Earlier this year, when DC Entertainment announced that editor Karen Berger was leaving, comics fans lamented what they perceived as the death knell for the company’s signature imprint, Vertigo Comics.
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Founded in 1993, under Berger’s stewardship, Vertigo was revolutionary and innovative for 20 years; showcasing writers who would become living legends (many who were personally recruited by Berger) like Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Peter Milligan and of, course Alan Moore. With the return of writer Neil Gaiman and the brand’s signature character this week, Morpheus, the Sandman in the limited series The Sandman: Overture and at least two other titles, Trillium and The Wake, Vertigo sees its storytelling as strong as ever and true to form.
The Wake, by Scott Snyder (Batman) and Sean Murphy (Joe the Barbarian, Punk Rock Jesus) was one of the series I couldn’t wait for when it was announced earlier this year. As we reach the halfway point with issue # 5 of the ten issue limited series, it’s succeeding rather, er, swimmingly. With elements of Alien, The Abyss and other genre classics, combining the literary styling of Snyder and Murphy’s beautiful illustrations, I guarantee this will turn into a breakaway hit, especially when in it’s in trade paperback. Read it now so you can school your friends!
Trillium, is at first another oddball (and I mean that in the best possible way) post-apocalyptic, futuristic series by wünderkind Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Justice League Dark). His artwork is part early 20th Century pulp novel and part children’s story book. It strikes a perfect retro tone with the story’s pairing of heroes from World War 1 and the far flung future. Aspects of the story echo heroes like John Carter of Mars and Buck Rodgers, (I’d love to see his take on the latter), again, halfway through this mini-series, I can almost guarantee this will be a future trade best seller.
The Sandman: Overture, released this week, by Neil Gaiman and J.H. Williams, has of course been anxiously anticipated and delivers on every single page. Gaiman has said this was a story he always wanted to tell, and is a prequel of sorts, if such adjectives can be affixed to one of The Endless. J.H. Williams art is simply exquisite and breaking the same week of Halloween, was a brilliant marketing move, not to be missed.
