Constantine: City of Demons
An animated adaptation of Hellblazer: All His Engines.
John Constantine, the demon-hunting occult detective from DC Comics, stars in this American animated web series. It loosely adapts the graphic novel Hellblazer: All His Engines and exists within the DC Animated Movie Universe, linking to the 2017 film Justice League Dark. The series debuted at WonderCon before its initial release as five episodes on CW Seed on March 24, 2018.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Superhero
- Action
- Supernatural horror
- Fantasy
- Voices
- Matt Ryan
- Based on
- John Constantine
- Alan Moore
- Steve Bissette
- John Totleben
- Composer
- Kevin Riepl
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Cast and characters
Matt Ryan voices John Constantine, a seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult, and also voices the Constantine Demons. Damian O'Hare portrays Chas Chandler, Constantine's longtime friend. Laura Bailey voices Asa the Healer / Nightmare Nurse and Trish Chandler. Emily O'Brien plays Renee Chandler. Rachel Kimsey voices Angela the Queen of Angels and the plane announcer. Robin Atkin Downes portrays Butler and Nergal. Jim Meskimen voices Beroul / Nergal, Cheleb, and Quedbas. Kevin Michael Richardson voices Mahonin and an old man possessed by Angela. Rick D. Wasserman portrays Mictlantecuhtli.
Production
Matt Ryan once again voiced John Constantine in this animated series, having previously appeared as the character in a guest role on Arrow's fourth season. At the time, CW president Mark Pedowitz stated there were no conversations about whether other live-action cast members would join the web series or if this Constantine would link back to his live-action storylines. Warner Bros. Animation, Berlanti Productions, and Blue Ribbon Content developed the show, with Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David S. Goyer as executive producers and Butch Lukic as producer. J. M. DeMatteis wrote the series, and Doug Murphy directed it. Vice President Peter Girardi of Warner Bros. Animation and Blue Ribbon Content noted the series was intended to be darker than the live-action version and more faithful to the Hellblazer comics from DC's Vertigo imprint. Although initially described as tying into the live-action Constantine series, the two projects differ greatly in character and plot details. DeMatteis explained the series is not a continuation of the live-action show but exists in the same universe as the 2017 film Justice League Dark. Girardi described it as part of the "Constantine animated universe."
Release
Constantine: City of Demons initially launched as a five-episode series on CW Seed on March 24, 2018, following its premiere at WonderCon that same day. Writer J. M. DeMatteis later stated that an additional seven episodes were intended, alongside a home video release with 20 minutes of bonus content, similar to Vixen: The Movie. The full-length cut arrived on Blu-ray and digital platforms on October 9, after an early screening at New York Comic Con on October 4. The CW broadcast the series on October 15, hosted by Ryan and retitled Constantine: The Legend Continues. On January 17, 2019, the entire series was re-released on CW Seed as two compiled episodes.
Reception
Critics gave mixed but generally positive marks to Constantine: City of Demons. IGN's Jesse Schedeen rated the first half an 8.1 out of 10, praising its simple yet engaging plot and calling Matt Ryan a perfect fit for the role in both live-action and animation. He later gave the full film a 7.5, noting the story slows down in the middle but picks up again by the end. Common Sense Media's Renee Schonfeld awarded 3 out of 5 stars, highlighting the distinctive animation, exciting battles, and strong voice acting, while warning that the content is quite grisly.
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