The best Vertigo comics: the tier list

Launched in 1993, Vertigo was DC's "mature" label, birthplace of some of the medium's greatest stories: adult fantasy, satire, literary horror. This tier list classifies its legendary catalog according to quality and impact. Criterion: the success of the series.

Editorial Ranks, Facts verified. Each entry refers to a site file when it exists.

Tier S: Vertigo monuments

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman is the jewel of the label, an unrivaled mythological fresco. Preacher by Garth Ennis is a provocative and cult epic. Y: The Last Man et Fables (fairy tales exiled to New York) complete the summit.

Tier A: the great mature stories

Transmetropolitan, 100 Bullets , Hellblazer (the adventures of John Constantine) and the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore are pillars of the label.

Tier B: Vertigo audacity

The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, DMZ , Scalped and Sweet Tooth show the ambition and diversity of the catalog.

Tier C: cult series

iZombie , American Vampire, Ex Machina et The Losers complete the Vertigo selection.

Tier D: author nuggets

Shade, the Changing Man , L' Animal Man by Morrison and Sandman Mystery Theater close this tier list: more confidential series but essential to the identity of the label.

To remember

• Vertigo revolutionized the “mature” comic from the 90s.
• Sandman and Preacher are his most famous works.
• The label closed in 2020, but his legacy is immense.
• Each entry refers to a site file when it exists.

Chronological landmarks and where to enter the catalog

The Vertigo label was born in 1993, but several of its most famous series already existed: Swamp Thing under Alan Moore (1984), Hellblazer and Animal Man (1988), The Sandman (1989) and Shade, the Changing Man (1990). They were attached to the label when it was created. That explains why the tier list mixes works published before and after 1993.

• 1984-1990: the foundations, with Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Animal Man, The Sandman and Shade, the Changing Man.
• 1993-1999: Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993), The Invisibles (1994), Preacher (1995), Transmetropolitan (1997) and 100 Bullets (1999).
• 2002-2007: Y: The Last Man and Fables (2002), The Losers (2003), Ex Machina (2004), DMZ (2005) and Scalped (2007).
• 2009-2010: Sweet Tooth (2009), then iZombie and American Vampire (2010), the last entries of the selection.
• 2020: closure of the label.

Where to enter depending on what you look for

• Fantasy and mythology: The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman, the label's peak, or Fables for fairy-tale characters exiled in New York.
• Crime and violence: 100 Bullets, Preacher or Scalped.
• Satire and speculation: Transmetropolitan, DMZ or Y: The Last Man.
• The occult: Hellblazer, with John Constantine, and Alan Moore's Swamp Thing.
• The experimental: The Invisibles and Grant Morrison's Animal Man.

Points of caution for collecting

Many of these series can be read in collected editions, which lets you explore the catalog without chasing original issues. For a collection of single issues, decide from the start whether you aim for series starts or complete runs, then check the volume before buying: several titles had relaunches, and series started before 1993 did not always carry the Vertigo logo from their first issues.

For a first path, a simple progression is to read one title from each rank of the tier list: The Sandman for Tier S, Transmetropolitan or Hellblazer for Tier A, then Scalped or Sweet Tooth for Tier B. This lets you gauge the breadth of the catalog before committing to a long series. The titles of ranks C and D, more obscure or more recent, lend themselves to later reading, once the foundations are laid and your genre preferences are clear.

The label's closure in 2020 freezes the catalog: it is no longer a living line but a closed body of work, which makes tracking easier. Issue-by-issue checking in your collection app saves you from duplicates on long series like Hellblazer or Fables.

Frequently asked questions