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Vertigo Chronology  by Julian Darius

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first published online on 5 November 2003

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The shading area at the top of the table indicates that Vertigo as an imprint did not yet exist.  Stories for mature readers and stories featuring later Vertigo characters, however, did -- and are thus chronicled below.

 

Cover Date

Sandman

Swamp Thing

DC Universe

Non-DC Universe

 

1987

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

 

 

Mar

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

 

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

 

 

 

 

Sept

 

Alan Moore leaves Swamp Thing with #64

 

 

 

Oct

 

Rick Veitch begins his run on Swamp Thing with #65

Doom Patrol debuts as a mainstream super-hero title

 

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

 

 

 

 

 

1988

Jan

 

Hellblazer debuts

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

 

 

Mar

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

 

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

 

 

 

 

Sept

 

 

Animal Man debuts

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

Black Orchid (a 3-issue prestige format mini-series written by Neil Gaiman with Dave McKean art) debuts

 

 

 

Dec

 

Swamp Thing #79 features “Waiting for God (Oh!),” offering a revisionist take on Superman

 

 

 

1989

Winter

 

in Swamp Thing #80 Swamp Thing is sent back in time by aliens preparing to invade (in DC’s Invasion! crossover)

Animal Man #5 features the classic “The Coyote Gospel”

 

in order to get its cover dates closer to the month of publication (2 months ahead rather than 4 months), DC begins two months of non-month cover dates

Holiday

 

 

 

 

DC begins its 2-month Invasion! crossover

Jan

The Sandman debuts

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

Grant Morrison begins his run on Doom Patrol with #19, giving the title a more mature tone

 

 

Mar

John Constantine appears in The Sandman #3

Swamp Thing #84 features an appearance of Dream (from The Sandman) and turns longtime Swamp Thing character Matt Cable into Matthew the Raven, who becomes a character in The Sandman

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

 

Rick Veitch leaves Swamp Thing with #87 after DC censors an appearance of Jesus Christ in #88

 

 

 

July

 

 

 

 

 

Aug

The Sandman #8 features the first appearance of Death

 

 

 

 

Sept

 

Swamp Thing returns with #88 after a hiatus caused by Rick Veitch’s impromptu departure

 

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

Hellblazer Annual #1

 

 

 

Dec

 

Téfé is born in Swamp Thing #90

 

 

 

1990

Jan

 

Grant Morrison begins a 2-issue fill-in story in Hellblazer #25-26

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

 

 

Mar

The Sandman #14 features a serial killer convention

Hellblazer #27 features “Hold Me,” written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean

 

 

 

Apr

 

Hellblazer #28 references the serial killer convention of The Sandman #14

 

 

 

May

 

 

The Psycho-Pirate summons pre-Crisis characters Animal Man #23

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

 

 

Shade, The Changing Man debuts

 

 

Aug

 

 

Grant Morrison leaves Animal Man with #26

 

 

Sept

The Sandman #19 features “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which won the World Fantasy Award

 

 

 

 

Oct

 

Swamp Thing #100

 

 

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

The Sandman #21 begins the 8-issue “Season of Mists” storyline

 

 

 

 

1991

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

 

 

Mar

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

 

Jamie Delano leaves Hellblazer with #40, an extra-long issue illustrated by Dave McKean

 

 

 

May

 

Garth Ennis begins his run on Hellblazer with #41

 

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

 

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

Nancy A. Collins begins her run on Swamp Thing with Swamp Thing Annual #6 and Swamp Thing #110

 

 

 

Sept

 

 

 

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

DC offers “Sandman Month,” including the second and third trade paperbacks ever offered, plus The Sandman Special #1 and The Sandman #32, which begins the 6-issue “A Game of You” storyline

 

 

 

 

Dec

 

 

 

 

 

1992

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

Hellblazer #50

 

 

 

Mar

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

 

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

 

Animal Man #50

 

 

Sept

The Sandman #41 begins the 9-issue “Brief Lives” storyline

 

 

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

Swamp Thing #125 features a story showing consequences of Lucifer’s abdication in The Sandman, said to have occurred six months earlier

 

 

 

Dec

 

 

 

 

 

1993

Jan

 

 

Grant Morrison leaves Doom Patrol with #63

 

 

Feb

 

 

in order to be friendly to new Vertigo readers, Animal Man #56 is double-sized in order to conclude its running storyline

 

Vertigo Preview

Mar

The Sandman #47; Death:  The High Cost of Living (a 3-issue mini-series) debuts

Hellblazer #63

Animal Man #57; Doom Patrol #64

 

Vertigo launches

Apr

Sandman Mystery Theatre debuts

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

Sebastian O (a 3-issue mini-series written by Grant Morrison) debuts

 

June

The Sandman #50

Vertigo Visions:  The Geek #1 follows up on Brother Power, the Geek’s appearance in Swamp Thing Annual #5

 

 

 

July

The Sandman #51 begins the 6-issue “Worlds’ End” storyline

 

Skin Graft:  The Adventures of a Tatooed Man (a 4-issue mini-series written by Jerry Prosser) debuts

 

 

Aug

 

 

 

 

Vertigo Jam #1

Sept

 

Black Orchid debuts

 

 

 

Oct

The Sandman #54 features the Prez, a forgotten DC character

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

 

Black Orchid Annual #1 contains part 2 of “The Children’s Crusade”; Swamp Thing Annual #7 contains part 4 of “The Children’s Crusade”; Abby leaves Swamp Thing and Téfé is taken from him in Swamp Thing #138, Nancy A. Collins’s last issue

Animal Man Annual #1 contains part 3 of “The Children’s Crusade”

 

The Children’s Crusade #1 begins the “The Children’s Crusade” crossover, running through Vertigo’s annuals, published weekly

1994

Jan

 

 

Doom Patrol Annual #2 contains part 5 of “The Children’s Crusade”; Arcana Annual #1 contains part 6 of “The Children’s Crusade”

 

The Children’s Crusade #2 concludes the “The Children’s Crusade” crossover

Feb

The Sandman #57 begins the 13-issue “The Kindly One” storyline

American Freak:  A Tale of the Un-Men (a 5-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

Mar

 

Swamp Thing #140 begins a 4-issue storyline co-written by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

Witchcraft (a 3-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

 

July

 

Mark Millar begins his run on Swamp Thing with #144

 

 

 

Aug

 

 

Shade, The Changing Man #50

 

 

Sept

 

 

 

The Invisibles (written by Grant Morrison) debuts

 

Oct

Sandman Mystery Theatre Annual #1

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

Garth Ennis leaves Hellblazer with #83

 

 

 

Dec

 

Mobfire (a 6-issue mini-series in which John Constantine appears) debuts; Hellblazer #84 features a fill-in written by Jamie Delano

 

 

 

1995

Jan

 

Swamp Thing #150; Hellblazer #85 begins a 4-issue storyline written by Eddie Campbell

 

 

 

Feb

 

Swamp Thing #151 begins the 6-issue “River Run” storyline

Doom Patrol concludes with #87

Tainted #1, a “Vertigo Voices” special written by Jamie Delano

 

Mar

 

 

 

Ghostdancing (a 6-issue mini-series written by Jamie Delano) debuts

 

Apr

 

 

 

Preacher (by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon) debuts

 

May

 

Paul Jenkins begins his run on Hellblazer with #89

 

 

 

June

 

Black Orchid concludes with #22, in which the titular character dies and is replaced by the younger Black Orchid, Suzy

 

Kill Your Boyfriend #1, a “Vertigo Voices” special written by Grant Morrison; Goddess (an 8-issue mini-series) debuts

 

July

Dream dies in The Sandman #69, concluding the “The Kindly One” storyline

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

 

 

 

 

Sept

Vertigo Visions:  Prez #1 follows up on the Prez’s appearance in The Sandman #54

 

 

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

 

The Horrorist (a 2-issue prestige format mini-series written by Jamie Delano) debuts

 

 

 

1996

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

 

 

Mar

The Sandman concludes with #75

 

 

 

 

Apr

Death:  The Time of Your Life (a 3-issue mini-series) debuts

Hellblazer #100

 

 

 

May

 

Swamp Thing #166 begins the 6-issue “Trial by Fire” storyline

 

 

 

June

The Dreaming debuts

 

Flex Mentallo (a 4-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

July

 

 

 

Terminal City (a 9-issue mini-series by Dean Motter and Michael Lark) debuts

 

Aug

Essential Vertigo:  The Sandman debuts, reprinting The Sandman issue by issue

 

 

Preacher Special:  Saint of Killers (a 4-issue mini-series) debuts

 

Sept

 

Essential Vertigo:  Swamp Thing debuts, reprinting Alan Moore’s (Saga of the) Swamp Thing issue by issue in black and white, beginning with #21

 

 

 

Oct

 

Swamp Thing concludes with #171

 

The Invisibles concludes with #25

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

Mythos:  The Final Tour (a 3-issue prestige format mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

 

1997

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

The Invisibles, Volume Two (written by Grant Morrison) debuts

 

Mar

 

Heartland #1 features a story of Hellblazer’s Kit, written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Steve Dillon

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

 

 

2020 Visions (a 12-issue mini-series written by Jamie Delano) debuts

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

 

 

 

Pride and Joy (a 4-issue mini-series) debuts

 

Aug

 

Essential Vertigo:  Swamp Thing #12 reprints Saga of the Swamp Thing Annual #2; the next issue continues reprinting the main title with #32

 

 

 

Sept

 

 

 

Transmetropolitan (written by Warren Ellis) debuts, published by DC’s science-fiction Helix imprint

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

Destiny:  A Chronicle of Deaths Foretold (a 3-issue prestige format mini-series) debuts

 

 

Terminal City:  Aerial Graffiti (a 5-issue mini-series by Dean Motter and Michael Lark) debuts

 

Dec

 

Hellblazer / The Books of Magic (a 2-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

1998

Jan

 

Swamp Thing:  Roots, a prestige format one-shot by Jon J. Muth

 

 

Vertigo:  Winter’s Edge

Feb

 

 

 

Preacher Special:  Cassidy:  Blood and Whiskey

 

Mar

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

Witchcraft:  La Terreur (a 3-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

Hell Eternal, a “Vertigo Verité” special written by Jamie Delano

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

The Dreaming #25

 

 

 

 

July

The Dreaming:  Trial and Error

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

Paul Jenkins leaves Hellblazer with #128; Essential Vertigo:  Swamp Thing concludes with #24, which reprints Saga of the Swamp Thing #43

 

 

 

Sept

 

Hellblazer #129 begins a 5-issue storyline written by Garth Ennis

 

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

Sandman Mystery Theatre concludes with #70; The Girl Who Would Be Death (a 4-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

Vertigo:  Winter’s Edge 2

1999

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

Warren Ellis begins his run on Hellblazer with #134

 

The Invisibles, Volume Two concludes with #22; Gifts of the Night (a 4-issue mini-series by Paul Chadwick and John Bolton) debuts

 

Mar

The Sandman Presents:  Lucifer (a 3-issue mini-series) debuts; Essential Vertigo:  The Sandman concludes with #32, which reprints The Sandman Special #1

 

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

The Invisibles, Volume Three (a 12-issue mini-series) debuts

 

May

 

 

 

 

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

The Sandman Presents:  Love Street (a 3-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

 

Aug

 

 

 

100 Bullets (by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso) debuts

 

Sept

 

 

 

 

 

Oct

 

Hellblazer #141 appears late after its original story was censored in the wake of the Columbine school shootings, leading Warren Ellis to resign

 

 

 

Nov

 

 

 

 

 

Dec

 

Warren Ellis leaves Hellblazer with #143

 

 

 

2000

Jan

 

Hellblazer #144 begins a 2-issue fill-in story written by Darko Macan

 

 

Vertigo:  Winter’s Edge III

Feb

 

Totems, a prestige format one-shot published as part of “V2K,” features Swamp Thing, John Constantine, Black Orchid, Animal Man, and other DC Universe Vertigo characters

 

Pulp Fantastic (a 3-issue mini-series published as part of “V2K”) debuts

Vertigo celebrates the (faux) millennium with a series of projects labelled “V2K”

Mar

The Sandman Presents:  Petrefax (a 4-issue mini-series) debuts

Brian Azzarello begins his run on Hellblazer with #146

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

Swamp Thing (third series) debuts

 

 

 

June

Lucifer debuts

 

 

Transmetropolitan:  I Hate it Here

 

July

 

Hellblazer #150

 

 

 

Aug

 

Vertigo Secret Files:  Hellblazer #1

 

 

 

Sept

The Sandman:  The Dream Hunters

Hellblazer Special:  Bad Blood (a 4-issue mini-series written by Jamie Delano) debuts

 

 

 

Oct

 

 

 

 

 

Nov

 

Vertigo Secret Files:  Swamp Thing #1

 

Outlaw Nation, written by Jamie Delano, debuts

 

Dec

The Sandman Presents:  Merv Pumpkinhead -- Agent of Dream

 

 

 

 

2001

Jan

 

 

 

 

 

Feb

 

 

 

 

 

Mar

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

 

 

 

 

 

May

The Dreaming concludes with #60

 

 

American Century debuts

 

June

 

 

 

 

 

July

The Sandman Presents:  Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Dreams but Were Afraid to Ask

 

 

Transmetropolitan:  Filth of the City

 

Aug

The Little Endless Storybook; The Sandman Presents:  Dead Boy Detectives (a 4-issue mini-series) debuts

 

 

 

 

Sept

 

 

 

 

 

Oct