[17], In November 2006, All-Star DC was launched with All-Star Superman and ran 12 issues. The resulting influx of sophisticated horror-fantasy material led to DC in 1993 establishing the Vertigo mature-readers imprint, which did not subscribe to the Comics Code Authority. 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. The limited series was six issues long, published in 2010 and written by Brian Azzarello, and drawn by Rags Morales featuring the main characters of the universe. With the story "Flash of Two Worlds", in Flash No. [54], The Dark Nights: Metal six-issue miniseries started in August 2017. The July 1972 DC titles featured a new circular logo. In May 1992, the imprint got its first team title, The Crusaders, lasting eight issues. [58] In 1966, National Periodical Publications had set up its own television arm, led by Allen Ducovny to develop and produce projects for television, with Superman TV Corporation to handle its television distribution of NPP's TV shows. Faced with declining sales and the prospect of bankruptcy if it lost, Fawcett capitulated in 1953 and ceased publishing comics. 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. MacDonald, Heidi D. "DC's Titanic Success", Superman's first depicted romantic interest. 1, released in December 1935, which was the start of the long-running Adventure Comics series featuring many anthology titles as well. And with Alex Ross art, the . This logo was placed in the top center of the cover from August 1975 to October 1976. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [28] Detective Comics #29 (July 1939) introduced the Batman's utility belt by Gardner Fox. You know the big ones--Superman, Ironman,. This extended to DC suing Fawcett Comics over Captain Marvel, at the time comics' top-selling character (see National Comics Publications, Inc. v. Fawcett Publications, Inc.). [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. [dct 4], As part of the DC Entertainment reorganization, DC ended the Zuda imprint in September 2010. DC Comics | History, Characters, & Facts | Britannica While Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman merchandise always sold big, the comic books themselves were scraping rock bottom, according to ComicBook.com. The Walt Disney Company owns Marvel, and the DC Comics Company is a subsidiary of AT&T. Through the ages, Marvel and DC have become part of the Fortune 500. . From old to new, from long-defunct to just-coming-into-their-own, from the worlds of Hellboy to Spawn, here's Newsarama's look at the best non-Marvel or DC superhero universes comic books have to . basically, like we know, DC buys a lot of comic companies and incorporates their characters into their universe (last example, Wildstorm. Executive Editor Bobbie Chase was given custom comics, DC Kids, Digital First titles, Hanna-Barbera comics, Milestone and the relaunched Wildstorm Universe, plus the young reader imprint expected in 2018. Who Owns DC Comics (2023 UPDATED) All You Need to Know - Toynk Toys 33 (Nov. 1939) first depicting the death of Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne by a mugger. The merger that rocked the comic industry (seven decades ago) - CBR [citation needed], In July 1998, the Cliffhanger comic Danger Girl was licensed out to New Line Cinema for a film adaptation. 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. This series then followed another non-DC title, Tower Comics' series T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Wildstorm was an imprint and subsidiary of DC Comics that was acquired that featured superheroes. Wonder Comics is a DC Comics curated imprint with in DC Universe continuity with a teen focus by the main contributor and curator being Brian Michael Bendis. In the 60s, a New Jersey parking lot company bought the publishers of DC Comics and Show more. The Top Comic Book Publishers and Companies - LiveAbout [citation needed]. [88][89], On June 4, 2013, DC unveiled two new digital comic innovations to enhance interactivity: DC2 and DC2 Multiverse. The initial lineup included creators such as Frank Miller, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Scott Snyder, Lee Bermejo and more. Irwin said he never played golf with Goodman, so the story is untrue. The mid-1980s also saw the end of many long-running DC war comics, including series that had been in print since the 1960s. 123 (September 1961), editor Schwartz (with writer Gardner Fox and artists Infantino and Joe Giella) introduced a concept that allowed slotting the 1930s and 1940s Golden Age heroes into this continuity via the explanation that they lived on an other-dimensional "Earth 2", as opposed to the modern heroes' "Earth 1"in the process creating the foundation for what was later called the DC Multiverse. [23] Detective Comics, Inc. soon launched a new anthology title, entitled Action Comics. [dct 2] Using the licensed Red Circle characters, DC launched the Impact Comics imprint in 1991 as an introductory and new talent imprint. In 1935, Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson published New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine #1, the first all-original comic book. [dci 4], Originally, it was planned to be released in July 1996 with September cover dates as "Matrix". [71], In addition, emulating the era's new television form, the miniseries while 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 book limited series. [dct 2]. DC signed Alloy Media & Marketing to market the imprint with a $250,000 budget. Since early 1984, the work of British writer Alan Moore had revitalized the horror series The Saga of the Swamp Thing, and soon numerous British writers, including Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison, began freelancing for the company. Piranha's best-selling (and most well-remembered) title was Why I Hate Saturn (which started Kyle Baker's solo career). American comic book publisher, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Entertainment, This article is about the US publisher of comics. Are Marvel And Dc Owned By The Same Company? - Very Aware Concurrently, DC lost the copyright to "Superboy" (while retaining the trademark) when the heirs of Jerry Siegel used a provision of the 1976 revision to the copyright law to regain ownership. [4] The imprint continued until 1998, when its "signature book" Transmetropolitan transferred to the Vertigo imprint. Creators include Mariko Tamaki, Ridley Pearson, Steve Pugh, and more. [dci 8] Due to scheduling issues of the creative team, the status of writer Geoff Johns and artist J.G. [dct 2] The miniseries Crucible began in February 1993 by writers Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn and artist Joe Quesada and was an attempt to relaunch the line, but with sales still lagging, the imprint was instead cancelled. 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 as Sol Harrison and [production chief] Jack Adler were 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 DC owned Independent 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. [citation needed], With DC's New 52 reboot in September 2011, the Edge line of titles was launched with the Stormwatch and Grifter titles, the Wildstorm characters integrated with the DC Universe, and the All-Star Western, Sgt. Its headquarters are in Burbank, California. "Watchmen," "The Dark Knight Returns," "Sandman," "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," "Fables," "Y: The Last Man," and many more make up its more mature Vertigo imprint comics. 03 of 06 Dark Horse Comics Star Wars. Image Comics - Wikipedia [35] In April 1999, Tom Strong begins its run. [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. A notable debut in the first issue was Slam Bradley, created in a collaboration between Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Earth One (EO) is a DC Comics graphic novel imprint that features a separate continuity from their main 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. [2] DC teamed up with Milestone Media to co-publish Milestone Comics starting in 1993. This merger was completed on April 8, 2022. "Martin mentioned that he had noticed one of the titles published by National Comics seemed to be selling better than most. In May 2002, an ongoing title, Fables by Bill Willingham, revitalized the Vertigo line with stories updating old fairy tales. 28 (June 1939). Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade began in December 2008. The line became an imprint with October 1991's Batman: Holy Terror, as it was the first to carry the Elseworlds logo. ", "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? In 2006, CMX took over from Dark Horse Comics publication of the webcomic Megatokyo in print form. To that endand following the example of Atlas/Seaboard Comics[70] and such independent companies as Eclipse ComicsDC began to offer royalties in place of the industry-standard work-for-hire agreement 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. . The new logo was first used on May 25, 2016, in conjunction with the release of, DC Zoom (20192019; replaced by DC Graphic Novels for Kids), This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 06:23. By 1938, Wheeler-Nicholson sold to Liebowitz/Donenfeld; Ellsworth left; and only Sullivan remained at NAP. Red Circle was a DC Comics line of comic books in the DC Universe featuring the Red Circle characters. DC2 layers dynamic artwork onto digital comic panels, adding a new level of dimension to digital storytelling, while DC2 Multiverse allows 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. [25] The series Detective Comics would make successful history as first featuring Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger in issue#27 (March 1939) with the request of more superhero titles. [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. In the existing series Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen and in his own, newly-launched series New Gods, Mister Miracle, and The Forever People, Kirby introduced such enduring characters and concepts as arch-villain Darkseid and the other-dimensional realm Apokolips. DC Comics, American media and entertainment company whose iconic comic -based properties represented some of the most enduring and recognizable characters in 20th- and 21st-century popular culture. The company began to move aggressively against what it saw as copyright-violating imitations from other companies, such as Fox Comics' Wonder Man, which (according to court testimony) Fox started as a copy of Superman. This imprint allows creators to craft stories about DC's biggest superheroes outside of restrictive continuity. 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. Comic book companies horde thousands of characters for future use - NPR A handful of the most popular superhero-titles, including Action Comics and Detective Comics, the medium's two longest-running titles, continued publication. [33] Action Comics No. Comic book publishers like Marvel and DC sit on a treasure trove: thousands and thousands of comic book characters. Immediately after this event, DC's ongoing series jumped forward a full year in their in-story continuity, as DC launched a weekly series, 52, to gradually fill in the missing time. Additional Helix titles were later republished in collected editions under the Vertigo brand. Lines of comic books are related comic books that do not necessarily have their own imprint. In January 2023, DC is set to relaunch their line under the banner of "Dawn of DC" following the conclusion of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths and Lazarus Planet. [52] Reportedly, DC ignored the initial success of Marvel with this editorial change until its consistently strengthening sales, albeit also benefiting Independent News' business as their distributor as well, made that impossible. Several of DC's existing titles such as Animal Man (Volume 1); Doom Patrol (Volume 2); Hellblazer (Volume 1); Sandman (Volume 2); Shade, the Changing Man . DC Zoom is focused on young readers, while DC Ink is aimed at young adults. 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. [45], Both of these titles also included back-up stories further showcasing the First Wave universe. [dci 2][dct 2], Johnny DC, later DC Entertainment, was DC's imprint for its all ages cartoon titles. Also, in October, the imprint had its first crossover storyline "The Childrens Crusade", running through the Vertigo annuals with The Children's Crusade "book-end" series. The line consisted of a Young Justice book written by Bendis with art from Patrick Gleason, Naomi by Bendis, David Walker and Jamal Campbell, Wonder Twins by Mark Russell with art by Stephen Byrne, and Dial H for Hero, which was written by Sam Humphries and drawn by Joe Quinones. The reboot called The New 52 gave new origin stories and costume designs to many of DC's characters. Vertigo was an imprint of DC Comics that began publication in 1993. The company now referred to itself in its advertising as "Superman-DC". [10] Then on September 27, as part of DC Entertainment's reorganization, DC announced the end of the Wildstorm and Zuda imprints with Bob Harris named Editor-in-Chief for all remaining imprints: DC, Mad and Vertigo. In October, Gammarauders was canceled with issue 10. [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. 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. Known as DC FanDome, the free "immersive virtual fan experience" was a 24-hour-long event held on August 22, 2020. [dci 1] The imprint was DC's first imprint that allowed creator-owned titles. [21], Wheeler-Nicholson's next and final title, Detective Comics, advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936, eventually premiered three months late with a March 1937 cover date. DC also took advantage of the demise of Kitchen Sink Press and acquired the rights to much of the work of Will Eisner, such as his The Spirit series and his graphic novels. [dci 2], In January 1993, DC's Vertigo imprint was launched with some former DC Comics imprint titles. Up to 50% off pre-order, mail order comics, trade paperbacks and collectibles from DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, Boom! 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. The title of the book usually appeared inside the circle, either above or below the letters. The character originally acquired by DC (Ted Kord) is still being used, but the main Blue Beetle is now Jaime Reyes. It's Not Blood Moon. 20 (October 1938). But the mergers weren't over yet. The first four titles in the line were Future Quest, Scooby Apocalypse, The Flintstones and Wacky Raceland. 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. [dct 4] Vertigo in 2011 released two one-shot multi-editor anthologies: Strange Adventures and The Unexpected. [dct 2], Impact was launched in July 1991 with several titles: Black Hood, The Fly, Jaguar, Comet, Legend of the Shield and The Web. [dct 4], A direct-to-video animated movie was made based on All-Star Superman by Warner Home Video and released on February 22, 2011.[18]. DC's first logo appeared on the April 1940 issues of its titles. Action Comics (1938 DC) 97 different issues in stock: Action Comics (2016 3rd Series) 278 different issues in stock: Adventure Comics (1938 1st Series) DC Ink was a graphic novel imprint for younger readers. Corporate history In 1961, with DC's JLA as the specific spur,[b] Marvel Comics writer-editor Stan Lee and a robust creator Jack Kirby ushered in the sub-Silver Age "Marvel Age" of comics with the debut issue of The Fantastic Four. 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. [20] In 1937, in debt to printing-plant owner and magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld who also published pulp magazines and operated as a principal in the magazine distributorship Independent News Wheeler-Nicholson had to take Donenfeld on as a partner to publish Detective Comics No. [dct 2], Piranha was shut down in 1994 to be replaced by Paradox Press[dci 1] with Milestone Comics following in 1996. DC also published crime and horror titles, but relatively tame ones, and thus avoided the mid-1950s backlash against such comics. [31] The series Adventure Comics would eventually follow in the footsteps of Action Comics and Detective Comics, featuring a new recurring superhero. Category:Licensed properties | DC Database | Fandom Marvel got bought by . 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. In February, several creator-owned titles begin printing with Vertigo from Disney's aborted Touchmark imprint starting with Enigma. The line was supposed to be a newsstand based line aimed at the younger readers within its own self-contained universe. In March 2012, DC unveiled a new logo consisting of the letter "D" flipping back to reveal the letter "C" and "DC ENTERTAINMENT". [31] Batman's origin would first be shown in Detective Comics No. The books came in a standard format with a standard price: 192 pages for $16.99. The superhero called Sandman was first written in issue No. DC Comics is one of the largest and most popular comic book production companies, boasting household names like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Joker. Way also co-wrote two other books, Mother Panic with Jody Houser, and Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye, with Jon Rivera. 10 Longest-Lasting Independent Comic Publishers Of All Time - CBR DC significantly lightened the tone of many DC comicsparticularly Batman and Detective Comicsto better complement the "camp" tone of the TV series. 10 Indie Comic Book Companies That Have Found Cinematic Success [46] National Periodical Publications became publicly traded on the stock market in 1961. Amalgam Comics published a total of 24 comics, with the first 12 comics being published in April 1996 in-between issues #3 and 4 of the miniseries DC vs. Marvel and the other 12 issues being published in June 1997. Piranha was shut down in 1994 to be replaced by Paradox Press. [6] The Red Circle line began print in 2008 as DC's second attempt with the Red Circle characters, this time as part of the DC Universe. Marvel's Superhero Licensing - WIPO Adam Hughes was working on the All Star Wonder Woman book with some pages completed by November 2008. 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. 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. DC Comics. Vertigo was the alternative imprint of DC Comics. [22], Meanwhile, Max Gaines formed the sister company All-American Publications around 1938. The title is expected to get new branding as Dark Knight, if and when it resumes. [95] The new line would launch with an 80-page one-shot titled DC Universe: Rebirth, written by Geoff Johns, with art from Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, and more. Discovery Exploring Overhaul of DC Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)", "Inside David Zaslav's Overhaul of the Warner Bros. Movie Division | Analysis", "DC Comics, Random House Ink Distribution Pact", "Welcome to Diamond Comic Distributors' Retailer Services Website! With comics sales stalling out after a sustained period of growth, many comics publishers are looking to get out while the getting is good. A 12-issue maxiseries titled Tangent: Superman's Reign, written and drawn by Jurgens, ran from March 2008 to March 2009 and revisited the Tangent Universe 10 years later, both in reality and fiction.[6].