DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American publishers of comic books. It is part of DC Entertainment, Inc., which also produces motion pictures, television shows, and other materials based on DC comic book characters. DC Comics is known for superhero comics with often dark, gritty storylines set in fictional American cities, such as Gotham City and Metropolis. Some of DC’s best-known characters, including Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, helped establish the superhero genre of comic books. They remain among the most popular superheroes of all time and have appeared in many television shows and movies. Some of DC’s other main comic book characters include the superheroes the Flash, Green Lantern, and Aquaman and the supervillain the Joker.
DC Comics began as National Allied Publications. The company was founded in 1934 by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, an American soldier and writer. National Allied Publications began publishing original stories and artwork in anthology comics such as “New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine” and “More Fun Comics” (1935-1947). Anthology comics feature several titles gathered together by theme or target audience. In 1937, the company began publishing the anthology book “Detective Comics” (1937-2011). In 1938, a new anthology series called “Action Comics” (1938-2011) introduced Superman, created by the American writer Jerry Siegel and the Canadian-American artist Joe Shuster. Superman is a hero with incredible powers, pioneering the modern idea of a superhero.
Due to the growing popularity of “Detective Comics,” National Allied Publications changed its name to Detective Comics, Inc. In 1939, Detective Comics #27 featured a story that introduced the character of Batman, created by the American artist Bob Kane and the American writer Bill Finger. In 1942, the character of Wonder Woman debuted, created by the American writer William Moulton Marston. By this time, Detective Comics, Inc., had begun referring to its publications as “DC” comic books. In 1977, the company officially changed its name to DC Comics.
In addition to its regular line-up of superhero comics, DC Comics began publishing stories that were more experimental and mature. “Watchmen” (1986-1987), written by the English author Alan Moore, presented a superhero murder mystery set in an alternate version of the United States during the Cold War. “The Sandman” (1989-1996), written by the British-born author Neil Gaiman, is a surreal fantasy about a mythical ruler of dreams. The success of such series encouraged DC Comics to create the imprint Vertigo Comics in 1993. Vertigo took over some titles with mature themes, including “The Sandman,” and produced such original series as “Y: The Last Man” (2002-2008), “Preacher” (1995-2000), and “Fables” (2002-2015).
Many motion pictures and television series have been created based on the DC Comics characters. Several early television shows, such as the live-action “Adventures of Superman” (1952-1958) and “Batman” (1966-1968), took a light, comical approach to the characters. Many cartoons, such as “Super Friends” (1980-1984), were made specifically for children. DC Comics was acquired by the motion picture studio Warner Bros. after both companies were purchased by the Ross Kinney Corporation in 1969. Warner Bros. released films with more mature treatments of DC characters. Highlights include Superman (1978); Batman (1989); the English director Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, starting with Batman Begins (2006); and Wonder Woman (2017). Warner Bros. created DC Entertainment, Inc., in 2009 to oversee both the comic book and motion picture projects of DC Comics.
