Vertigo Comics is expected to fold by the end of the year and be integrated into other DC imprints. DC Comics, DC Kids, and DC Black Label are expected to become the featured publishing banners for all DC comics.
The End Of An Era
DC entertainment is announcing that there will be major changes to their publishing efforts once 2020 begins. By the end of 2019, Vertigo Comics, who won dozens of Eisner awards throughout the years, will be no more. The end of Vertigo Comics marks the end of a truly epic and iconic run of comics from DC.
For fans that have been following this story for the last couple of weeks, this announcement comes at no surprise. Rumors had been circulating about a potential shut down of Vertigo Comics. Unfortunately, the impact is devastating to readers who have come to love such iconic titles such Sandman, Preacher, and Fables.
Business As Usual
The proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner finally went through earlier this year and with it came expected company restructuring. Many of the intellectual properties owned by DC have begun to be absorbed into the WarnerMedia banner.
ComicBook.com just yesterday published and article in which they took a look at the poor sales of Vertigo Comics in recent months. The article also included a look at poor sales for the recently relaunched Sandman Universe.
DC’s Top Brass Speak
The relatively new imprints of DC Ink and DC Zoom, are experiencing surprising success and are the brain child of DC Publisher Dan DiDio. DiDio had this to say about the announcement:
“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.”
As for Co-Publisher and CCO Jim Lee, had this to say:
“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.”
DC’s New Imprint Structure
Here is a breakdown of proposed changes:
- Kids: DC Kids will focus on readers ages 8-12 and offer content created specifically for the middle-grade reader
- Teens and up: DC, focusing on ages 13+, will primarily be the current DC universe of characters
- Mature Audiences: DC Black Label will focus on content appropriate for readers 17 and older
DCN expects to receive more news about this in the coming weeks. DC at San Diego Comic Con might hold more answers. Stay tuned.
