John Constantine seems really cool and I read dc comics a lot but none of him where do I start????
Ok honestly? I just read comics like, wherever whenever. I started with the Injustice series simply because it had John in it (I had just finished watching all the movies and what not aside from like. one).
Thankfully, Constantine's comics are like... mostly straightforward? Like. There is a clear starting point and ending point as of right now.
(Not to mention they're also mostly pretty short)
I'm going to put this under a Read More, because it's gonna be a long one, folks.
(I'm doing a bit of a timeline to make it easier on you)
> Swamp Thing
Summary:
There are tales of a mysterious "Swamp-Man" from all across the world. It is a mossy creature that roams the wetlands--- searching for a place in the world by venturing through the swamps. Once a man called Alec Holland, it is now a long creature, feared and hated by those that come across it.
> He makes his first appearance here, actually! More specifically he appears (and also ends his appearance) in volume 2. Though my motto is to usually read through the whole comic so that you're not just immediately diving into it all willy nilly and get the context needed. Or else you might just miss out on how stuff even came to be!
(Unless it sucks, of course, then skip ahead all you need).
> Hellblazer
Summary:
Man of mystery, risk-taker, thrill-seeker, and master of the supernatural: John Constantine. After leading Swamp Thing through some dark journeys back in the original issues of Swamp Thing, this man obsessed with power and driven by his inner demons sets off into the darkest corners of the world.
His knowledge of the occult and his influence upon the supernatural realms makes him the only man to call when horrors beyond our comprehension appear! He's not always successful, however....
> One of the main Comic series for Constantine that most people get their material from (at least from what I've seen). It lasted like 300 issues so you're going to need a LOT of time for this one if you're thinking of reading it.
> The Horrorist
Summary: A chance encounter sends a cold, embittered Constantine on a desperate search for the Horrorist -- a strange, inhuman woman whose embodiment of the world's horrors may be his only hope to feel human again...if he can navigate through the wreckage of human lives left in her path!
> Pretty short, 2 volumes, but they're both 52 pages long.
> Trench coat Brigade
Summary: In this darkly humorous 4-issues mini series, "The Trenchcoat Brigade" reunite on a search for the answer to one question, and one question only: Why has Mister E arrived to the present day to kill green-eyed Russian men in New York City?
Come and travel through time and space with The Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult, and the dangerously unstable Mister E!
> Pretty short, just 4 volumes.
> Justice League Dark (New 52)
Summary: The witch known as The Enchantress has gone mad, unleashing forces that not even the combined powers of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg can stop. And if those heroes can't handle the job, who will stand against this mystical madness?
Shade the Changing Man, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Zatanna and John Constantine may be our only hope - but how can we put our trust in beings whose very presence makes ordinary people break out in a cold sweat?
> Lasts 40-ish issues. Each issue
> I, Vampire
Summary: Witness how Andrew Bennett became a vampire! Who was the monster that attacked him? How did his powers develop? And why is he the only vampire able to control his terrible hunger for blood?
> He appears as a supporting character in this, specifically for issues 7 and 8.
> Constantine (2013)
Summary: The star of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK is unleashed in his all-new ongoing series! Liar, cheater, manipulator...John Constantine is all of these, and yet he uses these skills and more to protect the world from the darkest corners of the DC Universe.
What Constantine learns in this first issue will shake the very foundations of the New 52...and only he knows how to deal with it!
> Another short one, this one lasts for 23 volumes.
> Constantine: The Hellblazer
Summary: The dark adventures of DC's foremost occult detective continue in an all-new series as he investigates the cruelest case he's ever come across - his own dark history!
> And the second to last series that ran from 2015-2016. Since it did run for only a year, it's pretty short--- it's 13 issues long.
> The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: Johnny Constantine
Summary: After angering a number of hostile spirits in England, 13-year-old magician Johnny Constantine has to find a way out of the country.
Persuading his parents to send him to America, John arrives at the Junior Success Boarding School in Salem, Massachusetts. But once there, he finds himself to be something of an outcast. And he is convinced that his homeroom teacher really has it in for him. Worse, hes sure shes really a witch. Fortunately, John is able to find one kindred spirit at school with whom hes able to form an alliance—another misfit named Anna, who also happens to have her own developing magical powers.
John recruits Anna in his efforts to uncover the truth about Ms. Kayla and expose the meanest teachers real identity to the world. Joined by a friendly demon named Etrigan, these two amateur sleuths will uncover clues and stumble upon forces beyond their control in a humorous series of misadventures.
> And NOW we've gotten to the very most recent. I actually own this book in real life! As the name might tip you off, it's a children's comic, but it's still a pretty good read and is only one book!
> It does seem like they want to write another one, so you might wanna keep an eye out for it. I know I am.
And that’s about it, really!
Sources:
My Comic Shop (For most of the summaries written here)
Wikipedia (To double check what issues are what)
Comic Book Reading Orders (To TRIPLE check what issues go where)
