When DC Comics killed off their beloved Vertigo label in 2020, Black Label is what rose from the ashes to carry on the legacy. With its slate of darker takes on the DC universe, the Black Label imprint has been a repository for all of DC's more sinister ideas
From notorious villains like the Joker to cult icons like John Constantine, the Black Label books are anything but family friendly. Though there are many great series to choose from, users on Ranker took to the site to vote for the books that they think represent DC's Black Label the best.
Batman: Damned (2018-2019)
Coming as the very first title under the Black Label imprint, Batman: Damned was essentially the thesis statement for DC's new line. Batman is distraught after seemingly killing the Joker in a fight that he doesn't remember. He enlists the help of John Constantine to explore Gotham's supernatural underbelly in order to solve the mystery.
Following the events of Joker, the book also maintained its predecessors dark tone and art style. Batman's journey in the story brings him face to face with many of DC's supernatural characters, including the infinitely quotable Swamp Thing. The book generated a fair amount of controversy though, because of its depiction of nudity which was a first for DC.
John Constantine: Hellblazer (2019-2020)
The original run of Hellblazer was one of the best comics on the Vertigo imprint, therefore it was only natural that he would make the jump to the new label as well. John Constantine is a British supernatural detective who uses his skills, and flexible moral code, to solve mysteries.
Originally created by Alan Moore, the character took on a life of his own, and has become one of DC's most beloved anti-heroes. The revival series only ran for a short time, but to many fans it captured the spirit of the original book to perfection. With Constantine's arrival in the Sandman universe, it is only a matter of time before he makes his return to Black Label.
Batman: White Knight (2017-2018)
Batman has had his fair share of limited series re-imaginings, and White Knight presented a particularly scary piece of speculative fiction. Seemingly cured of his criminal insanity, The Joker begins a career in politics where he points to the Dark Knight as a bad influence for Gotham City. Knowing something isn't right, Batman does what he can to bring down his arch-nemesis.
Villains turned politicians is a tired concept in comics, but there was something particularly sinister about The Joker's supposed change for good. The entire series is filled with suspense as the audience waits for the real Joker to finally show himself to the world. The character designs in the book are unique, and Batman's costume returns him to his film noir roots.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (2020)
The more positive heroes are often left off of the Black Label roster, but Wonder Woman: Dead Earth gave the Amazon a chance to shine in her own dark story. After missing centuries while in a cryogenic sleep, Wonder Woman awakens to find herself in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Always seeing herself as humanity's protector, Diana once again casts herself as defender of a small band of human survivors. The dour nuclear wasteland is inhabited by freakish monsters that give the book a lot of exciting action. At its heart though, the miniseries is about Diana's own guilt, and how she feels partially responsible for the fall of Earth.
The Question: The Deaths Of Vic Sage (2020)
The Black Label is not only a place for more adult themed content, but also it's a place for less known characters to have their chance to shine. The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage resurrects one of the more minor Justice League heroes in a story he can really sink his teeth into. The Question stumbles across a conspiracy in Hub City that stretches from the highest points of power, all the way down to the sewers.
The Question is known for being a conspiracy theorist, and The Deaths of Vic Sage presents him with the granddaddy of all conspiracies. The story brings in elements of science-fiction, and it goes places that most DC comics usually don't. Though it isn't as dark as the usual Black Label fare, its strange story approach helps it fit in perfectly with the other books on the imprint.
Batman: The Smile Killer (2020)
In a shocking followup to Joker: Killer Smile the writers at DC served up one of Batman's darkest stories ever. Recollecting on his past, Bruce Wayne begins to realize that he may have been emotionally manipulated by a strange children's show that he enjoyed during his youth.
Showing off the almost hypnotic power of The Joker, the creepy little tale gives readers more insight into the youth of Bruce Wayne. Bats and The Joker have always been inseparable in the comics, and The Smile Killer posits that they may have been connected long before Wayne became Batman.
Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn (2021)
The White Knight saga in the Batman comics has been one of the Black Label's biggest successes, and White Knight Presents Harley Quinn gives the clown-faced criminal a chance to shine. After all other villains have been taken out of the equation, Harley Quinn steps up to protect Gotham City when Batman is put behind bars.
Generally considered one of the best DC villains of all time, Harley Quinn has always been a fan favorite when she headlines her own story. The unique circumstances of the White Knight timeline gave her a chance to try out heroics, and she proved to be capable of the task.
Joker: Killer Smile (2019-2020)
Playing more like a psychological horror story than a superhero comic, Joker: Killer Smile reminds readers that the Clown Prince of Crime is truly evil. An overconfident psychotherapist is determined to diagnose The Joker. However, he soon begins to learn the depths of his patient's depravity, and becomes a victim of The Joker's evil schemes.
There have been many creepy depictions of Batman's arch-nemesis, but few were as effective as in Killer Smile. He has no sweeping plan to destroy the city, and instead uses subtle techniques to emotionally manipulate an individual person.
Batman: Last Knight On Earth (2019-2020)
In all of his alternate forms, Batman has traversed a seemingly endless amount of different landscapes and universes. Last Knight on Earth finds Bruce Wayne awaken decades in the future. Learning he was never Batman, Wayne sets out across the post-apocalyptic landscape to figure out what happened to the world he knew.
Batman is the ultimate protagonist for alternate universe stories, and he once again fills his role as the fish-out-of-water quite well. The books keeps readers interested as Wayne explores the world around him and encounters some of DC's most recognizable characters. The bleak landscape is fascinating, and gives the book elements of horror as well as action.
Harleen (2019-2020)
Re-imagining a beloved character's backstory is a tricky proposition, yet the writers behind Harleen pulled it off. The book follows a young psychiatrist named Harleen Quinzell who devises a method to cure criminals of their impulses. Unfortunately for her, a bureaucratic system stands in her way that forces her to take matters into her own hands.
The problematic nature of Harley and Joker's relationship is well known to contemporary readers, and Harleen seeks to re-contextualize her origins. Shockingly violent and dour, the book gives Harley her due, and portrays their relationship in an entirely different light. While it is a departure from most Harley Quinn stories, it perfectly represented what readers could expect from DC's Black Label imprint.