From: dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig)
Subject: Vertigo Preview
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 23:57:17 GMT

The Vertigo preview consists of a few pages of introductory text, a two-page
excerpt from each Vertigo title, and a new short Sandman story.  That last,
combined with the $0.75 price tag, pretty much guarantees the preview a
large circulation among the targetted readers.

The first page is written by Karen Berger, the Vertigo Group Editor.
That's already a selling point.  Berger is consistently associated with
good comics.  There comes a time to stop writing that off as coincidence.

There will be "nearly two dozen" Vertigo titles next year.  Presumably
many of these will be trial balloons.  This comic gives previews for
thirteen of these:  six current series (including Sandman, which may end
its run at the end of 1993), three new series, three mini-series, and
a graphic novel:

The six current titles are Sandman, Hellblazer, Doom Patrol, Animal
Man, Swamp Thing, and Shade.  There's little indication that any of
them are going to undergo a change in direction under the new imprint.
(Beyond that necessitated by the fact that Animal Man, Shade, and
most of the Doom Patrol are dead, that is.)  If the preview is any
indication, the tone of Swamp Thing will be Elemental Angst.  Constantine
is given notice that his life is about to take a turn for the awful.
And for Sandman, we get a standalone seven-page story, rather than a
two-page preview:  "Fear of Falling".  (What Todd doesn't mention in
the last panel is that when he awoke he'd forgotten how. :-)

Death:  A three-issue miniseries.  Don't miss this.  The art is
attractive, if crowded, the scripting is pure Gaiman, and Death
is acting in character.  (It looks as though there's a "someone
nasty's out to get her" subplot.  What happens if Death is killed
on her day off?)

Enigma:  An eight-issue mini-series about a super-genius on "an
existential journey of self-discovery".  Two pages later I still
haven't a clue what to make of it.

Sandman Mystery Theatre:  The further adventures of the Golden Age
Sandman.  By Matt Wagner, which counts for something.  The preview
reminds me of Baker Street for some reason.  Hard to tell how good
this will be, but probably worth a try.

Mercy:  A graphic novel about "...a spiritual entity called Mercy, 
and...her impact on three very different lives".  Splash pages don't
make good preview material; I haven't a clue what to make of this, either.

Kid Eternity:  "The continuing tale of a dead-again adolescent."  
Written by Ann Nocenti, which I consider a weak recommendation, but
not a kiss of death.  The preview has the Kid informing two people
who don't much like each other that they have the potential to produce
a Buddha Baby -- and ought to give it a try.  My first impression is
that this title will be feature facile writing and unlikable characters.

Sebastian O:  A three-issue mini-series about an insane-asylum escapee 
in a high-tech Victorian England.  It looks from the preview like an
uninteresting story set in an interesting milieu.

Black Orchid:  I'll give this title a try, of course, since the
mini-series was so good.  It's not clear how much connection this
ongoing title will have to that mini-series.  The writer is different
(who's Dick Foreman?) and Black Orchid has been rather pointlessly
gifted with mind-control powers.  (And what kind of a death-wish
pseudonym is "Flora Black"?)

All told, we can expect Vertigo to send up a fair number of trial
balloons over the next year or so.  A good number of them will
probably be lead balloons, but most of the new titles may be worth a try.

-----
Dani Zweig
dani@netcom.com

   'T is with our judgements as our watches, none
   Go alike, yet each believes his own
		--Alexander Pope
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