HELLBLAZER #27
Hold Me
Writer : Neil Gaiman
Penciller : Dave McKean
Colors : Dave Mckean and Danny Vozzo
Letters : Todd Klein
Editor : Karen Berger
Issue synopsis written by J. White
Issue Synopsis : Under the comfort of a dark London night, a man named Fat Ronnie and a woman, Sylvia, are
wandering the streets. They're both drunk, which is a good reason they don't notice a scruffy, dirty form of a
man named Jacko following them. They do however notice that it's becoming oddly cold. Fat Ronnie decides that it's
too cold to be out on the town and decides for the two of them to retire to warmer environments. Once they reached
the small flat near the bridge they begin to tear the curtains and huddle under them to try and get warm. Again
they hadn't noticed Jacko, who's curled up beside the two of them as they continue to cuddle up with each other
desperately for more warmth.
John Constantine hails a cab that evening, reflecting on how cold it is this spring. Climbing inside he continues to
think of some of the more interesting traits that the autumn weather brings with it one of which being the beautiful
girls that vanish when it turns cold in London. John remembers chatting with the cab driver, telling him how the pretty
ones in summer dresses were like butterflies. That cabby must have been either a poet or horror writer, John thinks.
This one turns out more like a National Front recruiter. The cab driver vents his spleen to an irritated Constantine
who, after hearing as much as he can, decides to get out. Paying the man he starts a walk to Hawthorne Road with a
smart ass tip to the driver.
John's on his way to a party thrown by friends of Ray Monde in memory of his death just a year ago. John remembers
that Ray always liked a good party. His memories are interrupted by a passing stranger who asks if he may have a
cigarette. John obliges and asks the man if he's homeless. It turns out he is, and so are many others on this side
of London it seems. Just a few nights back the man was beaten by drunks. An understanding Constantine gives the man
a few quid and some cigarettes before he's on his way. He didn't think there were this many homeless in London anymore.
John arrives shortly to the party flat where Jeff, the host, greets him enthusiastically. Jeff's a bald, black man
and seems to know him quite well. He tells John that he should grab a drink and come with him to meet someone. This
someone turns out to be a woman named Anthea who was a friend of Ray. The two form a conversation and John begins
to wonder why it's so hard for him to have fun at parties in his older age. With that he thinks of Ray, apologizing
for his death and asking if he knew it wasn't his fault.
Elsewhere a mother's child cries from the bedroom. She calls to her mother, frightened by a smelly, dirty man in her
bedroom. The frustrated mother turns to reassure her daughter, Shona that no one is in her bedroom. Her face turns
panicked as she sees the loaming Jacko making his way toward her. He is also crying out for her, telling her that
he is so cold and wants to be held. Terrified, the woman tires to get away but Jacko's already so close enough to
grab her and tries to embrace her. Screaming, and fighting the woman is hugged tightly and she begins to feel her
body getting colder. Jacko leaves the woman dead on the floor in no time. The child comes to her side wondering now
why her mother is so terribly cold.
Inside the bedroom John gets more comfortable with Anthea but is still trying to figure her out. The conversation turns
to the more personal when asks him if he's had an AIDS test. When John informs her he's not HIV positive she decides
to drop the topic suddenly and asks him to walk her home. A slightly puzzled Constantine agrees. Tower Estate turns
out to be home and as they arrive John wanders what's this woman on about, but then decides it to be his paranoia
getting the better of him. She tells John she manages a shelter for people that don't have anywhere else to go.
Runaways, homeless, a few drunks, and even some mentally unstable are housed their temporarily because the authorities
don't have a place for them. John notices the halls around the lift are already beginning to smell like fungus.
His curiosity gets the best of him and he wants to know the story behind the smell. Anthea tells him that about
six months ago the smells were getting worse in room 512 so she and Sara phoned the police. When they broke in they
found two dead tramps under a curtain that had been there months and had to be scrapped from the carpets. John
says he'd heard worse and the pair head inside her flat. A man stands watching just a few yards away.
Anthea puts on some music and offers John something to drink. It seems Ray told her a lot of good things about
John before he died even what he likes to wet his whistle with. The music turns romantic and John wonders what exactly
is going on. He asks more about this woman Sara she mentioned. Sara is Anthea's flatmate and just before John remembers
something Ray said to him in the past, she asks for a kiss. He looks a bit confused and taken because he's just figured
Anthea is a lesbian. After a demand to know what all of this means, Anthea begins an explanation. Sara and Anthea want
to have a baby, but since the AIDS virus is spreading so quickly around that it's hard to find someone that is able to
be eligible. When Anthea heard all the good things Ray had said about John she asked the party host, Jeff, for an
introduction. She figured she would have told him afterwards. With a small look of concern she asks him if he's angry.
In light of recent events with the Swamp Thing and Abby Holland, John's anger lev el is reasonably considerable and
he raves about why people believe he is some kind of a walking sperm donator. He leaves, telling her she could have
just asked him.
Outside John makes his way out of the complex with little luck in direction and the smell around him getting worse.
The sight of a little girl grabs his attention and he goes to her. He asks for her name and she gives it to him in
between her broken sobs. The little girls name is Shona. She goes to explain that a smelly man came through her
window and hugged her mommy and now she's all cold. John reassuringly asks her to show her where she lives so he
can check it out. She agrees and they start the walk together. Once they get there it doesn't take much for John to
know she's already dead. The extreme temperature of her body does unnerve him a bit. It isn't natural for a woman
to be so cold (she seems like she was dragged from a freezer) for only a few hours from her death. Anthea gets a
knock on her door shortly after. At first she's angry herself that John has the nerve to show up again. He sets it
straight though asking her to watch out for little Shona so he can check out the flat.
John, with little success of using the practical method of breaking in with a folded paper clip, kicks the door open
and freeing it from the padlock. The smell inside makes him want to vomit and he covers his face quickly. He thinks that
all this isn't necessary. He should be on his way home, but is staying for reasons unknown to his good sense. He shouts,
thinking someone might still be here, and then remembers how cold it is. To his left an ominous form makes his way
towards him and John takes immediate notice. It speaks in mumbles and mutters asking John to hold him. Constantine asks
for his name, knowing it to be some kind of ghost or perhaps a spirit. The man tells him his name is Jacko and goes on
to say that he's so cold and nobody cares. He once again asks to be held. Naturally John attempts to grant the man his
request. With arms outstretched, the two embrace and John says he's freezing and smells like dead abattoir. Jacko's
muffled speech hits Constantine's ear. He thanks him, telling him he doesn 't feel so cold anymore.
With that the spirit passes, leaving John hugging nothing but the air in front of him. The reaction is mixed, though, and
John feels like he's going to be sick. He grunts and moans as he makes his way out of the room. All the man wanted was
to be held, just to feel the warmth of human compassion so he could move on. He thinks this all out as he moves to
Anthea's door again. Even if the man couldn't feel the human compassion anymore, he could still ignore his cold death.
The feeling that even though the dark things and nightmares of the world still exist, we don't feel them when we
have something or someone to hold onto surfaces to John and he knocks on Anthea's door once more. Anthea opens it and
ask why John smells so awful. John immediately interrupts her, asking her to just hold him.
The two hold each other under the blanket of London's night.
Issue synopsis written by J. White
Discuss Hellblazer #27 on our Forum.
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Jacko
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Constantine dispenses some wisdom to a racist Taxi driver.
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Life on the streets.
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The penny drops...
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A 'magic' of one kind...
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...and another.
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