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DC Comics

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This is thelatest accepted revision,reviewedon26 November 2024.
This article is about the US publisher of comics. For the Scottish publisher of comics and newspapers, seeDC Thomson.For the capital of the United States, seeWashington, D.C.

DC Comics, Inc.(later simply known asDC) is anAmerican comic bookpublisher and the flagship unit ofDC Entertainment,[6][7]a subsidiary ofWarner Bros. Discovery.[8][9]DC is aninitialismfor "Detective Comics", an American comic book series first published in 1937.[10]

DC Comics, Inc.
Parent company
StatusActive
Founded
FounderMalcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters location4000 Warner Blvd.,Burbank, California
Distribution
Key people
Publication typesList of publications
Fiction genres
ImprintsList of imprints
No.of employeesapprox. 230[5]
Official websitedc

DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, the first comic under the DC banner being published in 1937.[11]The majority of its publications are set in the fictionalDC Universeand feature numerousculturally iconic heroic characters,such asSuperman,Batman,Wonder Woman,Green Lantern,theFlash,Cyborg,andAquaman;as well as famous fictional teams, including theJustice League,theJustice Society of America,theTeen Titans,and theSuicide Squad.The universe contains an assortment of well-knownsupervillains,such as theJoker,Lex Luthor,Deathstroke,theReverse-Flash,Brainiac,andDarkseid.The company has published non-DC Universe-related material, includingWatchmen,V for Vendetta,Fables,and many other titles, under the alternative imprintVertigoandDC Black Label.

Originally at 432Fourth AvenueinManhattan,New York City, the company offices have been located at 480 and later 575Le xing ton Avenue,909Third Avenue,75 Rockefeller Plaza,666 Fifth Avenue,and 1325Avenue of the Americas.DC Comics was located at 1700BroadwayinMidtown Manhattanuntil April 2015, when DC Entertainment transferred its headquarters toBurbank, California.[12]

DC Comics books are distributed to the bookstore market byPenguin Random House Publisher Services.[13]Thecomics shop direct marketwas supplied byDiamond Comic Distributors[12][14]until June 2020, when Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors (who were by then dominating direct market distribution on account of the disruption to Diamond caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic) replaced Diamond as the direct market distributor.[4]

In 2017, approximately 70% of the American comic book market was shared by DC Comics and its long-time major competitorMarvel Comics(acquired in 2009 by Warner Bros. Discovery's main competitor,The Walt Disney Company),[15]though this figure may be distorted by the fact that sales ofgraphic novelsare excluded. When all book sales are included, DC is the second largest publisher of comic books, afterViz Media;and Marvel is third.[16]

History

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National Comics Publications

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Main articles:National Comics PublicationsandAll-American Publications

Golden Age

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Main article:Golden Age of Comic Books
Pioneers of DC Comics who started in the 1930s[17]
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster Bob Kane Bill Finger Sheldon Mayer Gardner Fox
Founder of DC Comics Creators ofSuperman Creators ofBatmanand theJoker Early founder Created various characters
Cover art of the first comic book byNational Comics Publications,New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine#1 (cover date:February 1935). Unlike earlier comic book magazines series, characters in this book (such as theWesterncharacter Jack Wood) were original creations that were not taken from existing comic strips.[18]

In 1934, entrepreneur MajorMalcolm Wheeler-NicholsonfoundedNational Allied Publications,intended as anAmerican comic bookpublishing company.[1][2][3]Its debut publication was thetabloid-sizedNew Fun: The Big Comic Magazine#1 (the first of a comic series later calledMore Fun Comics) with a February 1935cover date.An anthology title, essentially for original stories not reprinted fromnewspaper strips,it was unlike many comic book series before it.[18][19]While DC Comics is now primarily associated withsuperhero comics,the genres in the first anthology titles consisted offunnies,Western comics,and adventure-related stories. The characterDoctor Occult—created byJerry SiegelandJoe Shusterin December 1935 and included in issue No.6 ofNew Fun Comics—is considered to be the earliest recurringsuperherocreated by DC that is still being used.[20][21]The company created a second recurring title calledNew Comics,first released in December 1935, which was the start of the long-runningAdventure Comicsseries that also featured many anthology titles.[22]By 1936, the group had became Nicholson Publishing.[23]

Wheeler-Nicholson's next and final title,Detective Comics,was advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936 but eventually premiered three months late with a March 1937 cover date. The themed anthology that revolved originally around fictional detective stories became in modern times the longest-running ongoing comic series. A notable debut in the first issue wasSlam Bradley,created in a collaboration between Wheeler-Nicholson, Siegel and Shuster.[21]In 1937, in debt to printing-plant owner and magazine distributorHarry Donenfeld—who also published pulp magazines and operated as a principal in the magazine distributorshipIndependent News—Wheeler-Nicholson had to enter into partnership with Donenfeld to publishDetective ComicsNo.1, and Detective Comics, Inc. (which helped inspire the abbreviation DC) was formed, with Wheeler-Nicholson and Donenfeld's accountantJack S. Liebowitzlisted as owners. As the company continued to experience cash-flow problems, Wheeler-Nicholson was forced out after the first year. Shortly afterwards, Detective Comics, Inc. purchased the remains of National Allied (also known as Nicholson Publishing) at a bankruptcy auction and absorbed it.[24][25]

Two famoussuperheroes—SupermanandBatman—were brought to life in the American comic booksAction ComicsandDetective Comics.
Action Comics#1(June 1938) introduced Superman and helped birth the superhero genre.
Detective Comics#27(May 1939) featured the first appearance of Batman.

Meanwhile,Max Gainesformed the sister companyAll-American Publicationsin 1939.[26]Detective Comics, Inc. soon launched a new anthology title calledAction Comics;the first issue,cover dated June 1938, featured new characters such asSupermanby Siegel and Shuster,ZatarabyFred Guardineer,andTex Thompsonby Ken Finch andBernard Baily.Considered as the first comic book to feature the character archetype later known as the "superhero",Action Comicswas a sales hit that brought to life a new age of comic books, now affectionately termed the"Golden Age".Action Comics#1 is credited as featuring thefirst appearanceof Superman, both on the cover illustration and inside the issue, and is now one of the most valuable and sought-after comic book issues of all time.[27]The first Superman tale included a superheroorigin storywith the reveal of an unnamed planet, later known asKrypton,where he issaid to have originated.The issue also contained the first essentialsupporting characterand one of the earliest female characters in any comic, withLois LaneasSuperman's first depicted romantic interest.[28]TheGreen Hornet-inspired character known as theCrimson Avengerby Jim Chamber was featured inDetective ComicsNo.20 (October 1938). This character is known to be the first masked vigilante published by DC.[29][30]An unnamed "office boy",retconnedasJimmy Olsen's first appearance, was revealed in a Superman story by Siegel and Shuster inAction ComicsNo.6 (November 1938).[31][32]

Starting in 1939, Siegel and Shuster's Superman was the first comic-derived character to appear in other formats, later featuring in his ownnewspaper comic strip,which first introduced his biological parentsJor-ElandLara.[33]All-American Publications' debut comic series,All-American Comics,was first published in April 1939.[28]The seriesDetective Comicsmade history as being the first to featureBatman—aBob KaneandBill Fingercreation—inissue No.27(March 1939) with the request of more superhero titles. Batman was depicted as a masked vigilante who wore a caped suit known as theBatsuitand drove a car that was later referred to as theBatmobile.The Batman story also included a supporting character calledJames Gordon,thepolice commissionerof what would later becomeGotham City Police Department.[34]Despite being a parody, All-American Publications introduced the earliest female character who became the female superhero Red Tornado (though disguised as a male) inMa Hunkelwho first appeared in the "Scribbly" stories inAll-American ComicsNo.3 (June 1939).[35]Another important Batman debut was the introduction of the fictional mansion known asWayne Manorfirst seen inDetective ComicsNo.28 (June 1939).[34]The seriesAdventure Comicsfollowed in the footsteps ofAction ComicsandDetective Comicsby featuring a new recurring superhero calledSandmanwho first appeared inAdventure ComicsNo.40 (July 1939).[36]Action ComicsNo.13 (June 1939) introduced the first recurring Superman enemy referred to as theUltra-Humanite;created by Siegel and Shuster, this is commonly cited as one of the earliestsupervillainsin comic books.[37]The Superman character had another breakthrough when he was given his owncomic book series,which was previously unheard of.[38]The first issue, published in June 1939, helped directly introduce Superman's adoptive parents,Jonathan and Martha Kent,also created by Siegel and Shuster.[31]Detective ComicsNo.29 (July 1939) included the first mention ofBatman's utility beltbyGardner Fox.[39][34]Outside of DC's publishing, a character later integrated as DC was introduced byFox Feature Syndicatenamed theBlue Beetlereleased in August 1939.[40][41]Fictional cities were a common theme of DC; the first revealed city was Superman's home city ofMetropolis,originally named inAction ComicsNo.16 (September 1939).[42][43]Detective ComicsNo.31 (September 1939) by Gardner Fox, Bob Kane andSheldon Moldoffintroduced a romantic interest for Batman namedJulie Madison,as well as theBatarangweapon that Batman commonly uses, and the fictional aircraft called theBatplane.[34]The story ofBatman's originwas first shown inDetective ComicsNo.33 (November 1939), which depicted the death ofThomas WayneandMartha Waynebya mugger.The origin story remained crucial for the fictional character after its inception.[18][44] TheDaily Planet(a common setting of Superman) was first named in a Superman newspaper strip around November 1939.[45]Doll Manwas the first superhero to be produced byQuality Comics,which DC now owns.[46][clarification needed]Fawcett Comicswas formed around 1939 and became DC's original competitor company over the next decade.[47]At the end of 1944, All-American titles began using its own logo to distinguish it from the National comics.[48][49]

All-American Publications,an affiliate concern co-owned by Gaines and Liebowitz, merged with Detective Comics, Inc. on September 30, 1946, formingNational Comics Publications.[a]The previous year, in June 1945, Gaines had allowed Liebowitz to buy him out and had retained onlyPicture Stories from the Bibleas the foundation of his own new company,EC Comics.[51]At that point, "Liebowitz promptly orchestrated the merger of All-American and Detective Comics into National Comics... Next he took charge of organizing National Comics, [the self-distributorship] Independent News, and their affiliated firms into a single corporate entity,National Periodical Publications".[52]National Periodical Publications became publicly traded on the stock market in 1961.[53][54]Despite the official names "National Comics" and "National Periodical Publications", the company began branding itself as "Superman-DC" as early as 1940 and became known colloquially as DC Comics for years before the official adoption of that name in 1977.[55]

DC Comics began to move aggressively against what it saw ascopyright-violatingimitations from other companies, such asFox Comics'Wonder Man,which (according to court testimony) Fox started as a copy of Superman. This extended to DC suingFawcett ComicsoverCaptain Marvel,who was at the time the top-selling comic character (seeNational Comics Publications, Inc. v. Fawcett Publications, Inc.). Faced with declining sales and the prospect of bankruptcy if it lost the lawsuit, Fawcett capitulated in 1953 and ceased publishing comics. Years later, Fawcett sold the rights for Captain Marvel to DC Comics, and in 1972 the character was revived in DC's new titleShazam!,[56]which featured artwork by Captain Marvel's creatorC. C. Beck.In the meantime, the abandoned 'Marvel' trademark had been seized byMarvel Comicsin 1967, with the creation oftheir Captain Marvel,preventing DC from using the name in the title of their own comic series. While DC's Captain Marvel failed to recapture his earlier popularity, he later appeared in a Saturday morninglive action TV adaptationand gained a prominent position in the mainstream continuity of theDC Universe.

As the popularity of superheroes faded in the late 1940s, DC Comics focused on such genres as science fiction,Westerns,humor,andromance.The company also publishedcrimeandhorrortitles, although relatively tame contributions that avoided the mid-1950s backlash against such comic genres. A handful of the most popular superhero titles continued publication, includingAction ComicsandDetective Comics,the medium's two longest-running titles.

Silver Age

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Main article:Silver Age of Comic Books

In the mid-1950s, editorial directorIrwin Donenfeldand publisher Liebowitz directed editorJulius Schwartz(whose roots lay in the science-fiction book market) to produce aone-shotFlashstory in the try-out titleShowcase.Instead of reviving the old character, Schwartz had writersRobert KanigherandJohn Broome,pencilerCarmine Infantino,andinkerJoe Kubertcreate an entirely new super-speedster, updating and modernizing the Flash's civilian identity, costume, and origin with a science-fiction bent. The Flash's reimagining inShowcaseNo.4 (October 1956) proved sufficiently popular that it soon led to a similar revamping of theGreen Lanterncharacter, the introduction of the modern all-star teamJustice League of America(JLA), and many more superheroes, heralding what historians and fans call theSilver Age of Comic Books.

National radically overhauled its continuing characters—primarily Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman—rather than just reimagining them. The Superman family of titles, under editorMort Weisinger,introduced such enduring characters asSupergirl,Bizarro,andBrainiac.The Batman titles, under editorJack Schiff,introduced the successfulBatwoman,Bat-Girl,Ace the Bat-Hound,andBat-Mitein an attempt to modernize the strip with non-science-fiction elements. Schwartz and Infantino then revitalized Batman in what the company promoted as the "New Look", with relatively down-to-earth stories re-emphasizing Batman as a detective. Meanwhile, editor Kanigher successfully introduced a whole family of Wonder Woman characters having fantastic adventures in amythicalrealm.

Since the 1940s, when Superman, Batman, and many of the company's other heroes began appearing in stories together, DC's characters have inhabited a sharedcontinuitythat was later dubbed the "DC Universe"by fans. With the story"Flash of Two Worlds",inFlashNo.123 (September 1961), editor Schwartz (with writer Gardner Fox and artists Infantino andJoe Giella) presented a conceptual mechanism for slotting the 1930s and 1940s Golden Age heroes into this continuity using the explanation that they inhabited an other-dimensional "Earth 2", whilst the modern heroes exist on "Earth 1", consequently laying the foundations of what was later called theDC Multiverse.

National Periodical Publications

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DC's introduction of the reimagined superheroes did not go unnoticed by their competitors. In 1961, with DC's JLA as the specific inducement,[b]Marvel Comics' writer-editorStan Leeand artistJack Kirbyushered in the sub-Silver Age "Marvel Age" of comics with the debut issue ofThe Fantastic Four.[58]Reportedly, DC dismissed the initial success of Marvel's editorial change until its consistently strengthening sales—albeit also benefiting DC's parent company Independent News, as Marvel's distributor—made it impossible to ignore. This commercial situation was highlighted by Marvel's superiorsell-throughpercentage numbers which were typically 70% to DC's roughly 50%, meaning that DC's publications were barely making a profit after returns from the distributors were factored in, while Marvel was making a healthy profit by comparison.[59]Also in 1961, both DC and Marvel increased their cover price from ten cents to twelve cents, while the rival publisherDell Comicswas charging fifteen cents.[60]

At this time, the senior DC staff were reportedly unable to explain how this small publishing house was achieving its increasingly threatening commercial strength. For instance, when Marvel's product was examined in a meeting, the emphasis on more sophisticated character-based narrative and artist-driven visual storytelling was apparently overlooked. Instead, superficial reasons were put forward to account for the brand's popularity, like the presence of the color red or word balloons on the cover, or that the perceived crudeness of the interior art was somehow more appealing to readers. When Lee learned about DC's subsequent experimental attempts to imitate these perceived details, he amused himself by arranging direct defiance of those assumptions in Marvel's publications as sales strengthened further to frustrate the competition.[61]

However, this ignorance of Marvel's true appeal did not extend to some of the writing talent during this period, and attempts were made to emulate Marvel's narrative approach. For instance, there was theDoom Patrolseries byArnold Drake(who had previously warned DC's management about Marvel's strength),[62]a superhero team of outsiders who resented their freakish powers,[63]which Drake later speculated was plagiarized by Stan Lee to createThe X-Men.[64]There was also the youngJim Shooterwho purposely emulated Marvel's writing when he wrote for DC after studying both companies' styles, such as for theLegion of Super-Heroesfeature.[65]In 1966, National Periodical Publications established its own television arm, led by Allen Ducovny, to develop and produce TV projects, with Superman TV Corporation handling the distribution of NPP's shows.[66]

A1966 Batman TV showon theABCnetwork sparked a temporary spike in comic book sales and a brief fad for superheroes inSaturday morning animation(Filmationproduced most of DC's initial cartoons) and other media. DC significantly lightened thetoneof many of its comics—particularlyBatmanandDetective Comics—to better complement the "camp" tone of the TV series. This change in tone coincided with the prominent "Go-Go Checks" cover-dress that featured a black-and-whitecheckeredstrip at the top of each DC comic (all cover dates between February 1966 and August 1967), a misguided attempt by then-managing editor Irwin Donenfeld to make DC's output "stand out on the newsracks".[67]In particular, DC artist Carmine Infantino complained that the distinctive cover made it easier for readers to spot DC's titles and avoid them in favor of Marvel's titles.[68]

In 1967, Infantino (who had designed popular Silver Age charactersBatgirland thePhantom Stranger) rose from art director to become DC's editorial director. With the growing popularity of upstart rival Marvel Comics threatening to topple DC from its longtime number-one position in the comics industry, he tried to direct DC's focus towards marketing new and existing titles and characters with more adult sensibilities, aimed at an emerging older age group of superhero comic book fans; this was in response to Marvel's efforts to market their superherolineto college-aged adults. Infantino also recruited major talents such as ex-Marvel artist andSpider-Manco-creatorSteve Ditko,and promising newcomersNeal AdamsandDenny O'Neil,and he replaced some existing DC editors with artist-editors, includingJoe KubertandDick Giordano,to give DC's output a more artistic critical eye.[citation needed]

Kinney National / Warner Communications (1967–1990)

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In 1967, National Periodical Publications was purchased byKinney National Company,[69]which purchasedWarner Bros.-Seven Artsin 1969. Kinney National spun off its non-entertainment assets in 1972 (asNational Kinney Corporation) and changed its name toWarner Communications Inc.

In 1970,Jack Kirbymoved from Marvel Comics to DC, at the end of theSilver Age of Comics,in which Kirby's contributions to Marvel played a large, integral role.

As artistGil Kanedescribed:

Jack was the single most influential figure in the turnaround in Marvel's fortunes from the time he rejoined the company... It wasn't merely that Jack conceived most of the characters that are being done, but... Jack's point of view and philosophy of drawing became the governing philosophy of the entire publishing company and, beyond the publishing company, of the entire field... [Marvel took] Jack and use[d] him as a primer. They would get artists... and they taught them the ABCs, which amounted to learning Jack Kirby... Jack was like the Holy Scripture and they simply had to follow him without deviation. That's what was told to me... It was how they taught everyone to reconcile all those opposing attitudes to one single master point of view.[70]

Givencarte blancheto write and illustrate his own stories, he created a handful of thematically-linked series he called collectively"The Fourth World".In the existing seriesSuperman's Pal Jimmy Olsenand in his own, newly-launched seriesNew Gods,Mister Miracle,andThe Forever People,Kirby introduced such enduring characters and concepts as arch-villainDarkseidand the other-dimensional realmApokolips.Furthermore, Kirby intended their stories to be reprinted in collected editions, in a publishing format that was later called thetrade paperback,which became a standard industry practice decades later. While sales were respectable, they did not meet DC management's initially high expectations, and also suffered from a lack of comprehension and internal support from Infantino. By 1973 the "Fourth World" was all cancelled, although Kirby's conceptions soon became integral to the broadening of the DC Universe, especially after the major toy-company,Kenner Products,judged them ideal for theiraction-figureadaptation of theDC Universe,theSuper Powers Collection.[71]Obligated by his contract, Kirby created other unrelated series for DC, includingKamandi,The Demon,andOMAC,before ultimately returning to Marvel Comics in 1976.

Bronze Age

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Main article:Bronze Age of Comic Books

Following the science-fiction innovations of theSilver Age,the comics of the 1970s and 1980s became known as the Bronze Age, as fantasy gave way to morenaturalisticand sometimes darker themes. Illegal drug use, banned by theComics Code Authority,explicitly appeared in comics for the first time in Marvel Comics' story "Green Goblin Reborn!"inThe Amazing Spider-ManNo.96 (May 1971), and after the Code's updating in response, DC offered a drug-fueled storyline in writerDennis O'Neiland artistNeal Adams'Green Lantern,beginning with the story "Snowbirds Don't Fly"in the retitledGreen Lantern / Green ArrowNo.85 (September 1971), which depictedSpeedy,the teen sidekick of superhero archerGreen Arrow,as having become a heroin addict.

Jenette Kahn,a former children's magazine publisher, replaced Infantino as editorial director in January 1976. As it happened, her first task even before being formally hired, was to convince Bill Sarnoff, the head of Warner Publishing, to keep DC as a publishing concern, as opposed to simply managing their licensing of their properties.[72]With that established, DC had attempted to compete with the now-surging Marvel by dramatically increasing its output and attempting to win the market by flooding it. This included launching series featuring such new characters asFirestormandShade, the Changing Man,as well as an increasing array of non-superhero titles, in an attempt to recapture the pre-Werthamdays of post-War comicdom.

DC Comics

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In 1977, the company officially changed its name toDC Comics.[73]It had used the brand "Superman-DC" since the 1950s, and was colloquially known as DC Comics for years.[74]

In June 1978, five months before the release of thefirst Superman film,Kahn expanded thelinefurther, increasing the number of titles and story pages, and raising the price from 35 cents to 50 cents. Most series received eight-page back-up features while some had full-length twenty-five-page stories. This was a move the company called the "DC Explosion".[75]The move was not successful, however, and corporate parent Warner dramatically cut back on these largely unsuccessful titles, firing many staffers in what industry watchers dubbed "theDC Implosion".[76]In September 1978, the line was dramatically reduced and standard-size books returned to 17-page stories but for a still increased 40 cents.[77]By 1980, the books returned to 50 cents with a 25-page story count but the story pages replaced house ads in the books.

Seeking new ways to boostmarket share,the new team of publisher Kahn, vice presidentPaul Levitz,and managing editor Giordano addressed the issue of talent instability. To that end—and following the example ofAtlas/Seaboard Comics[78]and such independent companies asEclipse Comics—DC began to offerroyaltiesin place of the industry-standardwork-for-hireagreement in which creators worked for a flat fee and signed away all rights, giving talent a financial incentive tied to the success of their work. As it happened, the implementation of these incentives proved opportune considering Marvel Comics' Editor-in-Chief,Jim Shooter,was alienating much of his company's creative staff with his authoritarian manner and major talents there went to DC likeRoy Thomas,Gene Colan,Marv Wolfman,andGeorge Pérez.[79]

In addition, emulating the era's new television form, theminiserieswhile addressing the matter of an excessive number of ongoing titles fizzling out within a few issues of their start, DC created the industry concept of the comic booklimited series.This publishing format allowed for the deliberate creation of finite storylines within a more flexible publishing format that could showcase creations without forcing the talent into unsustainable open-ended commitments. The first such title wasWorld of Kryptonin 1979, and its positive results led to subsequent similar titles and later more ambitious productions likeCamelot 3000for the direct market in 1982.[80]

These changes in policy shaped the future of the medium as a whole, and in the short term allowed DC to entice creators away from rival Marvel, and encourage stability on individual titles. In November 1980 DC launched the ongoing seriesThe New Teen Titans,by writerMarv Wolfmanand artistGeorge Pérez,two popular talents with a history of success. Their superhero-team comic, superficially similar to Marvel's ensemble seriesX-Men,but rooted in DC history, earned significant sales[81]in part due to the stability of the creative team, who both continued with the title for six full years. In addition, Wolfman and Pérez took advantage of the limited-series option to create a spin-off title,Tales of the New Teen Titans,to present origin stories of their original characters without having to break the narrative flow of the main series or oblige them to double their work load with another ongoing title.

Modern Age

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Main article:Modern Age of Comic Books

This successful revitalization of the Silver Age Teen Titans led DC's editors[82]to seek the same for the widerDC Universe.The result, the Wolfman/Pérez 12-issue limited seriesCrisis on Infinite Earths,gave the company an opportunity to realign and jettison some of the characters' complicated backstory and continuity discrepancies. A companion publication, two volumes entitledThe History of the DC Universe,set out the revised history of the major DC characters.Crisisfeatured many key deaths that shaped the DC Universe for the following decades, and it separated the timeline of DC publications into pre- and post- "Crisis".

Meanwhile, a parallel update had started in the non-superhero and horror titles. Since early 1984, the work of British writerAlan Moorehad revitalized the horror seriesThe Saga of the Swamp Thing,and soon numerous British writers, includingNeil GaimanandGrant Morrison,began freelancing for the company. The resulting influx of sophisticated horror-fantasy material led to DC in 1993 establishing theVertigomature-readers imprint, which did not subscribe to theComics Code Authority.[83]

Two DC limited series,Batman: The Dark Knight ReturnsbyFrank MillerandWatchmenby Moore and artistDave Gibbons,drew attention in the mainstream press for their dark psychological complexity and promotion of the antihero.[84]These titles helped pave the way for comics to be more widely accepted in literary-criticism circles and to make inroads into the book industry, with collected editions of these series as commercially successfultrade paperbacks.[85]

The mid-1980s also saw the end of many long-running DCwar comics,including series that had been in print since the 1960s. These titles, all with over 100 issues, includedSgt. Rock,G.I. Combat,The Unknown Soldier,andWeird War Tales.

Time Warner / Time Warner Entertainment / AOL Time Warner (1990–2018)

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In March 1989, Warner Communications merged withTime Inc.,making DC Comics a subsidiary of Time Warner. In June, thefirst Tim Burton-directed Batman filmwas released, and DC began publishing its hardcover series ofDC Archive Editions;these were collections of many of their early, key comics series, featuring rare and expensive stories previously unseen by the majority of modern fans. Much of the restoration work was handled by Rick Keene, with colour restoration performed by DC's long-time resident colouristBob LeRose.The Archive Editions attempted to retroactively credit many of the writers and artists who had worked for DC without receiving much recognition during the early age of comic books when individual credits were rare.

The comics industry experienced a brief boom in the early 1990s, thanks to a combination of speculative purchasing—mass purchase of the books as collectible items, with the intention to resell at a higher value (as the rising value of older issues was thought to imply thatallcomics would rise dramatically in price)—and several storylines gaining attention from the mainstream media. DC's extended storylines in whichSuperman was killed,Batman was crippled,andGreen Lantern turned into the supervillain Parallax,resulted in dramatically increased sales. However, the increases were temporary, and sales dropped off as the industry went into a major slump, while manufactured "collectables"numbering in the millions replaced quality with quantity until fans and speculators alike deserted the medium in droves.

DC'sPiranha Pressand other imprints (including the mature readers' lineVertigo,andHelix,a short-lived science fiction imprint) were introduced to facilitate compartmentalized diversification and allow for specialized marketing of individual product lines. They increased the use of non-traditional contractual arrangements, including the dramatic rise of creator-owned projects, leading to a significant increase in critically lauded work (much of it for Vertigo) and the licensing of material from other companies. DC also increased publication of book-store friendly formats, includingtrade paperbackcollections of individual serial comics, as well as originalgraphic novels.

One of the other imprints wasImpact Comicsfrom 1991 to 1992 in which theArchie Comicssuperheroes were licensed and revamped.[86][87]The stories in the line were part of its own shared universe.[88]

DC entered into a publishing agreement withMilestone Mediathat gave DC a line of comics featuring a culturally and racially diverse range of superhero characters. Although the Milestone line ceased publication after a few years, it yielded the popular animated seriesStatic Shock.DC establishedParadox Pressto publish material such as the large-formatBig Book of...series of multi-artist interpretations on individual themes, and such crime fiction as the graphic novelRoad to Perdition.In 1998, DC purchasedWildStormComics,Jim Lee's imprint under theImage Comicsbanner, continuing it for many years as a wholly separate imprint (and fictional universe) with its own unique style and audience. As part of this purchase, DC also began to publish titles under the fledgling WildStorm sub-imprintAmerica's Best Comics(ABC), a series of titles created byAlan Moorewhich includedThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,Tom Strong,andPromethea.Moore strongly opposed this move, and DC eventually stopped publishing ABC.

In March 2003, DC acquired publishing and merchandising rights to the long-running fantasy seriesElfquest,previously self-published by creatorsWendy and Richard Piniunder theirWaRP Graphicspublication banner. This series then followed another non-DC title,Tower Comics' seriesT.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents,in collection into DC Archive Editions. In 2004, DC temporarily acquired the North American publishing rights to graphic novels from European publishers2000 ADandHumanoids.It also rebranded its younger-audience titles with the mascotJohnny DCand established theCMXimprint to reprint translatedmanga.In 2006, CMX took over fromDark Horse Comics' publication of the webcomicMegatokyoin print form. DC also took advantage of the demise ofKitchen Sink Pressand acquired the rights to much of the work ofWill Eisner,such as hisThe Spiritseries and his graphic novels.

In 2004, DC began laying the groundwork for a full continuity-reshuffling sequel toCrisis on Infinite Earths,promising substantial changes to the DC Universe (and side-stepping the 1994Zero Hourevent which similarly tried toret-conthe history of the DCU). In 2005, the critically laudedBatman Beginsfilm was released; also, the company published several limited series establishing increasingly escalating conflicts among DC's heroes, with events clima xing in theInfinite Crisislimited series. Immediately after this event, DC's ongoing series jumpedforward a full yearin their in-story continuity, as DC launched a weekly series,52,to gradually fill in the missing time. Concurrently, DC lost the copyright to "Superboy" (while retaining the trademark) when the heirs ofJerry Siegelused a provision of the 1976 revision to the copyright law to regain ownership.

In 2005, DC launched its "All-Star"line (evoking the title of the1940s publication), designed to feature some of the company's best-known characters in stories that eschewed the long and convoluted continuity of the DC Universe. The line began withAll-Star Batman & Robin the Boy WonderandAll-Star Superman,andAll-Star Wonder WomanandAll-Star Batgirlwas announced in 2006, but neither of these stories had been released or scheduled as of the end of 2009.[89]

By 2007, DC was licensing characters from theArchie ComicsimprintRed Circle Comics.[90]They appeared in the Red Circle line, based in the DC Universe, with a series ofone-shotsfollowed by a miniseries that led into two ongoing titles that each lasted for ten issues.[88][91]

DC Entertainment

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In 2011, DC rebooted all of its running titles following theFlashpointstoryline. The reboot calledThe New 52gave new origin stories and costume designs to many of DC's characters.

DC licensed pulp characters includingDoc Savageand theSpiritwhich it then used, along with some DC heroes, as part of theFirst Wavecomics line launched in 2010 and lasting through fall 2011.[92][93][94]

In May 2011, DC announced it would begin releasing digital versions of their comics on the same day as paper versions.[95]

On June 1, 2011, DC announced that it would end all ongoing series set in the DC Universe in August and relaunch its comic line with 52 issue #1s, starting withJustice Leagueon August 31 (written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jim Lee), with the rest to follow later on in September.[96][97]

On June 4, 2013, DC unveiled two new digital comic innovations to enhance interactivity:DC2andDC2Multiverse.DC2layers dynamic artwork onto digital comic panels, adding a new level of dimension to digital storytelling, whileDC2Multiverseallows readers to determine a specific story outcome by selecting individual characters, storylines and plot developments while reading the comic, meaning one digital comic has multiple outcomes.DC2appeared in the digital-first title,Batman '66,based on the1960s television seriesandDC2Multiverseappeared inBatman: Arkham Origins,a digital-first title based on thevideo game of the same name.[98]

In 2014, DC announced an eight-issue miniseries titledConvergencewhich began in April 2015.[99][100][101][102]

In 2016, DC announced a line-wide relaunch titledDC Rebirth.[103]The new line would launch with an 80-page one-shot titled DC Universe: Rebirth, written byGeoff Johns,with art from Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, and more. After that, many new series would launch with a twice-monthly release schedule and new creative teams for nearly every title. The relaunch was meant to bring back the legacy and heart many felt had been missing from DC characters since the launch of the New 52. Rebirth brought huge success, both financially and critically.[104][105][106]

WarnerMedia / Warner Bros. Discovery unit (2018–present)

edit

On February 21, 2020, the Co-Publisher of DC Comics,Dan DiDiostepped down after 10 years at that position. The company did not give a reason for the move, nor did it indicate whether it was his decision or the company's. The leadership change was the latest event in the company restructuring which began the previous month, as several top executives were laid off from the company.[107][108]However,Bleeding Coolreported that he was fired.[109]

In June 2020, Warner Bros. announced a separate DC-themed online-only convention. Known asDC FanDome,the free "immersive virtual fan experience" was a 24-hour-long event held on August 22, 2020.[110]The main presentation, entitled "DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes", was held as scheduled on August 22.[111]The remaining programming was provided through a one-day video on demand experience, "DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse", on September 12.

AsWarner Bros.andDC'sresponse to San Diego Comic-Con's cancellation due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,the convention featured information about DC-based content including theDC Extended Universefilm franchise, theArrowversetelevision franchise, comic books, and video games. The convention also returned for the virtual premiere ofWonder Woman 1984[112]and returned once again on October 16, 2021.[113]

In August 2020, roughly one-third of DC's editorial ranks were laid off, including the editor-in-chief, senior story editor, executive editor, and several senior VPs.[114]

In March 2021, DC relaunched their entire line once again under the banner ofInfinite Frontier.After the events of theDark Nights: Death Metalstoryline, theDC Multiversewas expanded into a larger "Omniverse" where everything is canon, effectively reversing the changesThe New 52introduced a decade prior.[115]

Furthermore, AT&T spun off WarnerMedia to Discovery, formingWarner Bros. Discovery.This merger was completed on April 8, 2022.

In January 2023, DC relaunched their line under the banner ofDawn of DCfollowing the conclusion ofDark Crisis on Infinite EarthsandLazarus Planet.[116]Later that year,Jim Leewas promoted to President of DC in May.[117]

edit
  • The November 1941 DC titles introduced an updated logo. This was almost twice the size of the previous version and the first with a white background. The name "Superman" was added to "A DC Publication", effectively acknowledging both Superman and Batman. This logo was the first to occupy the top-left corner of the cover, which is where the logo has generally resided ever since. The company began to refer to itself in its advertising as "Superman-DC".[118]
  • When Jenette Kahn became DC's publisher in late 1976, she commissioned graphic designerMilton Glaserto design a new company logo. Popularly referred to as the "DC bullet", this logo premiered on the February 1977 titles. Although it varied in size and colour, was at times cropped by the edges of the cover, and was briefly rotated by 4degrees, the logo remained essentially unchanged for almost three decades. Despite the various logo changes since 2005, the old "DC bullet" continues to be used only on theDC Archive Editionsseries.[119]
  • On May 8, 2005, a new logo (dubbed the "DC spin" ) was unveiled, debuting on DC titles in June 2005 withDC Special: The Return ofDonna TroyNo.1 and the rest of the titles the following week. As well as being used for comics, the new logo was designed for DC properties in other media, including films sinceBatman Begins(withSuperman Returnsshowing the logo's normal variant), the TV seriesSmallville,the animated seriesJustice League Unlimitedand others, as well as forcollectiblesand other merchandise. The "DC Spin" logo was designed by Josh Beatman of Brainchild Studios[120]and DCexecutiveRichard Bruning.[121]
  • In March 2012, DC unveiled a new logo designed byLandor Associates,which consists of a letter "D" peeling back to reveal the letter "C". The logo was intended to signify the concept of superheroes having "dual" identities and was adaptable across different mediums.[122]
  • In May 2016, in conjunction with theDC Rebirth,DC replaced the "peel" logo with a circular logo reminiscent of the 1972 logo.[123]
  • In July 2024, an updated version of Glaser's 1977 "Bullet" logo was unveiled during San Diego Comic-Con, as well as an accompanying intro sequence featuring Superman forDC Studios.[124]
edit
  • 1977–2005, aka the "DC Bullet" (first era logo)
  • 2005–2012, aka the "DC Spin" logo
  • 2016–2024, logo introduced with theDC Rebirthrelaunch
  • 2024–present, aka the "DC Bullet" (second era / return logo)

Imprints

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Main article:List of DC Comics imprints

Active

edit

Defunct

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See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^In a 1947–1948 lawsuit filed by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster against National, the presiding judge noted in a "Findings of Facts": "DETECTIVE COMICS, INC. was a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, and was one of the constituent corporations consolidated on September 30, 1946 into defendant NATIONAL COMICS PUBLICATIONS, INC."[50]
  2. ^Apocryphal legend has it that in 1961, eitherJack LiebowitzorIrwin Donenfeldof DC Comics (then known as National Periodical Publications) bragged about DC's success with the Justice League (which had debuted inThe Brave and the BoldNo.28 (February 1960) before going on to its own title) to publisherMartin Goodman(whose holdings included the nascentMarvel Comics,which was being distributed by DC's Independent News at this time) during a game of golf.

    However, film producer and comics historianMichael Uslanpartly debunked the story in a letter published inAlter EgoNo.43 (December 2004), pp. 43–44

    Irwin said he never played golf with Goodman, so the story is untrue. I heard this story more than a couple of times while sitting in the lunchroom at DC's 909 Third Avenue and 75 Rockefeller Plaza office asSol Harrisonand [production chief]Jack Adlerwere schmoozing with some of us... who worked for DC during our college summers... [T]he way I heard the story from Sol was that Goodman was playing with one of the heads of Independent News, not DC Comics (though DCownedIndependent News)... As the distributor of DC Comics, this man certainly knew all the sales figures and was in the best position to tell this tidbit to Goodman.... Of course, Goodman would want to be playing golf with this fellow and be in his good graces... Sol worked closely with Independent News' top management over the decades and would have gotten this story straight from the horse's mouth.

    Goodman, a publishing trend-follower who was aware of DC's strong JLA sales, confirmably directed his comics editor,Stan Lee,to create a comic-book series about a team of superheroes. According to Lee: "Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most. It was a book calledThe[sic]Justice League of Americaand it was composed of a team of superheroes.... ' If the Justice League is selling ', spoke he, 'why don't we put out a comic book that features a team of superheroes?'"[57]

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