DC Vertigo: Everything You Need To Know About The Return Of The Legendary Imprint

Vertigo Comics was a trailblazing imprint for DC Comics. Between 1993 and 2020, it published trailblazing comics for mature readers that were highly influential and boundary-pushing. A reshuffling of the publisher’s imprints shuttered Vertigo for a few years. However, after being teased a year ago, Vertigo is back in full force as DC Vertigo.

DC Comics announced its plans for DC Vertigo at New York Comic-Con 2025, highlighting the exciting comics you’ll want on your radar in 2026 and beyond. This guide delves into these announcements, adding future details as they arise, to ensure you’re up to date on the imprint’s plans.

A brief history of Vertigo Comics

Not familiar with Vertigo Comics? Here’s a brief history as to why this revival is such a big deal.

Before its launch in 1993, DC Comics had been publishing a handful of mature-centric comics under editor Karen Berger in the 1980s and early 1990s. Titles like Saga of the Swamp Thing; The Sandman; Shade, The Changing Man; and Hellblazer operated in their own little corner, only lightly interacting with the publisher’s superhero characters. As a result, creators (many of whom were British, recruited from the 2000 AD anthology) were given a bit more free rein to explore mature themes through the lens of horror and fantasy.

By 1992, enough momentum from the “suggested for mature readers” titles operating on the fringes was generated that an imprint was established, led by Karen Berger. Thus, Vertigo Comics was born in January 1993. The first year saw a mix of existing titles (launching with Shade, the Changing Man #33; The Sandman #47; Hellblazer #63; Animal Man #57; Swamp Thing #129; and Doom Patrol #64) and new titles like Enigma (which was originally intended for a similar imprint at Disney Comics before it imploded) and Death: The High Cost of Living.

As the years went on, Vertigo Comics published mature-reader comics based on company-owned properties – reinventing them in a mature context – and creator-owned comics. These comics pushed boundaries in comic book storytelling through the exploration of mature themes and experimentation. As a result, many comics were fan-favourites, critically-acclaimed, or award-winning.

Notable series included: Preacher, Hellblazer, Transmetropolitan, The Sandman, Lucifer, 100 Bullets, American Vampire, Daytripper, Y: The Last Man, iZombie, Fables, Sandman Mystery Theater, The Invisibles, The Unwritten, Sweet Tooth, We3, and many others.

Vertigo Comics began to fizzle out in the 2010s. Other publishers – especially Image Comics, which underwent a renaissance period at the same time – became more attractive places to publish creator-owned comics. Additionally, most of the company-owned properties were folded back into the core DC Universe in 2011 as part of the New 52 publishing initiative. There were attempts to jump-start Vertigo again, but it didn’t take. Vertigo Comics ceased in 2020, when DC leadership restructured the imprints.

DC Black Label took Vertigo’s place, publishing primarily mature stories of company-owned characters such as Batman, Suicide Squad, The Sandman Universe, and Wonder Woman. A trickle of creator-owned comics were also published through DC Black Label, keeping the Vertigo spirit alive.

However, light shone on the Vertigo once again when it was announced at New York Comic Con 2024 that Vertigo was returning as “DC Vertigo” under the editorial watch of Chris Conroy. Since then, the only comic to have the DC Vertigo logo on it was James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno’s The Nice House by the Sea – a series originally announced as a DC Black Label title.

But a year later, we’ve finally gotten some fresh details on what DC Vertigo has to offer. Read on to find out more.

Which comics are part of the Vertigo revival?

Find out all about al the comics that have been announced as part of the first wave of DC Vertigo’s revival.

The Nice House by the Sea #7

Written by James Tynion IV. Art by Álvaro Martínez Bueno.

The first comic to be published in this new wave of DC Vertigo comics will be the seventh issue of The Nice House by the Sea. This issue kicks off the second half of this 12-issue sequel to The Nice House by the Lake.

The series was originally announced as a DC Black Label series but was given the DC Vertigo logo retroactively in early 2025. It has been the lone DC Vertigo series since the imprint’s return was announced. The post-apocalyptic horror’s first six issues were published between July 2024 and March 2025. It has been on hiatus since then.

The Nice House by the Sea #7 will be published on 4th February, 2026.

Bleeding Hearts

Written by Deniz Camp. Art by Stipan Morian.

Set in a world of zombies, a zombie named Poke discovers his heart is beating again. How will this affect his place in zombie society?

Deniz Camp and Stipan Morian previously worked together on the critically-acclaimed 20th Century Men.

Bleeding Hearts has been billed as an ongoing series, with the first issue already going to a second printing for those who missed it.

Bleeding Hearts #1 was published on 11th February, 2026.

End of Life

Written by Kyle Starks. Art by Steve Pugh and Kyle Starks.

A top-tier hitman (and a “true piece of shit”, according to editor Chris Conroy) returns to his hometown in the midwestern town after running afoul of a cabal of international assassins and to care for his dying father. End of Life has been described as Northern Exposure meets John Wick.

Based on the creative team, the series sounds like it will have plenty of humour. Kyle Starks will also draw a strip called Wrongdog, which is created by one of the characters of the series.

End of Life will be an ongoing series.

End of Life #1 was published on 18th February, 2026.

The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery

Written by Chris Condon. Art by Jacob Phillips.

The Peril of the Brutal Dark is a noir detective series set in New York City in 1941. However, this isn’t your usual detective tale, with Ezra Cain in search of a stolen artifact of unimaginable power, while also dodging magic, fascism, and science fiction elements.

The series will run for six issues. However, there are plans for more Ezra Cain mysteries, with additional miniseries telling new mysteries similar to a detective novel series.

Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips have collaborated a few times, most notably on That Texas Blood and The Enfield Gang Massacre. Some readers may notice that this isn’t the first iteration of Ezra Cain. Back in 2020, the pair self-published two issues of a comic called Brutal Dark. I suspect there will be some similarities, but the DC Vertigo series will be more fleshed out and complete.

The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery #1 will be published on 25th February, 2026.

100 Bullets: The US of Anger

Written by Brian Azzarello. Art by Eduardo Risso.

Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso return to their most popular collaboration – 100 Bullets – for a new eight-issue series. This time around, the series focuses on Lono as he returns to America and creates chaos.

The series is inspired by the current political climate and explores the United States’ dark impulses and the violence that stems from them.

100 Bullets originally ran for 100 issues between 1999 and 2009. A follow-up miniseries – 100 Bullets: Brother Lono – was published in 2014 and ran for eight issues.

100 Bullets: The US of Anger #1 will be available in the Northern Hemisphere Summer.

Fanatic

Written by Grace Ellis. Art by Hannah Templer.

A woman develops an unhealthy obsession with a comic book, which devolves into a deadly parasocial relationship with its creator. Expect the series to explore fandom and obsession.

Fantatic #1 will be available sometime in the Northern Hemisphere Summer.

Black Tower: A Raven Conspiracy

Written by Ram V. Art by Mike Perkins.

Black Tower: A Raven Conspiracy is contemporary spy thriller with magic that’s blended with paranormal elements. It’ll focus on the paranormal branch of MI-5.

This series will be released in six-issue arcs.

Black Tower: A Raven Conspiracy #1 will be available in the Northern Hemisphere Autumn.

Necretaceous

Written by Tom Taylor. Art by Darick Robertson.

Scientists time-travel to stop the source of a zombie virus. However, they end up going too far back to the time of dinosaurs. As the cover suggests, there will be zombie dinosaurs.

Necretaceous #1 will be published sometime in the Northern Hemisphere Autumn.

A Walking Shadow

Written by Simon Spurrier. Art by Aaron Campbell.

In this six-issue horror series, eight strangers wake up in the woods chained up to a boat. They have no memory or explanation for how they got there or what they should do next.

Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell have previously collaborated on critically-acclaimed Hellblazer run.

A Walking Shadow #1 will be available sometime in the Northern Hemisphere Winter.

The Crying Doll

Written by Mariko Tamaki. Art by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell.

Set in New York City in the 1980s, The Crying Doll is set during the early days of the AIDS crisis. The series will be a Jekyll-and-Hyde-style thriller about a young woman who will do anything to protect her best friend.

Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell previously collaborated together on Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me.

The series will run for eight issues.

The Crying Doll #1 will be available sometime in the Northern Hemisphere Winter.

Are these titles new reader friendly?

For the most part, yes.

The majority of these series are standalone and do not interact with other comics. You can easily jump in at issue #1 and start reading. There are two exceptions.

The Nice House by the Sea, which is currently halfway through its 12-issue run and is a sequel to The Nice House by the Lake. You might feel a little lost jumping into the middle of the story if you haven’t read the other material in The Nice House series.

The other is 100 Bullets: The US of Anger, which is a sequel to a long-running series. While it may not be essential to read 100 Bullets, you’ll likely get much more out of it if you have.

Will there be more DC Vertigo Comics?

I assume there will be. However, we might not see any new titles announced for a while. This is due to the imprint announcing so many comics at once, some of which we won’t be able to read until the second half of next year.

It’s possible that a small handful of projects that they were not ready to announce with the others could be revealed in 2026. We’ll have to wait and see.

Where to find DC Vertigo comics

DC Vertigo comics can be found at all good comic book shops, online retailers, eBay, and digital platforms such as Kindle, Neon Ichiban, and GlobalComix.

What is happening to DC Black Label?

DC Black Label will still continue. It will focus primarily on company-owned characters, with their most recent announcement being Swamp Thing 1989.

Have your say

Which DC Vertigo titles are you excited to read? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Bluesky, Facebook, or Mastodon.