DC Comics has a long history of creating a variety of imprints, each of which has its own unique tone and style. One of their imprints, Vertigo Comics, can be a reliable source for well-written, dark, and gripping graphic novel series. Here are a few of their titles that we’d consider essential for any graphic novel fans.
Y The Last Man
One of the best graphic novel series of all time, Y The Last Man is about a catastrophic inexplicable global event that resulted in the death of every living thing with a Y chromosome. This mysterious occurrence leaves our main character, Yorick, and his monkey Ampersand as the only living beings with a Y chromosome on earth. The series delves into both how the world would change as a result of such an event, but also explores the mystery of why this mass extinction of the male species occurred.
The series was written by Brian K. Vaughan, who has an impressive list of successful and beloved comics under his belt including Paper Girls, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Saga. He was also a writer on Lost for seasons 3-5. Not only is this Vertigo series a must-read, but it has finally been adapted into a television series with FX. The episodes are made available weekly on Hulu and it has thus far been an amazing adaptation (with a few necessary changes).
Sandman
When asked to describe Sandman in under 25 words, the author Neil Gaiman stated, “The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision.” The story is essentially about the character Dream, who is the personification of all dreams and stories. He ends up being captured and, after finally escaping, he attempts to regain his control over the world of dreams. It’s a very complicated story and difficult to summarize, but it’s also an incredible series.
The author of the Sandman series is Neil Gaiman, who has written several novels and comics including American Gods, Good Omens, Coraline, Stardust, etc. And, although Gaiman is no stranger to having his work adapted to screen, it’s been announced that Netflix will be adapting it into a television series (although no release dates have been announced).
Preacher
Although DC’s main imprint can be hesitant to bring religion into the mix, Vertigo established quickly that they weren’t afraid to go there with the Preacher series. This series tells the story of Jesse Custer, a preacher in Texas who is accidentally possessed by a supernatural creature called Genesis. Genesis is the product of an unnatural coupling between an angel and a demon. The graphic novel deals heavily with faith, what it means, and the dangers of blind faith. This amazing series was adapted into a television series for AMC but was canceled after four seasons.