History Creator / DCComics

DC began as Detective Comics, Inc in 1937, to publish a crime-themed AnthologyComic, ''Detective Comics'', which introduced Franchise/{{Batman}} in issue 27. In 1938, the company launched a second title, ''Action Comics'', starring Franchise/{{Superman}}. Detective Comics merged with National Allied Publications and All-American Publications in 1944 to form National Comics; however, due to the appearance of their logo, the company was popularly known as DC Comics, and eventually formally adopted that as its name.

In the 1990s, with comics enjoying increased sales due to a speculation boom, DC published a series of dramatic, shocking stories, including such events as [[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman Superman dying]], [[ComicBook/{{Knightfall}} Batman's back being broken]], and Green Lantern becoming a {{supervillain}}; sales were impressive, but they quickly dropped off again as the law of supply and demand came to bite speculators in [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer their collective assi]]. However, DC endured, and continued to publish a number of critically acclaimed graphic novels under its Vertigo, [=WildStorm=], and America's Best Comics imprints. (Other imprints, such as Helix (SF) and Minx (targeted at the teenage girl manga market), have been less successful.)

* WesternAnimation/DCUniverseAnimatedOriginalMovies (Direct-to-video animated films starting with ''WesternAnimation/SupermanDoomsday'')
* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse (cinematic SharedUniverse)

* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse (''Film/ManOfSteel'' and related films)

In the 1970s, after Marvel's [[UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode Comics Code]]-defying [[DrugsAreBad anti-drug]] ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' story, DC jumped on the bandwagon with a slew of '[[MoralOfTheStory relevant]]', social-issue-tackling {{superhero}} stories. Most famously, Franchise/GreenLantern and ComicBook/GreenArrow took a trip across America, fighting such issues as drug use and broken homes. Furthermore, Creator/JackKirby, the other major co-creator of the MarvelUniverse, signed up to create [[ComicBook/NewGods The Fourth World]] comics such as ''The ComicBook/NewGods'' and ''ComicBook/MisterMiracle''. Unfortunately, these titles were ahead of their time and Kirby eventually returned to Marvel in the mid 1970s.

However, by the late 1970s, the company was going through rough waters with Marvel finally beating them in sales and DC Comics floundering with titles that began big and then petered out within a few issues. Then the company got a new president, Jenette Kahn, who began to reorganize the company to fix that problem. For instance, she created health plans and instituted reprint fees. More importantly, in 1981, she instituted a royalty system for talents where the better their titles sold, the more they would be paid, giving them a stake in a series' continued success. Also, she and the senior editors took control of their titles' sustainability problem by creating the LimitedSeries, so they could at least get it under their control with predetermined endings for title. The moves paid off, the most obvious example being ''The New ComicBook/TeenTitans'' which became a major success under Marv Wolfman and George Perez, whose enhanced pay was enough incentive to keep the title going for years. Furthermore, they could show the origins of their original characters in a mini-series ''Tales of the Teen Titans'' without interrupting their main title.

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of its material has relied steadfastly on [[Main/MeaningfulTitles "The World's Greatest Super Heroes"]] throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of alliances, rogue's galleries, task forces, crime syndicates, and oddities]] holding its banner high.

* DC Zoom

* DC Ink

In 2013, it was announced that DC would be relocating its main offices to Los Angeles to better integrate its multimedia operations.

To tell the history of this storied company and its exploits would arguably take as much time to explain DC's Extended Universe. As an alternative, this is our attempt.

* ArcNumber: Since 2006, "52" has been the arc number for the DC Universe, being the title of a weekly series, the number of Earths in their multiverse, the number of DCU titles in their 2011 reboot, et cetera.
** This may no longer apply as of Convergence and DC Rebirth.

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of its material has relied steadfastly on [[Main/MeaningfulTitles "The World's Greatest Super Heroes"]] throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of alliances, rogue's galleries, factions, and oddities]] holding its banner high.

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of its material has relied steadfastly on [[Main/MeaningfulTitles "The World's Greatest Super Heroes"]] throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of factions, villains, rogues, and oddities,]] holding its banner high.

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of it's material has relied steadfastly on [[Main/MeaningfulTitles "The World's Greatest Super Heroes"]] throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of factions, villains, rogues, and oddities,]] holding it's banner high.

Detective Comics' {{superhero}}es proved popular in the 40s, but with the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, the genre entered a decline. National Comics managed to hold on during UsefulNotes/TheInterregnum by diversifying into {{western}}s, humour, romance, and scifi, as well as some crime and horror titles which were innocuous enough to escape being censored by UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode.

In the mid-1950s, DC revived their old superhero, Franchise/TheFlash, in order to appear in their anthology ''Showcase''. Rather than bringing back the old character, the writers introduced a new hero with a new secret identity and a scifi-based origin. Following the success of this story, the Franchise/GreenLantern was similarly reimagined, and National began increasing their superhero output. This practice was copied by several other publishers, most notably Marvel, who actually managed to exceed DC's sales and popularity in the 60s due to stronger writing. In 1967, DC managed to get some of this popularity by bringing Creator/SteveDitko over from Marvel, who introduced elements such as [[{{Antihero}} flawed heroes]] and personality clashes during team-up stories. Around the same time, the conglomerate Kinney National Company (who would become the parent of film studio Creator/WarnerBrothers shortly after) purchased DC Comics, integrating it as a division of Warner Bros. in the process. In the 70s, DC began to expand into more mature stories, attracting teenagers and young adults who previously considered comics to be exclusively a kids' medium.

However, by the late 1970s, the company was going through rough waters with Marvel finally beating them in sales and DC Comics floundering with titles that began big and then petered out within a few issues. Then the company got a new President, Jenette Kahn, who began to reorganize the company to fix that problem. For instance, she created health plans and instituted reprint fees. More importantly, in 1981, she instituted a royalty system for talents where the better their titles sold, the more they would be paid, giving them a stake in a series' continued success. Also, she and the senior editors took control of their titles' sustainability problem by creating the LimitedSeries, so they could at least get it under their control with predetermined endings for title. The moves paid off, the most obvious example being ''The New ComicBook/TeenTitans'' which became a major success under Marv Wolfman and George Perez, whose enhanced pay was enough incentive to keep the title going for years. Furthermore, they could show the origins of their original characters in a mini-series ''Tales of The Teen Titans'' without interrupting their main title.

In the late 80s, DC was responsible for catapulting comics to a new era of respectability and critical acclaim. Part of this was their epic, {{continuity}}-shaking ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'', which showed that comics could tell stories as effectively as any novel or movie. The other was a pair of [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructive]] works, Creator/AlanMoore[='=]s ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and Creator/FrankMiller's ''Comicbook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', both of which brought a new level of intelligence and psychological complexity to the medium. They also kicked off the craze for DarkerAndEdgier, HotterAndSexier comics, and started the so-called [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]]. In the wake of this, all the other publishers started [[FollowTheLeader copying them]], and even the main [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]] became somewhat darker to accommodate the new tastes.

In the 90s, with comics enjoying increased sales due to a speculation boom, DC published a series of dramatic, shocking stories, including such events as [[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman Superman dying]], [[ComicBook/{{Knightfall}} Batman's back being broken]], and Green Lantern becoming a {{supervillain}}; sales were impressive, but they quickly dropped off again as the law of supply and demand came to bite speculators in [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer their collective assi]]. However, DC endured, and continued to publish a number of critically acclaimed graphic novels under its Vertigo, [=WildStorm=], and America's Best Comics imprints. (Other imprints, such as Helix (SF) and Minx (targeted at the teenage girl manga market), have been less successful.)

* TwoFirstNames: Various civilian identities of their superheroes have this, such as [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne]], [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]], [[Franchise/TheFlash Barry Allen]], among others.

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of it's material has relied steadfastly on Super Heroes throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of factions, villains, rogues, and oddities,]] holding it's banner high.

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of it's material has relied steadfastly on Superheroes throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of factions, villains, rogues, and oddities,]] holding it's banner high.

In the mid-1950s, DC revived their old superhero, Franchise/TheFlash, in order to appear in their anthology ''Showcase''. Rather than bringing back the old character, the writers introduced a new hero with a new secret identity and a scifi-based origin. Following the success of this story, the Franchise/GreenLantern was similarly reimagined, and National began increasing their superhero output. This practise was copied by several other publishers, most notably Marvel, who actually managed to exceed DC's sales and popularity in the 60s due to stronger writing. In 1967, DC managed to get some of this popularity by bringing Creator/SteveDitko over from Marvel, who introduced elements such as [[{{Antihero}} flawed heroes]] and personality clashes during team-up stories. Around the same time, the conglomerate Kinney National Company (who would become the parent of film studio Creator/WarnerBrothers shortly after) purchased DC Comics, integrating it as a division of Warner Bros. in the process. In the 70s, DC began to expand into more mature stories, attracting teenagers and young adults who previously considered comics to be exclusively a kids' medium.

[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/new_dc_logo.jpg]]

DC Comics is one of the Big Two comic book publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics. The publishing unit of DC Entertainment, itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creator/WarnerBros, it's one of the largest and oldest comic book publishing companies in the world. Most of it's material has relied steadfastly on Superheroes throughout its history, with such iconic names such as Franchise/Superman, Franchise/Batman, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/TheFlash, Franchise/GreenLantern, [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters along with an enormous supporting cast of factions, villains, rogues, and oddities,]] holding it's banner high.

DC Comics is one of the two biggest comic publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/MarvelComics.

* [[Creator/DCBlackLabel Black Label]]

* Film/DCExtendedUniverse (''Film/ManOfSteel'' and related films)

* ProductionPosse: Their adaptations have a habit of casting particular (voice) actors/actresses more than once. [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters Listing them would not be recommendable]].

* WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief:
** The operations of society in superhero comics. Aka: the "you are a special snowflake and no one could ever do what you can do" fantasy. In real life, of course, no one person is so "super" they outperform every other human being on the planet at the same time. In comics, technology is not copied wholesale by mook police or military because the readers want to read about superheroes, not about super-police spending all day filling out forms and following regulations. So the world is un-naturally "stacked" by the writers beforehand to accommodate the premise.
** Why isn't every soldier in DC kitted out in Batman gear? Why aren't there thousands of super soldiers, paid for by tens of billions in taxpayer dollars? Why can Wayne Industries do what every international space organization together fails to do? Why doesn't everyone have Steel's power armor? Etc. You can explain it away to an extent, but it is basically handed down by the Presence that, for comic book adventures to work, the individual has to be held higher than the collective effort of many individuals: Batman can do this, but anyone else? Hell no. No matter how hard you try, no. And Superman is a super man! You can't match that! Because if you could... ah... writing stories for him would be hard. that kind of stuff.