Earlier this month, DC announced that it was shuttering its acclaimed, creator-driven publishing imprint Vertigo Comics. First launched in 1993, the imprint published stories outside of the main continuity of DC Universe, with mature subject matter and standalone stories, many of which completely unrelated to the superhero genre.
While titles like Sandman and Preacher are widely hailed as masterpieces, Vertigo has an extensive library of titles that goes much deeper. Now, CBR is here are some of the some of the best Vertigo series that may have eluded readers upon their initial publication.
We3
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One of the most acclaimed stories by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely is the Vertigo miniseries We3. First published in 2004, the series follows three household animals trained by the government to become the ultimate weapons. After escaping, the trio attempt to find home while being pursued by the shadowy organization that created them.
Morrison and Quitely were visibly influenced by manga sensibilities when crafting the story, from its visuals to its storytelling tropes. In doing so, the creative team delivered one of their most emotionally heartbreaking reads yet in this celebrated miniseries.
Shade, the Changing Man: The American Scream
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Even though he was created by Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, Shade the Changing Man is one of the more obscure heroes in DC's catalog. Less than a year after the DCU version of the character ended his run as a member of the Suicide Squad, Pete Milligan and Chris Bachalo would completely reinvent the character in 1990 for a new ongoing series that would eventually be grandfathered into the Vertigo imprint alongside The Sandman and Doom Patrol.
Shade, the Changing Man: American Scream collects the first arc of the Vertigo series, retaining Shade's origins as an extraterrestrial from the dimension Meta, the hero encounters Kathy George in the body of her parents' killer as the mismatched pair venture deep into the United States' collective subconscious to confront an unseen evil.
Pride of Baghdad
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Some of award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan's best work has been through Vertigo, and he teamed with Niko Henrichon in 2006 for an original graphic adapting real-life events. The creative team crafted Pride of Baghdad, inspired by a small group of lions briefly gaining freedom in 2003 during the United States' bombing of the Iraqi capital.
Vaughan and Henrichon's story depicted the lions wandering the streets of Baghdad in the confusion following the attack. As the family explores its newfound freedom and tries to survive the war-torn streets, the relationships between each of the members is showcased along with their differing viewpoints on the conflict raging around them.
Scalped: Indian Country
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Before he became one of Marvel's top writer, Jason Aaron launched his career through Vertigo with his acclaimed series Scalped, with co-creator R.M. Guera. The two launched the crime series in 2007, and ti ran for 60 issues of blood-soaked, gritty intrigue and action.
Scalped follows FBI operative Dash Bad Horse who returns to his hometown on the fictional Native American reservation of Prairie Rose to perform a sting operation on a local crime lord running the reservation with an iron fist. Upon his return, Dash is quickly drawn back into the town's shifting allegiances and past relationships while the creative team provides an unflinching, neo-noir look at life on modern-day reservations.
Northlanders: Sven the Returned
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One of the most unexplored periods of history in American fiction is the Viking Age, following Scandinavian warrior clans traveling the world to raid other towns and kingdoms while roaming the open seas. The medieval period served as the focus of Brian Wood's Northlanders, a long-running fictional anthology series set during the Viking Age.
Launched in 2008, each story arc featured a new illustrator rendering the adventures of a different protagonist during various periods within the Viking Age. The first volume has an exiled Viking prince named Sven returning to his home kingdom to claim his birthright after the death of his father, with bloody effect and intrigue ensuing.
Sweet Tooth: Out of the Deep Woods
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Before branching out into mainstream superhero comics, Jeff Lemire made a critically-acclaimed name for himself writing and illustrating indie, creator-owned comic books. The one that catapulted him to the attention of many was Sweet Tooth, a Vertigo series first launched in 2009.
The post-apocalyptic series took place in a world that had endured a devastating, mysterious contagion a decade before the start of the story, which stars a young boy named Gus with deer features including prominent horns. Encountering a drifter named Jed after the death of his father, Gus and his new surrogate father figure traverse the desolate United States to find him a safe place to live.
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