Vertigo Comics, also known as DC Vertigo or simply Vertigo, was an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics started by editor Karen Berger in 1993. Vertigo's purpose was to publish comics with adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and graphic violence, that did not fit the restrictions of DC's main line, thus allowing more creative freedom. Its titles consisted of company-owned comics set in the DC Universe, such as The Sandman and Hellblazer, and creator-owned works, such as Preacher, Y: The Last Man and Fables. The Vertigo branding was retired in 2020, and most of its library transitioned to DC Black Label.
Richard Corben was an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine, especially the Den series which was featured in the magazine's first film adaptation in 1981. He was the winner of the 2009 Spectrum Grand Master Award and the 2018 Grand Prix at Angoulême. In 2012 he was elected to the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.
John Constantine is an antihero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in The Saga of Swamp Thing #37, and was created by Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben. He serves as the lead character of the comic books Hellblazer (1988–2013), Constantine (2013–2015), Constantine: The Hellblazer (2015–2016), The Hellblazer (2016–2018), and John Constantine: Hellblazer (2020–2021).
John Constantine, Hellblazer is an American contemporary horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introduced. Its central character is the streetwise magician John Constantine, who was created by Alan Moore and Stephen R. Bissette, and first appeared as a supporting character in Swamp Thing #37, during that creative team's run on that title. Hellblazer had been published continuously since January 1988, and was Vertigo's longest-running title, the only remaining publication from the imprint's launch. In 2013, the series concluded with issue 300, and was replaced by a DC Universe title, Constantine. The original series was revived in November 2019 for twelve issues as part of The Sandman Universe line of comics. Well known for its political and social commentary, the series has spawned a film adaptation, television show, novels, and multiple spin-offs and crossovers.
Brian Azzarello is an American comic book writer and screenwriter who first came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. Azzarello is best known for his numerous collaborations with artists Eduardo Risso and Lee Bermejo, his contributions to the Watchmen prequel project Before Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns sequel series DK III: The Master Race, as well as for his stints on the long-running Vertigo series Hellblazer and The New 52 relaunch of the Wonder Woman title.
Constantine is a 2005 American superhero horror film directed by Francis Lawrence in his directorial debut. Written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, it is based on DC Comics' Hellblazer comic book. The film stars Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, a cynical exorcist with the ability to perceive and communicate with half-angels and half-demons in their true form. Its cast also includes Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale, and Peter Stormare.
Richard Leonard Kuklinski also known as The Iceman, was an American criminal and convicted murderer. Kuklinski was engaged in criminal activities for most of his adult life. He ran a burglary ring and distributed pirated pornography. Kuklinski killed several people he lured with offers of a business deal so that he could rob them of their cash. Law enforcement officials described him as someone who killed for profit. Kuklinski lived with his wife and children in the New Jersey suburb of Dumont. They knew him as a loving father and husband but one who also had a violent temper. They stated that they were unaware of his crimes. He was given the moniker Iceman by authorities after they discovered that he had frozen the body of one of his victims in an attempt to disguise the time of death.
Icicle is the name of two supervillains appearing in comic books published by DC Comics: Joar Mahkent and Cameron Mahkent.
Goran Sudžuka is a Croatian comic book artist, known for his work on books such as Y: The Last Man, Hellblazer: Lady Constantine and Ghosted.
Marcelo Frusin is an international Argentine comic book artist. His notable works include a run on Hellblazer.
Frightmare is a 1974 British horror film directed by Pete Walker and written by Pete Walker and David McGillivray. It starred Rupert Davies and Sheila Keith. The story focuses around Dorothy and Edmund Yates, who have recently been released from a mental asylum, and is one of Pete Walker's most notable films.
The Horrorist was an occult and horror-themed comic book limited series written by Jamie Delano, with art by David Lloyd, published by the DC Comics imprint Vertigo. It was a spin-off of Vertigo's popular Hellblazer series and features the character John Constantine. The book consisted of two 52-page issues without advertisements, published in December 1995 and January 1996 respectively.
Francis William "Chas" Chandler is a fictional character in the Hellblazer series published by DC Comics and its Vertigo imprint. Chas is John Constantine's closest and longest surviving friend, who acts as his sidekick and cab driver. He first appeared in Hellblazer #1.
Joker is an American graphic novel published by DC Comics in 2008. Written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, it is based on characters from DC's Batman series, focusing primarily on the title character. It is a unique take on the Batman mythos, set outside regular continuity and narrated by one of the Joker's henchmen. The miniseries Batman: Damned is a stand-alone sequel to the graphic novel, with the miniseries incorporating certain details, settings, and designs that hint at the two stories sharing a connected narrative.
Dark Entries is a 2009 original graphic novel written by Ian Rankin. The author's earliest work in the comic field, it was one of two books to launch Vertigo's new sub-imprintVertigo Crime, along with Brian Azzarello's Filthy Rich. Italian artist Werther Dell'Edera created the interior art and Lee Bermejo painted the cover for the book.
Dangerous Habits is a six-issue Hellblazer story arc written by Garth Ennis with art by Will Simpson, published by DC Comics, later under their Vertigo imprint. Dangerous Habits comprises issues #41-46 of the Hellblazer series. The story features occult detective John Constantine contracting terminal lung cancer and attempting to con the Lords of Hell into curing it.
"Shoot" is a controversial American comic book story that was scheduled to appear in the 141st issue of the horror series Hellblazer in 1999, published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint. Written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning, "Shoot" follows a researcher who searches for the cause of school shootings; she eventually discovers that John Constantine, the magic-using protagonist of Hellblazer, was present at several massacres. Constantine explains to her that he has been looking into the phenomenon, and says it happens because the victims have lost the will to live.
Batman: Damned is an American comic book published by DC Comics. The three-issue limited series, written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, began on September 19, 2018 and concluded on June 26, 2019. The series experienced numerous delays throughout its run, with the third issue being rescheduled a total of five times. Damned was the first series published under the DC Black Label, an imprint allowing writers to present unique takes on DC characters for a mature audience, and Azzarello and Bermejo described it as a loose sequel to their 2008 graphic novel Joker.
