Worst of Vertigo

[Apathy Boy]

Everyone loves Vertigo, right? It's consistently been the best line of comics over the last 10 years. But nobody's perfect. So here's my question: what are the duds that Vertigo's produced? I'm not talking "not good by Vertigo standards," I'm talking outright stinkers. Feel free to mention story arcs, ongoing series, single stories, what have you.

My choice would be the ongoing Kid Eternity series by Nocenti and Phillips. In case you missed the series, here's a one-word synopsis: "huh?" Just a bunch of train-of-consciousness nonsense with a fun character that was needlessly transformed into a gritty anti-hero.

Runner up: The Minx by Milligan and Phillips. Terrific creative team that got caught in the typical Vertigo trap of being weird for the sake of being weird.

Geez, I'm really picking on Phillips, eh? I really do love the guy's work, though. Go Sleeper!

[Noah Johnson]

Was _The Extremist_ Vertigo? Did it ever go anywhere?

Does _The Last One_ have fans I haven't met?

[dancj]

I'd rate The Extremist as one of the better Vertigo minis. The Minx was far from vintage Milligan, but I enjoyed that too.

My choices:
Vamps
Battleaxes
I tried both The Last One and the Doctor Occult one-shot and could find the will to finish either

Dan

[Johnny Morningstar]

The Invisibles
Outlaw Nation
Minx
Dreaming was hit and miss

[Davideaux]

Amen to Kid Eternity, it was shockingly awful.

[Shem the Penman]

I liked The Last One, but then I'm a DeMatteis fanboy. Even I couldn't stomach Seekers into the Mystery, though.

Milligan's one-shot Face was simply disgusting.

[hangmanjury]

With few exceptions - most notably Bill Willingham's issue - the Dreaming was just plain horrible.

[Graham Vingoe]

I'll echo the Kid Eternity comments,it took a great promise and trashed it soundly.
However, the worst thing i can remember under the Vertigo banner was the "millenium" related series. The totems one shot just didn't work for me, but the piece de resistance was Brave Old World, which took 3 creators I really respect (messner-Loebs, Phil Hester and Guy davis) , and combined them on a completely incoherent 4 issue mismatch

[Davideaux]

Milligan's one-shot Face was simply disgusting.

Whoah, I thought that was the perfect one-shot! I loved it but I hated Milligan's Egypt. What did you hate about Face?

[Bat-Mite]

Bah! You all suck.

Kid Eternity Jazz-plotting was just great.

[ratzo]

Face was incredible. Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout. Minx did suck horribly, though, and I normally love anything Peter Milligan does at Vertigo.

The Last One wasn't bad, but it's the kind of story that made me want to slit my wrists afterwards... I tried to stick with Kid Eternity, I really did, but eventually I dropped it. Not memorable at all.

Anyone remember a Keith Giffen mini called Tattered Banners? That was pretty bad.

[Spastic Minnow]

I started hating Minx too and understand why people dropped it, but by the last couple issues it really did get better and was heading into a direction that had alot of promise. The Extremist and Face also have their "charms," a friend of mine who didn't normally read comics absolutely loved The Extremist and for a year kept asking me if a sequel was coming out. For a poor, forgettable Milligan tale read his one shot The Eaters.

The Last One was a great mini. Seekers: Into the Mystery however- It had good to great art but the pacing was that of a slug and basically it was just a rehash of every other DeMatteis vertigo story he'd ever done, mashed into one.

My other bads:
Angel and the Ape
Totems

[dancj]

However, the worst thing i can remember under the Vertigo banner was the "millenium" related series. The totems one shot just didn't work for me, but the piece de resistance was Brave Old World, which took 3 creators I really respect (messner-Loebs, Phil Hester and Guy davis) , and combined them on a completely incoherent 4 issue mismatch
You're right about Totems - absolute rubbish. I really enjoyed Brave Old World though.

[dancj]

Anyone remember a Keith Giffen mini called Tattered Banners? That was pretty bad.
I quite enjoyed that. It was a fun breezy story with great art. There was a bit of a lack of an ending though, but that was kind of the point

Dan

[dotdotdot]

The Invisibles



id like to see you back this up.

[SPAfreak]

id like to see you back this up.

He didn't like it. To be honest, neither did I.

Everyone has got different tastes.

[Lagomorph]

He didn't like it. To be honest, neither did I.

Everyone has got different tastes.

I conqure, and I LOVED the Invisibles. I could see how someone wouldn't dig it.

[gentlesatirist]

In 1996, Vertigo published Vertigo Verite : The Unseen Hand.

(Don't know if Vertigo Verite was supposed to be an ongoing imprint or what. This is the only one they did.)

It was a 4-issue mini by the creative team of Laban/Ilya/Parks (don't know anything about these folks). The story was fantastic until a completely unnecessary and revolting plot twist concerning the 2 main characters was thrown in, I believe in the 3rd issue.

This, to me, was an example of edginess for its own sake, and one that detracted from the overall quality of the comic.

Incidentally, I think there's a lot of this sort of thing in the much-praised Preacher series as well.


- FE

[dotdotdot]

He didn't like it. To be honest, neither did I.

Everyone has got different tastes.

further evidence required.
not liking it doesn't put it in the worst ever of vertigo list.
i want to hear from people who hated it.

[gentlesatirist]

Vertigo did a few other Vertigo Verite titles, mostly one-shots. Can't speak to their quality.



- FE

[Antrustion]

Angel and the Ape was just flat-out horrid. Minx was pretty well jibberish. Totems was terrible too. I wondered if the writer had written it quickly for some cash and didn't bother with a story because it was a one-shot that didn't matter in the long run. I remember Chiaroscuro being pretty terrible too.

Kid Eternity on-going wasn't terrible, but I paid a little under $5 for the whole series, so I could see how those who paid more for it felt ripped off. Brave Old World was weirdly involving. Teddy Roosevelt's battle cry was one of the few times I've laugh aloud at a comic.

[Eumenides]

Vertigo isn't the perfect imprint we all think it is; even though it has consistently published some of the finest series of the past 1o years, it has also produced a lot of drivel:

Crusaders
Codename: Knockout
American Century
Battleaxes
The Dreaming
Hunter: The Age Of Magic
Swamp Thing (Tefe)
Swamp Thing (modern volume)
The Witching Hour
Witchcraft

And little things in between that have disappeared from collective memory...

[frankiedetroit]

I didn't like two miniseries, 'The Girl Who Would Be Death' or 'Congo Bill'. But I stopped reading both of them after one issue, so perhaps they improved. 'The Trenchcoat Brigade' was OK but nothing to write home about.

I loved the Books of Magic but also thought the last series, Hunter: The Age of Magic, was weak.

[ratzo]

You don't mean James Robinson's Witchcraft, do you? 'Cause that was pretty damn good.

And I don't care what anyone says, I liked Seagle's Crusades - though it wasn't anywhere near on the same level as his House of Secrets.

[Alistair]

All Caitlin Kiernan's sub-Gaiman faerie-flowers-magickcckkck toss.

[dancj]

The Witching Hour
Yay! I thought I was the only one who hated that! I couldn't sell it quickly enough

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Dr.13.
I ask you, what the hell was that about?
Drivel is the only word for it.

The tatooed man I didn't like.

Close to everything after the first issue of The Rifle Brigade.

And The Dome. (ok, so it was Helix, but damn that was bad. And it was Gibbon's as well!)

There's more, I just can't think of it right now.
When Vertigo's good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad, it is awful.


That said, I loved the Unseen Hand and Congo Bill (both mentioned here), they are Vertiog mini's I usually reccomend to people.
I also Like the oft-mentioned Outlaw Nation, and the first year and a bit of American Century was fantastic.

[TheBestRobot]

Dr.13.
I ask you, what the hell was that about?
Drivel is the only word for it.

The tatooed man I didn't like.

Close to everything after the first issue of The Rifle Brigade.

And The Dome. (ok, so it was Helix, but damn that was bad. And it was Gibbon's as well!)

There's more, I just can't think of it right now.
When Vertigo's good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad, it is awful.


That said, I loved the Unseen Hand and Congo Bill (both mentioned here), they are Vertiog mini's I usually reccomend to people.
I also Like the oft-mentioned Outlaw Nation, and the first year and a bit of American Century was fantastic.

Agreed. I read Outlaw Nation in one sitting and was only let down by the ending.

[Mighty Broke]

Bah! You all suck.

Kid Eternity Jazz-plotting was just great.
It was great until the rather ubrupt cancellation. The last issue sucked ass. End with a groovy metaphysical convoy, boo!

Was the Morrison Kid Eternity TPBed yet?

[UniqueFrequency]

how about Crusades? i thought that was pretty horrible

angel and the ape and codename: knockout, definitely for me

i, have to agree with invisibles.... just too weird for my taste. but i'd put it down to an individual preference thing more than an outright bad writing thing

have to say i DID enjoy Age of Magic, as well as Swamp Thing (tefe) though

[Johnny Morningstar]

not liking it doesn't put it in the worst ever of vertigo list. i want to hear from people who hated it.

Tell that to some of the X-posters. If you do, wear a vest. :cool:

Invisibles started off on the wrong foot with the TPB's being published out of order. I didn't realize it when I first read them. I had no damn idea what I read. Thanks DC.

Anyway, I decided to collect all the TPB's and read them at a later date.

I made my recent attempt at reading the series earlier this year. I enjoyed Morrison's New X-Men and decided that this was it, I'll crack open The Invisibles.

The first TPB was very painful to read through with page after page after page of endless mind-numbing babbling from the bum (who, I assume, has some connection to the story. If not... shudder). Then Morrison mixes in some characters letting us know he's well-read. Throw in some more incoherrant plotting and halfway through the second TPB I decided I had enough of Morrison's self-indulgence.

And, yes, I can judge a story without reading it all the way through. You should be able to hook somebody early on into a story. It should be a fun journey, not a laborous chore. If I was buying this title monthly, there wasn't really that much of a hook in the first issue to pick up the second (unless I'm buying Vertigo to be different). But, offbeat series need some time to delve into -- I understand that.

However, Morrison couldn't legitimately hook this reader within the first TPB and a half. That's why The Invisibles ranks on my personal Worst of Vertigo list. Plus, I shouldn't have to take a hit from a bong to get a comic, which seems that's what most of the Vertigo titles felt like in the mid-1990's.

PS: I sold the TPB's on ebay making my money back -- a rarity with TPBs in general.

[MarkSullivan]

I agree with you: 1.5 trades should be enough for any author to hook you into their story. The Invisibles seems to be a real love/hate series, but I find myself in the middle on it. I thought it worked pretty well as a surreal action story, but didn't feel like I was being shown The Secret of the Universe. I read it in trades, in order, but over several months time (had to wait for Interlibrary Loan on all but the last volume, which I did buy). The slow pace and free access probably softened my feelings towards the series.

[Sven Mesman]

Angel and the Ape and Codename Knockout were failrly disapointing.
I dropped knockout after only 5 issues.

[Shevek]

The new Swamp Thing is easily the worst thing i've read from Vertigo, although that could just be because i'm comparing it to Alan Moore's classic run. Nevertheless, when you're following on from something that great, you need to be, if not as good as the original, a whole lot better than what Diggle and whoever-it-is have produced.

[phicks]

Enigma. Some good art, but the story leads merely to a man's realization that he is gay. Yawn.

[ratzo]

Well, it wasn't as simple as that...

[Eumenides]

The new Swamp Thing is easily the worst thing i've read from Vertigo, although that could just be because i'm comparing it to Alan Moore's classic run. Nevertheless, when you're following on from something that great, you need to be, if not as good as the original, a whole lot better than what Diggle and whoever-it-is have produced.

I completely second that!

[CURSD BLADE]

Not having read a whole lot of Vertigo (and most of it has been newer stuff and Preacher), I would say Bite Club is pretty awful in the fact that it is completely generic. Its Godfather with vampires, nothing more and a whole lot less. Not even the vampire gimmick lends itself well to the title. Chaykin is capable of much better IMHO.

[Screwtape]

...wow, i'm kinda surprised to hear from so many people who hated "the invisibles." but i do agree that if you don't like something after what, 300 pages? of it, you probably won't like the rest either.

i hated bloody hated "the dreaming" stuff that caitlin kiernan wrote. i've never been so impatient with a writer in my life. there's a couple of stories she gets bored with after only an issue, and never makes good on the premises. for the love of god. this from someone who had to hash and rehash old ideas from the sandman as she grew sick of them, and beat them into the ground. you'd think she'd hold onto her better concepts for dear life.

and if she ever reads this, i'm sure she's a wonderful person who is nice to cats and i hope her novel career goes well.

and that she doesn't come back to comics.

um, ever.

[dancj]

Enigma. Some good art, but the story leads merely to a man's realization that he is gay. Yawn.Well ...
the guy didn't realise that he was gay. He was turned gay at a biological level, and chose to stay that way. And that was just one part of the story.

It's all about the lizard!

[Reptisaurus!]

Enigma. Some good art, but the story leads merely to a man's realization that he is gay. Yawn.

Has anyone done annoations/commentary on "Enigma?" I remember there was some stuff that I didn't get, either.

(I did get the "gay" bit.)

And a vote here for "Girl Who Would be Death."

[Indigo Al]

Some awful minis I recall are Mobfire, Ghostdancing, Mutuk Wolf's something or other, and Egypt. I know people loved Egypt but I thought it was pretentious drivel.

And god - oh god - Prez:Smells Like Teen President. UGH.

Black Orchid had beautiful covers and a strong start (the regular series, not the Gaiman mini). But the story turned into incomprehensible garbage.

I myself liked Totems. And I loved the Invisibles.

[JLarson]

I think the only Vertigo title I truly don't enjoy is 100 Bullets, but I recognize it's significance and the talent involved. It just isn't my thing, at all.

Enigma, on the other hand, I love and thought was brilliant both when it came out and now.

[dancj]

Some awful minis I recall are Mobfire, Ghostdancing, Mutuk Wolf's something or other, and Egypt. I know people loved Egypt but I thought it was pretentious drivel.
I thought Egypt was excellent for the first couple of issues and then I completely lost track of what was going on. It confused the hell out of me.



And god - oh god - Prez:Smells Like Teen President. .
I actually enjoyed that. That was early Ed Brubaker IIRC

[battlinjack]

Kid Eternity
Outlaw Nation

I made it all the way through Outlaw Nation and then wondered why?

[Eumenides]

At the moment, I'd sayHellblazer and Swamp Thing are two of the worst ongoing Vertigo titles...

[Davideaux]

I know people loved Egypt but I thought it was pretentious drivel.



Egypt was awful and even more so because it started off great. Milligan seemed to have no idea where his story was going. The artist was switched 2 issues in. Now that I think about it, I think the series was probably a cynical sales tactic by Vertigo to put out more Milligan stories. He was really hot writer back then with Extremist, Enigma, Rogan Gosh, Shade and Face.

[battlinjack]

At the moment, I'd sayHellblazer and Swamp Thing are two of the worst ongoing Vertigo titles...

Swamp Thang is pretty bad now. It had a hard time when it first started but was tolerable. First Constantine in Swamp Thing #37.

But Hellblazer is still one of my top 5. It has it's ups and downs but overall, a great title.

BTW. My current Top 5 in no particular order if anyone cares! I'm only collecting about 10 titles on a regular basis anymore. Down from about 30 - 40 a month! Ow! :D

Powers
100 Bullets
Boneyard
Planetary
BPRD: (all titles)

[Eumenides]

I suppose it's an opinion. But to me, Carey is just shooting ideas that really mean nothing to me - John's amnesic, and now Angie may be John's daughter... and Red Sepulchre and Staring At The Wall just bored me to tears. Mind you, #175/176 were good, but to me all went downhill from there on...

[dotdotdot]

i dunno guys i was hooked on invisibles by issue 2.
but to me self indulgence in the writing is an characteristic but not a criticism in itself. whats wrong with the artist indulging themselves? the way morrison thinks of his work as hypersigils, can you imagine how much fun he had writing the invisibles?
im not sure ive heard any decent criticism of the series beyond "im not involved enough in the counterculture/am not interested enough to filter through this multitude of references".
which is pretty valid.

[TxKnight]

He didn't like it. To be honest, neither did I.

Everyone has got different tastes.

I did'nt enjoy it either. And I'm a major Morris fan.

[revolver86]

I know that there will never be a run of Swamp Thing that can touch Moore's run, but this new series isn't really that bad. It's a nice fun read and that's that, it ain't trying to be some life changing experience, you know. But I do fear for the book now that Diggle is gone.

[Donald M.]

Just before I stopped reading comics for a good long while I remember Vertigo putting out a really awful mini called Cruel and Unusual. Some stupidity about S&M and televised executions with art by the guy who did Dicks and Hitman with Ennis.

I recently read The Filth. There were a couple of stand-out issues, but for the most part it was more of the typical nonsensical Vertigo weirdness for its own sake that we honestly need to see less of.

Also, I remember something called Terminal City. Mostly I remember it being incredibly dull.

[Myth-informed]

Mobfire stands out for me. I think most of the really horrid Vertigo stuff came out in the early years of the imprint, when they really would just publish weird stuff for the sake of being weird. Particularly if Milligan or Morrison's name was attached.

As an honorable mention, I would toss in Delano's run on Animal Man. Not anyhere near the worst, quality wise, but... just bizarre. Pointlessly, character-destroying bizarre. I read that run and, thought, they've ruined Buddy Baker as a character. Turning Buddy into a horned man-animal, Cliff and the snuff film fetishist (was that Delano? I forget.), the cult, Buddy cheating on Ellen. believe DC thought that take on the character would sell.


Just dismal.

[Papergirl]

Codename: Knockout.

*twitch* *shudder*

Man, I just don't have the words to describe my hatred of that one. All I'll say is this: Whoever thought that was a *good* idea really needs to be drawn and quartered in public.

[Donald M.]

Codename: Knockout.

*twitch* *shudder*

Man, I just don't have the words to describe my hatred of that one. All I'll say is this: Whoever thought that was a *good* idea really needs to be drawn and quartered in public.

Couldn't agree more.

I've seen a few issues, and while the idea of spy parodies is one that appeals to me (Derek Flint, Get Smart, Autin Powers, I love all that stuff) this book was nothing but an unfunny regurgitation of spy cliches full of pointless T&A, homophobia and characters with stupid, stupid names.

[dancj]

As an honorable mention, I would toss in Delano's run on Animal Man. Not anyhere near the worst, quality wise, but... just bizarre. Pointlessly, character-destroying bizarre. I read that run and, thought, they've ruined Buddy Baker as a character. Turning Buddy into a horned man-animal, Cliff and the snuff film fetishist (was that Delano? I forget.), the cult, Buddy cheating on Ellen. believe DC thought that take on the character would sell.


Just dismal.
Delano's run started off quite strong, but by the end descended into self-indulgence (as Delano often does) and destroyed everything good about the character.

Then Jerry Prosser (IIRC) took over and managed to make the book even worse!

[dancj]

full of pointless T&A, homophobia and ...
Yeah - it's strange considering the guy who wrote the book was gay

[Donald M.]

Yeah - it's strange considering the guy who wrote the book was gay

I kind of figured as much.

I figure, only a gay writer would have the balls to create a gay character as ridiculously over-the-top as Go-Go Fiasco.

Of course, being gay is no excuse . . .

[NickVinson]

Invisibles started off on the wrong foot with the TPB's being published out of order. I didn't realize it when I first read them. I had no damn idea what I read. Thanks DC.



somehow I ended up with Volume 3 of Invisibles. its the only one I own. and the only one Ive read. SO I know the feeling.

[LooksBetterDrawn]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Morningstar
Invisibles started off on the wrong foot with the TPB's being published out of order. I didn't realize it when I first read them. I had no damn idea what I read. Thanks DC.


so what is the actual order that they should be read in?

[Forsaken_One]

I'm looking at Kid Eternity right now. My head hurts. I think they're related.

Beyond that The Witching hasn't done much for me but I've only read the first issue.

Hunter: The Age Of Magic

I really liked that series. I'm not really getting into the current one, Life in Wartime or whatever. Then again I've always been a sucker for coming of age stories, especially ones that involve a bit of romance so... yeah.

[slam]

God love all the Caitlin Keirnan Dreaming bashing. She was godawful. When out of ideas, throw in goth kids. Bleah.

Most Sandman spinoffs were mediocre at best. Lucifer was the notable exception.

At one point, the Books of Magic ongoing series was my favorite of all. Nowadays I don't even look at Life During Wartime.

[desolation/oblivion]

The Sandman was a horrible series...




Kidding.

But if its anything, it must be the Books of Magic. I loved the first one, until they made sequels.

[Screwtape]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Morningstar
Invisibles started off on the wrong foot with the TPB's being published out of order. I didn't realize it when I first read them. I had no damn idea what I read. Thanks DC.


so what is the actual order that they should be read in?

They actually have spine numbers now (as do the Sandman trades), but just to be helpful:
1. Say You Want a Revolution
2. Apocalipstick
3. Entropy in the UK
4. Bloody Hell in America
5. Counting to None
6. Kissing Mr. Quimper
7. The Invisible Kingdom (and this one is really, really hard to read).

[Santanico]

One odd thing I've noticed: some of the least popular Vertigo writers (Caitlin Kiernan, Robert Rodi, Rachel Pollack) are actually really great novelists. Coincidence, you think?

Speaking of Pollack, though, yeah. I can't actually decide if I like her (spectacularly unpopular, from what I've gathered) run on Doom Patrol or not, because I can't understand a freaking word of it. It's not weird the way the Morrison run was, where it's bizarre but makes sense on its own terms; it's just basically incomprehensible. The jaw-droppingly ugly Ted McKeever artwork doesn't exactly help me out there, either.

[NickVinson]

One odd thing I've noticed: some of the least popular Vertigo writers (Caitlin Kiernan, Robert Rodi, Rachel Pollack) are actually really great novelists. Coincidence, you think?


might have something to do with the form/medium. Maybe they cant communicate their message properly given the format?

[Altered Ego]

I have enjoyed several of Rodi's novels but his comics totally leave me cold. I feel badly about that, as I really really wanted to root for him.
I know it isn't Vertigo, but his Identity Disc was TERRIBLE.

[Sage Shinigami]

Worst Vertigo?

Preacher. I tried my damndest to like the book, and I read the WHOLE thing, but it sucks. Its the one of the worst titles I've ever read.

I hear anything that's tries to spin-off from Neil Gaiman's masterpieces instantly turn into huge suck-fests, but I don't read them, so I wouldn't know. The new Books of Magic is awesome though.

I've not yet read much Vertigo though, so that's my list.

[mike rok lok]

One odd thing I've noticed: some of the least popular Vertigo writers (Caitlin Kiernan, Robert Rodi, Rachel Pollack) are actually really great novelists. Coincidence, you think?

Speaking of Pollack, though, yeah. I can't actually decide if I like her (spectacularly unpopular, from what I've gathered) run on Doom Patrol or not, because I can't understand a freaking word of it. It's not weird the way the Morrison run was, where it's bizarre but makes sense on its own terms; it's just basically incomprehensible. The jaw-droppingly ugly Ted McKeever artwork doesn't exactly help me out there, either.

ARRRGGGGHHHH! Someone knocking Ted McKeever`s artwork! I`m appalled. j/k As much as I am a huge fan of McKeever`s work I did feel as if his art on Doom Patrol was a wee bit lacking. His work on Industrial Gothic and Plastic Forks blows away his Doom Patrol stuff.

[GremlinClr]

Some awful minis I recall are Mobfire, Ghostdancing, Mutuk Wolf's something or other, and Egypt. I know people loved Egypt but I thought it was pretentious drivel.
[snip]

I loved Egypt. But I havent read it since it came out and that was a long time ago. Ill have to dig it out and read it again, time has a way of changing perceptions.

ARRRGGGGHHHH! Someone knocking Ted McKeever`s artwork! I`m appalled. j/k As much as I am a huge fan of McKeever`s work I did feel as if his art on Doom Patrol was a wee bit lacking. His work on Industrial Gothic and Plastic Forks blows away his Doom Patrol stuff.

I have always hated McKeever's work. I think you could give a 3 year old a crayon and get better results. *shudder*

Personally, I didn't care for 100 Bullets. I stuck around through the first few arcs but it never really grabbed me.

[dotdotdot]

Worst Vertigo?

Preacher. I tried my damndest to like the book, and I read the WHOLE thing, but it sucks. Its the one of the worst titles I've ever read.

I hear anything that's tries to spin-off from Neil Gaiman's masterpieces instantly turn into huge suck-fests, but I don't read them, so I wouldn't know. The new Books of Magic is awesome though.

I've not yet read much Vertigo though, so that's my list.

try reading harder.

[dancj]

I loved Egypt. But I havent read it since it came out and that was a long time ago. Ill have to dig it out and read it again, time has a way of changing perceptions.
I really liked the first couple of issues of Egypt, but by the end I didn't have a clue what was going on. I should try it again sometime.

I have always hated McKeever's work. I think you could give a 3 year old a crayon and get better results. *shudder*
He has a distinctive style - which I personally love.

[The Dosadi Experiment]

Invisibles... why I didn't care for it.

I won the first trade paperback and I've read it, from cover to cover, and now it's collecting dust on the shelf. I was bored by it.

First of all I have no interest in reading about idiotic characters, especially if they're the main ones. Jack Frost is one of those characters whom you can almost shout at that he's acting like a damn fool, that he should pull himself together and stop acting like a crack-baby.

But then again, somehow I couldn't really blame him, I would be complaining too if I were to be drawn into something dense and non-sensical as the plot. Somehow people think that because it's non-sensical it's deep and meaningful, and filled to the brim with intelligent observations about life, death, and everything inbetween.

The Invisibles, at least the first tradepaperback, was just dense because someone thought it was a good idea at the time, having thrown in seventy different elements through the ramblings of castmembers and a more than reluctant, oh so annoying, main character.

Really I couldn't stop wondering why this would all be thrown into the story, it never seemed to go anywhere, and I got the impression that the writer just threw it all in because it sounded weird, and he just needed weird.
So there I am, wading through the pages of story with no end or purpose in sight. And when I finally think that it picks up and goes somewhere, it becomes a masturbatory excercise in telling the reader that the writer is so incredibly smart that we just have to accept his views without any questioning, because it all sounds deep and profound.

I am smart, because this is weird and I think weird is normal, and so should you, because I'm smart.

It felt like someone was trying to use some of Moore's ideas, but failing miserably, because the underlying thoughts were missing, or just switched with weirdness in order to fill the void. I read V for Vendetta after The Invisibles, and suddenly, I realized that the theme of anarchy was handled much more convincing in V than in the Invisibles. With V it had some kind of purpose, it was made something you could sympathise with, in the Invisibles, we just had to accept it all.

On the Web people went on and on and on about it being brilliant, and deep, and profound, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that most of the praise was hollow. "It's morrison, it's weird, it must be brilliant!"

It's like Here Comes Tomorrow, all over again. Somehow people think it's intelligent because they have to fill in so many gaps that most of the story becomes an extension of one person's interpretation. That there is more gap to be filled than story to be read.

[kramden]

i collected codename knockout and than wondered why i did.if a series sucks i drop it now,but i guess i wasent always like that....Angel and the Ape was the only time i ever laughed out loud while reading a comic book

[kramden]

Worst Vertigo?

Preacher. I tried my damndest to like the book, and I read the WHOLE thing, but it sucks. Its the one of the worst titles I've ever read.

I hear anything that's tries to spin-off from Neil Gaiman's masterpieces instantly turn into huge suck-fests, but I don't read them, so I wouldn't know. The new Books of Magic is awesome though.

I've not yet read much Vertigo though, so that's my list.

are you saying you read all 9 trades of the preacher and you thought it sucked? Try Marvel Age Spiderman.Im sure you`ll like that one very much

[kramden]

Vertigo isn't the perfect imprint we all think it is; even though it has consistently published some of the finest series of the past 1o years, it has also produced a lot of drivel:

Crusaders
Codename: Knockout
American Century
Battleaxes
The Dreaming
Hunter: The Age Of Magic
Swamp Thing (Tefe)
Swamp Thing (modern volume)
The Witching Hour
Witchcraft

And little things in between that have disappeared from collective memory...

i concur with your choices

[rassmguy]

Everyone loves Vertigo, right? It's consistently been the best line of comics over the last 10 years. But nobody's perfect. So here's my question: what are the duds that Vertigo's produced?


I think the worst thing I've ever read from Vertigo is Totems. It's horrible. Bad writing, bad artwork, no logic to its storytelling, and it gets so many facets of its characters wrong. It's like the author did only cursory research on Swamp Thing, Constantine and other other characters in it, without any real understanding of what the characters were about and what the history of their titles were. Absolute trash, impossible to reconcile with DC/Vertigo continuity. How that ever got published, I have no idea.

[dancj]

Yup - Totems was truly abysmal

[Headhunter]

From what I've read of The Filth, it's a total rehash of Morrison's work on The Invisibles.

[stealthwise]

Invisibles... why I didn't care for it.

I won the first trade paperback and I've read it, from cover to cover, and now it's collecting dust on the shelf. I was bored by it.

I liked it, but not to the point of crying tears of joy.

First of all I have no interest in reading about idiotic characters, especially if they're the main ones. Jack Frost is one of those characters whom you can almost shout at that he's acting like a damn fool, that he should pull himself together and stop acting like a crack-baby.

Actually, I loved that about Jack Frost. He's such a fucking whiny, idiotic teen. But he's not even really the hero of the book, he's just more the viewpoint character at the start (though reading the later ones might prove me to be wrong). Either way, he's fun to shake your head at.

But then again, somehow I couldn't really blame him, I would be complaining too if I were to be drawn into something dense and non-sensical as the plot. Somehow people think that because it's non-sensical it's deep and meaningful, and filled to the brim with intelligent observations about life, death, and everything inbetween.

I don't think it's deep and meaningful, but it was kind of fun so far.

The Invisibles, at least the first tradepaperback, was just dense because someone thought it was a good idea at the time, having thrown in seventy different elements through the ramblings of castmembers and a more than reluctant, oh so annoying, main character.

Really I couldn't stop wondering why this would all be thrown into the story, it never seemed to go anywhere, and I got the impression that the writer just threw it all in because it sounded weird, and he just needed weird.
So there I am, wading through the pages of story with no end or purpose in sight. And when I finally think that it picks up and goes somewhere, it becomes a masturbatory excercise in telling the reader that the writer is so incredibly smart that we just have to accept his views without any questioning, because it all sounds deep and profound.

I've heard that a lot of those unexplained, weird elements end up coming back into the story later on, which would explain their presence. Keep in mind that though this was collected into one volume, it was still a serial publication, and Morrison probably had his eye on the future.

I am smart, because this is weird and I think weird is normal, and so should you, because I'm smart.

Well, I'm certainly happy for you if you feel that way. ;)

It felt like someone was trying to use some of Moore's ideas, but failing miserably, because the underlying thoughts were missing, or just switched with weirdness in order to fill the void. I read V for Vendetta after The Invisibles, and suddenly, I realized that the theme of anarchy was handled much more convincing in V than in the Invisibles. With V it had some kind of purpose, it was made something you could sympathise with, in the Invisibles, we just had to accept it all.

Again, the series is far from done. I might be wrong and it could end up a steaming pile of horse shit, but I'm at least intrigued enough by it to continue on, whereas I suppose you're not. V for Vendetta is problematic though, because it is, ironically, extremely unrealistic in that the political views are optimistic and somewhat naive as to how political upheaval and change is accomplished. I call it "ironic" becuase V is almost devoid of fantastic elements, while The Invisible is mixed in with magic and surreal drug trips, yet is more realistic in its portrayal of governmental systems and social anarchy. V wraps everything up in a nice little package towards a brave new world, while The Invisibles has these rogue agents running around with their heads cut off still.

On the Web people went on and on and on about it being brilliant, and deep, and profound, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that most of the praise was hollow. "It's morrison, it's weird, it must be brilliant!"

Actually, I liked the intertextual elements with the French Revolution, Marquis DeSade, Lord Byron and the Shelleys more than almost anything else. More brilliant than weird, mostly because it deals with time travel in a non-paradoxical fashion (all time is on the same line or whatever), as well as providing a very human subplot (with Mary losing her child and Percy trying to cope through his works).

It's like Here Comes Tomorrow, all over again. Somehow people think it's intelligent because they have to fill in so many gaps that most of the story becomes an extension of one person's interpretation. That there is more gap to be filled than story to be read.

It's intelligent because of the way it is written and drawn most of the time. I don't get some of the drug-trip pages and panels, but I'm assuming that most of them will be explained in later volumes. Even if not all of them are, I'm still not bothered enough by them to trash on something that was obviously quite good, even if I didn't completely connect with it.

[ChoasMAC]

Vertigo isn't the perfect imprint we all think it is; even though it has consistently published some of the finest series of the past 1o years, it has also produced a lot of drivel:

Crusaders
Codename: Knockout
American Century
Battleaxes
The Dreaming
Hunter: The Age Of Magic
Swamp Thing (Tefe)
Swamp Thing (modern volume)
The Witching Hour
Witchcraft

And little things in between that have disappeared from collective memory...

I don't know why, but I loved the first Trade of American Century. I looked at it at first and balked, but a friend bugged me enough to read it. I thought it was fun, but when I picked up a handfull of singles that came after it, I completly lost my taste for it.

And for the record...I like the Invisibles.

[ChoasMAC]

are you saying you read all 9 trades of the preacher and you thought it sucked? Try Marvel Age Spiderman.Im sure you`ll like that one very much

That is so funny, i can't belive I missed that the first time. HA! :D

[kramden]

TOKYO POP BANGKOCK was pretty boaring after awhile.i dont know why i didnt drop it at the time but today if i dont like something i wont see it through like i did in the past

[kramden]

Couldn't agree more.

I've seen a few issues, and while the idea of spy parodies is one that appeals to me (Derek Flint, Get Smart, Autin Powers, I love all that stuff) this book was nothing but an unfunny regurgitation of spy cliches full of pointless T&A, homophobia and characters with stupid, stupid names.

Codename Knockout was many things but Homophobic was not one of them.it was in your face homo.......ness.
whats Garth Ennis` war comedy book? Operation Bolleks? Brigade(something or other),Bullocks Brigaid? i forget the title but that was reallybad.At least the second series was

[Donald M.]

Codename Knockout was many things but Homophobic was not one of them.it was in your face homo.......ness.


You'd think a gay man would be able to be in your face homo without being, I don't know, so banal and cliche about it.

[Satana Hellstrom]

Codename:Knockout was the most depressingly bad parody of a genre that's already sort of spoofing itself.

The Invisibles wasn't terrible, but It wasn't as good as I thought it would be...

[Gigrantor]

I've been reading Vertigo since day one, in fact I was reading a lot of Vertigo comics before they were Vertigo. My favourite Vertigo comic was Sandman which I had been reading since day one. Titles such as Morrisons run on Doom Patrol and Animal Man were some of the best comics I've ever read. In fact I would say that Morrisons complete run on Animal Man would have to be one of my all time favourite storylines in just about any comic. After Morrison left Peter Milligan did an enjoyable little run but it went down hill after he left, I could never get into Tom Veitch's run so I dropped it until Jamie Delano took over. Delano's run started out great with such scary characters as Uncle Dudley and such great storylines, I couldnt wait to read this title each month but it all started to slowly turn into an excuse for Delano to wank into a monthly comic, I hated what he did with the characters but I kept reading until he left and Prosser took over, not long after that it was cancelled and that's what I call a mercy killing.
I enjoyed just about all of Morrisons Doom Patrol except for some of the boring bits in the middle, overall it had a pretty enjoyable beggining middle and end and that's where it should had ended because Rachell Pollacks run was just pure crap on paper.
Over the years I wasted a lot of money and time I'll never get back on some shitty Vertigo titles, below is a list of some that should be avoided no matter how cheap they may be in bargain bins:

Animal Man (stop after Delano's first run)

Black Orchid ongoing (Nice covers, nothing else)

The Dreaming (started out okay I would only recomend the first half a dozen or so issues)

Doom Patrol (Avoid every issue after Morrisons last)

Kid Eternity (the mini was okay and the ongoing had some nice Sean Phillips artwork but don't bother)

Mobfire (Move away people, there's nothing to see here)

I quite buying monthly comics in the late 90's in order to conentrate on TPB's and HC collections but in the time I was reading monthly titles I read a lot of stinkers both pre and post Vertigo and one of the worst would have to be another Delano title called World Without End, fuck that was bad, what kind of drugs was the guy on?

[dancj]

I actually quite enjoyed Mobfire - but it was nothing special

[dotdotdot]

I am smart, because this is weird and I think weird is normal, and so should you, because I'm smart.


thats fucking sad, guy. this is usually the reaction when something goes over one's head: bitterness. then comes the part where you assume that im the one who is pretentious, that i think morrison is a genius, and that somehow i have been duped into thinking something ridiculous actually holds merit.
i think you should just reread it.

[Weetomuncher]

I have to admit that I found Angeltown to be pretty poor. I felt that the story lacked any real direction and it tended to jump around rather hyperactively at times in an attempt to make the story seem more interesting. The book sounded quite good in theory but the whole storyline was weak .

weetO

[josh straightedge]

The latter Animal Man and Doom Patrol stuff was rotten. And the end art on Doom Patrol was shit.

Didn't like Egypt. I was let down a lot by Hunter: The Age Of Magic. Didn't like The Extremists. Didn't like Angeltown at all. Mobfire was terrible. Outlaw Nation didn't do it for me either. And in all honesty, the Invisibles is pretty overhyped.

Just because it's weird or by Morrison does not at all whatsoever make it good.

[dancj]

The Extremist was great! Egypt started well, but completely lost me by the end.

[stoneskull]

A significant part of the Invisibles was the letters column.


But I guess you had to be there..


My nomination:

Junk Culture - Profoundly remember feeling ripped off by this like no other comic, Vertigo or otherwise. What a waste of money. This comic makes me want to type swear words.

Also haven't got time or money for the witchy, gothy, gaiman-rip-offy stuff.

[king mob]

Blimey, so much to choose from.

Most of the Sandman spin offs have been poor, the "ooo, i'm a weirdy, strange goth, oooooo" type comics gets on my tits.They swamped the company for a while and when they pop up they make me vomit with how tedious they are.

Bit strong perhaps but they really did annoy me.

[dancj]

Junk Culture - Profoundly remember feeling ripped off by this like no other comic, Vertigo or otherwise. What a waste of money. This comic makes me want to type swear words.

I quite enjoyed that. It was just a fast fun couple of issues of violence.

[ultramandingo]

"new x-men" started out great but lost me in the end .........huh? .........what do you mean thst wasnt vertigo , what do you know