DC Comics has announced that the company will be shuttering its long-running Vertigo imprint. More recent imprints, DC Zoom and DC Ink, will be ending as well.
Founded in 1993, Vertigo was created so that DC could publish more adult stories that wouldn’t be bound by the constraints of the Comics Code Authority. Since then, the imprint has become home to some of the most critically-acclaimed titles not just in DC Comics, but for the medium in general. Eisner Award-winning series such as Preacher, among others, have been published on the Vertigo imprint over the years. The company has undergone several relaunches, the most recent being last year in honor of its 25th anniversary. Both announced last year, DC Zoom and DC Ink were very recent additions to the DC family, with a slew of titles initially scheduled for release later this year. The imprints were aimed at young readers and young adults, respectively.
THR reports that DC has announced that readers will be saying goodbye to Vertigo and its other imprints in January 2020. From then on, all of the company’s content will be published under one umbrella. Rather than having multiple imprints, DC will instead put in place a rating system based on age. The single banner system will have three facets. DC Kids will be aimed at readers 8-12, while DC is for those 13 and above and DC Black is for readers over 17. All current Vertigo titles, as well as those slated for future release via Zoom or Ink, will be absorbed into one of these three groups. DC Publisher Dan DiDio explained:
“We’re returning to a singular presentation of the DC brand that was present throughout most of our history until 1993 when we launched Vertigo to provide an outlet for edgier material. That kind of material is now mainstream across all genres, so we thought it was the right time to bring greater clarity to the DC brand and reinforce our commitment to storytelling for all of our fans in every age group. This new system will replace the age ratings we currently use on our material.”
DC Co-Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee added:
“What we’ve done here is apply an ages and stages organizing philosophy that will strengthen what we’re already doing well, whether that is our move into the young adult and middle grade audience or our long track record of success with creator-driven pop-up lines. We will also continue to publish creator-owned projects, and will evaluate and assign to the appropriate label to help our fans find the best books for their interests. These new labels not only bring greater consistency and focus to our characters, but they also open up a wealth of new opportunities for the talent working on our books.”
Some of DC’s most beloved properties came from Vertigo, and many well-known writers and artists got their start on the imprint. Quite a few of these stories have been adapted for the large or small screen. V for Vendetta, Stardust and Constantine all become major motion pictures, with a television series based on the latter as well. Production on a Sandman movie seems to have stalled out for good, with the writer finding a new showrunner after the previous two exited the project.
While the move makes sense in of streamlining DC’s brand, it’s one that can’t help but feel a bit sad for comic fans. For over 25 years Vertigo has told creator-driven stories that pushed the boundaries of what many thought that comics were capable of. Both DiDio snd Lee have experience with the creative side of the industry, particularly the latter, and It’s good to know that the publishers have a clear vision moving forward. Readers will no doubt miss Vertigo, but the industry is changing and it's safe to say that DC will continue to tell amazing stories under its single publishing banner.
Source: THR
