fanboy confession - comics I buy regularly (2 of 5)
two from vertigo

I was big fan of Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman”, from the 1st issue until the series ended. I also enjoyed “Hellblazer”, collecting the entire Jaime Delano run then quitting in disgust when the book lost direction. And finally, who can forget Alan Moore’s tour de force in “Swamp Thing”? These are the three biggest reasons Vertigo, DC Comic’s “adult” imprint, held deep fascination for me.

The two Vertigo books I currently enjoy are:

Lucifer – This incarnation of the devil was created (if Goethe and all the writers of antiquity allow) by Gaiman, and starred in one of “Sandman”s most impressive story arcs. Mike Carey (now also writing “Hellblazer”) took the character and continues to spin immensely enjoyable stories, occasioning the irregular one-shot with multi-part stories. The character of Lucifer is certainly one of the most challenging to write consistently, because, well, he's evil. However, the slowly growing cast of supporting and recurring characters make for fine foils. Currently playing: Inferno, where a duel between angels promises to rock Hell’s separate peace. Written by Mike Carey and published monthly by DC Comics.

Fables – I was a fan of Bill Willingham from his days with “Elementals”, but it was Nikki who brought this book to my attention. Here, he proposes an interesting conceit: that fairy tale folk live and love in New York, including Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf, Bluebeard and Old King Cole, and engage in their own little melodramas. Though I find fault with aspects of the writing, the stories are undoubtedly entertaining, and it’s amusing to see his take on various classic tropes. Nikki and I collect fairy tales from all over - how could we possibly not read this? Currently playing: Animal Farm, where the Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks take a bow. Written by Bill Willingham (currently writing "Pantheon") and published monthly by DC Comics.