DC Black Label (also referred to simply as Black Label) is an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics consisting of original miniseries and reprints of books previously published under other imprints. The imprint intends to present traditional DC Universe characters for a mature audience with stand-alone Prestige Format series. The first title of the imprint, Batman: Damned, was released on September 19, 2018.
Publication history Single issues of comic books that are issued under the Black Label line will be published in Prestige Format. If a comic book series exceeds a miniseries run length, it will be published in standard format. All series are eventually collected in hardcover format.
Black Label was launched in September 2018. Black Label is designed for writers and artists to create more adult oriented stories, without having to follow the rules of continuity and age ratings.
With the discontinuation of DC's Vertigo imprint, new and current series, as well as reprints of old titles, are being published under the DC Black Label imprint beginning in 2020. Some series reprinted include The Sandman, Fables, Y: The Last Man, The Sleeper, Sweet Tooth, Animal Man, Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Watchmen, IZombie, etc. Continuations of Vertigo series are published under the Black Label line, such as Sweet Tooth: The Return and Fables #151 - 162.
Series and continuity Many series released by DC Black Label focus on characters from the DC Universe, with stories described as darker or more mature, or reinventions of existing characters.
Geoff Johns said that the Black Label stories do not always have to exist outside of the main universe canon. Stories which may not intentionally exist within the main universe upon release can be folded into the main universe dependant on their success or popularity.
Tom King, speaking on the topic of continuity with mainline DC, has said that there are three major categories, based on DC published during the 1980s. Comics in one category have nothing to do with the DC Universe. In the second category are stories which could exist in hypothetical futures of mainstream continuity, such as The Dark Knight Returns. In the third category are stories like The Killing Joke, which may occur within the DCU, and therefore impact it, but aren't occurring at the same point in the timeline as the routine publishing continuity.
Titles Comic booksTitleIssuesPublication dateWriterArtistReleasedBatman: Damned#1–3 – Brian AzzarelloLee BermejoSuperman: Year One – Frank MillerJohn Romita Jr.Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1Rafael GrampáHarleen#1–3 – Stjepan ŠejićBatman: Last Knight on Earth – Scott SnyderGreg CapulloJoker: Killer Smile – Jeff LemireAndrea SorrentinoBirds of Prey#1Brian AzzarelloEmanuela LupacchinoThe Last God: Tales from the Book of AgesPhillip Kennedy JohnsonRiccardo FedericiBatman: The Smile KillerJeff LemireAndrea SorrentinoJoker/Harley: Criminal Sanity - Secret FilesKami Garcia Ed KurzDavid Mack Jason BadowerWonder Woman: Dead Earth#1–4 – Daniel Warren JohnsonThe Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage – Jeff LemireDenys CowanThe Last God: Songs of Lost Children #1Dan WattersSteve BeachBatman: Three Jokers#1–3 – Geoff JohnsJason FabokThe Last God#1–12 – Phillip Kennedy JohnsonRiccardo FedericiHarley Quinn and the Birds of Prey#1–4 – Amanda Conner Jimmy PalmiottiArthur AdamsHellblazer: Rise and Fall#1–3 – Tom TaylorDarick RobertsonJoker/Harley: Criminal Sanity#1–8 – Kami GarciaMike Mayhew Mico SuayanSweet Tooth: The Return#1–6 – Jeff LemireThe Other History of the DC Universe#1–5 – John RidleyGiuseppe CamuncoliAmerican Vampire 1976#1–10 – Scott SnyderRafael AlbuquerqueRorschach#1–12 – Tom KingJorge FornésStrange Adventures – Mitch Gerads Evan "Doc" ShanerBatman: Reptilian#1–6 – Garth EnnisLiam SharpBatman: The Imposter#1–3 – Mattson TomlinAndrea SorrentinoPeacemaker: Disturbing the Peace#1Garth EnnisGarry BrownBatman/Catwoman SpecialTom KingJohn Paul LeonBatman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham#1–6 – Bill WillinghamBrian LevelSuperman vs. Lobo#1–3 – Tim Seeley Sarah BeattieMirka AndolfoSuicide Squad: Get Joker! – Brian AzzarelloAlex MaleevBatman/Catwoman#1–12 – Tom KingClay MannSuicide Squad: Blaze#1–3 – Simon SpurrierAaron CampbellBatman: One Dark Knight – JockTales of the Human Target#1Tom KingGreg SmallwoodRogues#1–4 – Joshua WilliamsonLeomacs Aquaman: Andromeda#1–3 – Ram VChristian WardCatwoman: Lonely City#1–4 – Cliff ChiangThe Nice House on the Lake#1–12 – James Tynion IVÁlvaro Martínez BuenoWonder Woman Historia: The Amazons#1–3 – Kelly Sue DeConnickPhil Jimenez Gene Ha Nicola ScottThe Human Target#1–12 – Tom KingGreg SmallwoodSwamp Thing: Green Hell#1–3 – Jeff LemireDoug MahnkeBatman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo#1–7 – Marc SilvestriThe Riddler: Year One#1–6 – Paul DanoStevan SubicPeacemaker Tries Hard#1–6 – Kyle StarksSteve PughDanger Street#1–12 – Tom KingJorge FornésWaller vs. WildStorm#1–4 – Spencer Ackerman Evan NarcisseEric BattleBatman: City of Madness#1–3 - Christian WardFables#1–12 – Bill WillinghamMark BuckinghamThe Bat-Man: First Knight#1–3 – Dan JurgensMike PerkinsThe Boy Wonder#1–5 – Juni BaThe Nice House by the Sea#1–3 – James Tynion IVÁlvaro Martínez BuenoZatanna: Bring Down the House#1–5 – Mariko TamakiJavier RodríguezPlastic Man No More!#1–4 – Christopher CantwellAlex LinsJenny Sparks#1–7 – Tom KingJeff SpokesBatman: Full Moon#1–4 – Rodney BarnesStevan SubicSuperman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor#1–3 – Mark WaidBryan Hitch Peacemaker Presents: The Vigilante/Eagly Double Feature!#1–5 – Tim SeeleyRex OgleMitch GeradsMatteo LolliResurrection Man: Quantum Karma#1–6 – Ram VAnand RKSuperman: The Kryptonite Spectrum#1–5 – W. Maxwell PrinceMartin MorazzoThe Bat-Man: Second Knight#1–3 – Dan JurgensMike PerkinsSirens: Love Hurts#1–4 – Tini HowardBabs TarrBatman: Gargoyle of Gotham#1–4 – Rafael GrampáBatman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia#1–4 – Gabriel HardmanSwamp Thing 1989#1–4 – Rick VeitchMichael Zulli Vince LockePublishingSuperman: The Stranger#1–6 – presentWes CraigUpcomingSwamp Thing Is Killing the Children#1–TBDTBDJames Tynion IVWerther Dell'EderaJoker/Harley: Malicious Intent#1–4TBDKami GarciaMico Suayan Jason BadowerUnproducedWonder Woman: Diana's DaughterTBD
Black Label lines Several lines occur under the Black Label imprint. Each of these Lines are often shared under the same creative umbrella with some sort of connections between each series, whether that be through creative teams, shared universe or even thematically.
The Sandman Universe
The line was launched in order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (1989–1996) and for Vertigo's 25th anniversary. The line began in August 2018 with The Sandman Universe being unveiled by creator Neil Gaiman. This line was initially published under the Vertigo label, but DC closed the Vertigo line in January 2020 as part of a reorganization of age-directed imprints. All Sandman Universe titles were published under DC Black Label, but with Vertigo's relaunch in 2024, the Sandman Universe reverted back to Vertigo Comics.
Hill House Comics
Hill House Comics is a pop-up horror line of comics founded and curated by Joe Hill under DC Black Label. The first title, Basketful of Heads #1, written by Joe Hill, was released on October 30, 2019. There is also a backup story, Sea Dogs, written by Joe Hill in every comic series, with each chapter of this story following the order of when each comic issue under Hill House Comics was released. A Sea Dogs trade paperback was published in a trade paperback format as part of a Hill House Box Set that collected all the backup stories and added additional pages. The latest series in this imprint, Refrigerator Full of Heads was a sequel to the first series released and concluded in April 2022.
Hill House Comics Title IssuesPublication date Writer Artist ReleasedBasketful of Heads #1–7 – Joe Hill LeomacsThe Dollhouse Family #1–6 – Mike Carey Peter Gross Vince LockeThe Low, Low, Woods – Carmen Maria Machado DaniDaphne Byrne – Laura Marks Kelley JonesPlunge – Joe Hill Stuart ImmonenSea DogsBackup storiesOctober 26, 2021Joe HillDan McDaidRefrigerator Full of Heads#1–6 – Rio Youers Tom Fowler
Murphyverse
By March 2020, following the success of Batman: White Knight (2017–2018) and Batman: Curse of the White Knight (2019–2020), both comics created by Sean Murphy, DC was reportedly interested in creating a mini-imprint centered around Murphy's works. Referred to as the "Murphyverse", the imprint features limited series set in the shared universe first established in the White Knight series. The main line titles in this universe have been written and drawn by Murphy himself, with spin-offs being written and drawn by other creators.
Collected edition DC Black Label reprinted material A number of series that were reprinted under this label were original titles originally published under DC Vertigo, WildStorm or titles originally published by DC Comics.
TitleMaterial collectedWriterArtistPagesPublication date100 Bullets: Book One (2024 Edition)100 Bullets #1-19 and a short story from Vertigo: Winter's Edge #3Brian AzzarelloEduardo Risso453April 2, 2024100 Bullets: Book Two (2025 Edition)100 Bullets #20-36416April 22, 2025Animal Man by Grant Morrison and Chaz Truog Compendium#1-26 and a tale from Secret Origins #39Grant MorrisonChaz Truog712October 1, 2024Animal Man Omnibus (2022 Edition)August 23, 2022Batman: White KnightBatman: White Knight #1-8Sean Murphy232October 9, 2018BodiesBodies #1-8Si SpencerMeghan Hetrick, Dean Ormston, Tula Lotay and Phil Winslade208October 31, 2023DC: The New FrontierDC: The New Frontier #1-6Darwyn Cooke407February 19, 2019DMZ: Compendium OneDMZ #1-36Brian WoodRiccardo Burchielli840March 31, 2020DMZ: Compendium TwoDMZ #37-72824January 11, 2022Fables: Compendium OneFables #1-41, Fables: The Last Castle, A Wolf in the Fold, Fables: 1,001 Nights of SnowfallBill WillinghamMark Buckingham1180October 20, 2020Fables: Compendium TwoFables #42–821402May 11, 2021Fables: Compendium ThreeFables #83–113; Jack of Fables #33–35, The Literals #1–3, Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland #1, Pinocchio's Army1094August 24, 2021Fables: Compendium FourFables #114–150909December 21, 2021Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Saga Omnibus Volume 1Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters #1-3, Green Arrow #1-50, and a story from Secret Origins #38Mike Grell1536September 1, 2020Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters Saga Omnibus Volume 2Green Arrow #51-80, Green Arrow: The Wonder Year #1-4, Shado: Song of the Dragon #1-4, The Brave and the Bold #1-6, Green Arrow Annual #4, 61480December 28, 2021iZombie Omnibus (2023 Edition)iZombie #1-28Chris RobersonMike Allred656October 24, 2023Joker: 10th Anniversary EditionJoker (2008)Brian AzzarelloLee Bermejo144July 3, 2019Luthor 10th Anniversary EditionLex Luthor: Man of Steel #1-5144July 9, 2019Saga of the Swamp Thing Box SetSaga of the Swamp Thing Volume #1-6Alan MooreStephen Bissette, John Totleben, Rick Veitch and Alfredo Alcala1238December 27, 2021Scalped Omnibus Volume 1Scalped #1-29Jason AaronR. M. Guéra752November 12, 2024Scalped Omnibus Volume 2Scalped #30-60768February 4, 2025Sweet Tooth CompendiumSweet Tooth #1-40Jeff Lemire920June 8, 2021The Sleeper Omnibus (2022 Edition)Point Blank #1-5, Sleeper #1-24, Coup d'etat: Sleeper #1 and Coup d'etat: Afterward #1Ed BrubakerSean Phillips736December 27, 2022V for VendettaV for Vendetta #1-10Alan MooreDavid Loyd296November 17, 2021WatchmenWatchmen #1-12Dave Gibbons414May 20, 2019Y: The Last Man Compendium OneY: The Last Man #1-31Brian K. VaughanPia Guerra728November 10, 2020Y: The Last Man Compendium TwoY: The Last Man #32-60704March 8, 2022
DC Black Label Collected