Alan Moore portrait by Jose VillarrubiaOK, now maybe I'm crazy, but bear with me here. While I was talking with a Vertigo editor at MoCCA this morning, many tantalizing hints were dropped regarding what sounds like a major new title to be announced next month in San Diego. The unnamed title is to be a new ongoing monthly and hints dropped included that the writer is an old school Vertigo creator, has been in the business for 25 years, and that I should "think faeries." The artist is someone who's done work for Tokyopop, and will apparently be a great fit for this writer and this series. But it was the writer about whom the book's editor couldn't resist gleefully dropping clues.

All of which, naturally enough, had me chewing this over at idle moments throughout the course of the day. Right off the bat, I thought, "oh man, is it possible that Neil Gaiman is coming back to Vertigo with a new ongoing monthly series?" But then I realized that, no, unless the "25 years" comment was intended as misdirection, it can't be Gaiman, since he's only a 20-year man, with Violent Cases having first seen print in 1987. Also there's that whole directing a major motion picture thing waiting in the wings for him.

With further pondering, later in the afternoon I was suddenly struck with the thought, "holy crap, is Vertigo going to announce that Alan freaking Moore is returning to the fold with a new ongoing series?" Depending how you define Moore's start in the comics business, the 25 year comment could well fit, and let's face it, you can't get more old school Vertigo than Alan Moore. After all, in many respects, Vertigo is The House that Moore Built, what with his groundbreaking Swamp Thing run, his creation of John Constantine during that run (pre-Vertigo though it was), and his influence on younger writers, most notably in this case, Neil Gaiman.

I can't think of any other writer who fits the bill --and who would have a Vertigo editor so pumped to be working together-- as well as Alan Moore. Can you?

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