Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. It operates under the "Vertigo" name in order to separate itself from the more mainstream, family-friendly DC Comics image. Vertigo publishes stories aimed at a more mature or adult audience. Many of the comics published by Vertigo contain mature themes, including graphic violence, frank presentations of human sexuality, drug abuse, and other controversial topics.

Vertigo was founded in the wake of DC's successful "mature" comics of the late 1980s, beginning with Saga of the Swamp Thing and continuing with Watchmen and The Sandman. DC founded the Vertigo line in 1993 to attract writers who wanted to publish "mature" comics of this sort, without having to worry about offending parents and young children. In an era when almost all of the big names in comics were artists, and most companies were pushing the art over story (such as the well known Image), Vertigo was unique in pushing writers to the forefront.

Although many of the initial Vertigo publications were set in the DC Universe (Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, The Sandman), progressively they have been disconnected from the DCU, leaving the super-heroes out. In addition to these older titles that were set under this print, a plethora of new titles was introduced without any constraints as to when or where the plot happens.

Notable comic book series published under the Vertigo line have included:

• 100 Bullets
• Animal Man
• The Books of Magic
• Doom Patrol
• Fables
• Hellblazer
• The Human Target
• The Invisibles
• The Losers
• Lucifer
• Preacher
• The Sandman
• Sandman Mystery Theatre
• Shade, The Changing Man
• Swamp Thing
• Transmetropolitan
• Y: The Last Man

Notable comic book writers writing for Vertigo include such prominent names as:

• Brian Azzarello
• Mike Carey
• Warren Ellis
• Garth Ennis
• Neil Gaiman
• Peter Milligan
• Alan Moore
• Grant Morrison
• Brian K. Vaughan
• Bill Willingham

External links

• Vertigo home page