Hellblazer Presents: Chas

Hellblazer Presents: Chas - The Knowledge
Cover to issue #1 of Hellblazer Presents: Chas - The Knowledge. Art by Glenn Fabry and Tony Luke.
Publication information
Publisher	Vertigo
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Publication date	July 2008 - January 2009
Number of issues	5
Creative team
Writer(s)	Simon Oliver
Artist(s)	Goran Sudzuka
Letterer(s)	Clem Robins
Colorist(s)	Matt Hollingsworth
Editor(s)	Mark Doyle Jonathan Vankin
Collected editions
Hellblazer: Chas	ISBN 1-40122-127-0

Hellblazer Presents: Chas - The Knowledge is a comic book limited series, written by Simon Oliver, with artwork by Goran Sudzuka, and cover art by Glenn Fabry. It is a spin off from the Vertigo series Hellblazer, featuring John Constantine's oldest and closest friend, Francis 'Chas' Chandler.^[1]

The first issue was printed in July 2008. The series ran for five issues, which is now collected in a trade paperback format.

Issues

#1 July 2nd 2008
Cab driver Francis "Chas" Chandler leads an unremarkable existence. His greatest moments have come tagging along with John Constantine -- as a chauffeur. His home life is nothing special, and his beloved London is becoming a soulless metropolis. In middle age, Chas is stuck in a rut.

But Chas is a master of "The Knowledge," the elaborate system of routes and landmarks which every London cabbie must memorize. Until now, The Knowledge has been just a tool for Chas. But now, he's about to discover a more sinister significance of The Knowledge.

An ominous entity from London's grim history has reemerged, and only someone with The Knowledge can stop it.

#2 August 6th 2008
A demon is loose in London, and where's John Constantine? On a beach in Ibiza with a mai tai and a Brazilian model. That leaves Chas alone to solve a bloody mystery – but when one of his old friends goes missing and a new friend emerges to turn his life upside down, saving the city is the last thing on Chas's overburdened mind.

#3 September 3rd 2008
Chas continues to have emotional problems just when London needs him the most. John is off in a tropical paradise causing trouble, a new women tempts Chandler and old promises go neglected.

#4 October 1st 2008
Red vs. Blue. The demon possessing Chas's would-be protégé, Nicky, has unlocked the secrets of "The Knowledge," and now it's looking to rip the soul right out of London. And where better to start than a football match between two of the city's most heated rivals? The ensuing chaos creates a moment of decision in the life of "Chas."

#5 November 5th 2008
The demon Tuma'el stands poised to take control of London's very soul. Chas has managed to array a small group of friends and allies, which does not include John, to fight back against the demonic force.

Reception

The first issue sold an estimated 10,463 issues putting it at 182 in the Diamond Comic Distributors sales table.^[2]

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a trade paperback:

• Hellblazer: Chas (128 pages, Vertigo, April 2009, ISBN 1-40122-127-0)

Popular Culture

Chas Chandler was re-imagined as Chas Kramer in the film adaptation Constantine

Notes

1. ^ Irvine, Alex (2008), "John Constantine Hellblazer", in Dougall, Alastair, The Vertigo Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 102–111, ISBN 0-7566-4122-5, OCLC 213309015 
2. ^ Sales Estimates for July, 2008, Comic Book Resources, August 28, 2008

References

• Hellblazer Presents: Chas - The Knowledge at the Comic Book DB
• Chas: The Knowledge #1 at DC