DC Comics History

  • The Man of Tomorrow, Reborn: A Deep Dive into John Byrne’s Superman (1986-1988)

    ByBobo

    In the mid-1980s, Superman was in trouble. Decades of ‘Silver Age’ excess, such as super-dogs, pocket dimensions, and limitless powers, had made the Man of Steel feel both invincible and rather out of touch with the times. Following the universe-shaking ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’, DC Comics did the unthinkable and recruited Marvel superstar John Byrne to rewrite Superman’s mythology.

    The result was a fundamental shift in perception that still influences how we view Clark Kent today. Whether you are an avid collector or a new reader exploring these issues in digital archives, Byrne’s work remains the definitive ‘modern’ starting point.

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  • DC Comics History: Following the Dark Road of the Modern Age

    ByBobo

    It’s never easy to pinpoint the exact beginning and end of an era in the history of comics. The conclusion of the Bronze Age and the start of the Modern Age is no exception. It was a transition that occurred as much on the pages of the comics as in the shops, the convergence of multiple publishing efforts and editorial decisions that changed the way comics were sold and read, but also the stories they were allowed to tell.

    Dark, British, Violent, and Paperbacks, it’s 1980s DC Comics

    The key change that occurred in the comic book industry that DC Comics quickly embraced was the emergence of the Direct Market. Consumers were not buying their comics in the newsstands, they started going to comic book shops instead. Also, the old readers were going nowhere and wanted more mature books.

    DC President Jenette Kahn looked for new ways to develop the DC Comics brand with new lines, unexpected licensing deals, and by recruiting emerging talents and allowing them to make their mark. That’s how Frank Miller came and made Ronin, then pushed DC into its dark era with The Dark Knight Returns. This violent story about an old Batman coming back to fight crime in an alternative politicized future was a comic book for adults, an instant success that started to change the creative direction of the company, but also its economic model. It was the book that incited the creation of the DC line of paperbacks, making it available long after its original publication.

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  • DC Comics History: The Bronze Age, From Explosion to Implosion

    ByBobo

    For DC Comics, the Silver Age was an era of reinvention when it came to its line of superhero comics, but it was the same people who were still creating those comics. With Marvel Comics becoming a serious competitor, changes were once again needed, but this time they were just as much on the pages as behind the scenes.

    New editorial director Carmine Infantino brought change in a notable way. The funny animal comics disappeared, and “Weird” comics became à la mode (Weird Western, Weird Adventure Comics, Weird War, Weird Mystery). But Infantino’s important change was to give artists power and to bring new talents in. Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Denis O’Neil, and Neil Adams soon became important names at DC.

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  • DC Comics History: The Silver Age Rebirth of Superheroes

    ByBobo

    It was on a controversial note that the Golden Age ended. The history of American comics was changed forever by the adoption of the Comics Code. It will take decades to break free of it and, even then, its influence would never completely fade away.

    In March 1955, the Comics Code’s seal began appearing on DC Comics covers, like Action Comics #202, Superman #96, Batman #90, Detective Comics #217, Wonder Woman #73, and more… but not on too many costume superhero books, as those had already started to fade away.

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  • The Origin Story of DC Comics and the Golden Age of Comics

    ByBobo

    The History of DC Comics started when Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, already well-established in the printing industry, set up National Allied Publications and launched New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine in 1935. This was an oversized tabloid edited by Lloyd Jacquet. It worked well enough to justify the launch of another title, New Comics. Soon, the format changed (from tabloid to a more popular half-tabloid trim size) and the title too, as New Fun became More Fun Comics.

    To meet the needs of this new successful venture, Wheeler-Nicholson started working with the printer and distributor Independent News, the company of Harry Donenfeld, who was also interested in investing in this new emerging market.

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