A Queasy, Unbalanced Feeling: Karen Berger Leaves Vertigo Comics

It’s been while since the 1990s glory days of Vertigo Comics, when books like Sandman, Hellblazer, Shade The Changing Man, Y: The Last Man and Preacher stomped on the terra and helped solidify the concept that comics weren’t for children anymore. These days, it feels like Vertigo is down to what feels like a few miniseries, some original graphic novels and Fables, and with the recent announcement of the cancellation of Hellblazer, it has seemed like the imprint has been at a crossroads. And, as anyone who’s ever listened to Robert Johnson knows, good shit never happens at the crossroads.

And today is living proof. DC Comics has announced that Karen Berger, the longtime Executive Editor of Vertigo Comics, is leaving the company at the end of first quarter 2013.

DC’s official announcement is after the jump.

Karen Berger, Executive Editor & Senior Vice President of DC Entertainment’s Vertigo brand, has announced she is stepping down from her post after nearly 20 years at the helm of the award-winning literary imprint. She will remain on through March 2013 where she will be assisting in the transition to a new leadership team which includes veteran staffers whom she has mentored over the years.

Karen is responsible for shepherding critically-acclaimed and best-selling publishing titles including perennial favorites: THE SANDMAN, HELLBLAZER, V FOR VENDETTA. FABLES, PREACHER, THE INVISIBLES, 100 BULLETS, Y – THE LAST MAN and AMERICAN VAMPIRE. Vertigo has published nearly 300 new literary properties during the last 20 years. Berger notes she is ready for a professional change and is looking forward to pursuing exciting new opportunities.

“I’ve been incredibly proud to have provided a home where writers and artists could create progressive and provocative stories that broadened the scope of comics, attracting a new and diverse readership to graphic storytelling,” said Berger. “I’d like to thank all the many immensely talented creators who have helped make Vertigo into a daring and distinctive imprint and I’m grateful to everyone at DC Entertainment and the retail community for their support and commitment to Vertigo all these years. It’s been quite an honor.”

DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson stated, “We are extremely grateful for Karen’s commitment and dedication to Vertigo, its books and its incredibly talented team of staff and creators. In Vertigo she leaves a legacy to which we remain committed and on which we intend to build for the future. She will always be a deeply valued and respected member of the DC family.”

DC Entertainment is planning a celebration next year – to help salute Karen, her 33 years with the company and her many accomplishments, befitting her legendary status within DCE and across the publishing and comics industries.

Vertigo’s been kind of taking a beating since the New 52 relaunch in September, 2011; longtime Vertigo mainstay characters like John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Animal Man and Shade being co-opted into the DC Universe proper. And frankly, a lot of creators who, just a few years ago, might have taken their ideas to Vertigo, have been bringing stuff to places like Image Comics and IDW Publishing. So the fact that changes are happening at the imprint isn’t exactly a massive surprise; let’s face reality: if someone came in and poached the offensive line of the New England Patriots and set things up so that the New York Jets could always offer a more lucrative deal to new draft picks, the Pats would be right back to being staffed with third stringers waving their junk in reporters’ faces.

But still and all, this news is one hell of a bummer. First of all, Berger has ridden herd over some of the very best comics published in the 1990s and 2000s, not to mention V For Vendetta, which is one of the best miniseries ever published, bar none. Second, this move does not bode well for the future of Vertigo as a whole. While it might not be what it once was, it was still a place to get books for adults that are a little different than the norm – The Unwritten is still a big favorite of Amanda’s, and we have the complete run of Fables back to the first issue. Between the cancellation of their flagship title and Berger’s exit – voluntary or not – it feels to me like we might be looking at the end of the imprint.

If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say that Vertigo is safe for the immediate future… and that we’ll soon get a concrete release date for Neil Gaiman’s Sandman prequel with artist J. H. Williams III, probably on or around March, 2013. My guess is there’s no way in hell Gaiman releases a Sandman book under any imprint than Vertigo, for any Executive Editor other than Berger…

But after that? Let’s just say that I won’t be the sucker placing the “over” bet. However, with that said: unless Berger plans to retire, she’s gonna be looking for a gig. And any comic editor with the home phone numbers of Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Peter Milligan, Brian K. Vaughn and Alan Moore in her iPhone? Look for exciting shit wherever she lands.

(via Comics Alliance)