If you want to start reading John Constantine, choose Original Sins for the beginning of his solo series or Rise and Fall for a self-contained introduction. The harder part is recognizing which similarly named book you have found: several different series put “Constantine” and “Hellblazer” on the cover.
These ten selections offer different ways in. They are arranged by reading need, not ranked as a definitive best-of list, and you do not need to read all ten in sequence. Each entry identifies the story, its appeal and the edition or continuity detail worth checking. Most lean toward adult horror; check the individual book’s age rating and content before choosing.
1. Hellblazer: Original Sins: start the original solo series
Choose it for: a chronological introduction rather than a later reset.
Jamie Delano’s opening collection establishes Constantine through a series of connected occult encounters. It is the most direct choice if your main question is, “Where does the original Hellblazer begin?” Start here when you want the relationships and history to accumulate instead of encountering them halfway through.
Edition check: DC’s expanded John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 1: Original Sins contains Hellblazer #1–9 and Swamp Thing #76–77. Those guest appearances are not Constantine’s debut. Check DC’s contents listing.
2. Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits: try one high-stakes story arc
Choose it for: a focused introduction to Garth Ennis’s Constantine.
Written by Garth Ennis with pencils by Will Simpson, the six-part story begins with John facing terminal lung cancer. That premise makes his own survival the immediate problem, giving a newcomer a clear reason to follow him even without reading every earlier issue. Starting here does skip established history; choose Original Sins instead if preserving the original order matters most.
Edition check: the story is Hellblazer #41–46, while the expanded Vol. 5: Dangerous Habits collects #34–46. DC identifies the opening issue; its edition announcement confirms the larger collection.
3. Hellblazer: All His Engines: read a complete rescue story
Choose it for: a single graphic novel centered on John and Chas.
Mike Carey and Leonardo Manco put a personal emergency at the center of a much larger supernatural threat: Chas’s granddaughter falls into a coma, drawing Constantine into an investigation that reaches from London to Los Angeles. The rescue gives the story a concrete emotional stake beyond the mechanics of magic.
Format check: this was published as an original graphic novel, so it is a useful alternative to beginning a long monthly run. Look for the exact title All His Engines. DC’s listing confirms the creators and premise.
4. Hellblazer: Rise and Fall: take a modern standalone route
Choose it for: a short, self-contained introduction with a murder mystery.
Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson begin with a bizarre death: a wealthy man falls from the sky with wings attached to his back. Detective Aisha Bukhari’s investigation reconnects her with Constantine and their shared childhood. This is a compact way to meet John through a new case rather than a reading-order checklist.
Format check: the collection contains the three-issue miniseries. DC’s own editorial specifically recommends it as a self-contained starting point. See the collection and DC’s introduction.
5. John Constantine, Hellblazer: Marks of Woe: enter the Sandman Universe run
Choose it for: a newer series that returns to adult occult horror.
Si Spurrier’s run brings John back to London, where an exorcism job draws him into trouble. Spurrier has explained that the opening deliberately moves from a more spectacular version of Constantine toward the grimmer approach associated with his earlier stories. That transition makes this a useful option for readers arriving from television or superhero appearances.
Edition check: get Vol. 1: Marks of Woe, which includes the launch special, series issues #1–6 and Books of Magic #14. It is the beginning of a run, not its complete story. Read the creator’s explanation.
6. Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Three: meet Constantine before Hellblazer
Choose it for: the character’s debut and his original supporting role.
Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing introduces Constantine as someone who pushes another character toward disturbing discoveries. The publisher’s description confirms that Book Three includes his comics debut. This is the historical route for readers who want to see how John first worked within a larger horror story.
Continuity check: it is the third book of a Swamp Thing run, not the first volume of a Constantine series. Read the preceding books if you want Swamp Thing’s story from the start; choose a solo title above if John is your only priority. See the publisher’s description.
7. The Books of Magic: explore the wider magical world
Choose it for: Constantine alongside other supernatural guides.
In the original miniseries written by Neil Gaiman, Timothy Hunter encounters a magical world with Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Doctor Occult and Mister E as guides. John is part of an ensemble rather than the sole lead. That makes this the useful detour if his connections to DC’s other mystical characters interest you more than a solo investigation.
Edition check: choose the original four-issue miniseries collection, not a later ongoing series with the same name. DC describes the cast; the new-edition listing identifies the original miniseries.
8. Hellblazer: Pandemonium: try a political horror graphic novel
Choose it for: an international setting and a single-book commitment.
Jamie Delano returns to Constantine with artist Jock for a story that moves from a London museum bombing to detention centers in Iraq. Ancient supernatural threats sit alongside the violence of a contemporary conflict. Choose it if that setting interests you; it is a more specific proposition than a general introduction to John’s everyday world.
Format check: Pandemonium is an original graphic novel, not a numbered volume of Delano’s opening run. Its war and detention setting also makes it a heavier choice than a straightforward supernatural mystery. DC confirms the creators, format and setting.
9. Constantine, The Hellblazer: Going Down: try the 2015 series
Choose it for: a fresh first volume built around an unusual ghost mystery.
Ming Doyle and James Tynion IV’s series starts with someone murdering ghosts, sending Constantine back toward people and events from his own past. The premise gives readers a defined investigation while introducing another creative team’s approach to him. Artists in the collection include Riley Rossmo, Vanesa Del Rey and Chris Visions.
Edition check: this is Constantine, The Hellblazer Vol. 1: Going Down, collecting the 2015 series’ #1–6 plus a preview story. It is neither Original Sins nor Marks of Woe, despite the similar series names. See DC’s collection details.
10. Hellblazer: City of Demons: choose a short London horror case
Choose it for: a standalone miniseries with a fixed endpoint.
Si Spencer and Sean Murphy’s story finds Constantine leaving hospital rehabilitation and confronting occult murders on London’s streets. It is a direct option for someone who wants a bounded case instead of an ongoing series. The hospital opening and murder investigation distinguish it from the international rescue in All His Engines.
Edition check: look for the 2010 comic miniseries or its collection, containing #1–5. The creator names help avoid confusion with screen productions carrying a similar title. DC explicitly identifies it as a standalone five-issue miniseries.
Which one should you read first?
Pick Original Sins if you want to follow the original solo series in order. Pick Rise and Fall if you want one complete modern story before committing. Choose Marks of Woe if you want the start of a newer adult-horror run. Before borrowing or buying, match the full title and contents to the edition above: “Volume 1” alone is not enough to identify a Constantine book.
For more reading and listening ideas, browse our Music & Entertainment guides.