Vertigo (comics)
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Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. It operates under the "Vertigo" name in order to separate itself from the more mainstream, family-friendly DC Comics image. Vertigo publishes stories aimed at a more mature or adult audience. Many of the comics published by Vertigo contain mature themes, including graphic violence, frank presentations of human sexuality, drug abuse, and other controversial topics.
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History
Vertigo was founded in the wake of DC's successful "mature" comics of the late 1980s, beginning with Saga of the Swamp Thing and continuing with Watchmen and The Sandman. DC founded the Vertigo line in 1993 to attract writers who wanted to publish "mature" comics of this sort, without having to worry about offending parents and young children. In an era when almost all of the big names in comics were artists, and most companies were pushing the art over story (such as the well known Image), Vertigo was unique in pushing writers to the forefront.
Although many of the initial Vertigo publications were set in the DC Universe (Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, The Sandman), progressively they have been disconnected from the DCU, leaving the super-heroes out. In addition to these older titles that were set under this print, a plethora of new titles was introduced without any constraints as to when or where the plot happens.
In 2005, Vertigo expanded its label to include the cinema with the release of the movie Constantine, based (loosely) on the long-running comic Hellblazer.
Notable authors
Many of the best comic book authors have written for Vertigo at one point or another, including such prominent names as:
- Alan Grant
- Brian Azzarello
- Kyle Baker
- Ed Brubaker
- Mike Carey
- Howard Chaykin
- Nancy A. Collins
- Jamie Delano
- J. M. DeMatteis
- Paul Dini
- Warren Ellis
- Garth Ennis
- Christopher Fowler
- Neil Gaiman
- Devin Grayson
- James D. Hudnall
- Peter Kuper
- Terry LaBan
- Joe R. Lansdale
- Mark Millar
- Peter Milligan
- Grant Morrison
- Tom Peyer
- Rachel Pollack
- Paul Pope
- James Robinson
- Brian K. Vaughan
- Matt Wagner
- Bill Willingham
- Judd Winick
Notable series
Notable comic book series published under the Vertigo line have included:
- 100 Bullets
- Animal Man
- Black Orchid
- The Books of Magic
- Death: At Death's Door
- Death: The High Cost of Living
- Death: The Time of Your Life
- Doom Patrol
- The Dreaming
- Fables
- The Filth
- Hellblazer
- Hunter, the Age of Magic
- The Invisibles
- The Losers
- Lucifer
- Preacher
- The Sandman
- Sgt. Rock: Between Hell and a Hard Place
- Shade, the Changing Man
- Swamp Thing
- Tank Girl: Apocalypse
- Transmetropolitan
- Uncle Sam
- Unknown Soldier
- V for Vendetta (reprint)
- Y: The Last Man
See also
- Vertigo comic series - The complete list of comics published under the Vertigo banner.
External links
- Vertigo home page (http://www.dccomics.com/vertigo/)