As we head into the third issue of the second attempt for DC comics to take John Constantine, the former mascot of the Vertigo universe, back into the superhero world, it keeps reminding us exactly how good Hellblazer always was.  This was the longest running series at Vertigo, running a full 300 issues on top of dozens of cross-overs, graphic novels, miniseries, one-shots, and more.  The character defined the dark fantasy of that period of Vertigo, drawing together magic and mythology in a way that told horror stories that were uniquely personal.  This is now a character and run entirely of the past, and does not tie to the contemporary Constantine series at all.

So how do you start with Hellblazer and John Constantine?  What is the real order, anyway?  This is difficult because in the beginning, the comics where Constantine appeared and even Hellblazer were a part of the regular DC universe, before evolving out of it.  We have started by taking the wonderful and detailed reading order presented by Trade Reading Order and augmenting it to get something fully realized.

 

	Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book 3
				The Saga Of The Swamp Thing 35-38; Swamp Thing 39-42	April – November 1985

	Swamp Thing: The Curse
				The Saga Of The Swamp Thing 35-38; Swamp Thing 39-42	April 1985 – November 1985

	Crisis On Infinite Earths
				Crisis on Infinite Earths 1 – 12	April 1985 – March 1986

	Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Four
				Swamp Thing 43-50	December 1985 – July 1986
	History of the DC Universe
				History of The DC Universe (Prestige) 1-2	1986

	Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Five
				Swamp Thing 51-56	August 1986 – January 1987

	Swamp Thing VOL 06: Reunion
				Swamp Thing 57-64	February – September 1987

	John Constantine, Hellblazer, Vol. 1: Original Sins
				Hellblazer 1-9	January – September 1988

	Swamp Thing: Infernal Triangles
				Swamp Thing 77-81	October – December 1988

	Hellblazer, Vol. 2: The Devil You Know
				Hellblazer 10-13;The Hellblazer Annual; The Horrorist 1-2	October 1988 – January 1989

	The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes (New Edition)
				The Sandman 1-8	January – August 1989

	Hellblazer: The Fear Machine
				Issues 14-22	January – September 1989

	John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 4: The Family Man (Hellblazer (Graphic Novels))
				Issues 23-24, 28-31	October 1989 – July 1990

	The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll’s House
				The Sandman 8-16	August 1989 – June 1990

	The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1
				The Sandman 1-20	January 1989 – October 1990

	John Constantine, Hellblazer: Rare Cuts
				Hellblazer 11, 25-26, 35, 56, 84	November 1988 – November 1990, August 1992, December 1994

	HellBlazer: Dangerous Habits
				Hellblazer 41-46	May – October 1991

	Sandman: Fables and Reflections
				Issues 29-31, 38-40, 50, Sandman Special 1, Vertigo Preview 1	August 1991 – August 1992

	HellBlazer: Bloodlines
				Hellblazer 47-50, 52-55, 59-61	November 1991 – January 1993

	HellBlazer: Fear and Loathing
				Hellblazer 62-67	February – July 1993

	HellBlazer: Tainted Love
				Hellblazer 68-71, Hellblazer Special, Short Story From Vertigo Jam	August – November 1993

	HellBlazer: Damnation’s Flame
				Hellblazer 72-77	December 1993 – May 1994

	HellBlazer: Rake at the Gates of Hell
				Hellblazer 78-83, Heartland one-shot	June – November 1994

	Neil Gaiman’s Midnight Days
				Swamp Thing Annual 05; Hellblazer 27; Sandman Midnight Theatre 1995 OGN; Original Content	Annual 1989 – July 1995

	Underworld Unleashed
				Underworld Unleashed 1-3; Abyss – Hell’s Sentinel 1	November 1995 – January 1996

	Sandman: The Wake
				The Dreaming 8; The Sandman 70-75	August 1995 – March 1996

	Absolute Sandman 4
				The Dreaming 8; The Sandman 57-75; Vertigo Jam 1	August 1993 – January 1997

	HellBlazer: Son of Man
				Hellblazer 129-133	September 1998 – January 1999

	HellBlazer: Haunted
				Hellblazer 134-139	February – July 1999

	HellBlazer: Setting Sun
				Hellblazer 140-143	August – December 1999

	Totems
				Prestige	2000

	HellBlazer: Hard Time
				Hellblazer 146-150	March – July 2000

	HellBlazer: Good Intentions
				Hellblazer 151-156	August 2000 – January 2001

	HellBlazer: Freezes Over
				Hellblazer 157-163	February – August 2001

	HellBlazer: Highwater
				Hellblazer 164-174	September 2001 – August 2002

	HellBlazer: Red Sepulchre
				Hellblazer 175-180	September 2002 – March 2003

	HellBlazer: Lady Constantine
				Lady Constantine 1-4	February – May 2003

	HellBlazer: Black Flowers
				Hellblazer 181-186	April – September 2003

	HellBlazer: Staring at the Wall
				Hellblazer 187-193	October 2003 – April 2004

	Swamp Thing: Bad Seed
				Swamp Thing 1-6	May – October 2004

	HellBlazer: Stations of the Cross
				Hellblazer 194-200	May – November 2004

	HellBlazer: All His Engines
				Original Graphic Novel	February 2005

	Constantine: The Official Movie Adaptation
				Original Graphic Novel	2005

	Constantine: The Hellblazer Collection
				Constantine: The Official Movie Adaptation; Hellblazer 1, 27, 41	January 1988 – May 1991; 2005

	HellBlazer: Reasons to be Cheerful
				Hellblazer 201-206	December 2004 – May 2005

	HellBlazer: Papa Midnight
				Papa Midnite 1-5	April – August 2005

	HellBlazer: The Gift
				Hellblazer 207-215	June 2005 – February 2006

	HellBlazer: Empathy is the Enemy
				Hellblazer 216-222	March – September 2006

	HellBlazer: The Red Right Hand
				Hellblazer 223-228	October 2006 – March 2007

	HellBlazer: Joyride
				Hellblazer 230-237	May – December 2007

	HellBlazer: The Laughing Magician
				Hellblazer 238-242	January – May 2008

	HellBlazer: Roots of Coincidence
				Hellblazer 243-244, 247-249	June – December 2008

	HellBlazer: Chas: The Knowledge
				Chas: The Knowledge 1-5	September 2008 – January 2009

	HellBlazer: Scab
				Hellblazer 250-255	February – July 2009

	Dark Entries
				Original Graphic Novel	August 2009

	Hellblazer: Hooked
				Hellblazer 256-260	August – December 2009

	Hellblazer: Pandemonium
				Original Graphic Novel	February 2010

	Hellblazer: India
				Hellblazer 261-266	January – June 2010

Hellblazer: Bloody Carnations	Collects Hellblazer #267-275	Peter Milligan	“Sectioned”, “Bloody Carnations”, “The Royal Wedding of the Century”	1-40123-152-7
Hellblazer: Phantom Pains	Collects Hellblazer #276-282	Peter Milligan	“High Frequency Man”, “Phantom Pains”, “Inside”	1-78116-057-0
Hellblazer: The Devil’s Trenchcoat	Collects Hellblazer #283-291	Peter Milligan	“The Devil’s Trenchcoat”, “Another Season in Hell”	1-40123-720-7
Hellblazer: Death and Cigarettes	Collects Hellblazer #292-300; Hellblazer Annual #1	Peter Milligan	“The Curse of the Constantines”, “Death and Cigarettes”	1-40124-093-3