It's been a crazy ride for this loquacious Brit, stretched out over nearly thirty years in the dark corners of the DC Universe. He's tackled demons, vampires, dimensional aliens, and just about everything in the inky black cracks of the terrifying, and every time he heads into a challenge it's with a smirk and a one-liner.

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His longevity as a character -- and his engaging way with words -- are thanks to the incredible array of writers who have added their own unique dialogue touches. With this list, we're going to examine and rank John Constantine's 10 best comic quotes of all times.

10 “I'M A NASTY PIECE OF WORK, CHIEF. ASK ANYBODY.”

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In Swamp Thing 37 John Constantine made his debut, and in it, he uttered the introduction that follows him around to this day.

Written by the great Alan Moore, we see Constantine dressed fancy and searching for Swamp Thing by way of Abigail Arcane. He alternates between smarmy and smooth as he glides through the issue, skirting on the fringes of the weird to get to the Protector of the Green, who just so happens to be regrowing himself. Constantine's pomp and self-assurance drip off the page with this quote.

9 “IT'S JUST THE WAY OF IT, SON. WE ALL SELL OUR SOULS SOONER OR LATER.”

This doozy comes from Hellblazer 79 written by arguably the best Constantine scribe, Garth Ennis. In this story, Constantine is trying to keep the heart of Gabriel the archangel safe so he can track down its owner.

It's in a moment where Constatine is visiting an old friend, Nigel, who has psychic abilities. Nigel is distraught because he published a review in an underground rock magazine, wailing about how he sold out. Constantine, in a way both brusque and sage, simply tells his pal the truth of the matter.

8 “GREAT STUFF. I'M JOHN - AND I'M A BASTARD.”

Mike Carey wrote the original graphic novel All His Engines, a wild story about Constantine attempting to rescue his best friend Chas's granddaughter from the clutches of a truly foul demon. Like any good Hellblazer story, Constantine had a devious plan.

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Part of his scheme involved recruiting an ancient Aztec god, one who spied on him as a youth, to lay waste to the demon and its lackeys. Like most gods, this one introduces itself with fearful language and posturing, to which Constantine issued this reply with utmost aplomb.

7 “MY TALENT'S FOR LYING. FOR STICKING THE KNIFE IN WHEN PEOPLE LEAST EXPECT IT. THEN WALKING AWAY WITH A SMILE AND A WAVE BEFORE THEY EVEN REALIZE THEY'RE BLEEDING.”

It's another dose of Carey as he appears on our list with this gem from Hellblazer 213. Reeling after the death of his sister, John Constantine goes back to his roots in this issue, remembering a time he was bullied in his youth.

Of course, the memory reveals that eventually, it was Constantine that became the aggressor, tormenting the bully as only a young conman could. It's all par for the course for Constantine, and during the course of the story, Constantine summed up his modus operandi succinctly.

6 "TINE. CONSTANTINE."

One thing that folks constantly do is pronounce John Constantine's last name incorrectly. Remember, in America, there has been a movie, a television show, and a slew of other pieces of media that pronounce it "ConstantEEN." Can you believe we're saying it wrong?

Writer Rich Veitch had the nearly impossible job of following Alan Moore on Swamp Thing, but in Swamp Thing 73 he offers up the correct, BRITISH pronunciation of the character's name, delivered to us by the mage himself. So, for future reference, it's "tine," like "pine," got it?

5 “UP YOURS.”

At the climax of the most well-known Constantine story, Dangerous Habits, Garth Ennis delivers the coup de grace.

Dying of terminal lung cancer, Constantine resorts to his biggest con: he sells his soul to each of the three rulers of hell; If any of them tries to claim it there will be an endless war. To avoid it they cure Constantine -- make him better than new, actually -- and since he's a self-professed bastard, as thanks he flips them the bird and delivers the iciest of ice-cold lines.

4 “AND I DRINK. IT TASTES OF EVIL. HATRED. SPITE. CRUELTY. SADISM. IT TASTES OF SCREWING THE OTHER BASTARD GOOD AND PROPER… IT TASTES OF WINNING… AND I DRINK IT TO THE LAST FRIGGING DROP.”

It's John Constantine taking on Darius, King of the Vampires in Hellblazer 69 by Garth Ennis. In this story, a disheveled Constantine has all but given up on life, living homeless and drunk on the streets of London. Darius sees Constantine and desires to feed.

However, when Darius bites into Constantine's neck he pulls back with his jaw melting off. Constantine, curious at first, remembers he has demon blood coursing through his veins and drains his bottle of rotgut while the King of Vampires melts and dies in front of him.

3 “I JUST COLOR THE TRUTH A BIT, THAT'S ALL.”

This quote from Hellblazer 120 is another example of John Constantine oversimplifying his way of life.

This issue, an absolute gem of an issue written by Paul Jenkins, has the reader following Constantine around town as he explains life in the supernatural underbelly of society. It's a fascinating study of how Constantine sees himself in his everyday life, framed by drinks in pubs. When he hits this line, we're in the palm of his hand, and we believe that his manipulations are just charming ways to get others to play along.

2 "AND THANK CHRIST WE DID IT, BECAUSE I'M PISSED AND HAPPY AND I'M WITH MY MATE. THANK BLOODY CHRIST."

This quote is woven into the exquisite narrative tapestry of Dangerous Habits: after receiving the terminal diagnosis, Constantine scours his world for help and hope.

RELATED: 5 Times John Constantine Was A Hero ( &5 Times He Was Worse Than The Villain)

At one point during Ennis' masterpiece, Constantine goes to Ireland to see an old friend with the idea that some sorcery may provide a cure. In a twist, the friend accepted Constantine's visit because he was also dying. With both men acknowledging their impending fates, they chose to get drunk with pints of magic stout. Sometimes bad news is best handled when sloshed with pals.

1 “THERE AREN'T ANY GOOD GUYS, AND THERE AREN'T ANY BAD GUYS. THERE'S JUST US. PEOPLE. DOING OUR BEST TO GET BY.”

The best Constantine quote is found in the mini-series Books of Magic: the Shadow World, written by none other than fantasy giant Neil Gaiman.

This series shows the Trenchcoat Brigade (Mister E, Phantom Stranger, Doctor Occult, and John Constantine) as they teach future magician supreme Tim Hunter about magic. In Constantine's stroll with the young wizard, they examine a possible future where Hunter begins the end of the world. Constantine sums up the entirety of humanity with these simple words, giving Hunter wisdom we as readers could all use.

NEXT: Constantine: 10 Facts To Know About DC’s Hellblazer