Vertigo Comics: Difference between revisions
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As the [[Dark Age]] moved on, [[DC Comics]] noticed they were publishing several series that weren't just ''dark'', they were ''mature'' -- with complex, thinky, often philosophical stories and deep, complicated characters, by names like [[Alan Moore]], [[Grant Morrison]], and [[Neil Gaiman]]. Thus, to separate these from the "normal" [[The DCU|DCU]] fare, they created the Vertigo Comics imprint. |
As the [[Dark Age]] moved on, [[DC Comics]] noticed they were publishing several series that weren't just ''dark'', they were ''mature'' -- with complex, thinky, often philosophical stories and deep, complicated characters, by names like [[Alan Moore]], [[Grant Morrison]], and [[Neil Gaiman]]. Thus, to separate these from the "normal" [[The DCU|DCU]] fare, they created the Vertigo Comics imprint. |
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Many of these were remakes of old DCU properties, given new life through clever writing. ''[[ |
Many of these were remakes of old DCU properties, given new life through clever writing. ''[[The Sandman]]'', ''[[Animal Man]]'', ''[[Doom Patrol]]'', and ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' are probably the exemplars here. It seemed the rule was "The more obscure, the better"; series like ''Brother Power: The Geek'', a two-issue [[Totally Radical]] attempt from the '60s to appeal to the "hippie" market, were brought back as [[Darker and Edgier|dark, edgy romps]]. |
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This had the knock-on effect of pretty much excising certain characters from the main DCU, for fear that a [[John Constantine]] and [[ |
This had the knock-on effect of pretty much excising certain characters from the main DCU, for fear that a [[John Constantine]] and [[Batman]] crossover [[What Do You Mean It's Not for Kids?|would encourage little kids to pick up]] ''[[Hellblazer]]''. This means that certain comics, though still technically part of the DCU, are [[Exiled From Continuity|unable to do "proper" crossovers]] or acknowledge that connection directly. This is relaxed occasionally for one-panel cameos (Constantine in ''[[Hitman]]''), characters whose comics have ended (Daniel from ''[[The Sandman]]'' appeared in ''JLA'', while [[Animal Man]] and the [[Comicook/Doom Patrol|Doom Patrol]] have come back to [[The DCU]] full-time) and characters who have always straddled the divide between the two ([[The Phantom Stranger]], Zatanna, et al). DC's 2011 partial [[Continuity Reboot]] brought several characters like Constantine and Swamp Thing back into the main DC continuity fold. The Vertigo-only ''Hellblazer'' will still continue to be published separately. |
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DC shut down the Vertigo imprint in January 2020. Their mature titles moved to the [[DC Black Label]] imprint, which started publishing in 2018 - except for ''[[The Sandman]]'', which got its own imprint, "[[The Sandman Universe]]". |
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These days, the number of DCU-connected titles is fairly low, and Vertigo's output is mostly creator-owned original works. These are often horror, fantasy, or a combination of the two. |
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Some of the best-known series published by Vertigo include: |
Some of the best-known series published by Vertigo include: |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[100 Bullets|One Hundred Bullets]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[American Splendor]]'' (2006-2008) |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[American Vampire]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Animal Man]]'' |
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* ''[[Books of Magic]]'' |
* ''[[Books of Magic]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[DMZ]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Doom Patrol]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Fables]]'' |
||
* ''[[The Filth]]'' |
* ''[[The Filth]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Flex Mentallo]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Hellblazer]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[House of Mystery]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[The Invisibles]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[IZOMBIE|I Zombie]]'' |
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* ''[[The Losers]]'' |
* ''[[The Losers]]'' |
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* ''[[Lucifer ( |
* ''[[Lucifer (comics)|Lucifer]]'' |
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* ''[[Madame Xanadu]]'' |
* ''[[Madame Xanadu]]'' |
||
* ''[[Preacher]]'' |
* ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'' |
||
* ''[[Pride of Baghdad]]'' |
* ''[[Pride of Baghdad]]'' |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[The Sandman]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Scalped]]'' |
||
* ''[[Seaguy]]'' |
* ''[[Seaguy]]'' |
||
* ''[[Shade the Changing Man]]'' |
* ''[[Shade the Changing Man]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'' |
||
* ''[[Unknown Soldier]]'' |
* ''[[Unknown Soldier]]'' |
||
* ''[[The Unwritten]]'' |
* ''[[The Unwritten]]'' |
||
* ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' |
* ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' |
||
* ''[[WE 3]]'' |
* ''[[WE 3]]'' |
||
* ''[[Y |
* ''[[Y: The Last Man|Y the Last Man]]'' |
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---- |
---- |
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Some Vertigo series |
Some Vertigo series were technically part of [[The DCU]], due to using DCU characters, and [[Word of God]] says the [[The Verse|shared universe]] titles like ''[[Hellblazer]]'' and ''[[The Sandman]]'' ''are'' part of the mainstream [[The DCU|DCU]]. However, not all of them are always [[Canon]] for the DCU characters, and some of them effectively take place in a world of their own. These include: |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Animal Man]]'' |
||
* ''[[Angel and |
* ''[[Angel and the Ape]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Black Orchid]]'' |
||
* ''[[Books of Magic]]'' and spin-offs |
* ''[[Books of Magic]]'' and spin-offs |
||
* ''[[Doom Patrol]]'' and spin-offs |
* ''[[Doom Patrol]]'' and spin-offs |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Hellblazer]]'' and spin-offs |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Swamp Thing]]'' and spin-offs |
||
* ''[[Congo Bill]]'' |
* ''[[Congo Bill]]'' |
||
* ''[[El Diablo]]'' |
* ''[[El Diablo]]'' |
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* ''[[Madame Xanadu]]'' |
* ''[[Madame Xanadu]]'' |
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* ''[[Scarab]]'' |
* ''[[Scarab]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[The Sandman]]'' and spin-offs |
||
* ''[[Sandman Mystery Theatre]]'' |
* ''[[Sandman Mystery Theatre]]'' |
||
* ''[[Sgt |
* ''[[Sgt. Rock]]: Between Hell and a Hard Place'' |
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* ''[[Skin Graft]]: The Adventures Of A Tattooed Man'' |
* ''[[Skin Graft]]: The Adventures Of A Tattooed Man'' |
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* ''[[The Trenchcoat Brigade]]'' |
* ''[[The Trenchcoat Brigade]]'' |
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* ''[[Zatanna]]: Everyday Magic'' |
* ''[[Zatanna]]: Everyday Magic'' |
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Many other Vertigo series |
Many other Vertigo series featured re-imagined DCU characters and concepts in a context outside the DC Universe itself. These include: |
||
* ''[[Beware The Creeper]]'' |
* ''[[Beware The Creeper]]'' |
||
* ''[[Deadman (Comic Book)|Deadman]]'' |
* ''[[Deadman (Comic Book)|Deadman]]'' |
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* ''[[The Witching Hour]]'' |
* ''[[The Witching Hour]]'' |
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Vertigo comics which |
Vertigo comics which were not associated with the DC Universe at all include: |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[100 Bullets]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[American Splendor]]'' |
||
* ''[[American Vampire]]'' |
* ''[[American Vampire]]'' |
||
* ''[[American Virgin]]'' |
* ''[[American Virgin]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[DMZ]]'' |
||
* ''[[Fables]]'' |
* ''[[Fables]]'' |
||
* ''[[The Filth]]'' |
* ''[[The Filth]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[The Invisibles]]'' |
||
* ''[[Comicbook/Loveless|Loveless]]'' |
* ''[[Comicbook/Loveless|Loveless]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Northlanders]]'' |
||
* ''[[Preacher]]'' |
* ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'' |
||
* ''[[Pride of Baghdad]]'' |
* ''[[Pride of Baghdad]]'' |
||
* ''[[ |
* ''[[Scalped]]'' |
||
* ''[[Seaguy]]'' |
* ''[[Seaguy]]'' |
||
* ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'' (not published originally under the Vertigo name, but later collected editions are) |
* ''[[Transmetropolitan]]'' (not published originally under the Vertigo name, but later collected editions are) |
||
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* ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' |
* ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' |
||
* ''[[WE 3]]'' |
* ''[[WE 3]]'' |
||
* ''[[Y |
* ''[[Y: The Last Man|Y the Last Man]]'' |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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[[Category:index]] |
[[Category:index]] |
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[[Category:Vertigo Comics]] |
[[Category:Vertigo Comics]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Pages with working Wikipedia tabs]] |
Latest revision as of 17:56, 22 May 2020
As the Dark Age moved on, DC Comics noticed they were publishing several series that weren't just dark, they were mature -- with complex, thinky, often philosophical stories and deep, complicated characters, by names like Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and Neil Gaiman. Thus, to separate these from the "normal" DCU fare, they created the Vertigo Comics imprint.
Many of these were remakes of old DCU properties, given new life through clever writing. The Sandman, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and Swamp Thing are probably the exemplars here. It seemed the rule was "The more obscure, the better"; series like Brother Power: The Geek, a two-issue Totally Radical attempt from the '60s to appeal to the "hippie" market, were brought back as dark, edgy romps.
This had the knock-on effect of pretty much excising certain characters from the main DCU, for fear that a John Constantine and Batman crossover would encourage little kids to pick up Hellblazer. This means that certain comics, though still technically part of the DCU, are unable to do "proper" crossovers or acknowledge that connection directly. This is relaxed occasionally for one-panel cameos (Constantine in Hitman), characters whose comics have ended (Daniel from The Sandman appeared in JLA, while Animal Man and the Doom Patrol have come back to The DCU full-time) and characters who have always straddled the divide between the two (The Phantom Stranger, Zatanna, et al). DC's 2011 partial Continuity Reboot brought several characters like Constantine and Swamp Thing back into the main DC continuity fold. The Vertigo-only Hellblazer will still continue to be published separately.
DC shut down the Vertigo imprint in January 2020. Their mature titles moved to the DC Black Label imprint, which started publishing in 2018 - except for The Sandman, which got its own imprint, "The Sandman Universe".
Some of the best-known series published by Vertigo include:
- One Hundred Bullets
- American Splendor (2006-2008)
- American Vampire
- Animal Man
- Books of Magic
- DMZ
- Doom Patrol
- Fables
- The Filth
- Flex Mentallo
- Hellblazer
- House of Mystery
- The Invisibles
- I Zombie
- The Losers
- Lucifer
- Madame Xanadu
- Preacher (Comic Book)
- Pride of Baghdad
- The Sandman
- Scalped
- Seaguy
- Shade the Changing Man
- Swamp Thing
- Transmetropolitan
- Unknown Soldier
- The Unwritten
- V for Vendetta
- WE 3
- Y the Last Man
Some Vertigo series were technically part of The DCU, due to using DCU characters, and Word of God says the shared universe titles like Hellblazer and The Sandman are part of the mainstream DCU. However, not all of them are always Canon for the DCU characters, and some of them effectively take place in a world of their own. These include:
- Animal Man
- Angel and the Ape
- Black Orchid
- Books of Magic and spin-offs
- Doom Patrol and spin-offs
- Hellblazer and spin-offs
- Swamp Thing and spin-offs
- Congo Bill
- El Diablo
- Some of the stories in the anthology Gangland
- Heartland
- Three Jonah Hex miniseries
- Kid Eternity
- Madame Xanadu
- Scarab
- The Sandman and spin-offs
- Sandman Mystery Theatre
- Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place
- Skin Graft: The Adventures Of A Tattooed Man
- The Trenchcoat Brigade
- Totems
- Unknown Soldier
- Zatanna: Everyday Magic
Many other Vertigo series featured re-imagined DCU characters and concepts in a context outside the DC Universe itself. These include:
- Beware The Creeper
- Deadman
- House Of Secrets
- The Human Target
- The Losers
- Uncle Sam
- Vertigo Visions, a series of one-shots, each re-imagining a different character.
- The Witching Hour
Vertigo comics which were not associated with the DC Universe at all include:
- 100 Bullets
- American Splendor
- American Vampire
- American Virgin
- DMZ
- Fables
- The Filth
- The Invisibles
- Loveless
- Northlanders
- Preacher (Comic Book)
- Pride of Baghdad
- Scalped
- Seaguy
- Transmetropolitan (not published originally under the Vertigo name, but later collected editions are)
- The Unwritten
- V for Vendetta
- WE 3
- Y the Last Man