The Underrated Story the New Constantine Movie Needs to Adapt

DC fans received a spooky surprise last night when it was announced that a new movie focused on John Constantine is in the works. The Hellblazer’s live-action track record has been a roller coaster, with Keanu Reeves playing Constantine in a 2005 movie that is strangely defended as a cult classic (I’m sorry, but Constantine being British is just as important as Superman being raised in Smallville or Spider-Man losing his Uncle Ben) and Matt Ryan delivering a pitch-perfect take on the character in his short-lived series and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

Thankfully, it looks like DC Studios is leaning into Constantine’s horror roots, as Francis Galluppi (Evil Dead Wrath) has been tapped to pen the screenplay for this movie. While details are scarce, there’s plenty of compelling comic book material for Galluppi to pull from. Some fans will say he should lean on the iconic Dangerous Habits storyline, while others might point to Constantine’s early appearances in Swamp Thing, especially since the mossy monster is slated to receive his own movie. However, Galluppi should take a look at one underrated Constantine comic: All His Engines by Mike Carey and Leonardo Manco.

All His Engines features Constantine traveling to Los Angeles to help his old friend Chas Chandler, whose granddaughter Tricia has mysteriously fallen into a coma. When Constantine investigates, he crosses paths with Beroul, a demon who’s been snatching the souls of everyone in LA. It turns out that Beroul’s activities were just a ploy to draw out Constantine, as he wants the Hellblazer to kill his enemies. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, Constantine must deal with a legion of the damned while also figuring out how to save Tricia’s soul.

When All His Engines was released, it was meant to serve as a standalone story that introduced Constantine to new readers. Years later, it still holds up, as everything that makes the character so compelling is on display. John shrewdly pits Beroul against a Mayan god, and even draws a horde of demons into a church where they’re significantly weakened. But it also shows that, for all of his flawed nature and self-destructive tendencies, Constantine does care about people; Chas is arguably one of the few friends he has left, so fighting to save Tricia is a mission he can’t fail.

In fact, there’s a DC project that proves All His Engines could work in live action. The animated movie Constantine: City of Demons is largely adapted from All His Engines, and it truly sings thanks to stellar animation, Matt Ryan’s vocal performance, and a great script from legendary comics scribe J.M. DeMatteis. Constantine hasn’t had much luck in live action, but if Francis Galluppi uses All His Engines as inspiration, the third time could be the charm for DC’s resident chain-smoking exorcist.