pretty big fans of Hellblazer and, whilst we retain a soft spot for the Constantine movie, we're happy to see the comics getting a more accurate adaptation. Ryan looks perfect in the part, and it's been a bit since we saw a decent horror show on television. Supernatural is fun but never really scary, American Horror Story is more campy and ridiculous than anything; Constantine, meanwhile, looks to be going all out with its demonic thrills and chills, as Constantine reluctantly delves into the darkest parts of the underworld to help people in need. Neil Marshall the guy behind Dog Soldiers and The Descent directed the pilot, and if they stick to the tone he establishes, we imagine we'll be watching this one from behind the sofa.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
