KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Vertigo has been a veritable stable since 1993, producing quirky and left-of-centre creator-owned titles. The imprint was initially started with books written by newly-acquired British writers Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Peter Milligan and Alan Moore — almost all of them bearing “Suggested for Mature Readers” labels.

Up until now, Vertigo has published hundreds of titles, mainly in the horror and fantasy genre, with a couple titles reaching more than 60 issues. The longest Vertigo run so far is held by Hellblazer, which is now up to its 270th issue.

Despite a proud pedigree as an alternative comics imprint, it seems that Vertigo is now unable to sustain publishing four of its current titles. Here we take a look at these four titles:

Air by G. Willow Wilson and MK Perker

We have reviewed Air before, where we waxed lyrical about its subject matter, and the way writer G. Willow Wilson deftly handles it. What at first looks like a tired tale of Islam and terrorism, wonderfully works out into a showcase of flying, and the fun that has been sucked dry out of it.

Acrophobic flight attendant Blythe was invited to join Etesian Front, an organisation that claims to be anti-terrorism but turned out to be hijackers. Together with a mysterious man named Zayn, she foils their plot and soon learns the concept of hyperpraxis — a method of teleportation using symbols as guides. Blythe discovers that she’s a hyperpract, a gifted human who can pilot hyperpraxis planes and meet others like herself, such as Amelia Earhart.

Wilson announced on May 17 that Air will be cancelled, and finish at issue 24.

Madame Xanadu by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley and Michael Wm Kaluta

This is the first time Madame Xanadu is featured in her own ongoing title, despite being present in DC’s magical timeline since the late 1970s. Madame Xanadu is a sorceress who set up an occult shop in Greenwich Village, New York — offering help to those burdened by mystical calamities. At times, she participated in big cosmic events in the DC Universe, but her backstory was never explained much.

In this series, noir writer Matt Wagner traced Xanadu’s origin, casting her as Nimue, sister to Lady of the Lake and Morgana Le Fey off the King Arthur fable. Wagner now brings readers up to speed by detailing Nimue’s life through the centuries, each time tangling with recognisable DC characters, which should delight long-time DC fans.

Xanadu has tangled with the Phantom Stranger many times, and worked together with Golden Age characters like the dreaming detective Sandman and The Martian Manhunter in his detective guise.

The portrayal of Madame Xanadu is excellently done, with two distinct styles by newcomer Amy Reeder Hadley and veteran Michael William Kaluta. Hadley’s cutesy manga-like rendition is the complete opposite of Kaluta’s classical pulp illustrations, but both deliver the story as well as the other. Wagner is in his element, putting Xanadu as a detective who solves occult mysteries and mystical mishaps.

Madame Xanadu was announced cancelled on July 22, probably as a direct result of DC’s recall of its characters from the Vertigo imprint.

Greek Street by Peter Milligan and Davide Gianfelice

If there’s one title that would understandably be axed, it would be Greek Street. It is convoluted and surreal, but that just might be Peter Milligan’s style — he who wrote the mindboggling trip that is Shade, The Changing Man.

Altogether, Greek Street is a brave attempt to mesh Greek mythology together with contemporary stories. Set in the titular street in London, it is a yarn where characters like Oedipus, Agamemnon, Daedalus, Cassandra and The Furies are “resurrected”. Much like the original tales, almost all of the characters are met with tragedy. Reading the series with a deeper understanding of Greek myths will make you appreciate it more.

The first arc of the series is a tribute to Oedipus’ story, a gruesome twist on the Freudian complex. The tale of Cassandra the prophet dominates the second arc, while the third and last arc is a play on Ajax from Illiad. Before each issue, a gang of strippers appears as a sick Greek chorus — summing up information and background story before the readers join in the ongoing story.

On July 12, Greek Street was announced to end at issue 16.

Unknown Soldier by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli

There has always been an Unknown Soldier in DC Comics since 1966. With his disfigured face in bandages, he’s a fierce patriot who does the dirty work for the government. This is the second Unknown Soldier series to be published under Vertigo, and the one which departs the furthest from the earlier series.

Instead of the United States, this title interestingly takes place in Uganda, with protagonist Dr Moses “Patrick” Lwanga. Presented as a pacifist and philanthropic doctor who grew up in the States, Dr Lwanga returned to his roots together with his Ugandan wife to help with the war-torn country. All the while, he was haunted by violent dreams, and after an accident inflicted by militants, he reasserted himself as the Unknown Soldier. Ruthless and militantly proficient, readers are left wondering about his past and real identity.

Compared to his fantastical work on Hellboy and BPRD, Unknown Soldier is extensive, and an honest portrayal of the war between the Lord’s Resistance Army and Ugandan People’s Defence Force during 2002. Laden with political commentary on African tribal wars, corrupt dictators and aid programmes by Western nations, it is certainly one of the best series on Vertigo right now.

It was announced on May 22 that issue 25 will be the last Unknown Soldier published.

Despite these four titles being cancelled soon, you can still enjoy them through trade paperbacks, available in major comic and bookstores.