Vertigo is back! DC’s fondly remembered adult imprint has at long last returned, offering new tales of crime, horror, science fiction and fantasy. In its original incarnation, Vertigo was the premiere label for comics of all genres, introducing readers to scores of unforgettable titles. Vertigo’s writers like Grant Morrison, Bill Willingham, Mike Carey, Brian Azzarello, Peter Milligan, Garth Ennis and Brian K. Vaughan have received heaps of praise over the years. But its artists are equally deserving of attention.
No list of Vertigo artists would be complete without those responsible for the pre-Vertigo books that made the imprint possible. These include Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch (Swamp Thing), John Ridgway (Hellblazer), Chaz Truog (Animal Man), Richard Case (Doom Patrol) and the many artists who worked on The Sandman (among them co-creators Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg).
Any attempt to single out the best Vertigo artists once the imprint officially launched in 1993 is a fool’s errand. The list of deserving talents is endless. Nevertheless, here are ten that surely deserve to be in the conversation…
Darick Robertson
Writer Warren Ellis’ Transmetropolitan is the definitive cyberpunk comic book, as jittery as a triple shot of espresso and as plugged in as its hacker hero Spider Jerusalem. A large part of its appeal is due to Eisner-nominated artist Darick W. Robertson’s electric linework, forever threatening to burst off the printed page. Fun fact: Robertson would later partner with Vertigo stalwart Garth Ennis on The Boys.
Pia Guerra
Guerra’s smooth, bold line might not have seemed like an obvious choice for a tale as dark as Y: The Last Man, but her partnership with Brian K. Vaughn on this post-apocalyptic saga is one for the ages, netting a 2008 Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series as well as the first Hugo Award nomination (science fiction’s most famous honor) for Best Graphic Story.
Dave McKean
The Sandman introduced comic books to plenty of people who’d never before read one, and in turn to plenty of outstanding artists. From Kelley Jones to Charles Vess to Jill Thompson to P. Craig Russell to Michael Zulli to Marc Hempel, the list goes on and on and on. But if there’s one person whose visuals caught the eye of readers worldwide and whose images screamed “Vertigo!,” it’s Dave McKean. His distinct mixed media work adorned the cover of every issue, as well as that of spin-off series The Dreaming. Prior to Vertigo, McKean illustrated Arkham Asylum (partnering with Grant Morrison) and Black Orchid (also with Neil Gaiman).
Steve Dillon
The late, legendary Steve Dillon collaborated with Garth Ennis on two of Vertigo’s greatest runs—the 66-issue, Harvey Award-winning Preacher and their stint on Hellblazer. The inviting contour of Dillon drawings is balanced by the grit of his inks, making him a quintessential Vertigo talent.
Eduardo Risso
The definitive crime/noir Vertigo title is Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s 100-issue 100 Bullets. The Argentine artist received both Harvey and Eisner Awards for his idiosyncratic cartooning on the book. Few mainstream comics have looked so alive in their portrayal of death.
Sean Murphy
Writer-artist Sean Murphy is best known these days for his Batman: White Knight saga, but he first garnered acclaim for his work on three Vertigo titles: Punk Rock Jesus, Joe the Barbarian (written by Grant Morrison) and The Wake (written by Scott Snyder). Edgy, sexy and always surprising, it’s no wonder his art eventually found a home in Gotham City.
Mark Buckingham
There’s a love of the comic medium that shines through in everything Mark Buckingham draws. One of monthly comics’ greatest cartoonists, his work has adorned the pages of The Sandman, Death: The Time of Your Life, Hellblazer and Shade, the Changing Man. But his defining Vertigo work is his multiple Eisner Award-winning run on more than 110 issues of the urban fantasy Fables.
Frank Quitely
Like Paul Pope, Frank Quitely has illustrated just two sublime limited series for Vertigo: Doom Patrol spin-off Flex Mentallo and the three-issue science-fiction epic We3. But what series they were! Quitely worked on both of them with frequent collaborator Grant Morrison. Be sure to check out their JLA: Earth 2 and All-Star Superman.
Chris Weston
Another Grant Morrison artist!? Well, Morrison does have a knack for partnering with grade-A talent, particularly in The Filth, their companion piece to The Invisibles. Chris Weston was one of numerous artists to work on the earlier series, yet the apex of his time at Vertigo is his sometimes psychedelic, frequently hilarious pencils on the Pynchonian The Filth.
Guy Davis
One of Vertigo’s most underrated artists, Guy Davis drew the bulk of writer Matt Wagner’s 70-issue Sandman Mystery Theatre, his scritchy-scratchy pen-and-ink work bringing the book’s period noir to life. Davis would eventually leave comics for a career as a movie concept/production design artist, working with Guillermo Del Toro on Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, Pinocchio, Nightmare Alley and Frankenstein.
Honorable Mentions: Peter Gross (Lucifer), Riccardo Burchielli (DMZ), R. M. Guéra (Scalped), Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Daytripper), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), Mitch Gerads (Sheriff of Babylon)
Joseph McCabe writes about comics, film and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Instagram at @joe_mccabe_editor.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joseph McCabe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
