Vertigo: The Little Imprint That Could

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Was Taters: Jul 30, 2004; Here comes a regular

Oh my God, guys, look at this. Unwritten to double-ship monthly starting in November.

quote:

So after The Unwritten #31 with a main narrative story, readers will get The Unwritten #31.5 focusing on a back-story. Then #32 will return to the main narrative, with #32.5 following with a back-story.

Guest artists will help out on the first ".5" issue, as well as the following back-stories as needed � although no artists have yet been named.

quote:

Newsarama: Extra issues shipped between regular issues? Was this a case of you having so many ideas about the back-story that you couldn't cram it all into the main story?

Peter Gross: Yeah, something like that. We kept talking about little back-stories we'd like to do. And we've always liked doing our one-off issues. They've always been really popular with everyone. And we have a bunch of other back-story things we want to do, but every time we talk about getting them in there, we realize it would slow the main storyline down.

I was frustrated with it, and I started bringing it up with our editor. And I said, "Wouldn't it be great if we could do a few issues of these stories somehow staggered so it wouldn't slow down the main story's pace?" And they said, "Let's do it!"

Mike Carey: The other fact that fed into this was that we'd already been discussing with Karen [Berger] the possibility of doing a mini-series. A freestanding mini-series along with the regular monthly book. We got as far as doing quite a bit of planning for that.

Then suddenly it hit us that if we were going to have those extra issues, we could do something a lot more ambitious with them.

I like these guys. I like the way they think, the way they plan, the way they push the edges of the medium just a little bit. Can't wait.

# ? Jul 23, 2011 10:49

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# ? May 29, 2024 16:48

Jolo: Jun 4, 2007; ive been playing with magnuts tying to change the wold as we know it

I finally got around to reading the 3rd story arc in Sweet Tooth. Good lord, this comic pulls at my heartstrings so much. If you don't feel something reading through this incredible story that Jeff Lemire is creating you're dead inside. I can't recommend Sweet Tooth enough. Phenomenal work.

His 3 issue series "The Nobody" was really great also. I should check out the complete Essex County from my library shouldn't I?

# ? Sep 18, 2011 23:20

choobs: Mar 25, 2004; Never bring a duck to a cock fight.

Jolo posted:

I should check out the complete Essex County from my library shouldn't I?

Holy poo poo, yet, do it now. It's Lemire's best work, and I say that LOVING Sweet Tooth.

# ? Sep 19, 2011 01:22

Bitchin Kitchen: Jun 2, 2006; Capital!

I've noticed my library only has volumes two and three of Essex County. Would it be confusing not reading one?

And to keep it Vertigoy: are they ever going to put out a trade of the Jenkins run? Is there some issue that made that gap or what? I'd like to read those stories, darn it. Sean Philips is the man.

# ? Sep 19, 2011 18:29

bairfanx: Jan 20, 2006; I look like this IRL,
but, you know,
more Greg Land-y.

Was Taters posted:

Oh my God, guys, look at this. Unwritten to double-ship monthly starting in November.

I like these guys. I like the way they think, the way they plan, the way they push the edges of the medium just a little bit. Can't wait.

I joked about Carey working more on the Unwritten after I'd heard he was leaving X-men, but I didn't actually think it was true. gently caress yes.

# ? Sep 20, 2011 19:29

Christmas Jones: Apr 12, 2007; nuklear fizzicist

I just finished reading Lucifer. I enjoyed it, with a few nitpicks. Like most Vertigo series, I'll probably appreciate it more on the reread. I did have a question I couldn't find an answer to anywhere else; did they ever say what happened to Gabriel? He seemed like such a central part of the mythology and a natural villain for the piece.

# ? Sep 21, 2011 04:14

SUBLIME!: Mar 7, 2009; _{my quiver is full~}

I loving love Vertigo.

I wasn't ever really into comics before I started with their line, thinking it was all just superheroes and mutants and stuff (which I never really got into besides The Killing Joke, which was awesome). Come the Scott Pilgrim movie, I figured 'hey, let me read the graphic novels instead. These are pretty awesome, let me try getting this Y: The Last Man one I've heard so much about.' That was a couple of months ago, and now I practically inhale every loving scrap of Vertigo I can get my hands on. Y: The Last Man, Transmetropolitan, Fables, just some of the big ones. I recently read the first volume of Demo, and it just blew me away how such a simple series could be so fantastic. It's like one of my top 3 favorites, shuffling with Transmet over and over again (nothing can dethrone Y).

I also just finished American Virgin and Deadenders and I'm pretty sure I get way too into these stories, to the point that I get mopey when cancelled series are forced to end the way they do. I guess at the very least I'm glad they didn't keep me hanging and had some sort of finality to them. Is that the way comics are, where cancelled series are at least guaranteed to have an ending? I'm so used to enjoying something like a TV show where it just flat out isn't coming back and I'm left going 'well, gently caress.'

So, yeah, Vertigo loving rules and I've reread every series a billion times save for Y: The Last Man because it's my absolute favorite and awfully heartbreaking. What should I go to next?

# ? Sep 22, 2011 14:09

Was Taters: Jul 30, 2004; Here comes a regular

SUBLIME! posted:

going 'well, gently caress.'

So, yeah, Vertigo loving rules and I've reread every series a billion times save for Y: The Last Man because it's my absolute favorite and awfully heartbreaking. What should I go to next?

Unwritten.

# ? Sep 22, 2011 14:58

El Gallinero Gros: Mar 17, 2010

Also, Sandman and 100 Bullets. Sometimes the most popular stuff on a line of books DESERVES to be popular.

# ? Sep 22, 2011 15:01

Quantum of Phallus: Dec 27, 2010; Can't post for 8 hours!

El Gallinero Gros posted:

Scalped. It's so fuckin' good.

I know this is from Page 1 but Scalped is indeed absolutely brilliant. It's amazingly well written. Anyone having doubts about it, read the first TPB and you'll be hooked.

# ? Sep 22, 2011 22:48

FMguru: Sep 10, 2003; peed on;
sexually

Quantum of Phallus posted:

I know this is from Page 1 but Scalped is indeed absolutely brilliant. It's amazingly well written. Anyone having doubts about it, read the first TPB and you'll be hooked.

Scalped is usually described as "like The Sopranos on an indian reservation" which is not entirely accurate - it's acutally "like The Sopranos on an indian reservation, only better". Seriously, it's that good.

Lucifer is my other favorite Vertigo series, but you should read Sandman (or at least the "Season of Mists" TPB) before you start it. Like Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back, and Aliens, it's the rare follow-on work that's actually better than its (justly praised) predecessor.

# ? Sep 22, 2011 23:02

JackDarko: Sep 30, 2009; "Amala, I've got a chainsaw on my arm. I'll be fine."

SUBLIME! posted:

I loving love Vertigo.

I wasn't ever really into comics before I started with their line, thinking it was all just superheroes and mutants and stuff (which I never really got into besides The Killing Joke, which was awesome). Come the Scott Pilgrim movie, I figured 'hey, let me read the graphic novels instead. These are pretty awesome, let me try getting this Y: The Last Man one I've heard so much about.' That was a couple of months ago, and now I practically inhale every loving scrap of Vertigo I can get my hands on. Y: The Last Man, Transmetropolitan, Fables, just some of the big ones. I recently read the first volume of Demo, and it just blew me away how such a simple series could be so fantastic. It's like one of my top 3 favorites, shuffling with Transmet over and over again (nothing can dethrone Y).

I also just finished American Virgin and Deadenders and I'm pretty sure I get way too into these stories, to the point that I get mopey when cancelled series are forced to end the way they do. I guess at the very least I'm glad they didn't keep me hanging and had some sort of finality to them. Is that the way comics are, where cancelled series are at least guaranteed to have an ending? I'm so used to enjoying something like a TV show where it just flat out isn't coming back and I'm left going 'well, gently caress.'

So, yeah, Vertigo loving rules and I've reread every series a billion times save for Y: The Last Man because it's my absolute favorite and awfully heartbreaking. What should I go to next?

American Vampire.

# ? Sep 22, 2011 23:24

Rhyno: Mar 22, 2003; Can't post for 10 years!

Also voting Lucifer. It stands neck and neck with Sandman, it's that good.

# ? Sep 22, 2011 23:38

ChairMaster: Aug 22, 2009; by R. Guyovich

Lucifer is at least as good as Sandman if not better, but I'd read Sandman first. They're not really that connected but Sandman gives you a good idea of what you're gonna be reading, and it would be a drat shame to pass it up regardless, because it's also really good.

# ? Sep 23, 2011 08:26

bairfanx: Jan 20, 2006; I look like this IRL,
but, you know,
more Greg Land-y.

There really isn't a need to read Sandman before Lucifer, as all you really need to know is that Lucifer gave up the key to hell, which ended up in the hands of a few angels, and now runs a night club in LA.

I read Sandman second with my only question being "how did the angels get in charge if he gave the key to Morpheus."

Do whichever makes you happy, but it really doesn't matter...

# ? Sep 24, 2011 04:31

Alaemon: Jan 4, 2009; Proctors are guardians of the sanctity and integrity of legal education, therefore they are responsible for the nourishment of the soul.

I was glad I read Sandman first, because it let me actually appreciate the impact when Death appeared. I wouldn't have known who that was otherwise.

# ? Sep 24, 2011 05:39

bairfanx: Jan 20, 2006; I look like this IRL,
but, you know,
more Greg Land-y.

Alaemon posted:

I was glad I read Sandman first, because it let me actually appreciate the impact when Death appeared. I wouldn't have known who that was otherwise.

Oh. Yeah. I guess knowing who the Endless are isn't a bad thing either, can't believe I forgot that...

bairfanx fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Sep 24, 2011

# ? Sep 24, 2011 06:11

ParliamentOfDogs: Jan 29, 2009; My genre's thriller... What's yours?

FMguru posted:

Scalped is usually described as "like The Sopranos on an indian reservation" which is not entirely accurate - it's acutally "like The Sopranos on an indian reservation, only better". Seriously, it's that good.

Lucifer is my other favorite Vertigo series, but you should read Sandman (or at least the "Season of Mists" TPB) before you start it. Like Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back, and Aliens, it's the rare follow-on work that's actually better than its (justly praised) predecessor.

I've heard the Sopranos thing before and never really got it at all. Where exactly are the similarities between the two other then they are both about organized crime? They seem as different to me as two stories about organized crime can be.

Scalped is basically the best though in my opinion, and if it isn't then The Unwritten is.

# ? Sep 24, 2011 10:04

SkellingTon Loc: Oct 24, 2005; I was feelin' horny and ornery hornery

I think a lot of people draw the Sopranos comparison because the whole first trade was just a prologue to the actual scalping. It's a lot clearer now that it's about Dashiell's coming to terms with his past and heritage. Most of the really big storylines seem to revolve around pressuring him into facing those things.

# ? Sep 24, 2011 11:22

Black Lighter: Sep 6, 2010; Just keep looking at what we're doing, keep watering and ask yourselves first and know 'Are you watering? And are you fertilizing every day?' So when it's time to pop, it'll pop.

Is New York Five worth checking out? It seems like the kind of thing I'd be into, but Brian Wood's hipster hard-on's really gotten on my nerves in the past. Is it pretty down to earth or more oh-look-at-the-awesome-lives-these-hipsters-are-living?

# ? Sep 24, 2011 18:01

^burtle: Jul 17, 2001; God of Boomin'

Start with New York Four which is the girls' first semester. It isn't really hipster boner fueled, but more NYC boner fueled. It is really more a story about family, love and going out into the world for the first time kind of stuff.

# ? Sep 24, 2011 18:12

SALT CURES HAM: Jan 4, 2011

So, where should I start with Hellblazer? I'm mostly unfamiliar with it aside from Constantine's appearance in Sandman early on (which is what prompts me to check the main series out) and the awful movie which I understand has very little to do with the books.

Most Vertigo series seem pretty straightforward, but Hellblazer has a metric rear end-ton of TPBs. I definitely want to read Shoot, because Warren Ellis is amazing and banned stuff always piques my interest, but it seems that's in a Vertigo Resurrected thing instead.

# ? Sep 24, 2011 20:25

Quantum of Phallus: Dec 27, 2010; Can't post for 8 hours!

WickedIcon posted:

So, where should I start with Hellblazer? .

Garth Ennis' Dangerous Habits is the best place to start.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 00:02

bobkatt013: Oct 8, 2006; Youâre telling me Peter Parker is ...... Spider-man!?

WickedIcon posted:

So, where should I start with Hellblazer? I'm mostly unfamiliar with it aside from Constantine's appearance in Sandman early on (which is what prompts me to check the main series out) and the awful movie which I understand has very little to do with the books.

Most Vertigo series seem pretty straightforward, but Hellblazer has a metric rear end-ton of TPBs. I definitely want to read Shoot, because Warren Ellis is amazing and banned stuff always piques my interest, but it seems that's in a Vertigo Resurrected thing instead.

Original Sins is awesome

# ? Sep 25, 2011 00:56

Alaemon: Jan 4, 2009; Proctors are guardians of the sanctity and integrity of legal education, therefore they are responsible for the nourishment of the soul.

The trouble I had with Hellblazer (same story; read Sandman, then Lucifer, then needed another fix) was that it was an actual ongoing series instead of a 75-issues-and-done situation.

So whichever TPBs I picked up, I felt like I was in the middle of events and they were referencing things I didn't know about, some of which even happened in Swamp Thing comics and I was just lost.

I read and enjoyed them, but the lack of narrative conclusion didn't really work for me.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 00:59

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

WickedIcon posted:

So, where should I start with Hellblazer? I'm mostly unfamiliar with it aside from Constantine's appearance in Sandman early on (which is what prompts me to check the main series out) and the awful movie which I understand has very little to do with the books.

Most Vertigo series seem pretty straightforward, but Hellblazer has a metric rear end-ton of TPBs. I definitely want to read Shoot, because Warren Ellis is amazing and banned stuff always piques my interest, but it seems that's in a Vertigo Resurrected thing instead.

I love this question.

Dangerous Habits is one of the absolute best stories in the series, so that's a definite start point. After that, my three favorite runs are Ennis', Azzarello's, and Carey's. Read Carey's run, from 175-215. If you don't like it, don't read anymore. If you do, those other two runs are good and then it's really just picking and choosing which writers you like.

There's not a ton of cohesion between runs, mostly because it's such a "who wants a turn" book, but if you treat each writer's turn as its own series it works really well.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 01:21

bobkatt013: Oct 8, 2006; Youâre telling me Peter Parker is ...... Spider-man!?

Dickeye posted:

I love this question.

Dangerous Habits is one of the absolute best stories in the series, so that's a definite start point. After that, my three favorite runs are Ennis', Azzarello's, and Carey's. Read Carey's run, from 175-215. If you don't like it, don't read anymore. If you do, those other two runs are good and then it's really just picking and choosing which writers you like.

There's not a ton of cohesion between runs, mostly because it's such a "who wants a turn" book, but if you treat each writer's turn as its own series it works really well.

I find Delanco to be the second best run. I love it.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 03:39

Was Taters: Jul 30, 2004; Here comes a regular

bobkatt013 posted:

Original Sins is awesome

This is where I just started at. It was awesome. So grimey.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 04:44

redbackground: Sep 24, 2007; BEHOLD!
OPTIC BLAST!; Grimey Drawer

WickedIcon posted:

I definitely want to read Shoot, because Warren Ellis is amazing and banned stuff always piques my interest, but it seems that's in a Vertigo Resurrected thing instead.

That is correct. It was a thicker compilation special, with a bunch of reprints of earlier Vertigo work, plus Shoot. Lower your expectations a bit, Ellis has other stronger issues of HB.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 04:47

Bitchin Kitchen: Jun 2, 2006; Capital!

Whenever I hook a new friend on Hellblazer I give them the entire Ennis run, then go back to Delano, and then chronologically. Sometimes it's nice to see a side character evolve, like poor Map.

Carey is the best.

Old school love for Books of Magic, everyone should read it.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 05:38

Witters: Jan 14, 2008; If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.

Each Hellblazer writer brings a slightly different Constantine to the table. He's a very moldable character. If you had to choose, I recommend Delano (esp. the Original Sins collection and The Family Man), Ennis (Dangerous Habits for sure), and Carey (all of it, starting with Red Sepulchre), in that order.

My favorite has to be Delano's introspective, noir, political Constantine. There's always some political subtext in his works, some more obvious than others, and it can help his stories a lot, although it's a big miss on some other ones. His run is definitely worth checking out, it is essential to the character, in my opinion.

Ennis has the working-class, bar-hopping, down-and-out Constantine, with plenty of wise-cracks and attitude. He gets drunk often, and fights the baddest of the baddest supernatural mofos. Oh, and he falls in love, too.

Carey has the more magic-savvy, calm and cool, well-versed in the occult Constantine, which is amazing for just the amount of actual research Carey does on these matters for his run. Each story in his arc is well connected to the others and feel like part of a whole.

Feel free to skip Azzarello's run, it's not good.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 06:55

Quantum of Phallus: Dec 27, 2010; Can't post for 8 hours!

Witters posted:

Feel free to skip Azzarello's run, it's not good.

Seconding this. I'm not a huge fan of Delano's early stuff but Azzarello's is just dire. Really bad.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 13:50

SkellingTon Loc: Oct 24, 2005; I was feelin' horny and ornery hornery

I'm really curious about the Azzarello run now. What makes it so bad?

If I've loved everything else he's done including Loveless will I still find it as bad as you guys are making it out to be?

# ? Sep 25, 2011 18:08

Quantum of Phallus: Dec 27, 2010; Can't post for 8 hours!

SkellingTon Loc posted:

I'm really curious about the Azzarello run now. What makes it so bad?

His storytelling is just all over the place. I've one of his volumes, Good Intentions and it's nearly impossible to tell what's going on.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 18:26

Bitchin Kitchen: Jun 2, 2006; Capital!

Multiple reading helps the Azzarello run a lot. I never used to like it but now the first three arcs are some of my favorite ever. The amazing Frusin art on Good Intentions and Freezes Over helps. Hard Time I really love because I have a thing for a comic book set in prison. To this day, though, Highwater still doesn't make complete sense to me, though.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 18:34

Uncle Boogeyman: Jul 22, 2007

SkellingTon Loc posted:

If I've loved everything else he's done including Loveless will I still find it as bad as you guys are making it out to be?

No. I love the Azzarello run, and it's VERY Azzarello, so if you like his other stuff, definitely read it. Hard Time is one of my favorite Hellblazer stories ever, and the whole run is pretty awesome/unique.

# ? Sep 25, 2011 22:56

Witters: Jan 14, 2008; If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.

I can see why some would like it, but Azzarello's run to me seemed like Azzarello just wanted to do his usual thing instead of creating a compelling Constantine or Hellblazer story; almost like he found dealing with a pre-existing character an annoyance. The run has somewhat decent stories, but they didn't feel very "Hellblazer" to me. Not bad in itself, but the entire run (except a brief side story) is set in America, where Constantine sticks out like a sore thumb, but Azzarello would be within his element as the first American writer for the series.

This is hard to define, but most importantly in my dislike is that I found Azzarello's Constantine to be cynical, selfish and sadistic, and with little to no vulnerabilities. Case in point, in Hard Time where he makes fun of a young man who is repeatedly raped in prison, and his rise to power as the mad king of a prison run amok or in A Fresh Coat of Red Paint where he makes fun of a few old ladies playing bingo, really?. Constantine was fallible and had a bit of a heart, but not according to Azzarello.

Also, the magical element of the series in Azzarello seemed really off and tacked on. Take Hard Time again, where he does magic with cigarettes to turn some inmates crazy, or makes ground glass appear in food or makes a man appear to be a naked lady again with cigarettes. Seriously, what?

Carey couldn't have come sooner.

Witters fucked around with this message at 14:00 on Sep 26, 2011

# ? Sep 26, 2011 13:58

BENGHAZI 2: Oct 13, 2007; by Cyrano4747

When Hellblazer finally ends they need to just end it by reprinting the last two issues of Carey's run. I've read that last issue dozens of times, and every single time "Don't you loving believe it" blows me away. It's the perfect end to the story of John Constantine: Alone, friendless, family-less, devoid of all of his magical trinkets, and haunted by the ghosts of the past, but too stubborn and proud to admit that he's crying

e: In that first post I meant to say my other favorite run was Ellis, not Ennis. Minus Shoot, which I'm glad never got printed because it was dumb, he did a really fun run. The one about the Anti-Christ's cradle and the one where he's telling stories to a reporter in the pub are fantastic. The Crowley arc was weird but good.

BENGHAZI 2 fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Sep 27, 2011

# ? Sep 27, 2011 04:21

Mr Wind Up Bird: Jan 23, 2004; i'm a goddamn coward
but then again so are you

Does anyone actually care about the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo comics Vertigo announced? I suppose I shouldn't pass judgment until they announce a team but really? The first book is already two movies.

Anyway the anthology thing that came out today is rad.

# ? Oct 12, 2011 23:38

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# ? May 29, 2024 16:48

^burtle: Jul 17, 2001; God of Boomin'

Cole Burns vs Wylie Times, who is cooler?

Answer: Victory Ray

# ? Oct 15, 2011 09:14

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