John Constantine is not one of the best known DC heroes, at least when it comes to superhero fans who don’t read comic books. When Constantine first appeared on the big screen in the 2005 film Constantineplayed by Keanu Reeves, he was not linked to any other superheroes, making it seem like Constantine wasn’t part of the DC universe.
That changed when Matt Ryan played Constantine in the Arrowverse and joined the crew of the Legends of Tomorrow. Since a sequel to Keanu Reeves’ Constantine The movie is rumored to be in development, now is a great time to learn more about Constantine by reading some of his comics that will best introduce the character to new readers.
5 All his engines
Of all the John Constantine comic books, this one has the closest link to the 2005 film since it was released at the time of the film’s premiere to inform people and explain who John Constantine was. So even though several characters appear in the comic book, the plot has a similar feel to it. Once again, Constantine helps a woman in trouble, even if it means taking on demons who don’t hesitate to hurt him or worse. This time it’s his friend’s granddaughter, making the case even more personal for John.
Both All his engines and the film has a similar sense of danger and darkness. It will be interesting to read how John will find his way out of trouble, and the result may surprise readers. This storyline is a good indication that John Constantine isn’t all about spells and action, but isn’t afraid to use his intelligence against his enemies, making for a compelling read.
4 Dangerous Habits
If Keanu Reeves’ readers Constantine and wants to start in familiar territory, the storyline Dangerous Habits available in hellblazer #41-46 is a good option. Garth Ennis is an accomplished writer who has written some of the darkest and best comics, and characters like Constantine and Punisher fit his style. In this story, John battles his terminal lung cancer… and he loses.
The same happened in the movie where John knew he was about to die and tried his best not to go to hell as Satan was mad at him. Satan also appears in this storyline, but that’s where the similarities between the comic book plot and the movie’s story end. Despite this, there are plenty of similar points to help new readers into the story and show them what the John Constantine comic book is all about.
3 Rake at the gates of hell
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Even though this storyline concludes Garth Ennis’ Hellblazer run and appears in hellblazer #78-83, it is still understandable to novice readers who have not met the comic book version of John Constantine before. In any case, they are familiar with his Arrowverse storyline and the fact that John failed to save the girl Astra who ended up in hell and then returned to turn John’s life into hell.
Rake at the gates of hell shows in the comics how Astra’s fall and return happened, and it is interesting to compare the comic version with the television version. Unsurprisingly, the original is even darker than what viewers got in the Arrowverse, so even those who know Astra’s Arrowverse story well will be surprised by what they learn about the character in the comics.
2 Out of season
Another comic book arc that took place in the Arrowverse and therefore will be understandable to all fans of Matt Ryan’s John Constantine was written by Mike Carey. In either case, John runs out of his powers and has to find a way to deal with it. However, the causes of this loss are different. In the Arrowverse, John loses his powers after helping Astra. In Out of seasonJohn gives up his powers willingly (more or less).
He has a hard time moving on, not because he doesn’t want to change his life, but because several people around him (and other creatures) want to make sure that John doesn’t get time to rest. So he must face the Beast of the Apocalypse in this story, which is easily one of the biggest challenges John has faced in his life. The storyline allows the readers to dig deep into John’s way of thinking and as such is an ideal way to get to know the character better.
1 The first appearance
As with all other superheroes, a good way to get into their story in the comics is to read the comic book they first appeared in. For John Constantine, this happened in Swamp thing #37 in June 1985. Although it is John’s first appearance in the comics, he has all of his distinctive looks and other traits that readers and viewers have come to associate with him over the years.
Like the fact that he smokes and of course the fact that he can do magic and knows what he’s talking about when he warns of an impending crisis. Looking back, Constantine became more fleshed out as a character over the next few years after this comic book release, but it’s still a good book for anyone who wants to go all the way to John Constantine’s roots.
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