The new company, WarnerDiscovery, has given flexibility for a sell of both entities to Walt Disney Company. [28][29], Starting in 1939, Siegel and Shuster's Superman would be the first comic-derived character to appear outside of comic magazines and later appear in newspaper strips starring himself, which first introduced Superman's biological parents, Jor-El and Lara. According to Men's Health, Momoa and his writing partner turned in a 50-page treatment for the sequel, which Warner Bros. bought but apparently mostly dismissed.There's no word on how much of the . All titles are edited by Jamie S. Its properties were acquired by DC Comics in the early 80s; comics by this publisher have been retroactively set on Earth-Four. In addition to moving over his Jinxworld personal imprint to DC from Marvel, Bendis took over writing Superman and Action Comics and later became curator and contributor to a new in DC Universe continuity imprint. DC entered into a publishing agreement with Milestone Media that gave DC a line of comics featuring a culturally and racially diverse range of superhero characters. 20 (October 1938). [22], Earth M is an imprint announced at New York Comic Con 2017 set to relaunch the Milestone universe by DC and Milestone Media. That commercial situation especially applied with Marvel's superior sell-through percentage numbers which were typically 70% to DC's roughly 50%, which meant DC's publications were barely making a profit in comparison after returns from the distributors were calculated while Marvel was making an excellent profit by comparison. Characters that DC acquired over the years and their current usage - Reddit [11], DC Archives Editions is a reprint line that collects DC Comics in hardcover multi-issue format. In November 2006, All-Star DC was launched with All-Star Superman. For the Scottish publisher of comics and newspapers, see, DC Comics' current logo, introduced with the, Kinney National/Warner Communications (19671990), WarnerMedia/Warner Bros. 1961; 62years ago(1961)(as National Periodical Publications), DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment,[4][5] a subsidiary of Warner Bros. This line was headed up by DC Comics' master class with contributors such as Greg Capullo, Andy Kubert, Jim Lee and John Romita Jr.[53] The Dark Multiverse concept is a fluxing reality responding to the viewer's subconscious fears. This logo was the first to occupy the top-left corner of the cover, where the logo has usually resided since. The Vertigo branding was retired in January 2020, with most of its library transferred to its successor, DC Black Label. [84][85][86], In May 2011, DC announced it would begin releasing digital versions of their comics on the same day as paper versions. With the growing popularity of upstart rival Marvel Comics threatening to topple DC from its longtime number-one position in the comics industry, he attempted to infuse the company with more focus towards marketing new and existing titles and characters with more adult sensibilities towards an emerging older age group of superhero comic book fans that grew out of Marvel's efforts to market their superhero line to college-aged adults. The Ray - Quality Comics - Justice League of America (Comics) / Freedom Fighters: The Ray (TV) . The issue also contained the first essential supporting character and one of the earliest essential female characters in comics with Lois Lane as Superman's first depicted romantic interest. Last week, reports surfaced that Warner Bros., DC Comics and DC Brand are officially being sold. The books came in a standard format with a standard price: 192 pages for $16.99. The line was supposed to be a newsstand based line aimed at the younger readers within its own self-contained universe. They may feature affiliated characters to a major character (Batman line), source of the characters (Red Circle), or other similarities. RELATED: Spider-Man 3 & 9 Other Comic Book Movies With Too Many Villains. [citation needed], DC started a Warner Bros cartoon characters line featuring Looney Tunes and Cartoon Network with the April 1994 issue of Looney Tunes. [dci 6]. DC shuttered Zuda in 2010 as the company moved to only DC Comics digital releases instead of web comics. DC Comics. [20][21] Ink launched in September 2018 with Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass by Tamaki and Steve Pugh. Alan Moore created the concepts of the line. In January 1993, DC's Vertigo imprint was launched with the Sandman and Swamp Thing groups of titles, plus Animal Man and Doom Patrol, all former DC Comics imprint titles plus Death: The High Cost of Living, a three-issue Sandman related miniseries, being the imprint's first new title. The Silver Age Rebirth brought huge success, both financially and critically. [dci 4], Impact Comics, also stylized !mpact Comics or Impact! [3] However, to avoid comparison to the then-upcoming film The Matrix, the imprint was renamed "Helix". [dct 4]. Disney buying DC Comics 2021. [dct 3] Moore became increasingly dissatisfied with DC, wrapping up the various series and moving League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to Top Shelf/Knockabout. Schwartz, together with artist 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. Dark Matter was initially announced to have five titles, but had two more added.[54]. Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade began in December 2008. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [dci 4], In 2001, DC shut down Paradox Press. 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 their action-figure adaptation of the DC Universe, the Super Powers Collection. CNBC first reported that the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, is the trojan horse to have the deal completed. [81], DC licensed characters from the Archie Comics imprint Red Circle Comics by 2007. From October to December 1992, various titles were cancelled. [26][27] An unnamed "office boy" retconned as Jimmy Olsen's first appearance was revealed in Action Comics #6's (November 1938) Superman story by Siegel and Shuster. It's Not Blood Moon. [36][31] Outside of DC's publishing, a character later integrated as DC was introduced by Fox Feature Syndicate named the Blue Beetle released in August 1939. [13], In a May 2017 editorial leadership reorganization, three Executive Editors split up DC Comics and its imprints. 85 (September 1971), which depicted Speedy, the teen sidekick of superhero archer Green Arrow, as having become a heroin addict. Its parent company, DC Entertainment, is a wholly owned subsidiary of WarnerMedia. Following the science-fiction innovations of the Silver Age, the comics of the 1970s and 1980s became known as the Bronze Age, as fantasy gave way to more naturalistic and sometimes darker themes. Boring. [dct 4] In September 2010, as part of DC Entertainment's reorganization, DC began to cancel Wildstorm imprint (with the December issues with two titles moving to the DC brand) and the Wildstorm editorial staff relocated to DC's Los Angeles-based digital publishing division. Creators include Mariko Tamaki, Ridley Pearson, Steve Pugh, and more. Jay-Z, Blackstone Acquire CGC Parent Certified Collectibles Group ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, DRAGONLANCE, FORGOTTEN REALMS . [13], Entrepreneur Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications in Autumn 1934 intended as an American comic book publishing company. In July 1989, Forgotten Realms began publication. [dct 4] The same year, Vertigo saw another Fables spin-off, Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love and its 100-page "Spectacular" reprints program began. [24] The issue's first featured tale which starred Superman was the first to feature an origin story of superheroes with the reveal of an unnamed planet, later known as Krypton, that he is said to be from. The imprint was an alternative in that the titles were about people with superpowers without costumes or fighting crime. Three new titles, Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!, Tiny Titans and Super Friends, were launched in August 2007 by Coordinating Editor Jann Jones. ", "The 100 Most Influential Pages in Comic Book History", "75 Years of the First Comic Book Superhero (It's Not Who You Think)", "10 Things Everyone Forgets About DC's Dr. Occult", "Superman's debut sells for $1M at auction", "Who Was the First Comic Book Masked Vigilante? The first revealed city was Superman's home city, Metropolis, that was originally named in Action Comics No. The first such title was World of Krypton in 1979, and its positive results led to subsequent similar titles and later more ambitious productions like Camelot 3000 for the direct market in 1982.[72]. In May 1992, the imprint got its first team title, The Crusaders, lasting eight issues. Earth M was supposed to launch its first book in early 2018[24] but the first release featuring this reality was Milestone Returns #0 in September 2020. Dan DiDio and Jim Lee began a new partnership between Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics in January 2016, both companies owned by Time Warner, in order to remake most of the studio's comedic characters and adapt them into darker and edgier settings. [34] The character Superman had another breakthrough when he was given his own comic book, which was unheard of at the time. National Comics Publications, Inc. v. Fawcett Publications, Inc. [43] Fawcett Comics was formed around 1939 and would become DC's original competitor company in the next decade. By Graeme McMillan. [dci 7], Zuda Comics was later made as a free online site for original comics. and more. Most series received eight-page back-up features while some had full-length twenty-five-page stories. In a May 2017 editorial leadership reorganization, three Executive Editors split up DC Comics and its imprints. The letters "DC" were rendered in a block-like typeface that remained through later logo revisions until 2005. Comics, was a superhero imprint for DC Comics using the Red Circle characters licensed from Archie Comics. Meanwhile, a parallel update had started in the non-superhero and horror titles. 31 in September 1939 by Gardner Fox, Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff introduced a romantic interest of Batman named Julie Madison, the weapon known as the Batarang that Batman commonly uses, and the fictional aircraft called the Batplane. [citation needed]. Batman was depicted as a masked vigilante wearing a caped suit known as the Batsuit, along with riding a car that would later be referred to as the Batmobile. Discovery's main competitor) together shared approximately 70% of the American comic book market in 2017,[12] though this number may give a distorted view since graphic novels are excluded. Discovery unit (2018present), In a 19471948 lawsuit field 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.", Apocryphal legend has it that in 1961, either. [dct 3] In August 1998, DC purchased Wildstorm Productions, including imprints Cliffhanger, Homage and ABC. [dct 4], With DC's New 52 reboot in September 2011, the Wildstorm characters were integrated into the DC Universe with the Edge line of titles with a Stormwatch and Grifter title. Crisis featured 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". With comics sales stalling out after a sustained period of growth, many comics publishers are looking to get out while the getting is good. Marvel Comics history: How the company came back from bankruptcy to The only DC superhero comics to continue publishing through the 1950s were Action Comics, Adventure Comics, Detective Comics, Batman, Superboy, Superman, Wonder Woman, and World's Finest Comics . [37] In August 1998, DC purchased Wildstorm including imprints Cliffhanger, Homage and America's Best Comics with the imprints appearing under the DC banner in January 1999. [105], 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. It was an anthology title essentially for original stories not reprinted from newspaper strips, unlike many comic book series before it. The mid-1980s also saw the end of many long-running DC war comics, including series that had been in print since the 1960s. [16], All-Star, or All-Star DC, was a DC imprint that allowed big name creators to make "out-of-continuity" stories of DC major characters. [dci 1] The Elseworlds concept was tested in 1989 with Gotham by Gaslight: An Alternate History of the Batman and became an imprint with 1991's Batman: Holy Terror. In December 1973, this logo was modified with the addition of the words "The Line of DC Super-Stars" and the star motif that continued in later logos. DC almost got bought out by Marvel Marvel, WB Back in 1984, DC Comics wasn't doing so hot. [88][89], On June 4, 2013, DC unveiled two new digital comic innovations to enhance interactivity: DC2 and DC2 Multiverse. For instance, there was the Doom Patrol series by Arnold Drake, a writer who previously warned the management of the new rival's strength;[55] a superhero team of outsiders who resented their freakish powers,[56] which Drake later speculated was plagiarized by Stan Lee to create The X-Men. The initial lineup included creators such as Frank Miller, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Scott Snyder, Lee Bermejo and more. [99][100] However, Bleeding Cool reported that he was fired.[101]. [44], Two First Wave line ongoing series were then started: Doc Savage, by Paul Malmont as the first writer joined by artist Howard Porter,[43] and The Spirit, by Mark Schultz the beginning writer joined by artist Moritat. Although the Milestone line ceased publication after a few years, it yielded the popular animated series Static Shock. [dci 2][dct 2], Johnny DC, later DC Entertainment, was DC's imprint for its all ages cartoon titles. Maggie Thompson, Michael Dean, Brent Frankenhoff, Joyce Greenholdt, John Jackson Miller (editors). The Daily Planet (a common setting of Superman) was first named in a Superman newspaper strip around November 1939. Faced with declining sales and the prospect of bankruptcy if it lost, Fawcett capitulated in 1953 and ceased publishing comics. According to Lee: The character originally acquired by DC (Ted Kord) is still being used, but the main Blue Beetle is now Jaime Reyes. [a] National Comics Publications absorbed an affiliated concern, Max Gaines' and Liebowitz' All-American Publications. [27], In November 1989, the first Elseworlds title, Gotham By Gaslight: An Alternative History of the Batman, was printed. Vertigo took over publishing collected editions for the Helix titles. For instance, when Marvel's product was examined in a meeting, Marvel's emphasis on more sophisticated character-based narrative and artist-driven visual storytelling was apparently ignored for self-deluding guesses at the brand's popularity which included superficial reasons 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. 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. 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. It only lasted two years before being merged into DC's Vertigo imprint. [63] Obligated by his contract, Kirby created other unrelated series for DC, including Kamandi, The Demon, and OMAC, before ultimately returning to Marvel Comics in 1976. [15], DC Comics discontinued all imprints as of January 2020 while implementing a new age-specific identification of DC Kids (ages 812), DC (ages 13 and older) and DC Black Label (ages 17 and above and a reuse of the former label name). Despite the success that the. Years later, Fawcett sold the rights for Captain Marvel to DCwhich in 1972 revived Captain Marvel in the new title Shazam! IDW was founded in 1999 and is generally recognized as the fifth-biggest US comics publisher in the direct sales market, behind Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image. Rock, G.I. 1. ", "Superman: The Golden Age Sundays 19431946", "Don Markstein's Toonopedia: The Red Tornado", "Batman And Superman: The Two Superheroes Are Going To Fight The First DC Villain", "DC: The 10 Rarest Batman Comics (& What They're Worth)", "A Guide to the Fictional Cities of the DC Universe", "The Metropo-list: 15 DARK Secrets You NEVER Knew About Superman's City", "15 Best Comic Book Origin Stories Of All Time", "An Oral History of DC's CAPTAIN MARVEL/SHAZAM: The Fawcett Years, Part 1", Integrative Arts 10: "The Silver Age" by Jamie Coville, "Jim Shooter's Secret Origin, in his Own Words Part One", "DC Comics, Inc.: Private Company Information", "GHM Columns: GHM Staff: Steve Higgins A+ Graphic Novels ]", "Why TEEN TITANS Is DC Comics' Most Important (But Undervalued) Franchise Nerdist", "How the Year 1986 Changed Comic Books Forever", "Completing the Red Circle: Talking to JMS", "Adam Hughes on His New Exclusive & All Star Wonder Woman", "20 Answers and 1 Question With Dan DiDio: Holiday Surprise", "Brian Azzarello Gets Ready to Break DC's First Wave", "Grumpy Old Fan Growing the garden: DC's May solicits", "DC Comics Announces Historic Renumber of All Superhero Titles and Landmark Day-and-Date Digital Distribution", "DC Comics unleashes a new universe of superhero titles", "The Definitive Guide to the DC Comics Reboot", "DC Entertainment Brings Digital Comics to the Net Level With New DC2 and DC2 Multiverse Innovations", "DC's Band-Aid Event? [dct 6], Tangent Comics was a DC Comics imprint that introduced the Tangent Universe, a new universe of superheroes, created by Dan Jurgens in 1997 based on alternative concepts for the regular DC superheroes. What if DC owned Marvel - Gen. Discussion - Comic Vine Originally in Manhattan at 432 Fourth Avenue, the DC Comics offices have been located at 480 and later 575 Lexington Avenue; 909 Third Avenue; 75 Rockefeller Plaza; 666 Fifth Avenue; and 1325 Avenue of the Americas. Detective Comics, Inc. (which would help inspire the abbreviation DC) was formed, with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, Donenfeld's accountant, listed as owners. [dct 10], In 2018, Neil Gaiman and Mark Doyle began to oversee a Sandman Universe imprint under the Vertigo banner.[34]. [23] Announced in 2009, Earth One graphic novels features re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the DC Universe. In May 2002, an ongoing title, Fables by Bill Willingham, revitalized the Vertigo line with stories updating old fairy tales. After that, many new series would launch with a twice-monthly release schedule and new creative teams for nearly every title. 6 of New Fun Comics, is considered the earliest recurring superhero created by DC who is still used. [35] The imprint published its first comic, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #1, in January 1999. These titles, all with over 100 issues, included Sgt. The Batman titles, under editor Jack Schiff, introduced the successful Batwoman, Bat-Girl, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite in an attempt to modernize the strip with non-science-fiction elements. [31] Batman's origin would first be shown in Detective Comics No. Discovery. 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. There were around 70% of the American comic book market share held by both DC Comics and its longtime rival Marvel Comics (acquired by Disney Company during 2009) in 2017, though due to . . In July, the imprint launched the Vertigo Pop: Tokyo title, lasting four issues and including some manga, and the successful Y: The Last Man lasting to January 2008 and 60 issues. Up to 50% off pre-order, mail order comics, trade paperbacks and collectibles from DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, Boom! Major Wheeler-Nicholson remained for a year, but cash-flow problems continued, and he was forced out. [75], Two DC limited series, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller and Watchmen by Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, drew attention in the mainstream press for their dark psychological complexity and promotion of the antihero. While the imprint had four solid titles, the line was closed in mid-2005, with only Hard Time moving to the main DC imprint in a second series. DC Universe characters returned to the DC imprint in July 2010, thus cancelling a title and effecting a proposed new Swamp Thing series. DC Comics Leaves Its Legacy Behind. The character Doctor Occult, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in December 1935 with issue No. After the events of the Dark Nights: Death Metal storyline, the DC Multiverse was expanded into a larger "Omniverse" where everything is canon, effectively reversing the changes The New 52 introduced a decade prior.[107]. Irwin said he never played golf with Goodman, so the story is untrue. 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. [90], In 2014, DC announced an eight-issue miniseries titled Convergence which began in April 2015. [33] Action Comics No. In March 2003 DC acquired publishing and merchandising rights to the long-running fantasy series Elfquest, previously self-published by creators Wendy and Richard Pini under their WaRP Graphics publication banner. Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications (NAP), attracting such talent as Vin Sullivan and Whitney Ellsworth. [dci 1] The imprint was DC's first imprint that allowed creator-owned titles. A DC Comics guide to the multiverse's 52 Earths and - Polygon The Ages of DC Comics - A compact guide for our readers The result, the Wolfman/Prez 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, gave the company an opportunity to realign and jettison some of the characters' complicated backstory and continuity discrepancies. 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 intent to resell at a higher value as the rising value of older issues, was thought to imply that all comics would rise dramatically in price) and several storylines which gained attention from the mainstream media. The Top Comic Book Publishers and Companies - LiveAbout This was a move the company called the "DC Explosion". Its headquarters are in Burbank, California. The imprint was renamed DC Entertainment. List of DC Comics imprints - Wikipedia The Superman family of titles, under editor Mort Weisinger, introduced such enduring characters as Supergirl, Bizarro, and Brainiac. DC Comics and its longtime major competitor Marvel Comics (acquired in 2009 by The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Discovery's main competitor) together shared approximately 70% of the American comic book market in 2017, [12] though this number may give a distorted view since graphic novels are excluded. 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. [41], The Killing Zone is an upcoming pop-up imprint from DC Comics curated by Geoff Johns, formally announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. Today, CCG serves. You know the big ones--Superman, Ironman,. DC's Piranha Press and other imprints (including the mature readers line Vertigo, and Helix, a short-lived science fiction imprint) were introduced to facilitate compartmentalized diversification and allow for specialized marketing of individual product lines.