With May’s Vertigo solicits we see a lot more of the same, except for both the series and graphic novel from the Mad Max franchise.  Most of the long-running series like American Vampire, Federal Bureau of Physics, Coffin Hill, and Hinterkind are all mid-arc.  Astro City begins a two issue arc here, and we see the great nine-issue miniseries The Names coming to an end.  We are being promised issue five of Sandman: Overture, a promise that has no track record of being kept.  This may be enough to keep us waiting, but with the big announcements still being Mad Max we are obviously having the principle titles being eclipsed on purpose.  The complete The Wake trade will be released in may, as well as trades for Hinterkind and deluxe editions for Brian Wood’s DMZ and Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles.  The Sandman Gallery Edition is another expensive ($175) rehashing and fancy reprinting of Sandman, which may be nice for collectors and libraries, but not doing much for regular readers.  All the rest of the active miniseries are still going through May, including the upcoming Strange Sports Stories, Suiciders, Effigy, Fables: The Wolf Among Us, and The Kitchen.

While there is a not new that really stands out, except for the rainbow of talent represented in Mad Max: Fury Road, it is a reminder of Vertigo’s commitment to sizeable miniseries showcasing great storytelling.  This track record for miniseries is still something Image and Oni haven’t stolen from Vertigo, and let’s hope this continues into the future.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – INSPIRED ARTISTS DELUXE EDITION HC
Art by BILL SIENKIEWICZ, LEE BERMEJO, DAVE JOHNSON, PAUL POPE, DAVID MACK, HOWARD CHAYKIN, NICOLA SCOTT, GABRIELE DELL’OTTO, CLIFF CHIANG, GEORGE PRATT, TOMMY LEE EDWARDS, JOHN PAUL LEON, TEDDY KRISTIANSEN, SIMON BISLEY, GILBERT HERNANDEZ, JAVIER PULIDO, TARA McPHERSON, DECLAN SHALVEY, REBEKAH ISAACS, DVE McKEAN and many more!
With commentary by GEORGE MILLER and the artists
On sale MAY 6 • 144 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875”, $24.99 US • MATURE READERS
In anticipation of the upcoming blockbuster film Mad Max: Fury Road, 65 of comics’ best artists took to the post-apocalyptic landscape to interpret this gorgeous and desolate world of George Miller’s design. Inspired by images from the film, each of these visionary artists brings their unique style to a double-page spread of part of the world of Mad Max, with commentary from the artists and Miller himself. From breathtaking action sequences to heartbreaking character portraits, Fury Road will be perfectly captured by a one-of-a-kind array of comics legends, side-by-side with some of the most exciting new talent in the industry!

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD: NUX & IMMORTAN JOE #1
Written by GEORGE MILLER, NICO LATHOURIS and MARK SEXTON
Art by RICCARDO BURCHIELLI and LEANDRO FERNANDEZ
Cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
One-shot • On sale MAY 20 • 40 pg, FC, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS
In a fallen world ravaged by oil and water wars, humanity exists without law or mercy. All those who wander the Wasteland are ruled by a single imperative…survive!
Among them is Max Rockatansky, a Road Warrior haunted by his turbulent past…
“It’s hard to know who is more crazy.
Me or everyone else?!”
In this first issue, witness the rise of Colonel Joe Moore, a war hero turned tyrannical warlord…The Immortan Joe!
And don’t miss the story of Nux, one of the Immortan’s “War Boys,” who knows only the chaos into which he was born.
From the mind of George Miller, the creator of the Mad Max trilogy, comes a brand new epic tale that serves as a prelude to the upcoming film, Mad Max: Fury Road!

ASTRO CITY #23
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Art by BRENT ANDERSON
Cover by ALEX ROSS
On sale MAY 13 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
What do you do when you’re a talking gorilla, and all your life you’ve wanted nothing more than to be a drummer in a rock & roll band? That’s right, you go to Astro City. But from there, well, things are never all that simple. Also featuring the First Family, Honor Guard and more. Part 1 of 2.

THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #5
Written by NEIL GAIMAN
Art by J.H. WILLIAMS III
Cover A by J.H. WILLIAMS III
Cover B by DAVE McKEAN
1:100 special ink variant cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
1:200 special ink variant cover by DAVE McKEAN
On sale MAY 27 • 32 pg, FC, 5 of 6, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS • Combo Pack Edition: $4.99 US
The fate of the entire universe hangs in the balance when Dream finally gets his mother’s full attention. Magic, joy, war and heartbreak are brought to life on the pages with epic luminosity in the penultimate issue of THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE.
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

FABLES: THE WOLF AMONG US #5
Written by MATTHEW STURGES and DAVE JUSTUS
Art by TRAVIS MOORE, SHAWN McMANUS and STEPHEN SADOWSKI
Cover by CHRISSIE ZULLO
On sale MAY 13 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS • DIGITAL FIRST
The bodies pile up and the case takes a turn for the personal, as it looks like Bigby’s crime-solving partner just ended up on the wrong side of a toe tag. Plus, flash back to 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, to see how Bigby became the man he is today!

EFFIGY #5
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by MARLEY ZARCONE
Cover by W. SCOTT FORBES
On sale MAY 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Chondra and Detective Moore investigate the mystery behind a suicidal teen and his association with a chain of white-collar how-to shops, as Edie discovers the connections between a murdered super fan and the ancient burial mound in Effigy Mound, Ohio.

AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SECOND CYCLE #9
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
RESOLICIT • On sale MAY 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Retailers: This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.
Trapped behind the wall, Felicia and Pearl must run from the horrors they find lurking in Area 51. Whether they make it out alive or become test tube experiments may not be up to them. AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SECOND CYCLE continues here!

COFFIN HILL #18
Written by CAITLIN KITTREDGE
Art by INAKI MIRANDA
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
On sale MAY 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
With Emma Coffin’s plan to entrap Eve in her ghostly prison in full force, Eve must find a way to fight back the army of the dead loose in Coffin Hill – but her only option to survive might be to beat Emma at her own game, inside a maze full of ghosts, and much worse…

FBP: FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #20
Written by SIMON OLIVER
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover by NATHAN FOX
On sale MAY 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Interdimensional space, dark-energy super bridges, and a borderline insane plan to save humanity from annihilation…what could possibily go wrong?

DMZ DELUXE EDITION BOOK FOUR HC
Written by BRIAN WOOD
Art by RICCARDO BURCHIELLI and others
Cover by BRIAN WOOD
On sale JULY 1 • 384 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875”,$29.99 US • MATURE READERS
In these stories from DMZ #45-59, journalist Matty Roth redefines his role in the DMZ, rolling with a private security force and self-defined mandate to heal the city. Then, Matty retreats into self-exile to take a good, hard look at himself and his conduct since he entered the DMZ, and he doesn’t like what he sees.

THE INVISIBLES DELUXE EDITION BOOK FOUR HC
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by PHIL JIMENEZ and others
Cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
On sale JULY 15 • 512 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875”,$39.99 US • MATURE READERS
In this INVISIBLES collection, the team launches an assault on an underground New Mexico lab to free the cure for the AIDS virus, and the final fate of mankind is decided in the apocalyptic transdimensional showdown! Collects THE INVISIBLES VOL. 2 #14-22 and VOL. 3 #12-1.

HINTERKIND #18
Written by IAN EDGINTON
Art by FRANCESCO TRIFOGLI
Cover by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
On sale MAY 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS • FINAL ISSUE
The west coast is at war and the day of the dragon is at hand. Old enemies are confronted and new alliances forged. It could be the end of everything or a new beginning for both human and Hinterkind. The fate of the green world rests on the shoulders of Prosper Monday, dragon rider.

HINTERKIND VOL. 3: THE HOT ZONE TP
Written by IAN EDGINTON
Art by FRANCESCO TRIFOGLI
Cover by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
On sale JUNE 24 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US • MATURE READERS
In these stories from issues #13-18, step back in time to before the deadly plague that almost wiped out mankind. From the streets of New York to the boulevards of Paris and the mountain strongholds of Afghanistan, the Sidhe prepare to unleash their long-awaited revenge. War has been declared – and we have already lost!

STRANGE SPORTS STORIES #3
Written by VARIOUS
Art by VARIOUS
Cover by WES CRAIG
On sale MAY 13 • 40 pg, FC, 3 of 4, $4.99 US • MATURE READERS
Continuing the Vertigo take on the classic DC Comics anthology title for a third issue of strange, scary, sexy and sensational sports stories. Featuring stories and art by Brian Azzarello, CM Punk, Paul Pope, Gilbert Hernandez, Lauren Beukes, Ben McCool, Ivan Brandon, Monica Gallagher, Lee Loughridge, Nick Dragotta, Christopher Mitten, Darick Robertson, Mark Finn, John Lucas, Gabe Soria, Ronald Wimberly, Michael DiMotta, Tim Fish, Rael Lyra and many more!

THE KITCHEN #7
Written by OLLIE MASTERS
Art by MING DOYLE
Cover by BECKY CLOONAN
On sale MAY 20 • 32 pg, FC, 7 of 8, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Kath, Raven, Angie and Tommy hunt a desperate Jimmy after his failed attempt to take back control of Hell’s Kitchen. But this isn’t any ordinary night – this is the New York City blackout of ’77, and with the police barely able to contain the widespread looting and arson, chaos reigns on the streets.

THE NAMES #9
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art by LEANDRO FERNANDEZ
Cover by CELIA CALLE
On sale MAY 6 • 32 pg, FC, 9 of 9, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS
Philip’s new girlfriend Cassandra is a lot more – or less – than she seems, but what does the shapeshifting beauty and her Dark Loop comrades want with him? Mysteries, monsters and mayhem in the furious final episode of The Names, as Philip learns who and what the Dark Loops are…and the Names director Stoker tells Katya who threw her husband to his death from a skyscraper window…

SUICIDERS #4
Written by LEE BERMEJO
Art and cover by LEE BERMEJO
On sale MAY 27 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
As the mysterious origin of the “Saint of Suicides” deepens, up-from-the-gutter challenger Straniero finally gets in the ring. But he’s not fighting in the sold-out arena in front of millions of adoring fans – he’s fighting The Beast in a life-or-death street brawl that will forever change his destiny.

THE WAKE TP
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by SEAN MURPHY
On sale JUNE 10 • 256 pg, FC, $17.99 US • MATURE READERS
When marine biologist Lee Archer is approached by the Department of Homeland Security for help with a new threat, she declines but quickly learns they won’t take “no” for an answer. Soon she is plunging to the depths of the Arctic Circle to a secret, underwater oil rig filled with roughnecks and scientists on the brink of an incredible discovery. But when things go horribly wrong, this scientific safe haven will turn into a house of horrors at the bottom of the ocean!

WOLF MOON #6
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by JEREMY HAUN
Cover by LEONARDO MANCO
On sale MAY 6 • 32 pg, FC, 6 of 6, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
Dillon has never been closer to stopping the Wolf, but a killer stands in his way. Using ancient rituals, the killer plans to turn the body-jumping gifts of the Wolf to his own vile purposes. Unless Dillon and Cayce act quickly, the death toll to this point will look like nothing. Must Dillon make the ultimate sacrifice to stop a madman and destroy the monster that ruined his life?

THE SANDMAN GALLERY EDITION HC
Art by SAM KIETH, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, JEFFREY JONES and others
Written by NEIL GAIMAN
Advance solicit • On sale in July • 272 pg, FC, 13” x 20” • $175.00 US • MATURE READERS
For the first time ever, the diverse artistic styles that brought THE SANDMAN to life have been captured in their original form. THE SANDMAN Gallery Edition features stories by Neil Gaiman and art by Sam Kieth, P. Craig Russell, Charles Vess, Kelley Jones and others. Highlights include the complete art from THE SANDMAN #1, by Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg, and P. Craig Russell’s complete art for THE SANDMAN: THE DREAM HUNTERS graphic novel. This unique volume also includes numerous pages from THE SANDMAN #2-75, as well as the complete six-page tale “Death: A Winter’s Tale” from VERTIGO: WINTER’S EDGE #2, illustrated by Jeffrey Jones.
Graphitti Designs’ Gallery Editions replicate the look, feel and attitude of the artwork. Every page is reproduced at original size on heavy paper stock to provide the fan and collector with museum-quality reproductions that are obtainable nowhere else.
THE SANDMAN GALLERY EDITION provides a spectacular overview of the talented creators who collaborated with Neil Gaiman on the series from its start in 1989. Collecting the original artwork in this format, the spirit and attitude of Morpheus remains clear.  Never before has artwork by Sam Kieth, P. Craig Russell, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Vess, Kelley Jones, Marc Hempel, Jill Thompson, Mike Dringenberg, Michael Zulli and so many others been assembled and presented in such a grand fashion.