Helix was a short-lived science fiction and

science fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...

imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. In early promotional materials prior to the release of the first title, the imprint was called Matrix instead of Helix. It was renamed because of the then-upcoming film, '' The Matrix''. It featured a handful of ongoing monthly series, several limited series, and one short graphic novel. Despite the involvement of successful science fiction/fantasy novelists Michael Moorcock, Lucius Shepard and

Christopher Hinz Christopher Hinz (born March 10, 1951) is an American writer best known for the Paratwa science fiction trilogy. Hinz has also written comic books for DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He won the Compton Crook Award in 1988 for his novel ''Liege-Killer' ...

, and established comics creators Howard Chaykin, Elaine Lee,

Matt Howarth Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

, Warren Ellis, Walt Simonson, and Garth Ennis, sales of the comic books were low, and most of the ongoing titles were cancelled after 12 or fewer issues. Ellis' '' Transmetropolitan'' was switched to the Vertigo imprint, where it continued for several more years before reaching its planned conclusion. Ennis' '' Bloody Mary'' miniseries and '' Michael Moorcock's Multiverse'' were later collected in Vertigo-label paperbacks and Moeller's '' Sheva's War'' was released as a graphic novel paperback by

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

. Limited availability of the books in bookstores that already sold science fiction, resistance among science-fiction readers to serialized monthly publication, the lower visibility of the line's deliberately muted cover color palette, and the lack of interest in genre SF among regular patrons of comic-book stores were all cited by industry observers as factors in the imprint's demise.

Helix titles

Notes

References

{{DC Comics imprints DC Comics imprints Defunct comics and manga publishing companies Helix (comics) titles Science fiction comics