Vertigo books to check out

[stealthwise]

I've read most of the major Vertigo titles; Preacher, Sandman, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Y: the Last Man, Books of Magic (Gaiman's), Animal Man, WE3, Shade the Changing Man (first tpb) and I'm getting Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets, Invisibles, Lucifer and Doom Patrol now.

What I'm wondering is: Which titles, tpbs, etc, are the real gems that most people don't talk about?

I'm looking at a lot of these Sandman spinoffs, like the Destiny tpb, and The Dreaming: Through Gates of Horn and Ivory. Are they good? Are there better ones?

Does the Losers get better after the first trade? How about Human Target? Why am I one of the only people who doesn't like Fables? What was the deal with Sandman Mystery Theater? Are the other Books of Magic worth getting?

Give me some feedback, with REASONS please. :)

[Headhunter]

Haven't been reading it, but Ed Brubaker's Sleeper has some good reviews.

[stealthwise]

Hehe, Sleeper is a good book, I have volume one. It's Wildstorm, but thanks for the reminder, I'll be sure to get the next book. :)

[Headhunter]

It's Wildstorm, but thanks for the reminder, I'll be sure to get the next book. :)
Really? Huh. :o

[aelio]

Have you read Death: The High Cost of Living and Death: The Time of Your Life? They are two SM spinoffs that I think are great. Also, the first arc of Brubaker's Deadenders is now collected; I liked it alright, it wasn't Sleeper calibur, but it was fun for its brevity. Sandman Mystery Theater is a reimagining of the adventures of Wesley Dodds, Golden Age Sandman. I have Bite Club and liked it alright. It was fun, and you can get it in an inexpensive digest. Swamp Thing Volume 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing contains Moore's "The Anatomy Lesson," the best ST story ever! I loved it and I don't really like Swamp Thing. I also enjoyed Sebastian O,but it was brief and may not appeal to everyone. I usually describe it as Steampunk meets Oscar Wilde. Also, I really enjoyed V for Vendetta; it's dense but very enjoyable. Read it before the movie comes out.

Lucky you getting Transmet and the Invisibles!!! I'm so happy for you. Also, to aswer another question of yours: you are the only one who doesn't like Fables because its really, really good. It does have its slumps, but all long-lived series do.

[Glaucon]

I have to the first two trades of Sandman Mystery Theatre and enjoyed them both.

[stealthwise]

Have you read Death: The High Cost of Living and Death: The Time of Your Life? They are two SM spinoffs that I think are great. Also, the first arc of Brubaker's Deadenders is now collected; I liked it alright, it wasn't Sleeper calibur, but it was fun for its brevity. Sandman Mystery Theater is a reimagining of the adventures of Wesley Dodds, Golden Age Sandman. I have Bite Club and liked it alright. It was fun, and you can get it in an inexpensive digest. Swamp Thing Volume 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing contains Moore's "The Anatomy Lesson," the best ST story ever! I loved it and I don't really like Swamp Thing. I also enjoyed Sebastian O,but it was brief and may not appeal to everyone. I usually describe it as Steampunk meets Oscar Wilde. Also, I really enjoyed V for Vendetta; it's dense but very enjoyable. Read it before the movie comes out.

Lucky you getting Transmet and the Invisibles!!! I'm so happy for you. Also, to aswer another question of yours: you are the only one who doesn't like Fables because its really, really good. It does have its slumps, but all long-lived series do.

I bought the Death trades before I even read Sandman, strangely enough, and enjoyed them both to pieces. Never heard of Deadenders, I'll be sure to look into it. Bite Club sounds interesting, as does SMT and Sebastian O (though I'm not huge on everything Morrison). I've owned Swamp Thing and V for Vendetta for years now and they are both excellent choices.

I bought the first three trades of Fables and disliked them so much that I ended up swapping them for other things. Oh well.

Thanks for replying!

[Ilash]

Mick Carrey's My Faith in Frankie was one of my favourite minis from last year (charming's the word!) and though you could get it in a cheap black and white digest form, I suggest trying to get the actual colour issues. Another excellent mini, this time from years back is Garth Ennis' Unknown Soldier, which was a superb character driven espionage thriller. If you like your comics WEIRD (and you do have Shade listed so I figure you do) why not give Nevada, a shot - it's available in trade form and it's a pretty enjoyable head trip. Speaking of head trips, I also really liked Grant Morrison's Viminirama mini from earlier this year.

[aelio]

I loved the Sandman so much that I'm thinking about ordering Taller Tales and The Furies; how are these? Are they good?

[dancj]

Taller Tales is great. Light hearted stuff that Bill Willingham does so well.

I haven't read The Furies but I suspect it takes itself a bit more seriously.

[stealthwise]

Mick Carrey's My Faith in Frankie was one of my favourite minis from last year (charming's the word!) and though you could get it in a cheap black and white digest form, I suggest trying to get the actual colour issues. Another excellent mini, this time from years back is Garth Ennis' Unknown Soldier, which was a superb character driven espionage thriller. If you like your comics WEIRD (and you do have Shade listed so I figure you do) why not give Nevada, a shot - it's available in trade form and it's a pretty enjoyable head trip. Speaking of head trips, I also really liked Grant Morrison's Viminirama mini from earlier this year.

Speaking of Ennis, is there more than one volume of War Stories? The first one was excellent.

[Apathy Boy]

HOUSE OF SECRETS and HUMAN TARGET are my two Vertigo comics ever.

HOUSE OF SECRETS is the best thing Vertigo ever produced. No other mainstream comic has challenged the boundaries of the medium as much. Extremely experimental in structure and content. But it wasn't "weird for the sake of weird," either - it actually had stories that made sense and well-developed characters. The backstory on this one is HUGE and incredibly intriguing. And the climax of issue #24 is the most heart-wrenching scene I have ever read in a comic.

HUMAN TARGET wasn't as innovative, but it was a heck of a lot of fun. Incredibly twisted psychodrama and a terrific action comic to book. This was a very plot-twisty book, so if you like Brian K. Vaughn, you'll probably like this one. And the series finale has one of the cruelest endings I've seen in a comic.

UKNOWN SOLDIER, PRIDE AND JOY, SCENE OF THE CRIME and WAR STORIES (only one volume, alas) were also very good. SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE is very good if you like pulp fiction.

And yeah, I think FABLES is pretty pedestrian stuff too.

[stealthwise]

Is House of Secrets available in trade? I would assume so, and I know that Human Target is already.

[Apathy Boy]

Is House of Secrets available in trade? I would assume so, and I know that Human Target is already.Err... that's the downside of my suggestions. HOUSE OF SECRETS only had one trade, and HUMAN TARGET has a dozen or so issues that have yet to be collected.

But hey! Let me throw out another title that I noticed on the list of Vertigo trades (http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?cat=VERTIGO): A GREGORY TREASURY VOL. 2. Brilliant, funny, heartwarming stuff. It's like Calvin and Hobbes, if Calvin was in a mental institution and Hobbes was a rat that got repeatedly killed and reincarnated.

Never realized that Vertigo published this. (But not Volume 1, apparently. Not that you need to read these in order, mind you.)

[stealthwise]

Cool, sounds like fun.

[grendel824]

Does the Losers get better after the first trade?


Not IMO - I like the series a lot, but I think it's maintained a consistent quality - if you didn't like the first arc, I doubt you'll be won over by future storylines.


How about Human Target?


Ditto - I didn't like the later stories as much as the earlier stories. Still enjoyed the series, though.


Why am I one of the only people who doesn't like Fables?


Yes. You should fix that by liking it. Everytime you don't buy and enjoy Fables, a puppy dies.


What was the deal with Sandman Mystery Theater?


It was a cool book written by Matt Wagner and Steven (Stephen?) T. Seagle about the GA Sandman.


Are the other Books of Magic worth getting?


I haven't been thrilled with any of the post-Gaiman series.

[stealthwise]

Not IMO - I like the series a lot, but I think it's maintained a consistent quality - if you didn't like the first arc, I doubt you'll be won over by future storylines.

I didn't dislike The Losers, just was underwhelmed by it. A lot of current comics are doing that lately for me, not just Vertigo. I think that sometimes we fans have our expectations set too low, due to all of the crap that gets pushed our way.

Yes. You should fix that by liking it. Everytime you don't buy and enjoy Fables, a puppy dies.

I'm not too fond of puppies either.

[Bakema NL]

I've never been much of a Vertigo reader aside from Sandman and Death and the Dreaming. Picked up the Vamps series too and Unknown soldier, although I'm not sure the last one is a Vertigo title. Now I'm reading Fables too and really want to get Y-the last man. And of course Otherworld is another title I picked up.

[noodleboy]

Let me throw my vote in for The Losers, it does get better with the second and third trades. Also there was a 7 issue mini entitled Egypt that was really well done. I don't know if it has been collected but the singles shouldn't be too hard to find.

[Hellpop]

Shade the Changing Man is the most underappreciated Vertigo series of all time. only one trade, I believe, is available, and sadly the book didn't really pick up untill after that material. I strongly reccomend hunting down the back issues, if you're that type, but read them IN ORDER! :)

Also by Shade's Peter Milligan is Enigma, and that is available in a trade, one of my favorites of all time; in fact, I just reread it last week.

I believe only one War Story collection was released (it musta sold awfully), but check out Enemy Ace, which is a similar book by Ennis that I believe inspired him to do the War Story stuff, and I think his best work. A little known Ennis/ Dillon gem, never reprinted as far as I know, is Heartland, featuring Kit from Hellblazer. This is a single issue and not very hard to find.

You should read everythig Alan Moore ever wrote. All of you! Or does that go without saying?

I must say, though, that House Of Secrets is one of my least favorite comics ever. An intruiging idea, but so poorly executed. I found the character of Rain so phoney, and such a rip- off of Shade's Lenny, I wanted to scream at her each issue I read.

Oh, yeah: Grant Morrison's Animal Man! I'll post more suggestions if I think of any!

[stealthwise]

A little known Ennis/ Dillon gem, never reprinted as far as I know, is Heartland, featuring Kit from Hellblazer. This is a single issue and not very hard to find.

It was reprinted in one of the later Ennis/Dillon Hellblazer tpbs. Great issue though.

[Hellpop]

Wasn't it? I wish Ennis would write like tha all the time. Too often I think he settles for being as ultraviolent as possible. He can be a writer of great nuance when he puts his mind to it.

[dancj]

Let me throw my vote in for The Losers, it does get better with the second and third trades. Also there was a 7 issue mini entitled Egypt that was really well done. I don't know if it has been collected but the singles shouldn't be too hard to find.

After a very strong start (with art by the excellent Glynn Dillon) Egypt completely lost me. I couldn't say outrigh that it was bad because I really didn't have a clue what was going on.

I believe only one War Story collection was released (it musta sold awfully)

I don't think it's because of how it sold. I just think they haven't collected it YET.

[stealthwise]

Wasn't it? I wish Ennis would write like tha all the time. Too often I think he settles for being as ultraviolent as possible. He can be a writer of great nuance when he puts his mind to it.

All the time? Heh, I don't know about that, because we wouldn't have titles like Preacher, Hitman and his Punisher, but it is nice to see him pay attention to things like characterization and politics once in a while. I maintain that his collected run on Hellblazer was probably his best work, if a bit rough around the edges.

[aelio]

I also really liked Ennis Hellblazer. I also like Ellis' Hellblazer, but I really didn't like BAzz's at at all, and I've read both Hard Time and Good Intentions. This surprised me because 100 Bullets is a phenomenon and I even like For Tomorrow.

[Hellpop]

All the time? Heh, I don't know about that, because we wouldn't have titles like Preacher, Hitman and his Punisher, but it is nice to see him pay attention to things like characterization and politics once in a while. I maintain that his collected run on Hellblazer was probably his best work, if a bit rough around the edges.

Actually, his Punisher is just what I'm talking about. Read the first trade and HATED it. That, and stuff like Rifle Brigade leaves me cold. Preacher, though, is a step above. It's the one time when he really married his strong sense of character to his more, shall we say, juvenile tendencies. Though I must admit I never did read Hitman.

Oh, I'd also reccomend a really good little series, Scene of the Crime, by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Not sure if it was collected.

[brandron]

I bought the Losers TPB#1 and Human Target TPB#1 today along with Vertigo's First Taste. I read the first three issues of The Losers and I'm enjoying it. Human Target looks really interesting and after reading what some of you said, I'm excited to read it.

Thanks for the insight about all these titles, I recently got back into comics after a 4 year hiatus and this thread is really helping me out,
so thanks.

EDIT: Human Target is great, such a great concept.

[stealthwise]

Actually, his Punisher is just what I'm talking about. Read the first trade and HATED it. That, and stuff like Rifle Brigade leaves me cold. Preacher, though, is a step above. It's the one time when he really married his strong sense of character to his more, shall we say, juvenile tendencies. Though I must admit I never did read Hitman.

Oh, I'd also reccomend a really good little series, Scene of the Crime, by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Not sure if it was collected.

Hitman is excellent, that same "marriage of character and juvenile tendencies" is apparent, it's quite good. I loved the first Punisher trade, especially given that it's, well, the Punisher, one of the most one-dimensional characters of all time.

Best line of that tpb:

"Why do you kill the bad people?"

"Because I hate them."

[Deathlok]

dude, do you have to be in your 20s to understand vertigo books?

I do not get them all at!


( except fables)

they seem to be weird for the sake of being weird

[Hellpop]

dude, do you have to be in your 20s to understand vertigo books?

I do not get them all at!


( except fables)

they seem to be weird for the sake of being weird

Do you mean you're too young or too old? :)

Many of them often suffer from that fault. I think Vertigo had a "house style" for their books for quite awhile, but i think they've broken out of the with their last few hits, like Y and Fables.

[Deathlok]

well, lets take some vertigo books from the 1980s..

animalman
swamp thing
doom patrol ( remember danny the street)


those were books ahead of their time, the pinnacle of vertigo. the current books do not compare.

[One3D]

dude, do you have to be in your 20s to understand vertigo books?

I do not get them all at!


( except fables)

they seem to be weird for the sake of being weird

it is weird. i first encountered sandman when i was 18 and i didnt understand/appreciate what i read.

it wasnt until i was 20 and had a taste of philosophy and encountered the story when delight (or desire.. the fat one) had a challenge for all his siblings..

thats when i started loving it.

and yeah.. transmetropolitan is one of the best comic books i've ever read.

[angry monkey]

I love Preacher so far. I'm on trade 4.

Hellblazer i didnt like though. I loved Constantine, but I bought the dangerous Habits tpb and the Contantine collection thing and I didnt like either.

Y-The Last Man's first trade was also good.

[Surt]

Shade the Changing Man is the most underappreciated Vertigo series of all time. only one trade, I believe, is available, and sadly the book didn't really pick up untill after that material. I strongly reccomend hunting down the back issues, if you're that type, but read them IN ORDER! :)


Agreed!

well, lets take some vertigo books from the 1980s.. animalman swamp thing doom patrol ( remember danny the street) those were books ahead of their time, the pinnacle of vertigo. the current books do not compare.

Agreed!

My favourite five Vertigo-series is (in no specific order): Hellblazer (Esp. the Ennis/Dillon issues), Sandman, Animal Man (esp. the Morrison issues and certainly not the last 20 or so issues), Shade the Changing Man (buy 'em all!) and Doom Patrol (the Morrison issues and NOT the Pollack issues).

[stealthwise]

I now have the first Shade tpb and Doom Patrol tpb (by Morrison).

My response... meh.

I can understand how they might have been very popular for their time, but I've seen stuff with a similar take or tone that's been done much better since, hell, probably by the same creators.

[davidboring]

remember that some comics only became Vertigo trades after a while of being seen as regular DC, like Swamp Thing.

[Hellpop]

I now have the first Shade tpb and Doom Patrol tpb (by Morrison).

My response... meh.

I can understand how they might have been very popular for their time, but I've seen stuff with a similar take or tone that's been done much better since, hell, probably by the same creators.

Both series got much, much better with time. I agree that the early issues of Shade were underwhelming. It's almost a shame that they have to reprint these things in order, because it wasn't into the teens that the book really got going. It's like, all of a sudden, Milligan and Bachelo figured everything out. "The Road" in particular, in the mid- twenties, was my personal favorite.

With Doom Patrol, you must remember that Morrison was taking over an AWFUL book. It took him a little while to shake all that off. Unfortunately, his work is marred by what I always thought was Richard Case's lousy art. I would not list DP among my favorites, either among Vertigo or Grant books, but it has it's moments.

[Headhunter]

Is Shade the Changing Man that good? My LCS actually gave me a dozen issues for free a few years back, there was no demand whatsoever... :confused:

[Hellpop]

Is Shade the Changing Man that good? My LCS actually gave me a dozen issues for free a few years back, there was no demand whatsoever... :confused:

I sure thought so. It never had the recognition Sandman or Preacher did, but it's my favorite Vertigo series, those two included. Like I said, though, it took a little while for the series to get rollin'. And it really needs to be read straight through to make any sense. But I strongly reccomend hunting them down in the cheapie boxes, where they're prety easy to find.

[joshtalk43]

Otherworld has been really good. Giant epic story with awesome art. Check it out.

[stealthwise]

I bought the first three issues of Otherworld, then returned them to the comic shop after finding them nearly unreadable. And I NEVER do that with comics.

[noh-varr]

It was only mentioned once and never again so I wish to add suport for it. Enigma written by Peter Milligan. It's now been collected in trade it is fantastic. You think it's all about a man coming to terms with childhood fantasy as his favorite comic comes to be real, but it turns into soooo much more. I loved it, I couldn't wait for the next issue it was so deep and loving a must for everyone who loves good comics.

Also Egypt by Peter Milligan is another treat, 7 issue mini from around the same time. About the Egyptian Gods tampering with humans. It has it all, and another good love story as well as Egyptian Gods! What mroe do you need?

[Timulty]

Egypt was good. Outlaw Nation is one that is often missed. Big Hellblazer Fan myself, have almost the full Run. Sandman: Endless Nights has some severely good stories in it. Hellblazer: All His Engines not too shabby either. Shade was definitely under rated. Mainly, because issues 1-30(pre vertigo) had a very superhero feel to them. Fables and Lucifer only get better and better. Especially, after they revealed The Adversary on Fables. I am betting the arabian nights special will be definitely match its billing.

[theh-bomb]

Flex Mentallo is good if you can find and afford it. Grant Morrison's Kid Eternity series, which I think is going to be out in tpb sometime in the next year.
THe one shots, Kill Your Boyfriend, Face, and the Eaters.
Outlaw Nation was an underrated book, and worth picking up.
El Diable, The Human Target, and Johnny Double were all great minis.

[Hellpop]

Kid Eternity actually predates Vertigo. Jeez, I haven't read that in a while...

I likewise enjoyed Outlaw Nation. Another good series at the time was Deadenders, by Ed Brubaker and Warren Pleece.

[FanboyStranger]

One of my favorite-- to be honest, I think I'm the only one who liked it!-- overlooked gems from Vertigo is Mutuk Wolfsbreath, Hard Boiled Shaman by Terry LaBan and Steve Parkhouse. It was sort of a complete genre mash-up murder mystery starring an Inuit (or perhaps Laplander) shaman and his animal familiar. It was something different, that's for sure, especially at the time it was published. You could probably pick up all three issues for under $2 American.

[sunsetdayglo]

It was only mentioned once and never again so I wish to add suport for it. Enigma written by Peter Milligan. It's now been collected in trade it is fantastic. You think it's all about a man coming to terms with childhood fantasy as his favorite comic comes to be real, but it turns into soooo much more. I loved it, I couldn't wait for the next issue it was so deep and loving a must for everyone who loves good comics.

Also Egypt by Peter Milligan is another treat, 7 issue mini from around the same time. About the Egyptian Gods tampering with humans. It has it all, and another good love story as well as Egyptian Gods! What mroe do you need?

Couldn't agree with you more. I bought all the back issues in a package and finished it in one night. Very emotionally involving. AND the art in it is absolutely wonderful, something on the rare side for vertigo.
Couldn't praise Enigma enough. Just not for the usual adolescent gay-bashing x-men fan.

[span112]

I just picked up The Losers, and now i'm astonished that it's coming to a close with issue 31 or 32! I really enjoy the writing, and the art (with Jock) really fits into the stories.

Hopefully, DMZ and Testament will fill in my need for a few new series on Vertigo's part.

Is it me, or do other people get a bit irritated with the six or seven issue minis? I want something that will take some time to get into. Are the companies thinking that a series takes too long to work up a base, so they just throw a mini at us to hook us in for a short period of time? :confused: