New DC Comics Mature Readers Superhero Imprint Coming From Mark Doyle

>As Executive Editor at DC Comics, Mark Doyle recently moved from being the Batman and Batbooks editor to editing the Vertigo and Young Animal lines and “select new projects”. That the latter includes an upcoming new DC imprint, a mature readers line telling complex stories featuring DC Comics superhero characters both in and out of DC Universe continuity.

>This is the kind of thing that in years past would have been part of Vertigo. However, of late, DC Comics believes that the Vertigo brand has lost its lustre and acts as a drag on sales rather than a booster. What’s happening with Vertigo is probably worthy of a second article.

>As to a new mature readers superhero imprint, this may have something to do with the new post-All-Star Batman book Scott Snyder is working on with Sean Gordon Murphy and more. And about how it may bring a new format to DC Comics.

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>Books like Sandman, Animal Man, Black Orchid, Doom Patrol and more came out of an earlier desire to revamp superhero properties — often forgotten ones — with new adult reader sensibilities, forming the DC Vertigo imprint alongside creator-owned titles. But more restrictive ownership rules and the dismissal of several prominent executives over the years (such as Karen Berger and Shelly Bond) have seen prominent creators seek their fortunes elsewhere.

>Meanwhile, other de facto mature-reader superhero imprints from WildStorm, with comics such as The Authority, DV8, Planetary and the like, were first strangled by micro-management, and they suffered death-by-repeated-revamp.

>But there seems a real demand for superhero comic book publishing that brought DC Comics the like of Arkham Asylum, Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, and so much more. And that is what Mark Doyle is aiming for: a new, creatively attractive imprint in a format that suits and flatters the creators — and DC’s bank balances in the process.

>I don’t know if we’ll get an announcement at San Diego Comic-Con, but I expect we’ll find out more later this year.

bleedingcool.com/2017/07/03/mature-readers-superhero-imprint-dc/

So that means Vertigo is officialy dead.

American Hiatus and Astro City do not a line make I guess.

What the fuck is even under Vertigo right now

Bunch of IPs ready to be milked by WB.

DC must be having lots of success with their imprints since they're making two new ones every year

Young Animal, Hanna-Barbera, Vertigo (which still kind of exists), Dark Matter and now Doyle's line

And some people keep trying to push the meme that Marvel takes more risks. Reminder to tell your normie friends to keep buying more Batman and Superman comics so these niche imprints can get funded.

wow can´t wait to see how much "diversity", "patriarchy bashing", "hate speech silencing""nazi punching" and other left wing agendas they are going to give me this time
#resist

Last act of a dying company

Sad

dark matter seems pointless, why not put it under this instead or vice versa

Sounds like more sjw crap like every modern western comic

So... basically another Going Animal? DC are really desperate for another successful imprint but they fail to realize it's never going to happen.

Eventually they're going to have to do some consolidating when each of these lines has only one book coming out in a quarter.

In fact, it may be a good idea to stop using the Vertigo imprint for a while, then when all of these have only 3-4 books coming out, merge them all together under a newly relaunched Vertigo DC imprint.

All this being headed by Doyle is cool though. I remember worrying about him going to Marvel right when he was making the Batbooks good again

>That the latter includes an upcoming new DC imprint, a mature readers line telling complex stories featuring DC Comics superhero characters both in and out of DC Universe continuity.

yeah...nah

it's going to be like MAX was for Marvel at best

watch out for the triumphant return of Chuck Austen's Poser Traced Book! and Chuck Austen's Guro Porn Book!

There is also a young readers imprint coming from former editorial director Bobbie Chase.

You've got brain problems.

>"diversity", "patriarchy bashing", "hate speech silencing""nazi punching" and other left wing agendas
I fucking love Mother Panic so I say bring it on

>it's going to be like MAX was for Marvel at best
Some of Marvel's best book came out of MAX.

>mature cape comics for mature readers such as myself

Embarrassing.

fucking hashtag shit head. Take your "edgy" Sup Forums bullshit elsewhere. No one gives a shit about your politics or if you suck hillary or trumps dick

>No one gives a shit about your politics or if you suck hillary
somebody should tell that modern comic book writers as well

tfw this book could've had tommy lee edwards and john paul leon rotating art duties but you get stuck with some other mediocre artist

>Vertigo officially dead
>you will never have Shade The Changing Man collected in trades
Fuckers even canceled the second(and would have been last) trade for the Kid Eternity ongoing. I have 0 faith in DC right now.

Honest question, what besides Punisher?

I mean... I get that their art takes a long time but at least get someone that resembles their style.

Batman will Rape the joker.

>Batman and Batbooks
> mature reader
Batman is just for old guys now..that is so lame..

>Talent jumps ship from Marvel to indies en-masse.
>Marvel is so completely shit that it may crash the industry.
>DC is doing well overall with it's new talent.
>Wildstorm is around.
>DC to put out new mature imprint.
What the hell? It really is the 90s again.

Fury: War Gone By? Or was that pre Max?

>Want to make mature comics like the Vertigo ones in the past
>only name off Batman shit

Can't wait for another "here's my version of the Killing Joke"

that was 4 fucking years ago

>new talent
What new talent? Marvel rejects like Humphries? Lobdell? Jurgens?

You have a brain parasite if this is your inmediate takeaway from this

Probably because Dark Matter seems to be putting more creative control in the hands of artists who want to write as well (which DC keeps allowing and facilitating so it must turn a profit) whereas this seems to be more about freedom in the hands of writers.

I'd suspect we'll see more prestige style singles/one shots like Killing Joke or DKR or Future Imperfect or Last Avengers Story or what have you.

... Animal Man, Doom Patrol, and Sandman are RIGHT THERE IN THE SECOND POST.

>new talent can only be writers
Also Young Animals.

>mature readers

Those are sports fans, user. Do you see anyone there waving a comic book around?

...

Artists aren't new blood either. They're using old fucks like Joe Bennett or Jim Lee to promote stuff. Tony Daniel, Hitch, Fernando Pasarin, David Finch... These guys aren't new blood

>Young Animal
Personal friends of Way, DC doesn't deserve credit for this. Although Oeming, Tommy Lee Edwards, John Paul Leon, Shawn Crystal or Mike Allred are not new blood.

On one hand, a lot of my favorite DC comics runs (O'Neil's Question, Grell's Green Arrow, etc.) originally came out under a similar Mature Readers label. But on the other, yeah, this just sounds like yet another nail in the coffin for Vertigo. And as much as I enjoy what Way and co are doing with Young Animal, it and now this both stink of wanting a mature audiences label but without having the creator-friendly contracts or ownership that Vertigo had in its prime. Let people play a little harder and rougher with their toys but still make sure it's their toys in the end.

Fuck off Sup Forums no one cares

>Artists aren't new blood either.
What are guys like Ferryera, Schmidt, Andolfo, Jimenez?
And why won't Way's friend count you autist? They're being paid by DC for producing content for DC. DC is giving them exposure and they could very well end up writing for mainline in future. Also Derington and Zarcone are new talent in terms of capeshit exposure.

>DC is giving them exposure
Not really. And like I said they're Gerard's people they were not scouted by DC. Ferreyra's been in the industry for some time. Andolfo isn't anything to write home about Evely is good though. Still, out of these people only Fereyra and Derington are truly special, Schmidt, Zarcone, Evenly are just very good.

>ut without having the creator-friendly contracts or ownership that Vertigo had in its prime
Gaiman is only part owner of Sandman, DC is the majority owner of the IP. Milligan doesn't own Shade, Moore or Delano dont own Hellblazer(Constantine). What changed is the mentality of creators, back in the day they wanted to make comics, bow they know the real bucks are in adaptation. Stop memeing.

>Not really.
Expand upon the point.
>And like I said they're Gerard's people they were not scouted by DC.
Artists were, Houser was too. And why does it matter who scouted them? What matters is what they ended up doing and how it affects their portfolio.
>Ferreyra's been in the industry for some time.
Yet people only really noticed his talents during Rebirth, although a fair few people did know him from the Suicide Squad and Gotham By Midnight arc.
>Andolfo isn't anything to write home about Evely is good though.
I didn't know the question was about the quality, even then most of newer artists like Ferryera, Derington, Jimenez, Jones etc have been really good and they all have distinct art styles.

That was indeed MAX

Jimenez and Jones don't really have a super distinctive style. Jones is real good though, Jimenez is green as fuck.

Gaiman still owns the parts of Sandman he created, and has to be informed every time those parts are used. Hellblazer (and Swamp Thing) were both made before Vertigo existed, and therefore didn't benefit from the improved contracts. But on the flip side, Garth Ennis is free to reprint War Story via Avatar or let the Judge Dredd Megazine reprint Preacher back in the late 90s. Hell, even now, Paul Cornell is continuing Saucer Country in IDW after the initial run was published by Vertigo. Yes, right varied a lot depending on the contract and the year they were made, but at least they had a chance.
I'll definitely agree that creators nowadays see more money in adaptations. See Mark Millar. But so do the companies involved. Way I see it, WB would rather see DC create new imprints for mature audiences but with existing characters that they own the rights to, rather than let creators own their work. And despite the excellent work creators are doing on those characters, it still rankles me a bit how much of a transparent screwjob it is. No memes, just my view of it.

Jennifer Jones
Rawhide Kid
Xmen Phoenix

>Saucer Country
This is under the new contracts. Basically, x number of years after publication ends the rights fever back to the creator entirely. Being half owner isn't so bad, you still get good money but some people are just greedy. As for Sandman, they don't HAVE to ask for permission, but DC(but mostly the writers) ask for Gaiman's approval out if respect.

>green as fuck.
Green being generic or new? Wrong on both accounts I'd say. Jimenez is the wave of what I'd call blatantly manga inspired artists. There's been an uprise of artists with more Mangaesque aesthetics in character work and paneling, people like Miyazawa or Gurihiru for example and Jimenez fits that category.

>As for Sandman, they don't HAVE to ask for permission, but DC(but mostly the writers) ask for Gaiman's approval out if respect.

Well, there was that time in Captain Atom.

How new are those contracts? I'm asking because War Story was in 2001 and Ennis has full rights to that, far as I know. And even before that, his Bloody Mary with Ezquerra was published in 1997 and they both own that 100%. I know about the years thing, but that seems to have been an option for a while now.

Batman will die.

Exactly.

08, I think? Don't remember but it's basically the same contract actually. DeMatteis and Delano did the same with some mid 90s Vertigo stuff they reprinted at Dover.

Cool. And I didn't know about the Dover stuff either. Thanks!

IT'S NOT FAIR

I WANT TESTOSTERONE TOO

Interestingly enough, I find the Young Animal books that I've read (Cave Carson, Doom Patrol, Bug) don't really make use of their mature ratings other than the occasional swear word. I feel like Doom Patrol and Bug don't need to be mature at all. I'm guessing this imprint will be a bit more "adult"

Alias
Supreme Power
The entirety of Garth Ennis, not just Punisher

Wisdom and Deadpool MAX.

young animal is a special boutique celebrity project.

it is technically its own imprint, but it can't carry the weight of WB's publishing goals of selling DC in the bookstores.

Not all casuals are into weird Grant Morrison shit.

I'm enjoying Savage Things

This guy looks like he's gay.

Mature stories curated by a gay guy will mean a lot of gay characters and stories.

Get this faggot shit out of here. Leave it at Marvel.

>both in and out of DC Universe continuity.
> out of continuity
I'm fully on board

inb4 they need another reboot because readers, as well as the shittier writers, will be confused as to which books are canon and not

>Black Orchid

Hasn't Vertigo been shit for a while since the main editor of Vertigo in its prime left a while ago?

Also, while I'm sad that this does seem like another nail in Vertigo's coffin, it sounds more like DC MAX than anything else.

I'd personally enjoy an R rated revamped Hard Travelling Heroes, perhaps with different characters

vertigo hasnt published DC IPs apart for years with the exception of Sandman (and before that it was only Hellblazer)

>shit for a while
Yeah, Fables was their last real hit and that launched back in 2002

Savage things, everafter (fables spinoff), lucifer, american way and astro city. THAT IS IT.

Doom patrol certainly makes use of it, the other two I agree.

DMZ and Y:the last man were decently popular too, along with izombie and the unwritten from much later. Y:the last man is even getting a tv show soon on FX

>certainly makes use of it
How so?

Yeah, they've had some real good stuff like Sheriff of Babylon or Clean Room but it was just mostly ignored.

The Unwritten sold very well in trades initially, but I'm not sure if the trade sales continued as the series went on. The last few issues of that book were selling ~6K

Video game nerd.

Cmon, comic nerds aren't hard to find.

>lucifer didn't conclude some time a-

HOLY FUCK WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY DO THIS

But srsly is it any good?

>hating on Jimenez
You YA faggots have terrible taste. I cannot wait till they cancel all of that refuse and fold it into whatever this "mature" garbage will be. Better yet bring Snyder into the shitshow and they'll have contained all the people at DC who have terrible ideas to one terrible line.

DC makes more money from printing and distributing comics. Their catalog sales of legacy books and current collected editions of recent and new on-going titles have sold a minimum of ONE HALF BILLION for the past half decade.

Marbel is lucky if they can get anyone to buy their zipped up floppies which is why all their recent Now With More Now collected editions are relentless on sale and even then barely able to give them away.

Damn, you sure are buttmad. I'm not hating on him, he's a good penciler but he's green and by that I mean his storytelling is not there yet but it's understandable because he's still new blood and he'll improve. You rebirthdrones need to chill the fuck out.

It's pretty damn bad. The first author on it literally did not read the original, and the plot is supposed to be a continuation. It actually ended at 19 this month.

I don't want a gay batman, it has been enough with Snyder.

>buttmad
>rebirthdrones

Leave faggot. Nobody likes you or your faggot friend gerard. Or their shitty comics.

Now fuck off. Shill the faggot fuck on reddit and tumblr or where ever else his, likely, transexual, suicidal fans are.

Thanks for the bump. I'm sorry we don't share the same tastes for comics.

You know what imprint from DC I want to see come back ? Milestone.

Nobody cares.

I'm pretty sure people care about Milestone . I'm always seeing comments on their Facebook asking when their coming back .

He saved the Batman line of the awful blandess of the new 52.

Go eat a dick yourself and leave Mark Doyle alone

That really won't end up sustaining a whole imprint though. DC would actually have to Young Animals it up quite literally. Doom Patrol or Wildstorm are trying to find new audiences and not just rely on nostalgia bucks, something similar needs to be done with Milestone and after the whole Static Shock fiasco in the start of new 52, I don't think Hudlin or DC are quite ready to take that kind of initiative.

>Implying new mature labels are a bad thin
Hasn't DC been killing it with Young Animal though? The only thing I really worry about to come from all this is too many labels. We've got DC's Rebirth books, Young Animal, the upcoming Dark Matter, and now this. It's all a bit much, don't you think?

The books are nice, but the sales are pretty bad for each title

>Wildstorm
>not relying on nostalgia bucks
riiight

How? A few swears and I think Casey's roommate explodes, but it's not very gruesome

Damn dude relax, what's your problem? Did you miss out when MCR came to your hometown or something?

nigga what are you doing, just promote Vertigo
why do you need to rebrand it?
it's still a good name with lots of history

Alan Moore pls stay.

It's completely different from anything Wildstorm has shat out since origin. If winking at readers a few times is nostalgia bucks then I don't know what to tell you.