Editing John Constantine (section)

==Publication history==
John Constantine first appeared in 1985 as a recurring character in ''[[Swamp Thing (comic book)|Swamp Thing]]'', in which he acted as a "supernatural advisor" to [[Swamp Thing|the main character]].<ref name=toonopedia1>{{cite web| last = Markstein| first = Don| title = Don Markstein's Toonopedia: John Constantine| url=http://www.toonopedia.com/helblazr.htm| access-date = May 31, 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Sting Paris-Bercy May 3 1986-a.jpg|thumb|upright|Singer-songwriter [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] was the visual inspiration of the character.<ref name="interview"/>]]
In these early appearances, Constantine was depicted as a sorcerer of questionable morality, whose appearance was based on that of the musician [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] (specifically, as Sting appeared in the films ''[[Brimstone and Treacle]]'' and ''[[Quadrophenia (film)|Quadrophenia]]''). [[Alan Moore]] created the character after artists [[Stephen R. Bissette]] and [[John Totleben]], who were fans of [[The Police]], expressed a desire to draw a character who looked like Sting.<ref name=interview>{{cite web| last = Christensen| first = William A.| title = The Unexplored Medium (Wizard Magazine November 1993)
| url=http://www.qusoor.com/hellblazer/Sting.htm| access-date = May 30, 2007 }}</ref><ref>"Alan Moore On (Just About) Everything", ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' #106 (March 1986), p. 41</ref> They had already drawn at least one character in Sting's likeness, a briefly glimpsed background figure wearing a black-and-red-striped T-shirt in ''Swamp Thing'' #25. In his earliest Swamp Thing appearances, the character is drawn with a marked resemblance to Sting, and in ''Swamp Thing'' #51, Constantine appears on a boat with the name ''The Honourable Gordon Sumner'' on the bow.

John Constantine's official debut was not until ''Swamp Thing'' #37, when he was drawn by [[Rick Veitch]] and Totleben. ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' #4, his second official appearance in a cameo role, shipped two weeks after the release of ''Swamp Thing'' #37. In that issue, written by [[Marv Wolfman]] and drawn by [[George Pérez]], Constantine is wearing a green suit as opposed to his more traditional black suit and tan trenchcoat ensemble.  Moore describes Constantine as being drawn from a number of "really good ideas&nbsp;... about serial killers, the [[Winchester Mystery House|Winchester House]], and&nbsp;... want[ing] to draw Sting in a story".<ref name="TCJ-42">"Alan Moore On (Just About) Everything", ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' #106 (March 1986), p. 42</ref> Calling these disparate strands a "big intellectual puzzle", Constantine was the result of "fit[ting] it all together".<ref name="TCJ-42"/> Initially created "purely to get Sting into the story", by the time of the 1985 [[San Diego ComicCon]], Moore stated, "It's turning into something more than that now."<ref name="TCJ-42"/> Veitch's contribution was to give Constantine an earring, something he considered risque for 1985.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20050228%2FNEWS%2F502280387&SearchID=73201566900517 |title=Vermont-Hollywood 'Synchronicity' : Rutland Herald Online |publisher=Rutlandherald.com |date=February 28, 2005 |access-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-date=April 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406224313/http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20050228%2FNEWS%2F502280387&SearchID=73201566900517 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Asked in 1985 about the similarities between John Constantine and the character Baron Winters (from Marv Wolfman and [[Gene Colan]]'s ''[[Night Force]]''), Moore revealed that he was a "big fan" of Wolfman and ''Night Force'', but that "no intention to rip off Baron Winters" existed.<ref name="TCJ-42"/> He said:
{{blockquote|With Constantine, I don't know who I was thinking of. I just wanted this character who knows everything, and knows everybody—really charismatic. Who knows nuns, politicians, and bikers, and who is never at a loss for what to do. I suppose there is a similarity with Baron Winters in that he is another manipulative character who has a bunch of agents working with him.<ref name="TCJ-42"/>}}

Constantine and Winters met each other during Moore's run on ''Swamp Thing'' and again in Neil Gaiman's ''[[The Books of Magic]]''.

Speaking to comics magazine ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' in 1993, Moore elaborated:
{{blockquote|One of those early notes was they both wanted to do a character that looked like Sting. I think DC is terrified that Sting will sue them, although Sting has seen the character and commented in ''Rolling Stone'' that he thought it was great. He was very flattered to have a comic character who looked like him, but DC gets nervous about these things. They started to eradicate all traces of references in the introduction of the early Swamp Thing books to John Constantine's resemblance to Sting. But I can state categorically that the character only existed because Steve and John wanted to do a character that looked like Sting. Having been given that challenge, how could I fit Sting into ''Swamp Thing''? I have an idea that most of the mystics in comics are generally older people, very austere, very proper, very middle class in a lot of ways. They are not at all functional on the street. It struck me that it might be interesting for once to do an almost blue-collar [[warlock]]. Somebody who was streetwise, working class, and from a different background than the standard run of comic book mystics. Constantine started to grow out of that.<ref name="interview"/>}}

In 1988, Constantine was given his own title, ''[[Hellblazer]]''. In 1993, at the launch of DC's [[Vertigo Comics]] [[imprint (trade name)|imprint]], ''Hellblazer'' was made an official Vertigo publication. It was the longest continuously published Vertigo title.<ref name="vert-ency1">{{Cite book |last=Irvine |first=Alex |author-link=Alexander C. Irvine |title=The Vertigo Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7566-4122-1 |editor-last=Dougall |editor-first=Alastair |place=New York |pages=102–111 |contribution=John Constantine Hellblazer |oclc=213309015}}</ref> Before the launch of the Vertigo line, Constantine appeared in several DC Universe titles, but for many years afterwards, editorial policy forbade him from appearing outside the Vertigo line.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}} The policy was reversed in 2011, when a version of Constantine appeared in the [[DC Universe]] crossover series ''[[Brightest Day]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/jonathan-vankin-dcu-john-constantine-110503.html |title=Jonathan Vankin on the New DC Universe JOHN CONSTANTINE |work=[[Newsarama]] |date=November 17, 2010|access-date=August 29, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dan-didio-brightest-day-23-110427.html |title=DAN DIDIO Explains BRIGHTEST DAY #24  |work=[[Newsarama]] |date=November 17, 2010|access-date=August 29, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, [[Peter Milligan]] added him to the inaugural key roster of [[The New 52]] series ''[[Justice League Dark]]''.<ref name="didio">{{cite news |last=Phegley |first=Kiel |date=April 27, 2011 |title=Dan Didio Digs Into 'Brightest Day's' Finale |url=https://www.cbr.com/dan-didio-digs-into-brightest-days-finale/ |access-date=June 9, 2020 |newspaper=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref><ref name="ewtucker" /> Milligan began writing ''Justice League Dark'' while also writing the Vertigo's ''Hellblazer'' series, being a writer of both series at the same time. In an interview, Milligan told [[Newsarama]]:
{{blockquote|Yeah. Sorry about that. I felt pretty bad and it was quite strange, sitting on a few panels and then having a few interviews where I couldn't actually say that I'd be writing Constantine for DCU. I have to say, though, that that didn't change what I said, which I still stand by. Namely that as far as I'm concerned, it's important that the Vertigo Constantine and the DCU Constantine are kept separate, with no cross-over things going on. The DCU Constantine has to be the guy we know and love, with his same failings—otherwise what's the point of using him? But as I'm writing him he's younger and has perhaps been through a bit less than the battered aging old sod we meet in Vertigo. Unlike my Vertigo Constantine, the guy we see in ''JLA Dark'' is definitely not married! I also said and believe that the average DC reader—Vertigo and DCU—is sophisticated enough to be able to read both versions without getting confused.<ref name=r1>{{cite news |first=Vaneta |last=Rogers |url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dcnu-peter-milligan-justice-league-dark-110609.html |title=Justice League Dark interview with Peter Milligan |work=[[Newsarama]] |date=9 June 2011 |access-date=14 June 2011 }}</ref>}}

Beginning in ''Justice League Dark'' #9, [[Jeff Lemire]] assumed writing duties on the series, replacing Milligan, who had remained on the Vertigo title. Lemire said he considers ''Justice League Dark'' his dream gig at DC Comics because Constantine is one of his all-time favourite characters not just in comics, but in all fiction. Lemire also teased that while Constantine, [[Zatanna]], and [[Deadman (character)|Deadman]] would remain on the roster, the team would change in his opening arc and expand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2012/01/31/jeff-lemire-takes-on-justice-league-dark |title=Jeff Lemire takes on Justice League Dark|publisher=DC Comics|date=2012-01-31}}</ref>