NYCC 2015: Vertigo – The New #1s Panel Recap

 

Vertigo Comics has made a big push of late to remind everyone of the greatness the publisher is capable of with past titles like Sandman, Preacher, and Y: The Last Man.  On hand at New York Comic Con were executive editor Shelly Bond, Shaun Simon (Art Ops), Holly Black (Lucifer), Tom King (Sheriff of Babylon), Mitch Gerads, Lauren Beukes & Dale Halvorsen (Survivors' Club), and Darwyn Cooke & Gilbert Hernandez (Twilight Children).  John Cunningham moderated the panel, opening it up by reminiscing about the very first New York Comic Con ten years ago.  The publisher announced a slate of a dozen new titles a few months back with a new one released each week.  The first, Survivors' Club, debuted on October 7th.  For the purposes of this recap, I focused on the horror titles.  I figured if you're reading this, that's what you're into.  If you want the full rundown of all the books, look elsewhere.

Survivors' Club is the title I'm most interested in.  It's got a great premise.  Basically the book asks if all the '80s horror movies were real, what would happen to the kids afterward?  Where would they be today?  Each character represents a different horror genre, having survived that particular situation.  There's a haunted house, j-horror, slasher, etc.  Writers Lauren Beukes and Dale Halvorsen said that their artist, Ryan Cook, was not a horror fan prior to working on the project, however he brings forth great character work that really amplifies the story.  I can't stress enough about how cool this book sounds and looks.  It's definitely one to watch and the first issue is already out.

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When asked how they began working on Twilight Children, Darwyn Cooke and Gilbert Hernandez said they met at a cock fight back in '69.  Hernandez said he lost.  Think of that what you will.  Bond chimed in to explain that she actually got the two together after Cooke expressed interest in working with Hernandez and he didn't have anything he wanted to write at the time.  Twilight Children is a collaborative effort between the two, with Hernandez leaving plenty of room for Cooke to do what he does best, which is deliver some incredible artwork. This title pulls on the mystery of what sci-fi used to be.  

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Holly Black is writing the relaunch of Lucifer, beginning on December 16th.  As if writing a character which first rose to prominence in Neil Gaiman's Sandman and then followed by his own series from Mike Carey wasn’t enough, the character will also be the star of a TV series coming soon on Fox.  Black said that this title is about what happens when you come home.  How have you really changed?  Are you the same person?  Black is originally a novelist and said that approaching comics is different, as it is such a collaborative medium.  You literally give control of mood and pacing to another person.  She also said that both Gaiman and Carey approved of her taking over as the writer of Lucifer.  You certainly can't go wrong with that vote of confidence.

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Gail Simone and Jon Davis-Hunt have Clean Room debuting on October 21st, but neither were on hand to discuss it.  From what little I saw of it at the panel, it looks pretty creepy.  It follows a journalist as she tries to find out why her fiancé killed himself in her kitchen after reading a self-help book.  Is the writer up to something?  Who is she really?  

Finally, November 18th sees the release of Red Thorn from writer David Baillie and artist Meghan Hetrick.  Baillie was called up to the podium to describe the series, which he said is “Sandman meets Fables meets Trainspotting with way more nudity, sex, and violence.”  I'm in.  The book is set in Glasgow where a girl comes dangerously close to releasing a demi-god imprisoned deep below the city.

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James Ferguson
Lord of the Funny Books
James has a 2nd grade reading level and, as a result, only reads books with pictures. Horror is his 5th favorite genre right after romantic comedy and just before silent films. No one knows why he's here, but he won't leave.
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