The Origins Of DC Comics

Since the early 1900’s comics books have provided a popular source of entertainment for both children and adults. However, over time comic books have manifested into varying styles and appearances. As the culture of the world changed through war, economic depression, and political shuffle, comic books have served as a reflection of the world’s altering ideologies. The comic book powerhouse DC Comics, formerly know as Detective Comics, stands today as one of the most prominent and popular entertainment companies of the modern world. With characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and other superheros coming out of the creative minds behind DC Comics, the unprecedented influence of the company continues to be felt today. From its beginnings

Superman. The Man of Steel was first featured in Action Comics #1 as a man with a blue and red costumed holding a car above his head. The birth of Superman ushered in the first true era of comic books known as the “Golden Age” of comics which featured a new wave of costumed superheroes, secret identities, and the creation of common superhero tropes that are still present today. The greatest successes of DC Comics in this era was the introduction of the DC trinity, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman and their representations in society. Superman represents the ideas of the “American Dream” as he embodied a character who was the last son of a dying race. Superman ideologically, was the ultimate immigrant who aspired to be more than just a man, thus donning the superhero identity. In Batman’s case, the caped crusader was a man without power which directly contrasts Superman. Batman represents the peak of humanity in terms of intellect and physicality. Similarly, Wonder Woman represents the spirit of feminism as she was introduced in the 1940s. Wonder Woman was designed to be a role model for women and hold true to ideals of feminism. The DC trinity is especially significant to the world because they were reflections of humanity and society at the time they were created. The Golden Age of Comics is considered to be one of the most important eras in DC history because of the

During the Bronze Age, storylines started to tackle important domestic and international issues. It was a time of experimentation and expansion, about seeing how far the envelope could be pushed. The Silver and Bronze ages in comic book history are important periods in the continuity because they defined iconic characters as well as modernized the genre as a whole. The mid-1980 and into the 1990’s were also an exceptionally fruitful period for nontraditional comics at DC. During this period, DC sought to address the growing market for their mature readers with DC’s Vertigo imprint. Through this subdivision of DC Comics, more mature themed titles such as Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, and Sandman were featured. These titles along with several other new titles of various other subdivisions showcase DC’s efforts to expand their market to all ages and