Fables before Fables?
The Swamp Thing/ Hellblazer Universe may have never been the "IT" uni when talking about Vertigo. Sandman was the "It" uni when Vertigo came as an imprint, Peacher seemed to take in when Sandman finished and now Fables is that "IT" uni.
It is a shame because Hellblazer really is the most overlooked series there is. John Constantine himself is extremely complex and people only talk about guys live Wolverine or Batman being complex. John Constantine killed his Twin brother in their mothers Womb, is that is not scaring before entering a world.... Having your father force your mother into early labor because you are not wanted, just to result in her death should be icing on the cake. What I speak of is early John Constantine, nothing about selling his soul or having tainted blood.
One thing the Swamp Thing/Hellblazer Uni does share is that it has always been Vertigo's true backbone. Neil Gaiman wouldn't of created the master peice of Sandman if it was not for Alan Moore changing the comic book world with Swamp Thing, that is a Fact, ask any comic historian. Swamp Thing also created John Constantine, which would later be Vertigo's only surviving launch title to remain in print today.
Hellblazer has always been a testing grounds, fertile grounds if you will. Some of the greatest writers has written Hellblazer at least once in there lives. Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison were two guest writers in the early 90s, not solidified as the Hall of Fame writers they will be now known to be. Garth Ennis peeked with Preacher and from the pages of Hellblazer we saw the mating of an Angle and a Demon, which that idea becomes a major part of Preacher. Warren Ellis was censored short before creating what could of be a celebrated run, but now his John Constantine seems to live in William Gravel. Paul Jenkins is a major Marvel contributor and his first major work was Hellblazer. Brian Azzarello and Mike Carey as well had long runs on Hellblazer. Andy Diggle, creator of the Losers and now a writer for Marvel has completed the a run that saw Hellblazer reach 250 issues, a feat most books never reach today. Other guest writers go from Dave Gibbons, Eddie Campbell and Jason Aaron to ones we forget if not from the UK like Denise Mina and John Smith, but would know since they are huge in there native lands.
Above I only talked about writers, artist we have had Sean Phillips (known for his work with Ed Brubaker in Sleeper and criminal), Glenn Fabry (famed cover artist), Kent Williams (Famed artist), Leonardo Manco (current War Machine artist at Marvel), Simon "Biz" Bisley (Famous cover artist), Dave McKean (Famous artist), David Lloyd (famed artist of V of Vendetta), Tim Bradstreet (Famed cover artist), Lee Bermejo (One of DC's top artists) and much more.
Enough of the history lesson... you are still with me by now and thank you, or you left not excepting that Fables is not the heart of Vertigo. It is Hellblazer and I will tell you why.
During Jamie Delano's run on Hellblazer he explored concepts of magic which is a given, but he also explored "Copyright". He acutally came up with using "Public Domain" characters in a book before Fables was a plotted series in Bill Willingham's head and before Alan Moore created Lost Girls and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Issue number #23 of Hellblazer is the issue I speak of, titled "Larger then Life" John Constantine interacts with Public Domain characters in his real life setting. In some ways Fables is a spin off of Hellblazer and people don't even know it. If not a spin off, it has a shared relationship to Hellblazer as Preacher does. The root idea came from the pages of Hellblazer first and the writer changed it up enough and removed John Constantine.
I dare you to find the issue and tell me what you think. Do you agree or do not. Please don't sit on the fence, I can't respect someone who can't respect themselves enough for their own opinion. I will also let you know that if the pamphlet issue is too hard to find, Larger then Life is also the first story in the wonderful The Family Man Trade in Hellblazer.
*Cheers*