John Constantine, Hellblazer #8

John Constantine strides with trademark trenchcoat and cigarette through a gauntlet of looming, blue-skinned demons against a blood-red sky — Cliff Chiang's cover perfectly captures the series' blend of mundane cool and supernatural dread. This 2014 Vertigo collection gathers work by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, one of the great creative partnerships in comics, with the subtitle "Rake at the Gates of Hell" hinting at the infernal stakes Constantine perpetually navigates. If you're drawn to horror-tinged British wit and a hero who faces hell with a smirk, this is a fine place to dive in.