HELLBLAZER #171
Ashes & Dust, Part Two
Writer : Brian Azzarello
Artist : Marcelo Frusin
Cover Artist : Tim Bradstreet
Colors : Lee Loughridge
Letters : Clem Robins
Editor : Wil Dennis
Issue synopsis written by J. White
Issue Synopsis : Peggy goes to great lengths to describe John Constantine’s sexual appetite. His drive for
pleasure and satisfaction was uncontrollable. Peggy notion was that John’s drive was purely for himself and that nothing
could contain it. When F.B.I Agent Turro continues to question Peggy as to how Constantine actually died he still gets
the vague responses. According to her he not only burned but had a fire inside him. When a question involving the use
of hot wax as foreplay leads to Turro’s sexual preferences, Peggy muses that he doesn’t seem the ordinary type; at least
when it comes to the traditional types of sex.
She recalls an earlier episode in which John used the hot wax as a need for pleasure during an encounter with her. With
the use of it not as filling to John she moves for the lighter fluid, making a small explosion on his chest to intensify
the gratifying pain. Peggy corrects Turro in the assumption that maybe a similar stunt was pulled as the cause of the
fire in the club. She dismissed it entirely, telling him yet again that John Constantine’s fire was internal, making
him the kind of man that burned for desire and yearning.
S.W. Manor soaks the wounds of his back from inside his bathtub, but when his mirrored door suddenly creaks open, Manor’s
peace is disturbed. As the name of his head guard Fredo goes unanswered, Manor goes to investigate. As he opens the door
the sudden figure of Constantine reflects through the image of the door terrifying Manor. The soon realization that no
one is inside his bathroom other than himself is apparent, but none the less frightening.
Agent Gucardi and Detective Havlik are busy examining the charred remains of the body when Turro enters at Gucardi’s
request. Turro informs the coroner that he’s making no headway in the interrogations, which doesn’t surprise any of
them, but it seems Gucardi has made a startling discovery. It seems the fire started from the inside out as some kind of
internal combustion. Making the impossible sound even more impossible he then goes on to explain that it takes somewhere
from three hours at twenty-five hundred degrees to actually cremate a body and that this one was only on fire less than a
minute according to the witnesses. With that question mark hovering the authority’s heads, Gucardi releases his next bit
of discovery; the fire started at the victim’s heart. Turro and Havlik continue to goat each other, finding bit of sexual
tension that rise to the obvious levels between the two outside in the hall. Turro doesn’t seem the bit phased, but it
does leave a surprising word or two shared before Havlik leaves him to continue the investigation with a bit of sexual
innuendo left in the air.
Outside Manor estate several guards are checking the perimeter when Father Sean arrives via limo. With a concerning
demeanor and the sight of the guards worrying him more, Sean is sent inside with Fredo telling him everything was
alright but Manor was a little scared. Father Sean makes his way inside, passing by the heads of very exotic animals
mounted on the walls and a large glass room full of vicious looking black bats. He seems a bit unnerved and continues on
finally arriving to the game room where Manor is waiting.
Turro and Havlik get to know each other over a cup of coffee inside the L.A. precinct. Havlik, it seems, has divorced
twice from the same man. Turro makes light of it as usual telling her that his ex’s usually stay that way. She agrees,
though lets out her honest opinion that “the spirit is weak…when the flesh is willing.”
Father Sean makes the mistake of calling Manor by his first name, Stanley, again. That by which is learned when Manor
threatens him in most gruesome nature. Sean asks what happened here tonight and Manor tells him he saw an intruder.
Sean assumes that the guards were outside looking for him, and thinking him to be a physical being. Manor says that
he will not be found and this confuses Father Sean. It seems confusion is all around as Manor describes to him that
something of his was taken and he is lost without it. A thief is what both Manor and Father Sean label the intruder,
a thief of the worst kind. When the priest asks what he can do Manor simply tells him to do what he does best – listen.
S.W. Manor has something to confess.
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John waxes lyrical with Peggy.
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Boo!
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The final remains of John Constantine, esquire ?
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Turro has a way with women...
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...still, he appears to be doing something right.
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Indeed.
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