20 Essential Comic Issues You Must Read Before You Die

Anyone familiar with John Constantine knows that he's the kind of guy who is only ever talked about in the kind of terms that come out as a string of asterisks here.

Hellblazer #11 explains how he became the way he is through a flashback to a disastrous early adventure in Newcastle. A young Constantine allowed his cockiness to get the better of him and tried to take on a demon of Hell, leading to the deaths, damnation and worse of most of his friends.

It exemplifies the series bleak tone and highlights on of John's main flaws, his friends always end up paying the price for his arrogance.