Most of you may already know what DC Comics is,
as well as the fact that it’s one if the biggest comic book publishers in the
world, being only tied with Marvel Comics. But do you know what DC stands for,
and since when the editorial was founded? The appropriate answer to those questions
would be that DC stands for “Detective Comics”, and it was founded in 1934,
although during that time, it was known as National Allied Publications.
However,
it was in 1937, when Detective Comics, Inc. was formed. 1938 was the year in
which DC Comics began introducing superheroes, starting when Action Comics #1,
best known for the debut of the character known as Superman, was published, therefore
leading to the beginning of the Golden Age of Comic Books. DC Comics started to
gain more popularity, so they decided to introduce other characters, such as Batman,
Wonder Woman, and the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America,
which was composed of lesser-known characters such as the original Flash and
Green Lantern, Hawkman, Hourman, Doctor Fate, the Atom, the Spectre, etc.
Then, the Silver Age of Comic Books (1956-1970)
began. For DC Comics, The Silver Age is best known for the introduction of characters
such as the modern Flash and Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, Supergirl,
Batwoman, Bizarro, Brainiac, the Fourth World, which marked the debut of the
New Gods, etc. The Silver Age was shortly followed by the Bronze Age (1970-1985),
during which the comic book industry became focused on tackling real-world
issues, like drug abuse and pollution, with one of the most recognizable comic
books featuring those topics being the Green Lantern/Green Arrow comics.
Finally, the Modern Age of Comic Books, also
known as the Dark Age of comic Books, was the period during which the
characters of DC were significantly altered, becoming darker and more complex.
Some of the characters’ franchises were rebooted in order to be able to be fit
for the modern audience, one good example would be “Batman: Year One,” which
retells Batman’s first year of his crime fighting career. In time, darker
storylines began to rise more frequently such as “The Death of Superman”, “Batman:
Knightfall”, “Emerald Twilight” (which is a Green Lantern story), not to
mention “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Watchmen”, which were considered the
darkest comic book stories of all time. In 2011, DC Comics revamped its
continuity again, this relaunch would be known as “The New 52”.
In my opinion, DC Comics is the best comic book
editorial company ever. Why? Because it has the most interesting characters,
you can read the same storylines over and over again without getting bored, and
it also manages to entertain people long enough in order for them to be
encouraged to buy more comic books of that company.
Well, thanks for your attention. Feel free to
comment on my blog about what DC Comics character, storyline, game, or movie would
you like me to talk about, and stay tuned for more details about comic books.
