DC's "DC Vertigo" panel at NYCC brought with it an announcement 36 years in the making. Not only did they unveil the new lineup of comics that comprise the relaunched Vertigo imprint, but the publisher also revealed that a highly controversial Swamp Thing storyline that was canceled in 1989 will finally see the light of day.
A quick history lesson is in order. In 1989, writer Rick Veitch and artist Michael Zulli were the creators on Swamp Thing. DC balked after their planned Swamp Thing #88 featured a storyline wherein the titular character travels back in time, meets Jesus Christ, and morphs into the cross on Calvary Hill. DC opted not to publish the issue, a decision believed to have been motivated in part due to fears of stirring up controversy at the same time Tim Burton's Batman was hitting theaters. Veitch walked away from the series in protest, and incoming creators Neil Gaiman and Jamie Delano also quit in solidarity.
Now, DC will finally publish the remainder of Veitch's run (Swamp Thing #88-91) under the mature readers-focused DC Black Label imprint. While issue #88 features the late Zulli's original artwork, the other three issues will be illustrated by artist Tom Mandrake and colorist Trish Mulvihill. These four issues will initially be released as facsimile editions that mimic the presentation and format of the original series. They'll also be included in the forthcoming trade paperback collection Swamp Thing by Rick Veitch Book Three: Time Upon a Once.
As for Vertigo, that beloved imprint is returning in 2026 with no fewer than ten new comics. The Black Label line will continue to feature darker, adult-centric stories featuring DC characters, while Vertigo will focus on creator-owned series and original concepts. Though Vertigo fans will spot one familiar face in this lineup, as Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso are reuniting for a new 100 Bullets series called 100 Bullets: The US of Anger. Vertigo is also becoming the new home of James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno's The Nice House by the Sea, which started out as a Black Label book.
Scroll down to see all the new Vertigo books, along with their official descriptions:
- Bleeding Hearts by Deniz Camp, Stipan Morian, and Matt Hollingsworth: A zombie named Poke discovers his heart beating again, threatening his place in a society where death reigns supreme.
- End of Life by Kyle Starks, Steve Pugh, and Chris O’Halloran: A top-tier hitman returns to his Midwestern hometown to care for his dying father…and confront his own mortality.
- The Peril of the Brutal Dark: An Ezra Cain Mystery by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips: A noir detective tale that collides with magic, fascism, and a stolen artifact of unimaginable power.
- 100 Bullets: The US of Anger by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso: Lono returns to America and reignites chaos, taking the nation’s darkest impulses to their violent extremes.
- Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy by Ram V and Mike Perkins: Wizard spies in the UK navigate a global cold war over sorcery, revealing a hidden world of occult power.
- Necretaceous by Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson: Scientists attempt to time-travel to stop a zombie virus, only to land 66 million years in the past, among dinosaurs.
- Fanatic by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer: A woman’s obsession with a comic book spirals into a deadly parasocial fixation on its creator.
- The Crying Doll by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell: A Jekyll-and-Hyde thriller about just how far a young woman would go to protect her best friend, who may (or may not) be a killer.
- A Walking Shadow by Simon Spurrier and Aaron Campbell: Eight strangers wake up chained to a boat in the woods. No memory. No escape. No explanation.
The Vertigo line kicks off in February with the return of The Nice House by the Sea and the debuts of Bleeding Hearts, End of Life, and The Peril of the Brutal Dark, with the remaining titles to launch over the course of 2026.
Will you be reading Swamp Thing #88? Which new Vertigo title caught your eye? Let us know in the comments below.
In other comcis news, you'll never guess which hero loses in Round 1 of DC K.O., and we've got an exclusive preview of The Essential Peanuts.
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