Bloody Hell, DC's Digging Up a 36-Year-Old 'Controversial' Swamp Thing & Resurrecting Vertigo – What's the Catch?
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
After 36 years, DC Comics is finally publishing Rick Veitch's controversial, canceled *Swamp Thing #88-91* where the titular character meets Jesus, under their Black Label imprint. But the real headline-grabber is the triumphant return of the legendary Vertigo imprint in 2026, focusing on creator-owned series and boasting ten new titles, including a *100 Bullets* reunion.
Right, so I've been tinkering with some news from NYCC 2025, and fair dinkum, it's wilder than a rogue spell in a reality simulator. DC Comics, bless their cotton socks, just announced they're finally pulling a long-lost storyline from the depths of publishing history: Rick Veitch's infamous, and long-canceled, *Swamp Thing #88-91*. And not only that, but they’re bringing back the legendary Vertigo imprint! You know that feeling when you cast a spell that's been dormant for ages, and it works a bit *too* well? Yeah, that's the vibe here.
Let's wind the clock back, shall we? To 1989, a time before most of you lot were probably even contemplating your first character creation screen. Rick Veitch and artist Michael Zulli were crafting *Swamp Thing*, and they had this absolutely bonkers idea for issue #88: Swamp Thing travels back in time, bumps into none other than Jesus Christ, and then, get this, *morphs into the cross on Calvary Hill*. Bloody hell! Now, DC, back then, apparently clutched their pearls tighter than a goblin hoard clutching shiny loot. They balked. Said 'nah, mate, not on our watch,' particularly with Tim Burton's *Batman* movie hitting screens and them not wanting to stir the pot. Veitch, being the legend he is, walked. And in a show of solidarity that would make any guild proud, incoming creators Neil Gaiman and Jamie Delano also quit. That’s some serious 'don’t mess with our devs' energy right there, and I love to see it.
For 36 years, this tale has been the stuff of comic book legend – a whispered secret, a 'what if' scenario that's festered in the minds of curious readers. It’s like discovering a secret level in an old game that was always rumored but never released. Now, DC's finally decided to release the Kraken. The remainder of Veitch's run (*Swamp Thing #88-91*) is coming out under their mature readers-focused DC Black Label imprint. Issue #88 will feature Zulli's original, never-before-seen art, while the other three will be finished by Tom Mandrake and Trish Mulvihill. They'll even get a fancy facsimile edition release, mimicking the original '89 format, which is a neat little bit of retro-gaming nostalgia for collectors, if you ask me. Plus, it’ll be bundled into *Swamp Thing by Rick Veitch Book Three: Time Upon a Once* trade paperback. So, no excuses, you can finally witness the historical oddity for yourselves.
Now, about the 'why now?' part. DC Black Label has been doing a stellar job providing a home for those darker, more adult-centric stories that maybe don't fit the main continuity. It's almost like they finally found the right server for this particular piece of lore. And let's be gently skeptical here: 36 years is a long time to sit on something. Was it *truly* the controversy they feared back then, or just a lack of the right publishing 'slot' and perhaps a touch of corporate cold feet? It often feels like 'controversy' is a buzzword that can just as easily mean 'we're not quite sure how to market this without upsetting Aunt Mildred.' But hey, hats off to DC for finally giving Veitch's vision the light of day. It's a win for creator intent, even if it took them a couple of generations.
But wait, there's more! The real sorcery at play here is the resurrection of Vertigo. Oh, Vertigo, you glorious beast. For those who didn't spend their youth trawling comic shops like digital dungeons, Vertigo was *the* imprint for groundbreaking, creator-owned stories. Think *Sandman*, *Preacher*, *Fables* – basically the indie darlings of the comic world before 'indie' was a marketing strategy. And now, it's back in 2026, with a whopping ten new comics announced!
This is where my authentically enthusiastic wizard hat really starts to shimmer. While Black Label keeps doing its thing with mature DC character stories, Vertigo is returning to its roots: creator-owned series and original concepts. This is like a major studio finally pouring resources into genuinely innovative indie games, letting the creatives run wild without shoehorning them into an existing IP. It's a huge win for diversity of storytelling and a clear signal that DC (or whatever magical algorithm is running the show these days) sees value in fostering new voices.
And talk about familiar faces! Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, the legendary duo behind *100 Bullets*, are reuniting for a new series, *100 Bullets: The US of Anger*. That's like getting a surprise DLC for a beloved classic that actually lives up to the hype. James Tynion IV and Álvaro Martínez Bueno’s *The Nice House by the Sea* is also migrating from Black Label to Vertigo, which makes perfect sense given its creator-owned vibe. Then there's a whole fresh batch of titles to chew on:
* **Bleeding Hearts:** A zombie finds his heart beating again. That's a unique take on a classic trope, like a rogue AI suddenly developing empathy. * **End of Life:** Hitman returns home to care for dying dad. Brutal, personal, excellent. * **The Peril of the Brutal Dark:** Noir detective, magic, fascism. Sounds like a perfectly chaotic blend of genres. * **Black Tower: The Raven Conspiracy:** Wizard spies and occult cold war? Sign me up for that lore dump! * **Necretaceous:** Scientists time-travel to stop a zombie virus, land among dinosaurs. Oh, the chaos! Zombie-dinosaurs? A new raid boss, perhaps? * **Fanatic:** Obsession with a comic spirals into deadly parasocial fixation. This one feels a bit too real in our current online landscape, doesn't it?
This re-established Vertigo focusing on original concepts is exactly what the industry needs. It’s like opening up a new portal to countless narrative possibilities, rather than just re-treading familiar ground. DC's playing a long game here, investing in fresh IP and creator freedom, and that's a strategy I can definitely get behind. It reminds me of the early days of indie game development, where passion projects blossomed into genre-defining experiences. So, while we finally get to see Swamp Thing's biblical journey, I reckon the bigger story is Vertigo rising from the ashes, ready to cast some truly mind-bending spells on our bookshelves once more.
Source: IGN South Africa | Author: Jesse Schedeen
Tags: comicbooks, indie games, gaming history, storytelling, creator economy
Original article: IGN South Africa