Vertigo Comics

If you’re a Comics fan and have been living under a rock for the last 15 years then you might not have heard of the Company Vertigo. They are an off-shot of the ever popular DC Comics Company. Vertigo has taken a very interesting leap forward into the world of Comics. Their ambition has been to write good and clever Comics for a more mature Audiance. Their library of works and creative staff are some of the best in the business. Sandman alone has won more awards outside of Comics then any graphic novel published in history. And for good reason; it’s bloody brilliant.

Vertigo’s thought from the very beginning was that Comics no longer have to be just for kids. The older generation of readers had grown up and could only be entertained by men in tights for so very long. With the advent of Sandman and the other Vertigo titles to follow they’d be able to continue their hobby/passion into adulthood.

Constantine and V: For Vendetta

Both of these are Vertigo books. Both brilliant timeless pieces of literature. They were both recognized of their greatness by being opted for the motion picture industry. I personally have yet to see V. But I’ve read some Hellblazer (Constantine) and seen the movie. Both works were brilliant. From what I saw of the previews for V it is going to be something I purchase the day it comes out on DVD.

The great thing about this company is that so many of their titles would make awesome movies.

Now for many of you the question becomes if you’re new to Comics.

Well…. Where should I start?

That too is a tough answer because it all depends on what you’re looking for. I can only make suggestions. I myself have yet to emerse myself fully into their library of work. My experience though with the company has been one of much pleasure.

The Sandman

I’ve purchased the entire Sandman Anthology and have read them all from cover to cover. The stories where very moving and have left a big impact on my life. If you’re a lover of fantasy and drama then that would be a good place to start. Not to mention the writer Neil Gaiman is a treasure to have in any medium of work.

So I’d highly reccomend The Sandman Vols 1-10.

HellbIazer

I’ve also read the first issue of Hellblazer online. Alot of Issue 1 books I’ve read have left a bad taste in my mouth. But this book was defintely not one of them. Gathered from what I’ve read in reviews and what I saw from the Constantine movie I’d highly suggest looking into the Hellblazer series. The entire catalog has been put into Trade Paper Back (TPB) so you’d be able to read them in more of a collected format. Which also would be much cheaper then buying each book individually.

Y: The Last Man
This is the type of piece of fiction that could make anyone a fan of comic books. This is a story of a Man named Yorick. A catastrophe happens and it kills off everything with a Y chromosome except for Yorick and his monkey. He then journeys from his hometown of New York City to all sorts of different locations. You get to see the humor of what it would be like if there were no more men alive. You get to see how women cope with that loss and how they pull things together through there own strength. I immediately fell in love with this story. I’d highly suggest picking it up if you want to read an original graphic novel.

Fables
Another lovely title. Fables is the story of all fairy tale characters who now live in New York City. They got expelled from their homelands by an entity/being know only as The Adversary. Beauty And The Beast, Snow White, Rose Red, Big Bad Wolf, Three Little Pigs, Boy Blue, etc… are all in the story. The fables who don’t look mortal live on a farm in upstate New York. Even though the name suggests that these stories would be fairytales they’re actually not. Their of the modern variety and show how fablekind are surviving in present day life. It is very intriguing and a fun read if nothing else. The stories and plots aren’t too deep. But I’d give them a 9/10 for entertainment alone.

I tried not to give to much away from my commentaries about these titles. I’m going to list a few other books that would be worth checking out. I haven’t read them in deep detail. But they look fascinating. I’m going to right reviews of specific books I’ve read from the titles I’ve already mentioned as well. In much more detail and passion. I’ve been moved by many of these stories and look forward to continue on with them. Here are a list of the other titles I’m going to be checking out.

Books Of Magic
Transmetropolitan
Lucifer
100 Bullets
DMZ
Swamp Thing

I’ve also heard good things about Preacher but personally it doesn’t sound very interesting to me.

-Nick