John Constantine, Hellblazer: Scab

In 2009, DC launched John Constantine, Hellblazer: Scab, a single-issue story by writer Peter Milligan and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli that stands as a taut, self-contained chapter in the long-running Vertigo saga. This brief but potent installment finds the master of dark magic and cynical survival facing a personal, visceral threat that cuts to the heart of his damned existence. A focused burst of Milligan's signature psychological unease and Camuncoli's gritty, expressive linework, it's a sharp reminder of how even a single issue can distill the series' core themes of consequence and corruption.