Recently, IGN did a series of Top 10 lists highlighting the best titles at DC, Marvel, Vertigo and Indie comics publishers. We greatly enjoyed the list – they did a great job – but we realized we also didn’t entirely agree with their choices as a website. It’s the nature of industry and the medium, as different readers prefer different books. So over the next few weeks we’ll be doing a list of our favorites as a website, as voted by the writers of Multiversity. We’ll be doing it in a the same structure we did our decade lists – #1 finish is worth 10 points, #10 is worth 1 point, and then we aggregate our lists.
We start this week with our look at my personal favorite Vertigo Comics. For me, Vertigo Comics has been the gold standard since I really got into comics. My two favorite titles of all time have come from there, with Preacher and Y the Last Man capturing my imagination better than any comics I’ve ever read.
But what about the current crop? What are the top Vertigo books of today? Multiversity EIC Matt Meylikhov and I look into it in today’s Multiversity Comics Countdown. Check it out after the jump, and beware spoilers fans that aren’t caught up.
Current State of Vertigo
David Harper: So Matt, you know Vertigo is my baby. I buy everything Vertigo releases, I almost universally love what they come out with, they pretty much cater to me as a person seemingly. Even with Swamp Thing and other characters departing while other titles (Unknown Soldier, Greek Street, Air) are coming to an end, they are still in a creative upswing with the past few years of launches in my book. What’s your take on the state of the Vertigo world. Are they healthy 8 months into this new decade?
Matt Meylikhov: They’re doing OK… I’m not going to lie. Vertigo is a great imprint and has been for a very long time. They’ve got GREAT books out right now. But for whatever reason, I feel like the current line-up of titles is not as big as they’ve used to have. I already miss 100 Bullets, and Fables has been a bit downhill lately.
Then again, there are some amazing books out there right now (as we’ll discuss). I just guess that, for the most part, I don’t feel like there aren’t as many “modern classics” at the title right now as there have been in the past. There are some books that I feel are so easy to get people into (Y: the Last Man, Transmetropolitan, Preacher), but with the current line up some of it is a lot harder to get a casual reader into. I guess that just leaves more for us, though!
It also feels odd that there are four (arguably major) titles on Vertigo right now that don’t make either of our pulls! It’s certainly odd.
DH: Madame Xanadu, Greek Street, House of Mystery…and what?
I don’t know, I kind of look at Vertigo like anything that is cyclical, but for some reason my favorite comparison is SNL. While SNL isn’t always great, it always has the foundation of greatness until the newbies have time to establish their identity. To me, Scalped, The Unwritten and DMZ match up well with the previous top trio of Y: The Last Man, Fables and 100 Bullets. Sure, it’s not perfect, but I feel like they are matching up pretty well. I think all three of those current books are better than 100 Bullets – where I think the deficit lacks is having a true stunner like Y.
Plus, I’m loving the depth they have. In the past, the top books have been better, but I think the depth now is better than it has ever been.
The casual reader idea though, I don’t agree with that. I think a book like The Unwritten is WAY easier to get into than Transmet or Preacher are, which at their very basis are incredibly controversial.
MM: Oh, I completely forgot Madame Xanadu! I was thinking of Air, Hellblazer, House of Mystery, and Greek Street. I guess there are 5.
Continued belowI suppose what I meant by the casual reader is that a book like Preacher or Transmet have such a mystique to them, you know? Someone says “Have you read Preacher?” and most of us comic fans immediately know what they’re talking about. Same with Transmet. These are such classic books already that for a casual comic reader, this is a great place to start when getting into why comics are cool. I mean, Preacher was one of the first comics I read aimed at a more adult reader not just interested into the superpowered set of comics, and it blew my mind with the type of storytelling it presented. Transmet and Preacher are just such unique tales at this point, and I’m just wondering if a couple years down the line I’ll look back on the current mega line up and think about them as fondly as I do those books.
I can easily agree with the Unwritten, though. I mean, the whole Harry Potter satire element alone offers itself up to any single person that has generally ever read a book. It’s only when you get a few arcs in that you realize the intense depth and literary prowess that the book possesses, and with where it’s at right now I can only assume that the Unwritten will reach incredible heights within the comic community and beyond. I do generally question if it will get at the same heights that Y: The Last Man currently holds when it comes to books that have intense literary elements contained within, though.
In general, Vertigo has produced some absolutely top notch work, though. Absolutely no doubt about it. Whenever I meet someone who complains and grumbles about comics in any way, shape, or form, my immediate reaction is “Well, have you looked at what Vertigo has?”
DH: Agreed entirely.
1. The Unwritten
DH: Alright, well, going back to The Unwritten, it finished #1 on our list overall thanks to #2 finishes for both of us. Which is kind of funny in itself – our universal #2 book becomes the #1 when combined. Why does it rate so highly for you, besides what you said in our State of the Vertigo Address?
MM: You know, I had no faith in the Unwritten? I am not a Harry Potter fan, much to the chagrin of you and some of my friends (although I just saw the movies for the first time and thought they were a lot of fun, and plan to read the books soon). So when I saw the point of the work was somewhat a pastiche of Harry Potter, I didn’t really care. Then I read it. Oh man! That book is as original as it can get, despite it’s obvious inspiration. It has done some amazing arcs in it’s short time out, and features slick writing and amazing artwork. On top of that, it does one of my favorite things a comic like this can do: it embeds subtle clues and references to a variety of literature which help to enhance it’s own mythos, and every time an issue comes out I get incredibly excited.
Plus, issue number 12? With the rabbit, Mr. Bun? That could be in my running for top issues of the year, it’s so damn funny!
DH: That’s the funny thing, I think the Harry Potter thing doesn’t really matter, nor has it the whole time. I mean, it’s just a small part of Tom Taylor’s identity and isn’t really used as some sort of defining characteristic.
But I think what it does so well is develop the power of the written word into something remarkably clever. I mean, we’ve seen secret cabals before, but the way this one uses literature and other mediums to control society? It’s an incredibly clever spin on propaganda. Like the Rudyard Kipling issue (#5), and how the cabal empowers Kipling to try and get him to propegate the British Empire until that no longer serves that purpose. The idea that Wilson Taylor, and by proxy Tom, are going to be fighting the good fight against these nefarious secret dictators has to be one of my favorite concepts of any book on the market.
Continued belowThe fact that Mike Carey and Peter Gross have developed it so well, to lay in the clues as you say to further develop this mythos, is astounding. I love their usage of texts and online forums and fictional characters and everything else…it’s just so clever how they’ve made this story both a piece of literature and almost a tapestry crafted out of other pieces of literature.
In terms of art, Peter Gross has given us an eclectic palette to choose from and has never faltered at all when shifting between looks. The guy is such a chameleon, and he adds so much weight to the story by really giving each different segment their own identity. And as I’ve said before, The Unwritten has some of the best covers on the market. Yuko Shimizu kills it every issue, and she’s an underrated third member of their team. It’s just astounding how fast it has risen to the top of my ranks, and I have no problem with it coming in at #1.
MM: The Unwritten is such a great commentary on literature as a whole, both in the form of comics and prose. I love the entire arc dedicated to Jud Suss and Goebbels. You know, in it’s own way of using such heavy commentary on the power of literature, it in and of itself becomes what it’s commenting on. It’s an amazing shift to watch the book go through, from these seemingly innocent beginnings of Tom Taylor and the Missing Father to this literary epic that allows Carey the opportunity to traverse through years and years of all the various literature that have assuredly inspired him. With the current arc we are literally placed inside the work of Charles Dickens, which offers a shift in both tone and artwork. As you said, Gross is a powerhouse artist. Absolutely dynamite, and his sense of tone and age to the various elements of the story is incredible.
When it comes down to the Vertigo books, I am also absolutely fine with the Unwritten being in our number 1 spot. While neither of us did vote it in that spot initially, it certainly does deserve it for a litany of reasons, as we’ve said. Carey and Gross certainly deserve more accolades than they get, and if Shimizu ever leaves from the covers I may have to cry myself to sleep.
2. DMZ
DH: Alright, up next we have DMZ at #2, which you put up as your #1 choice. Now Matt, last time I checked you weren’t even caught up. Are you caught up, and if you aren’t how can you name it your #1 book?!
MM: DMZ is… to be perfectly honest, the reason it gets the number 1 slot without me being fully caught up is, even with being over halfway through, this book has struck a VERY personal chord. While I do spend a good time as a writer for this site, I also spend a good deal of my time working with soldiers both on their way overseas and as they return. I’ve spent hours upon days talking to people about what it’s like being in a war zone, and I’ve even had a soldier go through the entirety of Academy Award Winning film The Hurt Locker to point out to me just how real and haunting the film is.
So while I was nervous about DMZ at first, when I finally dived head first into the book, it just hit such a real note and human element that I haven’t found in a lot of books. I mean, I read this book and as unbelievable as it is, I can see these things happening. I remember being a freshman in high school in 2001 when you know what happened, and being so afraid that something like what this book portrays WOULD happen. And while obviously it didn’t, Brian Wood has presented such a horrifying and very real story to me that leaves me thinking for hours after reading. It’s haunting to the extreme.
You said this many times before I even picked up the book, but Matty Roth has gone through an amazing character growth. I won’t lie and say that Brian Wood has no slant in the gauntlet he’s putting Roth through, but he still manages to make everything seem real to me. I can see Matty Roth and understand why someone like him would make his choices, and every story feels so intense as I’m reading it. I am fairly fortunate that I’ve read it in trade because waiting between issues is a torture. The book just flows so well with it’s arcs and every story is almost this living breathing nightmare of reality that I can’t help but give DMZ the number one slot.
Continued belowI’ll admit that this might just be me due to how real and connected I feel to the book’s story, but that’s just me. And honestly, the fourth arc, Friendly Fire, absolutely broke my heart. That story was just … wow.
DH: I agree: DMZ is incredible. It’s one of my favorites and has been for years, but I have to ask: for a list of best current Vertigo books, is it really fair to call a book your favorite when you’re only halfway through the series? I mean, you haven’t gotten into a lot of things that could greatly affect your belief in Roth as a character as well as the situation in general. You haven’t even met Parco Delgado yet! There are all kinds of layers of the story that you’re missing, and I just find it hard to label a book a favorite unless I’m fully caught up, especially when it’s from such a powerhouse like Vertigo.
MM: I actually have met Parco Delgado. That’s the arc I’m halfway through at the moment. But to me, the way I see it is DMZ is simply a “Wait For Trade” book. While I wish that I had been reading it from the beginning, I jumped in while issue 50 something is out and there’s only 70 something books planned. I’m not going to start buying single issues, but I do have all the trades and the next one pre-ordered. So while I read it slower than you because you read it issue by issue, it’s still a Vertigo on-going to me. I just do it through trades. And I think that for a book to have had such a strong emotional reaction and impact on me already, it’s fair to give it my favorite slot. I definitely got more excited about picking up a DMZ trade in the past few months than I have gotten out of some of the titles I follow monthly!
DH: I know, but you said you’re only on trade four so I was like…hmmm…this is weird.
With that said, like I said I agree on how great it is. While I don’t have the emotional connection that you have, I have a deep adoration of dystopian futures and this is a particularly believable one. Who couldn’t imagine America splitting by its red and blue seams after the 2008 election? I feel like with the state of the economy and the divide between the two wings being greater than ever, a Civil War of this sort is a completely believable concept. Brian Wood does an incredible job of developing this idea as well as the politics around it, using those in the DMZ as a commodity to be controlled to tilt the war’s favor.
Plus, you just can’t say enough about Riccardo Burchielli. The guy was new to me when I started reading, but he’s one of the most consistently great artists out there. Granted, I couldn’t see him on every type of book, but he fits perfectly for DMZ with his wonderful eye for world creation and his ability to tell a story in a cinematic yet personal way. While I think its true of all Vertigo books to have an artist that fits the title in a truly uniquely snug way, I think Burchielli and Scalped’s R.M. Guera fit the best out of anyone.
What’s your take on Burchielli? You haven’t thrown anything out about the guy yet.
MM: Oh, I’m knee deep into Blood In The Game, the 6th arc/volume. So yeah, I’ve met Delgado, and I think I know what you’re hinting at with the changes to Roth’s character already.
Burchielli is definitely a very talented guy. I think he’s got such a great style for the book that really helps to emphasize the darkness of the story. When I first began reading, it felt a tad off, but by the time you get to the end of the first issue alone, you say to yourself, “Yeah, he can really carry this thing.” I mean, the intense visuals in the story call for someone who can really convey how dark the tale gets, and the end of the third arc really shows off his talent. I also (and this might seem odd) want to specifically point out issue 23, about Decade Later? Man. That issue looked phenomenal, and the ending was such a wonderful pay off. A huge part of the whole emotional impact behind that is all Burchielli’s artwork.
Continued belowI also want to throw out that I LOVE Wood’s covers. I know he’s doesn’t do a lot of art, but his covers are dynamite for this book. Such a clearly obvious and wonderful graphic design influence, like Hickman’s early stuff. And clearly Vertigo loves them too because one of his covers is the logo for their Graphic Content blog. I had the cover to the third issue as the background to my computer when I first started reading DMZ, though. I love it.
DH: Wood doesn’t do all of them though, there are a number of other artists who’ve worked on them. I also want to give a shout out to Ryan Kelly, Nathan Fox, and all of the others that have worked on the series. There’s been a ton of great talent on this book, and it isn’t just Wood and Burchielli.
3 (tie). Scalped
DH: Alright, #3 on our list was Scalped. Now you know I love it. What are you liking about the book?
MM: As you know, this is another book I’m not caught up with. I have all of the trades for it, but haven’t made it through all of them. However, I love RM Guera’s art style for the book. It gives it a really down and dirty feel, and makes the book come alive more. You really get a taste of how rotten some of the characters in this book are. The story isn’t too shabby either. The first arc alone does great as a stand alone type of story, and it sets a definitive tone for what to expect in the future. While I’m not caught up due to limitations with this being a Wait For Trade title, I have enjoyed what I’ve read so far quite a great deal.
I also don’t feel I need to even really justify why Jason Aaron’s writing is so great. Seriously. Anyone who has read any of his Marvel work, especially Weapon X and PunisherMAX, should just KNOW this.
I’m sure you can elaborate much more on why Scalped is a great title, though.
DH: Of course I can. I’ve written about it a lot, but I never mind writing about it again.
I think Scalped does a better job at creating a whole new world for your mind to live in than any comic in the market. What I mean by that is that I truly feel while reading this book that every little thing that characters do could eventually affect what they do in the future or what lies in wait for them. Every aspect of life on the Rez for every character factors in and it develops Prairie Rose Indian Reservation into a character unto itself – it’s a living, breathing world.
That’s what I love about Jason Aaron’s writing. He focuses on the characters and develops the stories naturally from there. I mean, every aspect of Dashiell Bad Horse’s life is used to develop the plot: his history as an FBI Agent, his family, his addiction, his relationship with Red Crow, his relationship with Carol, and all of the emotions that are tied to all of that and more. Every story beat extends naturally from the characters and the relationships between them, with nothing ever feeling forced.
The cast of the characters is a rich group, they are all important from the top (Dash, Red Crow, Carol) to the smaller background characters that still get their time to shine (Shunka, Catcher, Officer Falls Down). They all have their moments to shine, and you know that the little character bits that Aaron gives us for everyone will eventually factor in as well.
I mean, Aaron even gives us issues like #35, in which no main characters are featured and he instead focuses on the plight of an older couple who live on the Rez and the trials and tribulations of their life, along with the love that keeps them together and strong. If any other series tried this, it’d probably come across as preachy or filler. Aaron makes it one of the standout issues of the series, moving me quite unlike any other book has in recent memory.
Continued belowR.M. Guera is the perfect partner for Aaron, as his skills as a visual storyteller provide the perfect foil to Aaron’s restrained yet powerful scripts. I’ve often touted this duo as the best pair in terms of working the script and art together to accomplish incredible things, and they earn that month in and month out. I think nothing indicates this better than the fact that when Guera signs the best panels in every issue, Jason Aaron does too. This is the ultimate collaboration between writer and artist.
Oddly enough though, I didn’t like Guera at first – I thought his art was too gritty and too dark. Eventually I came around and realized that there could be no one else on this book. He was the perfect fit. Guera has quickly become one of my favorite artists around, and he deserves all the praise he gets and more.
Matt…have I mentioned I like this book yet?
MM: I get the feeling that you do, but I’m not quite sure! I do plan to catch up on the book soon. It’s only my list, that’s for sure, and you and the other MC cats manged to finally bully me into reading one of the other books you guys love so much, so Scalped could be very soon on my catch up list. I do look forward to getting into the story, though. Very much so.
DH: Damn straight you are looking forward to it!
3 (tie). Daytripper
DH: Alright, tied at Scalped is Daytripper from Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon. It’s just a mini, but man is this book great. What makes it so great in your mind?
MM: Daytripper kicked me in the shins with that last issue! Oh man. I always thought that comic was pretty good, but it really took it’s shape with that last issue.
This is the way I looked at it – the first 7 issues were kind of like one-shots in the way that Brian Wood does comics like Demo or Local. They’re all somewhat connected, but you can read any issue standalone. With 8 it got a little existential and I began to question why certain things were set up as they were. It wasn’t until the 9th issue that they flat out came out and said what the connection was, that universal point to all of the stories – and when it all gets placed out there, it’s so profound and moving. It’s quite simply heartbreaking.
Daytripper is essentially this wonderful comic full of commentary about life by Ba and Moon, and their talent together creates such a wonderful piece of literature. Each issue features the life and death of a character named Bras, as he is put into this seemingly innocent series of events in a perhaps otherwise stagnat life. But each Bras is different every issue (or is it??), allowing for different tales to be told. As I said, the story operates well in individual issue format, but even better when it’s put as a whole thing. Their artwork and writing combined make for such an interesting perspective, and when the story is told through various character standpoints (assumedly based on real life experiences, according to press and interviews) it becomes quite beautiful. Honestly, I feel like a broken record when it comes to talking about these Vertigo titles, but more often than not these stories are incredibly moving. Every issue of Daytripper is tough to read in that you’re in for an emotional gauntlet right from the beginning (and I will say something similar about a comic we’ll talk about later).
Suffice it to say, those that waited for trade with this are in for quite a treat. It’s going to read astoundingly as one piece from beginning to end.
DH: To me, the simple point of the series has always been that everyone should live life to its fullest because you never know when something random will make everything go away. I think its been a poetic look at a philosophy of life that Ba and Moon believe people should embrace, and it’s something I myself subscribe to. The fact that they’ve bridged their words and art together in such a beautiful way to prove that point makes this such an accomplishment in my mind.
Continued belowWhat is it that you think they said about the connection between the first 8 issue was in the 9th issue? I’m just curious to see what your take was.
MM: Well, in the 9th issue you begin to see that the story really has somewhat been about the same guy living all these different lives. He’s given all these different existences in which his life can get taken away at any time – and all the same people are always there, and many influences remain constant. His father is always a very important entity for a variety of reasons, and his best friend usually plays different roles… but they’re there. So with the 9th issue, through this somewhat existential issue, these connections are made between all the stories and his life, and the issue ends with a typewriter. It’s a very interesting set of commentary on the importance of death in the cycle of life, as well as the power behind the writer and the stories created. There is a LOT going on in this comic that I didn’t really pick up on until this most recent issue.
The reason I brought up the 8th issue before was that it was the first issue that didn’t have to do steadily with Bras as the main character, and it focused on his wife instead. That was the first clue to me that there was something more to this book than a series of one shots dealing with philosophy and life lessons.
It’s great because sometimes a book like this can come out really preachy, but this book always has a nice ebb and flow to it that never comes off too heavy handed. In fact, if the 9th issue was the last one, I would’ve been absolutely fine with that ending.
To be honest, I feel like if we sat with copies of this issue and went through slowly, especially the 9th, we could find a lot to discuss in the same way that people can sit and pick apart any Morrison comic for different forms of subtext. And to me that’s the sign of not just a good comic and writer, but a GREAT comic and writer.
DH: I loved that last page. The blank slate with the typewriter in the center. It was beautiful. You can really sense the passion from Ba and Moon on this book – their art seems to have leapt to an even higher level on this book. It’s exquisite.
5. Joe the Barbarian
DH: Unless you’ve got more on Daytripper, I say let’s move on to Joe the Barbarian. Now Joe the Barbarian for me is such a hit because of Sean Gordon Murphy’s fucking astounding art – it’s the best in the biz for me – and the fact that Grant Morrison is focusing his crazy to tell a really inventive children’s story essentially. To me, it’s a perfect focus for Morrison and probably my favorite thing he has going right now. What about you?
MM: Ha! You should know that in anything Grant Morrison related, I’ve got a million and a half things to say. With this, I’ll try and keep it down a bit.
As you may or may not know, I’ve read Joe the Barbarian multiple times already, and it’s not even done. I absolutely adore this story. You’re absolutely right about Murphy’s artwork. His two page splashes are so fantastic, and every issue gets better. The issue featuring the dog is just … wow. Such a visual feast.
But while you gush over Murphy, I gush over Morrison. See, I personally like when Morrison gets a tad more out there and doesn’t really maintain a straight focal point. I like playing connect the dots once I finish the series, and looking back and seeing how much was hidden. With Joe, it’s easier to follow, but it does get better with every read. The story is so sweet and carefully plotted, and I love how it flashes between reality and fantasy. The book is also so well written that it very easily catches a very a visceral and emotional response from me, the reader. As I alluded to earlier, this is the other book that I find a tad difficult to read because it ends up being such an emotional gauntlet. I mean, we’re reading a story about a boy who is for all intents and purposes dying. While one would hope that the ending will be uplifting and a close save, this is Grant Morrison here. All bets are off.
Continued belowSuffice it to say, I am loving Joe the Barbarian. I think it works perfectly as a mini, and clearly I’m not the only one who adores the title because it’s already been snatched for adaptation (which I hope pans out well).
DH: Don’t you think it’s perfect for adaptation though? Can’t you see it being a great children’s/young adult film that plays well with adults too?
MM: I generally tend to shy away from getting too excited about comic book adaptations until I see something for it. I never know if they’re going to get the vision right, or completely miss the point (as certain recent films have done). I love Joe, though, and I certainly could see it working well as a film, yes. Heck, we did the Casting Couch for it too, hahaha.
DH: Somehow I missed the Joe the Barbarian casting couch. I fail at that. But yeah, I think its one of the best things Morrison has done, especially because it is more straightforward. I also like the way that he’s allowed a lot of the storytelling to be strictly in the bands of Sean Gordon Murphy – he does an exceptional job at telling the tale from a visual standpoint, and I think that a lot of it could almost be told without dialogue. That’s how you know these two creators work well in concert.
DH: Well my bad cap!
6. Sweet Tooth
DH: Up next, we’ve got Sweet Tooth, which I just started reading and am only through one trade. I have to admit – it’s damn good. It was a wonderful read and really highlights what Lemire does so well: strong character work, dense atmosphere, and simple but elegant storytelling in his art. I love the concept of it, and I think it really works well. But I couldn’t put it any higher than I did simply because I haven’t read enough. Whattaya got Matt?
MM: Well, I was absolutely flabergasted that no one got into this book like I did when it was first released. I mean, you’re Mr. Vertigo, and even you didn’t grab it! And I wasn’t in reviews the week this came out because I was moving, but as soon as I got internet at my apartment I made sure to do an extra special review of Sweet Tooth since I thought it was just such a dynamite book.
When I first read it and saw what it truly was – a dystopian post-apocalyptic adventure through the eyes of a child who was part Bambi – I was absolutely in love with the book. It has elements of all my favorite post-apocalypse tropes in it, and it channels books like the Road and A Boy And His Dog beautifully. If Walt Disney wrote a post-nuclear epic, I imagine it would be kind of like this. As we follow the adventures of Gus and Jeppard, and as the story evolves from that initial point, we’re given such tragic layers of depth to this story. It makes it a really burgeoning epic, and with one year under the belt, I expect great things from it’s future.
And Lemire is an absolute natural. He had already made waves with his work on Essex County, but damn – everyone was talking about him after this. I mean, his great work with Sweet Tooth landed him the new Superboy book, and a more appropriate writer couldn’t be found. He has such a natural talent, and his art is absolutely perfect. It hits every pitch of the story magnificently, and his style of art truly shows the world he’s created as it is. I can’t see what other shocks he has in store, because I know the plan is to get bigger from here, and for that I can’t wait. While the Unwritten certainly took us by storm and captured us, Sweet Tooth – with a little more time – will soon reach similar heights in fans eyes. Of that I am sure.
DH: I don’t know, I find it hard to believe that Sweet Tooth will touch the levels of greatness that The Unwritten will, but I’ll keep reading and find out.
Continued below
7 (tie). Fables
DH: Alright, next is perhaps the most controversial book on our list: Fables. It’s controversial in the fact that it was once well known as maybe the best ongoing title on the planet, but now its name is a bit tarnished in some eyes after The Great Fables Crossover and other recent arcs. Why did it finish so low on your list?
MM: Fables… Fables has lost a lot in it’s gusto. I feel like the definitive point of changing was when they defeated the Adversary. I mean, that was the end of the story, wasn’t it? Why did it really go on from that point? But it did, and it was still good for a bit after that… they really just lost focus. There was that madness with the Literals and this forced crossover point, and then the story has just meandered. I guess now the focus is back on the Mr. Dark element brought in, but if you notice it’s not solicited beyond #100.
In all honesty, the title SHOULD have ended when the Adversary was defeated. Beyond that, I don’t think the title has worked very well without a good central focus like he was.
DH: I don’t actually agree. I think the Mr. Dark stuff has been some of the best work Willingham has done, and the current poltical climate of the Farm is remarkably interesting. I love seeing how Mr. Dark is affecting everything, Rose Red’s return to greatness, Gepetto’s coup attempts, all of those things. I think the idea that defeating The Adversary was the actual point to Fables is as misguided as thinking Y the Last Man was about figuring out what caused all of the men to die. When you get down to it, this is a book about characters and the relationships and journey that they’re involved with, just like Y. Everything else is just a structure to place the characters in.
For me, the only reason why this book has dropped on my list is because The Great Fables Crossover really bothering me and some arcs ultimately not working for me (like the Flycatcher/Goblin Trial one). I still think Fables is a great, great book, and I think its really kicking it up a notch again lately. I just think its been overshadowed by other Vertigo books taking the leap.
Do you really think it will end with #100 though?
MM: I suppose you’re right. I mean, I don’t mean to imply that the point of the book was defeating the Adversary, I just figured that was the point where the story would ultimately reach it’s conclusion. I like the book, but I just don’t get the feeling it’s working as a sustained ongoing. It definitely has lost a lot of it’s momentum for me, personally. The book has suffered due to delays as well.
And no, I don’t think it will end with #100. I’m pretty sure the book has a life beyond that, and I think they’ve said something to that degree. It’s just curious that both Jack of Fables and Fables proper have not had solicitations beyond that point.
DH: That is really interesting, but perhaps that’s tied to delays. Maybe they’re taking a skip month because Fables #100 is going to be like…a billion pages (actually like 128 I think).
The delays have really bothered me too, and for some reason have been really noticeable lately.
MM: Yeah, Fables #100 is like… 10 bucks! I’m getting it at a discount, but even so.
7 (tie). Northlanders
DH: Last book for you – Northlanders. Why did it make your list? How are you digging this Viking epic from Brian Wood?
MM: Northlanders is another book I am getting in trade, and unfortunately there are only three out. But man – this is bad ass. It feels like Wood is really branching out from what I know him for – punk comics, life stories, etc – and just get ridiculously bad ass with it. I love it. Vikings and blood at every turn! I also love how it’s a different artist every arc. In fact, what really got me into the book was Ryan Kelly. I think Wood and Kelly are a dream team together as evidenced by Local and The New York Four, and when I saw he was part of the story, I KNEW I had to get that book. And now DMZ’s Riccardo Burchielli is on the book? Just from the title of the arc alone I know it’s good – METAL.
Continued belowSeriously. This is just such a fun comic to me, and while I haven’t had the ability to get really deep into it as I’m sure you have, since you’ve been buying it as it happens, I’m sure that this is only going to get more entertaining as it goes along.
DH: Yeah, you’ll get into some arcs that really hit hard: The Plague Widow in particular, which was a recent big one. I think the thing that Wood does, besides the sheer badassery of the stories, is illustrate the strange honor of the Viking way as well as just how hard to survive in this time it actually was. The Plague Widow highlighted the wife of a former Viking stuck in a town that is stricken with a deadly plague and an even deadlier case of psychotic Viking leadership. What Wood does in showing what this woman would do to save her daughter is incredibly touching and powerful, and it was an interesting turn for the series.
Wood doesn’t sugarcoat anything in this series – it’s dark, it’s dreary, it’s deadly and it’s damn good. I mean, look at the recent issue “The Sea Road” with Fiona Staples: that issue was seriously fucked up, but it told a tale of what it was really like for Vikings on the Sea, and it was incredibly insightful and interesting to read.
I think one of the coolest things about this series though, is unlike the others you can jump in at most any point because its been told in small arcs that do not connect in any way besides that they are about Vikings.
Plus, we’re given a look at all kinds of talented artists: Ryan Kelly, Riccardo Burchielli, Davide Gianfelice, Fiona Staples…you name it. This book has had some huge talents join up.
9. American Vampire
DH: I’ll be the only one tackling this book, as I’m the only one reading it, but this book finished fairly high on my list because of the insane amount of talent on it: Scott Snyder and Stephen King writing, Rafael Albuquerque on art, Dave McCaig coloring, Steve Wands lettering…you name it. This book is just a top notch title from a sheer creative force standpoint.
And it’s greater than the sum of its parts, as through five issues Snyder and King have taken Snyder’s core concept, developed it along with a very intriguing cast of characters (especially our two leads Pearl and Skinner Sweet), and genuinely made us care about vampires in a market that is facing oversaturation of the fangy kind. The way that Snyder told the first half and King told the latter half of each issue but worked together on dropping hints within each story about the other was brilliant, as the two scribes bolstered the whole by working together so intelligently on their halves.
Meanwhile, Rafael Albuquerque…I mean, the guy is one of my favorite artists around. His art style that some have lamented as cartoony before fits the book perfectly, and he even does two different variations in the story to best fit the differences in tone we find between Snyder and King’s scripts. The former is darker and more tightly illustrated, the latter is more loosely inked and almost has an old Western pulp look, but both are by him in styles we haven’t seen from him before. McCaig aides in him making these looks work, as his colors help find consistencies in the differences.
All in all, this book is a powerhouse, and the only thing that kept it from not finishing higher is its as of yet short run. As time goes on, I could see this book moving further and further up my ranks.
10. Unknown Soldier
DH: I’m surprised by two things: that this finished #1 on IGN’s list (although I shouldn’t be given that they gave it book of the year in 2009) and that I’m the only person at Multiversity that reads it. I think it’s a very, very good book that is remarkably well written. Joshua Dysart is a superhero within these pages, respecting the horror of the situation by putting a ton of research into the project and making it respectful as well as important in the process. I know Dysart has gained a lot of press in the way he shines the spotlight on Uganda and the atrocities that have taken place there, and he deserves every bit of praise he gets for doing so.
He’s also taken a concept that I found limited even in the hands of Garth Ennis and makes it really take off, making the Unknown Soldier (or in this case Dr. Lwanga Moses) a character that is as complex and as engaging as any in the world of comics. The way he balances the wants and desires of the Unknown Soldier side of Moses with the side that was a loving husband and exceptional doctor forms a lot of the tension of the story, and Dysart runs with it in a way I never expected possible.
Alberto Ponticelli is the series artist, and I’ve greatly enjoyed his work. Recently, he’s done something different with it that has given it a sort of glossy, less organic feel, and I’ve been a bit displeased with that turn. However, it’s still a sharp looking book even though I miss the old style.
It’s a real shame that this book is ending with the 25th issue. Not only do I think it’s a good book, but it’s an important one that deserved a bigger audience than the one it received. I highly recommend catching up on this book in trades when you it wraps up.
Wrap Up
DH: Before we go Matt, I have to ask: if you had to choose one book to recommend to anyone from the Vertigo lineup, what would it be? I’m talking universal, not just your taste. What would be the Y the Last Man or Preacher from the current crop?
MM: I think the one that anyone could enjoy is the Unwritten. That wasn’t my top pick, and it’s not written by Morrison, but I think most people could pick up a trade of the Unwritten and really get into it. I think that DMZ hit me really hard but it won’t be the same for everyone else, and Joe the Barbarian is great but I’m a greedy bastard so I don’t want to share. But yeah, the Unwritten. I think that would be the easiest for anyone to read and enjoy very easily. Plus, Mr. Bun!
How about you?
DH: To me, it’d have to be The Unwritten as well. I think Mike Carey and Peter Gross have managed to create something that is both pleasing to the hardcore Vertigo fans and those who are more casual readers. I think The Unwritten would be a great fit in my Off the Cape column, as it has a lot of the things that superhero fans like: dynamic art (both interiors and covers), well drawn characters, a quickly developed universe with continuity to take in (especially when you factor in all of the literature that factors in), and a genuinely charming and intriguing concept.
It’s the new kingpin of Vertigo to me in a lot of ways, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
David’s Top 10
1. Scalped
2. The Unwritten
3. Daytripper
4. DMZ
5. American Vampire
6. Fables
7. Joe the Barbarian
8. Unknown Soldier
9. Northlanders
10. Sweet Tooth
Matt’s Top 10
1. DMZ
2. The Unwritten
3. Joe the Barbarian
4. Sweet Tooth
5. Daytripper
6. Northlanders
7. Scalped
8. iZombie
9. Fables
10. Jack of Fables
