08/04/2026
Pop culture subtlety is something I hold in very high regard. You can hear it hidden throughout our Spotify playlists, catch it in the movie quotes I casually drop into conversations, and find it tucked away in the little details around Blackwater Market Comics & Coffee. It's a special thing when you cross paths with another Gen X'er who catches the reference without you ever having to explain it. It's like an unspoken handshake.
That's what made this little relic impossible for me to pass up.
At first glance, it's just a beautifully engraved Cross of Saint Benedict. But look a little closer, and you'll find centuries of history carved into it. The Latin inscriptions are prayers for protection, guidance, and peace. Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux, "May the Holy Cross be my light." Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux, "May the dragon not be my guide." Around the edge is an even older challenge to darkness itself: Vade Retro Satana, "Begone, Satan."
But my brothers and sisters in comics know exactly where this relic belongs. I can't help but imagine this being the one relic John Constantine never leaves home without. Not because he's particularly pious, but because he's been around long enough to know that some symbols have earned their reputation. When you're walking the line between heaven, hell, and everything in between, you don't argue with something that's survived two millennia.
That's the magic of comics. Every artifact has a history, every symbol has power, and sometimes the most interesting stories are hidden in the smallest objects.
This one definitely found the right shelf. ☕️
John Constantine by Bilquis Evely
