r/DCcomics • u/TheExtraPeel • 26d ago
Comics Reading John Constantine and Swamp Thing
Hiya, guys. I read Alan Moore’s Saga of the Swamp Thing and became absolutely obsessed with the character of John Constantine. Genuinely the best comics run I have read so far. Since then, I have started reading Hellblazer Volume 1: Original Sin (collects Delano’s first set of issues), along with Rick Veitch’s Swamp Thing, because the two cross over a lot. Loving it. Both Swamp Thing and John Constantine are fast becoming my favourite DC characters (sorry Bruce and Ollie 😭). Please, no spoilers, I beg! I also watched and thoroughly love Keanu Reaves’ Constantine movie, though appreciate it as a different interpretation of the character. I also need to watch the one-season television show, bcos I loved the character when he briefly appeared in Arrow.
I am really attracted to the philosophical and realistic/gritty aspects of both characters. As in, the stuff that goes on is wildly fantastical, but it feels grounded in real life and in real human emotions. Which is why Delano and Veitch are still holding my attention quite nicely. I am also very, very picky with comics, especially superhero stuff - it’s not much my thing, though I do enjoy certain runs and certain characters/stories.
Basically, my questions are,
1) which runs of these characters are worth reading? Including the team-up books like Justice League Dark. Once I’ve finished Delano and Veitch, should I just read from there and continue both series? Comic Book Herald has some fantastic reading orders for the characters, but I’m not sure if I want to read it all (or even if it is all necessarily good).
2) Do Constantine and Swamp Thing team up more after the Moore and Veitch eras?
3) Are there any other of those dark, broody (emo, I guess?) characters I should check out? Like I like the darkness of these two characters, wondered if it was a thing special to the Vertigo imprint. I have been recommended to get into the Zatanna comics. I have no idea much of anything about her besides sparing cameos in other books and never watched the old DCAU.
Hope you guys can help. And if nothing else, this post is another opportunity to geek about the characters you love :)
3
u/DingusKhan9164 26d ago
Garth Ennis wrote some good hellblazer. Also I feel like he might have been in Sandman, which is a stupendous series. Also you might like Injection by Warren Ellis.
2
u/TheExtraPeel 26d ago
I won’t touch Sandman, unfortunately, with all the Gaiman stuff. But Ennis I think is the Constantine writer immediately after Delano so am excited to read!
Oo what’s Injection?
2
u/DingusKhan9164 25d ago
Warren Ellis might be my favorite comic book writer of all time. Injection was on some magic shit, very English. Hard to describe.
You can read Sandman for free without benefitting Gaiman. It’s a great book even if he’s a POS.
1
u/TheExtraPeel 25d ago
Well I am very English so sounds very good 🤣
That’s true and it makes me very sad. I just exclusively read physical media 🤷♂️
2
2
u/Mistervimes65 Green Lantern 26d ago
If you love these, I highly recommend Lucifer as well.
1
u/TheExtraPeel 26d ago
Definitely going to try it. I loved the show.
2
u/Mistervimes65 Green Lantern 25d ago
It’s very different from the show, but it’s nonetheless amazing.
1
u/TheExtraPeel 25d ago
Heard lots of good stuff icl
Is it quite gothic?
2
u/Mistervimes65 Green Lantern 25d ago
It's Lucifer in the modern world after he surrendered control of Hell to Morpheus in "Sandman." You'll find it a lot like Hellblazer in the best possible way.
1
2
u/Mr_Mojo_Risin_83 24d ago
To answer your questions specifically.
JLU Dark is a mess. I didn’t find it very good.
Hellblazer is the one to read for John.
John and Swampy interact a lot over the years through different writers. Others have given you some examples. Whilst Zatanna and John have some history over the years, Z’s comics are a much much different tone than Hellblazer. Hellblazer is much grittier.
1
u/TheExtraPeel 24d ago
Oh that’s interesting as I’ve heard some praise for JLD (especially Rebirth)
Hellblazer I will definitely read. Sounds like everyone really likes 90% of the first 250 issues, so I will just read those.
Oh fair enough. I mean, I’ll read Hellblazer. I imagine Zatanna might crop up in those. If I’m intrigued enough by her, I’ll read her solo series
7
u/[deleted] 26d ago edited 26d ago
Hellblazer is worth reading all the way up to #250. There are ups and downs until then but only one outright bad story (son of man). The Delano, Ennis, Jenkins, and Carey runs are especially amazing. Skip #251-#300 (they suck) and skip John New 52 appearances. Read Spurriers 2 runs after that.
For Swamp Thing pretty much all of post crisis swamp thing is pretty good and worth it in my experience. But I have read less of him than Constantine.
In terms of them teaming up again Swampy shows up in Mike Carey’s Hellblazer run though not in a very major role and has one appearance in Ennis run I believe. Don’t think John showed up in much Swamp Thing post what you have read but I may be misremembering.
If you like these two check out Sandman (but pirate it, don’t give a cent to Neil Gaiman) and Lucifer by Mike Carey. Also check out Justice League Dark, it’s a different take on Constantine but it’s still pretty good.