John Constantine’s Latest Team Up Is So Perfect, He Needs to Leave the DCU

WARNING: Potential Spoilers For Batman / Dylan Dog #2!

John Constantine’s latest team-up with Batman’s new partner, Nightmare Investigator Dylan Dog, is a match made in Heaven, or more accurately, Hell, as the two head to the Underworld together. Considering the specialties of these two occultists, this was a team-up just waiting to happen. Their newfound partnership has also made it obvious that there may be a better home for Constantine other than DC Comics.

Batman / Dylan Dog #2 by Roberto Recchioni, Werther Dell’Edera, Gigi Cavenago, and Giovanna Niro continues the Caped Crusaders’ new partnership with Italian comics’ hero Dylan Dog. However, this issue takes a twist in the second half when Batman tasks Dog with finding John Constantine to venture into Hell to find out whether the soul of the sadist Christopher Killex remains there or has been unleashed on Earth.

Yet, this isn’t the first time these two supernaturally inclined heroes have met. In fact, they share a hilarious history that sets the tone for their subsequent interactions.

DC Reveals Hilarious History Between Hellblazer John Constantine and Nightmare Investigator Dylan Dog

Upon answering his door and finding Dylan Dog on the other side of it, Constantine can’t help but feel a sense of familiarity with the man. Dog is quick to jog John’s memory, reminding him that he was once a cop who had arrested John for “obscene acts in public.” With his recollection rejogged, Constantine hastily defends himself, attributing the arrest to “an arcane ritual.” This reveals that the two share a humorous and slightly antagonistic history that extends further than fans may have initially realized.

However, their shared history isn’t the only commonality between these two; they also share an incredibly unique profession, both dealing in the occult. It’s honestly a bit surprising that until now, Constantine’s and Dylan Dog’s paths haven’t crossed more frequently, considering Dog is a Nightmare Investigator and Constantine is a Warlock—both supernaturally inclined professions that have led to both men assuming the role of hero on more than one occasion. With Dylan Dog’s official introduction to John in this comic, it will be intriguing to see if the occultist will have further interactions with the dark magic wielder beyond this run.

Who is European Comics’ Superstar Dylan Dog, and Why Haven’t You Heard of Him?

Dylan Dog is an Italian comic hero who stars in a comic series of the same name created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore. His thrilling supernatural adventures and extremely quick-witted sidekick, Groucho, have made him a fan-favorite across Europe. Despite his popularity in Europe, Dog hasn’t achieved the same level of recognition in America. However, his crossover with Batman, now also featuring John Constantine, may be the key needed to spark interest among Americans and establish a foothold for him on this side of the comic industry.

Fans of John Constantine are guaranteed to love Dog as well. As previously mentioned, Dylan has a career that is similar to John’s in the sense that he investigates the supernatural, including monsters like vampires, demons, and Dylan’s archnemesis, his own father, Doctor Xabaras, who was recently revealed to be a friend and mentor of the Joker. Hence, daddy issues are another thing that John and Dylan have in common. In Batman / Dylan Dog #2, the Greek philosopher Epicurus (a resident of hell) revealed that John’s relationship failures are a reflection of his violent relationship with his father.

John Constantine and Dylan Dog’s Team-Up Reveals EPIC Hellblazer Lore

Along with the reveals of shared history, career prospects, and deep-seated daddy issues, Batman / Dylan Dog #2 was filled to the brim with extremely interesting John Constantine and Dylan Dog lore. Perhaps the most badass reveal was John’s fridge portal to hell, which is exactly what it sounds like. At Dog’s request to be taken to Hell, Constantine reveals that he has a direct line to Hell via his food-cooling appliance. This reveal is as outrageous as it is funny but it also has another twist to it as well.

Upon stepping into the fridge, Constantine and Dog arrive at Piccadilly Circus, which John reveals is his own personal Hell. He elaborates, explaining that it used to be a haven for rejects and outcasts, a place where people on the path to death could come together to connect and celebrate life. However, now it has been reduced to a mere tourist trap, devoid of its character and soul. As John reminisces, it becomes clear that he has fond memories of the place and was once among those outcasts. This revelation offers further insight into Constantine’s past.

Italian Publishing House Sergio Bonelli Editore May Be a Better Home For Constantine Than DC Comics

Despite John Constantine being a fan-favorite among many DC enthusiasts, his popularity is nowhere near that of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, or even other adjacently related characters. It’s disappointing that Constantine often goes underappreciated, even though he usually has an all-star team backing his character, like writer Si Spurrier and artist Aaron Campbell. Constantine not getting the appreciation he deserves is possibly DC’s fault for not giving him a platform that elevates him to the level he deserves, and cancelling previous Hellblazer projects.

This is especially true when looking at DC’s past controversial decisions concerning John, such as when they cancelled Spurrier’s first Hellblazer run during the pandemic. However, it does appear that DC is making up for this mistake with their greenlighting of Spurrier’s and Campbell’s current ongoing comic run, John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead in America. The fact that Keanu Reeves’ Constantine is also getting another movie in 2025 titled Constantine 2, also speaks towards DC correcting past mistakes where John is concerned. Here’s to hoping that DC’s future is filled with more John Constantine and Dylan Dog content.

Batman / Dylan Dog #2 is available now from DC Comics!