John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits

John Constantine the main character in Hellblazer was originally a very minor character in DC Comics Swamp Thing. Next came his only series in which this hard-smoking hard-drinking all around manipulator walked the thin line of magic between this world and hell. So when Irishman Garth Ennis was asked to write this comic book he had asked himself "What could I possibly do to John Constantine that hadnt been done before? And one course of action suddenly stood out above all others: Kill him."The result is a tense supernatural drama that begins with Constantine being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Though this book only hints at the freeform casualness and over-the-top vulgarity that became Enniss trademark in the Preacher series this is an immensely enjoyable read with strong characters and dynamite plot twists. --Jim Pascoe