When Vertigo Comics was created in 1993, the imprint fashioned itself as an imprint focused on Horror and Fantasy, after all its lead book was the Sandman. Over time though Vertigo would change, and become DC Comic’s home to Creator-Owned work of all times.
Though Crime books had been around since Comics’ inception, pulpy characters had long been forgotten when Vertigo Comics brought them back to life. Vertigo’s first pulp character for some would-be John Constantine, the antihero star of Hellblazer who originally appeared in Swamp Thing but he would not be the last.
The crime genre of books for Vertigo comics, over time, have long been attributed to Editor Axel Alonso. Similar to when Karen Berger entered into the industry and was drawn more to books of horror and fantasy, Axel was drawn to books of crime and pulp stories which made it not surprising that he Edited books such as 100 Bullets, Human Target, Preacher, and Hellblazer.
Due to the success of Alonso’s arrival and the books that he edited underneath him, Vertigo would expand in the late-2000’s and launch a series of graphic novels under a sub-imprint called Vertigo Crime. All Vertigo Crime books would be published hardcover and in black in white, hoping to capture a noir and pulpy feeling.
Did you know?
Prominent Vertigo titles that featured themes of Crime and Violence include: 100 Bullets, Preacher, Human Target, The Losers.