Skip to main content

Publishers & history

A short history of DC Comics

Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Short answerDC traces to National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1934, whose New Fun #1 (February 1935) was among the first comics of all-original material. Detective Comics, Inc. (1937) gave the company its initials and, with Action Comics #1 (June 1938), Superman. Sister company All-American Publications added Wonder Woman, the Flash and Green Lantern; the firms merged as National Comics Publications in 1946, became part of Kinney National (later Warner) in 1967, and adopted the name DC Comics officially in 1977.

Origins

Wheeler-Nicholson's New Fun and More Fun were followed by Detective Comics #1 (March 1937), published by Detective Comics, Inc., a company he formed with Harry Donenfeld and Jack Liebowitz and soon lost to them. Action Comics #1 introduced Superman in 1938 and Detective Comics #27 introduced Batman in 1939 — see First appearance of Superman and First appearance of Batman.

All-American and the merger

All-American Publications, run by M. C. Gaines and Liebowitz from 1939, published Flash Comics, All-American Comics, All Star Comics and Sensation Comics — the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Justice Society and Wonder Woman. Gaines sold out in 1944 and used the money to found EC Comics; the remaining companies merged into National Comics Publications in 1946. The "DC" circle logo appeared on covers from 1940.

Silver Age and after

Showcase #4 (October 1956) reintroduced the Flash and began the Silver Age. National Periodical Publications (renamed 1961) was bought by Kinney National Company in 1967, which became Warner Communications. The name DC Comics was adopted officially in 1977. Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986) reset the continuity; Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns (1986) defined the Copper Age; the Vertigo imprint (1993) grew from the Alan Moore Swamp Thing run that produced John Constantine.

Recent decades

  • 2011 — The New 52 relaunch of the entire line (September 2011); DC leaves the Comics Code.
  • 2015 — DC moves from New York to Burbank; Bill Finger credited as Batman's co-creator.
  • 2016 — DC Rebirth (May 2016).
  • 2020 — DC ends its distribution through Diamond (June 2020) in favour of Lunar Distribution. See How Marvel and DC changed distribution in 2020–2021.
  • 2024 — The Absolute Universe line launches (October 2024).

Browse DC Comics in the store, from Golden Age Superman to Modern Age Batman.

Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.

In the vault right now

Browse all listings →
Key issueLast copy

DC Comics · Modern Age

Batman Adventures #12

CGC 9.8 · Universal Blue

First comic-book appearance of Harley Quinn

(0)
$2,500
Key issueLast copy

DC Comics · Modern Age

Detective Comics (2011) #20

CGC 9.8 · Signature Series

We Can Be Heroes variant, signed and sketched by Frank Miller

(0)
$999
Key issueLast copy

DC Comics · Modern Age

Wonder Woman (2011) #49

CGC 9.8 · Signature Series

Neal Adams variant cover, CGC Signature Series

(0)
$159
Key issueLast copy

DC Comics · Golden Age

Superman #2

CBCS 3.0 · Universal Blue

Second issue of Superman's own title (Fall 1939)

(0)
$6,820

Keep reading

  • Collecting

    What are the ages of comic books? Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper and Modern explained

    Collectors divide American comics into eras: the Golden Age (1938 to the mid-1950s), the Silver Age (1956 to about 1970), the Bronze Age (about 1970 to 1985), the Copper Age (about 1985 to 1991) and the Modern Age (1991 to today). The boundaries are conventions rather than official dates, but each era has its own print runs, survival rates, paper and pricing, which is why listings and price guides always state one.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Collecting

    What was the Comics Code Authority?

    The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was a self-regulation body set up by American comic publishers in 1954, after a public campaign against crime and horror comics and a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing that year. Its seal on a cover certified that the contents met the Code's content rules. The Code ended the pre-Code horror era, was loosened in 1971 and 1989, and was abandoned by Marvel in 2001 and by DC and Archie in 2011, after which it ceased to exist.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • News

    The most expensive comic books ever sold: documented record sales

    The record for a single comic is 6 million dollars, paid for a CGC 8.5 copy of Action Comics #1 (1938) at Heritage Auctions in April 2024. Other documented milestone sales include a CGC 7.0 Superman #1 at 5.3 million dollars (private sale, 2022), a CGC 9.6 Amazing Fantasy #15 at 3.6 million dollars (Heritage, September 2021), a CGC 8.5 Action Comics #1 at 3.25 million dollars (ComicConnect, April 2021) and a CGC 9.4 Captain America Comics #1 at 3.12 million dollars (Heritage, April 2022).

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Superman?

    Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1, cover-dated June 1938 and on sale in April 1938, created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster and published by Detective Comics, Inc., the company that became DC Comics. It is the first superhero comic and the most valuable comic book in the world: a CGC 8.5 copy sold for 6 million dollars in April 2024.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Batman?

    Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27, cover-dated May 1939, in a six-page story titled “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate”, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and published by Detective Comics, Inc. (DC). Finger, who wrote the story and shaped the costume, was officially credited by DC as co-creator from 2015. A CGC 8.0 copy sold for 1.5 million dollars at Heritage Auctions in January 2022.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Captain America?

    Captain America first appeared in Captain America Comics #1, cover-dated March 1941 and on sale in December 1940, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for Timely Comics, the company that became Marvel. The issue is famous for its cover of Cap punching Adolf Hitler, published a year before the United States entered the Second World War, and it also introduced Bucky and the Red Skull. A CGC 9.4 copy sold for 3.12 million dollars at Heritage Auctions in April 2022.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026