John Constantine can usually be found battling demons and other supernatural creatures in and around the London area. In the latest story arc, Constantine travels to India in hopes of raising the dead.

We caught up with Peter Milligan to talk about HELLBLAZER.

The Big Bad Wolf: What have you found most interesting about writing John Constantine: Hellblazer?

Peter Milligan: All right, there's the street magic and the whole dark side of London thing, but grappling with Constantine's slippery character is what makes this book really interesting for me. Every person I talk to seems to have a slightly different idea of who this bastard is. And that’s great.

The Big Bad Wolf: In your career you have worked on major books such as Detective Comics, X-Men and more. With that being said, did you feel any added pressure writing Hellblazer, since it is Vertigo's flagship title?

Peter Milligan: Well, I wasn't aware of any pressure—until you just mentioned it. Truth is I don't feel any more or less pressure than I would writing anything for Vertigo. In many ways, Vertigo is my comic book spiritual home, so everything I do there feels pretty special and comes with a kind of obligation to produce something I'm happy with.

The Big Bad Wolf: For those who aren't currently picking up Hellblazer, can you catch us up on the current storyline?

Peter Milligan: Constantine is trying to bring a dead girlfriend back from the dead. But to do this he needs to achieve some kind of spiritual purity. The very idea of Constantine getting anywhere near purity might be insane…but this doesn’t stop him heading to India, where he hopes to cleanse his very tarnished soul and find love. But India isn’t London, and Constantine finds himself embroiled in a strange tale of post-colonial guilt, Indian demons, and fake gurus.

The Big Bad Wolf: Did you have to do any special research on Indian Mythology while writing the "India" storyline?

Peter Milligan: Most of it I already had a handle on and I have a number of books lying around my study (I also have a very cool statue of Shiva I got from India some years back). But there was some research I had to do. In fact, most of my research went into Hindu swear words! I knew a few of them but got kind of obsessed with sourcing more and more obscure and filthy words and phrases, only some of which ended up in the comic.

The Big Bad Wolf: Many fans feel that your characterization of John Constantine is dead on. You have seemed to bring back the human side of the character that was missing in the last few years. What is your take on that?

Peter Milligan: Well, that’s great to hear, because it is Constantine’s character that I’m most interested in. And most of all it is the human side of him that intrigues me. The wise-cracks and the magic and the amoral flourishes are great but not all the man.

The Big Bad Wolf: What are your thoughts on the whole Constantine/Chas friendship?

Peter Milligan: Chas is a useful character, a good foil. I also have a personal reason for liking the whole Black Cab angle, as one of my brothers is a black cabbie. I was one of the poor bastards enlisted to help my brother pass ‘the knowledge”.

The Big Bad Wolf: How many issues do you currently have plotted out on Hellblazer? (issue 262 was just released at the time of this interview)

Peter Milligan: Quite a few. The story after India is written, and the next six months worth after that. There are a lot of ideas in a more nebulous form which at any minute might take form.

The Big Bad Wolf: Can you give us a bit of a teaser on what we can expect in upcoming story arcs?

Peter Milligan: After the exotica of India Constantine returns to a much grimier London in an edgy story that dredges up parts of Constantine’s punk rocker past, and reveals just who are really behind the British Conservative party. In the following storyline an old Vertigo character makes a return, summoned by a desperate and perhaps crazy Constantine.

The Big Bad Wolf: How has it been working with the rest of the creative team on Hellblazer?

Peter Milligan: It’s been great. The new editor, Shelly Bond, and I really understand and trust each other Regular artist Cammo is a sweetheart. I can't quite say the same of Simon Bisley…but he certainly has his qualities!

The Big Bad Wolf: In closing, what would you like to say about this Hellblazer series?

Peter Milligan: I can only say that I’m having a blast writing it, and hope the readers are enjoying the ride.

The Big Bad Wolf: Thank you for your time, Peter! Best of luck with HELLBLAZER!

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