The 10 Greatest Comics From DC's Black Label (That Ain't Batman)

Summary

• Black Label comics favor deep storytelling, genre diversity, and beloved creative teams for mature readers.
• Batman-centric stories dominate the trail, but notable series like American Vampire 1976 offer fresh universes and compelling artwork.
• Characters like Peacemaker and Swamp Thing get unique, compelling stories that showcase DC's potential beyond Batman.

in 2018 DC comics turned on Black label comics line, an imprint designed to usurp Vertigo as the company's house of adult storytelling. Starting with Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo Batman Got Damned, the imprint prioritized deep storytelling, beloved creative teams, and genre diversity. Like many DC ventures, many books published under the Black Label line tied into the worlds of Batman and Gotham, but some of the best stories had nothing to do with the Caped Crusader.

Black Label has offered readers everything from revivals of past series, sequels to old stories, and entirely new universes centered around fantasy, horror, and more. While some of the stories fell far short of expectations, others went down as instant classics. The follow-up showed that DC had the potential to produce some great stories without Batman includedand gave readers some great creative teams to deliver exactly that.

10 American vampire 1976

Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque

In 2010, Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque started American vampire continuity in the title series — co-written by Stephen King. Snyder and Albuquerque will return to the series in 2020. As part of the Black Label line, American vampire 1976 Skinner takes Sweet's story as he watches it set in the tumultuous environment of 1970s America. Left without immortality, he takes on one last mission from Pearl Jones to save the world from monsters.

American vampire 1976 It sports some of the best artwork from the Black Label imprint, and its departure from the main DCU offers readers a fresh universe to sink their teeth into.. The 10-part series delivers a moving, emotional story that sees the vampire protagonist rediscover the value of humanity.

9 The peacekeeper works hard

Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh

Capitalizing on the success of James Gunn Peacemaker series, made the DC anti-hero a staple of both the universe and the Elseworlds projects, signing him to the main Suicide Squad team and giving him solo books. In the years 2023 The peacekeeper works hardtakes place in a DCEU-inspired romp that finds him working for a mysterious organization when the character kidnaps his dog Bruce Wayne.

The peacekeeper works hard It's a brilliantly boiled down action story in the style of John Wick meets DCEU, pairing the anti-hero with many Z-list characters along the way. The series is aimed at people who enjoy Gunn's DC projects, offering a fun mix of adventure, dark humor and extreme violence..

8 Tales: The Black Forest

Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha

Bill Willingham's Tales universe was ranked among the best ongoing DC series of the 2000s, telling the story of a world based on classic fairy tales and legends. In 2022, the series returned with a limited edition of 12 issues, with a story centered around characters from Fabletown such as Bigby, Snow White, and Rose Red, focusing on a new threat from the Black Forest.

fairy tales the revival maintains the strengths of the original series, returning readers to the fun, dark exploration of the classic tales that made the franchise so popular in the first place. For those who enjoy dark fantasy, this return demonstrated the breadth of possibilities that the Black Label imprint offers creators and fans.

7 Beautiful House on the Lake

James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno

Since 2019, James Tynion IV has been recognized as one of the hottest creators in the comics industry thanks to his work on titles. Batman and Something is killing children. Published between 2021 and 2022, Beautiful House on the Lake follows this trend, investigating a group of friends invited to a lonely house by a mysterious landlord named Walter. Upon arrival, they realize that the end of the world is near and their host is an alien being who wants to use their abilities to rebuild society.

Beautiful House on the Lake Walter's control over their lives focuses on the characters' ethical and moral dilemmas, focusing on their attempts to escape and their potential futures. Putting a new spin on the apocalyptic genre, the series has become a phenomenon among comic book readers and is one of DC's most creative new series in recent years..

6 They are naughty

Joshua Williamson and Leomacs

They are naughty It focuses on The Flash's team of retired villains, each of whom is nostalgic for their glory days.. In a bid for one last shot at fame and fortune, Leonard Snart brings the team together for one last job: a gold heist in Gorilla City. Unfortunately, this puts them on a collision course with Gorilla Grodd, who rules the city they intend to rob.

They are naughty is an excellent heist comic, as well as an interesting character study of some of the Flash's greatest foes as they struggle for meaning and purpose. Adapting the classic “one last job” heist, the 2022 miniseries is a fantastic villain story that shows these characters are more than just their tricks.

5 The ultimate God

Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Ricardo Federici

The ultimate God Kain takes place in the fantasy land of Anu and begins with a group of warriors on a failed mission to kill the last god of the title, a cosmic evil known as Mol Uhltep. Thirty years later, their failures come back to haunt them, prompting a new band of heroes to embark on the same quest. Realizing that the older heroes are lying, the young heroes must battle the god's dark magic, plunging them into a world of cosmic horror..

The ultimate God It's a masterful blend of high fantasy, Lovecraftian terror and mastery Dungeons and Dragons-style guests provide readers with a fantastically creepy adventure. Published between 2019 and 2021, the series is perfect for fans of RPG board games, as well as people who simply want to enjoy a fantasy story. The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.

4 Swamp Thing: Green Hell

Jeff Lemire and Doug Mahnke

Debut in 2021, Swamp Thing: Green Hell a mass extinction of the earth's surface occurs after the dwindling human race clings to the remaining small land mass as a result of the flood. When the Greens decide that humanity is threatening the natural balance of life on Earth, Swamp Thing is conflicted over the preservation of plant life and Alec Holland's lingering humanity. As Constantine steps in to wave at his old friend, Roth enters the fray, fighting for dominance over the planet.

Swamp Thing: Green Hell gave readers one of the best Swamp Thing Since Alan Moore's run, the stories have served almost as a treatment for the “Old Man Logan” character. The series explores the lore of DC's elemental forces while also providing fantastical horror and brilliant exploration of this apocalyptic setting.

3 Aquaman: Andromeda

Ram V and Christian Ward

While far from most people's favorite superhero, Aquaman's underwater setting allows readers and creative teams to explore the mysterious depths of the ocean. In Aquaman: Andromeda, the humans aboard the titular submarine discover a potentially malevolent entity at the bottom of the ocean, where they attempt to make first contact. Aquaman steps in to prevent them from endangering themselves, and the story explores the connections between the entity and the history of Atlantis.

Aquaman: Andromeda like science fiction classics A cliff, Sphere and 2001: A Space Odysseythrowing in an element of cosmic horror and existential terror. The 2022 miniseries shows just how terrifying and underutilized Aquaman's mysterious underwater world is, bringing him to life in one of his most intriguing stories to date..

2 Wonder Woman: The Dead Earth

Daniel Warren Johnson

To say that Daniel Warren Johnson has become one of the most dynamic creators in modern comics would be an understatement of the writer/artist's strengths as a storyteller. although he is known for such series Transformers and Powerbomb it!became one of the first stories that caught the attention of readers Wonder Woman: The Dead EarthPublished in 2020. Set in the aftermath of the end of the world, the series follows Diana's defense of the survivors as she defends them against monsters in search of refuge.

Dead Earth is an underrated post-apocalyptic story, as well as arguably the best Wonder Woman story since the New 52. The highlight of the series, which pits an Amazonian princess against monsters and superheroes, is Johnson's vibrant artwork, which is at its best during the series' captivating action sequences..

1 Question: Vic Sage's deaths

Jeff Lemire, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Chris Sotomator

In the 1980s, The Question Thanks to the creative pairing of Dennis O'Neil and Denys Cowan, it became one of the best detective series of DC. The series followed Steve Ditko's hard-boiled vigilante in the seedy Hub City, riddled with corruption and violence. In the 2019 Black Label series Question: Vic Sage's deathsthe character makes a great comeback in tales of past lives and a supernatural conspiracy at the heart of city government.

Deaths of Vic Sage It follows the titular vigilante as he relives his past life from the old West to 1940s America, revealing his place in an ongoing, recurring cycle surrounding the manifestation of evil. The story reads like a The twilight zone It touches on the mystery surrounding the question and the social issues and cycle of violence that perpetuates injustice.. With a pessimistic conclusion, miniseries are chosen as the best. Black label trace DC comics.