It seems it is officially time to start the wailing and gnashing of teeth as DC’s Vertigo imprint bids fans adieu. The groundbreaking imprint may be gone but will never be forgotten in the hearts and minds of comics fans across the globe.
DC Comics announced earlier in 2019 that Vertigo Comics would be officially ending its illustrious run this month, as part of a company wide rebranding. DC Editor in Chief Dan DiDio pointed to the fact that the edgier material Vertigo fostered has taken its place in the wider comics industry. (Though arguably there will never be anything quite like Vertigo). Given this, DC made the decision to consolidate all of its titles under a single brand. Vertigo is joined by DC Zoom and DC Ink in saying farewell, and now all titles will fall under DC Kids (ages 8-12), DC (ages 13+), and DC Black Label (ages 17+). DC is, however, leaving the door open for its ‘pop-up’ imprints in the vein of Gerard Way’s Young Animal and Warren Ellis’ The Wild Storm.
In a final message on Twitter, Vertigo comics let fans know that the end was in fact nigh. Of all the many things to say about many years of amazing comics, the imprint’s final message was brief and somehow exactly right: “Thank you for following along on this strange adventure.” There was of course an immediate outpouring from years of fans that were deeply impacted by Vertigo’s tremendous contribution to comics. Following the tweet’s thread delivers a cascade of some of the internet’s best gifs for thankfulness and sorrow:
There is perhaps too much that can be said about the impact this titan of comics has had in its 26-years of publishing. The imprint was started in 1993 with the Karen Berger at the helm to direct a whole new, wild brand of comics into the world that would break free of the Comics Code Authority. So many of these comics transformed the way fans understood the world both inside a comics panel and in their own lives. Tapping some of America’s best talents (not to mention Britain’s), Vertigo gave a home to mind-shattering titles such as The Invisibles, Fables, Preacher, The Sandman, Black Orchid, The Saga of the Swamp Thing, 100 Bullets, and Transmetropolitan (to name just a few). To memorialize one of these comics would be a significant undertaking, but to memorialize the entire line is almost impossible.
In the midst of the sadness, fans can still, as always, turn to comics. With this tragic news, DC is also offering a lot of good news for fans. In remembering Vertigo’s legacy, this year will also bring legacy celebrations for The Flash, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and The Joker. For those fans that needs to sit in the horror of it all, Joe Hill’s Hill House line-up has already produced promising (and bone chilling) results. Rumors and promises of DC’s new 5G initiative will hopefully open the door on some exciting innovation for fans looking ever forward. And if fans would like to continue their “Strange Adventures,” DC has a series for that as well.
For now, maybe the best medicine would be grabbing a copy of The Sandman: The Wake (or really any favorite Vertigo title) and celebrating this giant of comics publishing as it wanders to its final reward. As Death herself reminds us: “For some folks death is release, and for others death is an abomination, a terrible thing. But in the end, I'm there for all of them.”
Source: Twitter
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