On this page Cain and Dey proceed with some chemically assisted psychic forensics. Cain’s use of government cooked hallucinogens has caused confusion amongst some readers, but more on that later.
So, why the drug trip?
Well, I decided to use this device for a few of reasons.
First off, I thought it broke up the necessary, but often clunky, “catch the reader up on the story” exposition. Cain and Dey have already spent several panels gabbing about “off camera events”, so I thought it would be nice to let the reader view the key events that lead to Cain’s earlier involvement at this hospital.
Also, the dream-like quality of the visions let us dress those events in symbols allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about them. Since these visions set Cain off on a story line that will be very important to the first season, we want to be vague about details while still piquing the readers’ interest.
Finally, my approach to how Cain displays his powers in this sequence has been influenced by the comic series Hellblazer.
(Before I move on: if your only knowledge of John Constantine, the main character in Hellblazer, comes from that awful Keanu Reeves movie… do yourself a favor and read the comicbook. I recommend reading any of the collections that feature the stories written by Warren Ellis or Garth Ennis.)
Constantine is more likely to bullshit or scheme his way out of trouble than shoot fireballs from his bat guano covered hands. The most magickal thing you’re likely to see Constantine do is commune with the dead, or disguise something with a glamour. I’ve always liked that, and while Cain will have some more overt displays of his powers, you can look at this sequence as a kind of nod to the Laughing Magician.
So, does Dey turn into a dog a the end of the page? No, the dog is a symbol of Dey’s character and his “transformation” is a byproduct of Cain coming up on the drug.

Next: Page 7 and what’s next for the Associate