DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

has published a number of other

imprints Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

and

lines Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...

of comics over the years.

History

In the

Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and many well-known char ...

publishing, DC Comics was also an imprint of Detective Comics and its affiliated companies,

All-American Publications All-American PublicationsThe name is spelled with a hyphen per its logo (pictured) and sources includinat Don Markstein's ToonopediaArchivedfrom the original on April 15, 2012. was one of two American comic book companies that merged to form the ...

and National Allied Publications, that were later all merged into National Periodical Publications, later renamed DC Comics. Before the merger, due to squabbles between the companies, All-American published under its own name/imprint in 1945 starting with the February stand date until the December stand date. In 1987, DC started

Piranha Press Piranha Press, an imprint of DC Comics from 1989 to 1994, was a response by DC to the growing interest in alternative comics. The imprint was edited by Mark Nevelow, who instead of developing comics with the established names in the alternative co ...

as a mature readers line. The

Elseworlds ''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realitie ...

concept was tested in 1989 with ''

Gotham by Gaslight ''Gotham by Gaslight'' is a DC Comics one-shot by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, with inks by P. Craig Russell. The story revolves around a 19th-century version of Bruce Wayne making his debut as Batman just as Jack the Ripper has arrived in G ...

: An Alternate History of the Batman'' and was an imprint with 1991's ''Batman: Holy Terror''. Using the licensed Red Circle characters, DC launched the

Impact Comics Impact Comics was an imprint of DC Comics that was aimed at younger audiences. It began in 1991 and ended in 1993. The initial "I" in the logo was stylized as an exclamation point, but the official name of the imprint was not ''!mpact''. Impact ...

imprint in 1991 as an introductory and new talent imprint. In January 1993, DC's

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

imprint was launched with some former DC Comics imprint titles. DC teamed up with

Milestone Media Milestone Media is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics, which were published and distributed by DC Comics and the ''Static Shock'' animated series. It was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers, con ...

to co-publish

Milestone Comics Milestone Media is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics, which were published and distributed by DC Comics and the ''Static Shock'' animated series. It was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers, con ...

starting in 1993.Milestone. Page 4. Impact Comics last saw print in July. Piranha was shut down in 1994 to be replaced by

Paradox Press Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like '' ...

with Milestone Comics following in 1996. In July, the

Helix A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helices, ...

science fiction imprint was launched. In December 1997, the

Tangent Comics Tangent Comics is a DC Comics imprint created in 1997, developed from ideas by Dan Jurgens. The line, formed from various one-shots, focused on creating all-new characters using established DC names, such as the Joker, Superman, and the Flash. Co ...

imprint was published on skip week, then on skip week of September 1998. In August 1998, DC purchased

Wildstorm Productions Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wildst ...

, including imprints Cliffhanger, Homage and ABC. 1998 also saw the end of the Helix imprint as its top title was moved to Vertigo, where reprints of the Helix titles also were printed under. In 2001, DC shut down Paradox Press. DC launched a

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

imprint, CMXCMX. Page 10. and DC Focus in 2004, but Focus was soon shut down in 2005.

Johnny DC Johnny DC is a character that DC Comics has used at various times as a mascot for its lines of comic books, and occasionally as a metafictional character who comments on the comics in which he appears. History The character originally appeared in ...

was launched in September 2004 with DC Comics'

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

- and

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...

-based comic books. In November 2006, All-Star DC was launched with ''All-Star Superman''. In May 2007, DC launched a line for young women called

Minx Minx, MinX or MINX may refer to: Music * MINX (band), dissolved South Korean girl group replaced by Dreamcatcher * MINX (musician) (born 1983), Australian DJ and producer * ''Minx'' (Leatherface album), 1993 * ''Minx'' (Toyah album), 1985 Pr ...

. Also that year, DC entered the webcomic market with

Zuda Comics Zuda Comics was DC Comics' webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. Some of the imprints series won awards and nominations from comic industry's Glyph Comics Awards and Harvey Awards. ''Bayou, Volume 1'' was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic ...

.Zuda Comics. Page 3. After seeing Tangent characters in the regular DC Universe in ''Infinite Crisis'' in 2006, in ''Ion'' in 2007 and then in ''Countdown to Final Crisis'', the Tangent imprint was revived on March 18, 2008 for a 12-issue maxiseries. The

Red Circle Red Circle may refer to: * Red Circle (law firms), a group of elite Chinese law firms * Red Circle (publishing), Martin Goodman's group of pulp magazine publishing corporations * Red Circle (typeface) a typeface based on the c. 1930 packaging of ...

line began print in 2008 as DC's second attempt with the Red Circle characters, this time as part of the DC Universe. The Milestone characters were also licensed in 2008 to be included in the DC Universe. With no placement in major bookstores in the young adult section, Minx was canceled in September 2008. With some licensed pulp characters mixed with pulp-like DC characters, DC launched the First Wave line in 2009. On July 1, 2010, DC shutdown its CMX imprint and moved ''

Megatokyo (also stylized as ''MegaTokyo'') is an English-language webcomic created by Fred Gallagher (cartoonist), Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston. ''Megatokyo'' debuted on August 14, 2000, and has been written and illustrated solely by Gallagher since ...

'' to the DC imprint. Then on September 27, as part of

DC Entertainment DC Entertainment is an American entertainment company that was founded in September 2009 and was based in Burbank, California. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery that manages its DC Comics units and characters in other units, ...

's reorganization, DC announced the end of the Wildstorm and Zuda imprints with Bob Harris named Editor-in-Chief for all remaining imprints: DC, '' Mad'' and Vertigo. With the ''New 52'' reboot in September 2011, the Wildstorm characters were adapted into the DC Universe within the "

Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...

" line, which also featured the Western and war comics. The

Earth One Earth-One (also Earth-1) is a name given to two fictional universes (The Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis versions of the same universe) that have appeared in American comic book stories published by DC Comics. The first Earth-One was given its name in ...

graphic novel imprint was launched in November 2010. By the end of 2011, the First Wave line was discontinued. In a May 2017 editorial leadership reorganization, three Executive Editors split up DC Comics and its imprints. Pat McCallum took the DC superhero titles and Mark Doyle the two mature imprints, Vertigo and Young Animal. Executive Editor Bobbie Chase was given custom comics, DC Kids, Digital First titles, Hanna-Barbera comics, Milestone and the relaunched Wildstorm Universe, plus the young reader imprint expected in 2018. In early March 2018, DC Comics announced a number of new imprints and lines. Imprints included Black Label, youth-oriented DC Inks and DC Zoom and Brian Michael Bendis’ unnamed imprint, while DC imprint Vertigo was announced to be launching a Sandman Universe line. DC Comics discontinued all imprints as of January 2020 while implementing a new age-specific identification of DC Kids (ages 8–12), DC (ages 13 and older) and DC Black Label (ages 17 and above and a reuse of the former label name). This does not apply to the pop up imprints like ''Young Animal'' and '' The Wild Storm''.

Imprints

All-Star

All-Star, or All-Star DC, was a DC imprint that allowed big name creators to make "out-of-continuity" stories of DC major characters. All-Star was DC's answer to Marvel's Ultimate imprint.All-Star DC. Page 2. The original purposes of the line was to have stories featuring the characters in their "most identifiable versions as seen by the world outside of comics", but based on the creators recruited, the purpose shifted to the creators' vision. Only two out of the four planned miniseries made it to print. ''

All-Star Superman ''All-Star Superman'' is a twelve-issue American comic book series featuring Superman that was published by DC Comics. The series ran from November 2005 to October 2008. The series was written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely, and digita ...

'' was considered a landmark series for the

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...

character and the creators. The other title, '' All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder'', was never finished (the last two issues remain unpublished to this day), but created a lot of discussions. The title is expected to get new branding as ''Dark Knight'', if and when it resumes. Due to scheduling issues of the creative team, the status of writer

Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...

and artist

J.G. Jones Jeffrey Glen Jones is an American comics artist who is known for his work on titles such as ''Wanted (comics), Wanted'' and ''Final Crisis''. Early life Jones hails from Walker, Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University and the Universi ...

' ''All Star Batgirl'' by November 2008 was on indefinite hold. Adam Hughes was working on the ''All Star Wonder Woman'' book with some pages completed by November 2008. In November 2006, All-Star DC was launched with ''All-Star Superman'' and ran 12 issues. A direct-to-video animated movie was made based on ''All-Star Superman'' by Warner Home Video and released on February 22, 2011.

Amalgam Comics

Amalgam Comics was a joint Imprint from

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

and

that published amalgamated characters such as the

Dark Claw The following is a list of fictional characters that appear or are only mentioned in the comic books of Amalgam Comics. They are listed by comic book and a team section is also provided. The amalgamations of characters or the Amalgam versions of o ...

Iron Lantern The following is a list of fictional characters that appear or are only mentioned in the comic books of Amalgam Comics. They are listed by comic book and a team section is also provided. The amalgamations of characters or the Amalgam versions of o ...

Spider-Boy The following is a list of fictional characters that appear or are only mentioned in the comic books of Amalgam Comics. They are listed by comic book and a team section is also provided. The amalgamations of characters or the Amalgam versions of o ...

, and

Lobo the Duck The following is a list of fictional characters that appear or are only mentioned in the comic books of Amalgam Comics. They are listed by comic book and a team section is also provided. The amalgamations of characters or the Amalgam versions of o ...

. Amalgam Comics published a total of 24 comics, with the first 12 comics being published in 1996 in-between issues #3 and 4 of the miniseries ''

DC vs. Marvel ''DC vs. Marvel'' (issues #2–3 titled ''Marvel vs. DC'') was a comic book miniseries intercompany crossover published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from April to May 1996. Each company would publish two issues of the series, thus the title di ...

'' and the other 12 issues being published in 1997.

Black Label

Black Label is DC Comics' out of continuity all-star creator imprint. This imprint allows creators to craft stories about DC's biggest superheroes outside of restrictive continuity. The initial lineup included creators such as

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...

Kelly Sue DeConnick Kelly Sue DeConnick (born July 15, 1970) is an award-winning American comic book writer and editor and English–language adapter of manga. Career Kelly Sue DeConnick was first introduced to the comics industry by writing copy for photos in adu ...

Scott Snyder Scott Snyder is an American author. He is known for his 2006 short story collection ''Voodoo Heart'', and his comic book writing, including ''American Vampire'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Batman (comic book)#The New 52, Batman'', ''Wytches (comics) ...

Lee Bermejo Lee Bermejo is an American comic book writer and artist whose published work includes interior illustrations and cover art. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Brian Azzarello including '' Lex Luthor: Man of Steel'', the '' Joker ...

and more. The earliest known release is '' Batman: Damned'' by Bermejo and

Brian Azzarello Brian Azzarello (born August 11, 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter who first came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series ''100 Bullets'', published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. ...

in September 2018.

DC Focus

Focus or DC Focus was an alternative imprint from DC Comics launched in 2004. The imprint was an alternative in that the titles were about people with superpowers without costumes or fighting crime. While the imprint had four solid titles, the line was closed in mid-2005, with only ''

Hard Time Hard may refer to: * Hardness, resistance of physical materials to deformation or fracture * Hard water, water with high mineral content Arts and entertainment * ''Hard'' (TV series), a French TV series * Hard (band), a Hungarian hard rock supe ...

'' moving to the main DC imprint in a second series.DC Focus. Page 7.

DC Ink

DC Ink was a graphic novel imprint for younger readers. In a May 2017 editorial leadership reorganization, three Executive Editors split up DC Comics and its imprints. Executive Editor Bobbie Chase was given custom comics, DC Kids, Digital First titles, Hanna-Barbera comics, Milestone and the relaunched Wildstorm Universe. The next year in February, DC unveiled two new graphic novel imprints aimed at younger readers. DC Zoom is focused on young readers, while DC Ink is aimed at young adults. Creators include Danielle Paige,

Lauren Myracle Lauren Myracle (born May 15, 1969) is an American writer of young adult fiction. She has written many novels, including the three best-selling "IM" books, ''ttyl'', ''ttfn'' and ''l8r, g8r''. Her book ''Thirteen Plus One'' was released May 4, 20 ...

Marie Lu Marie Lu (born 陸希未) is a Chinese-American young adult author. She is best known for the ''Legend'' series, novels set in a dystopian and militarized future, as well as the Young Elites series, the Warcross series, and ''Batman: Nightwalke ...

, and more. The books came in a standard format with a standard price: 192 pages for $16.99. Ink launched in September 2018 with ''Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass'' by Tamaki and

Steve Pugh Steve Pugh ( ;) is a British comic book artist who has worked for American and British comic producers including DC Comics, DC, Marvel Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse Comics, Dark Horse and ''2000 AD (comic), 2000 AD''. He broke into the industry in ...

DC Zoom

DC Zoom is a graphic novel imprint aimed at younger readers. DC Zoom is focused on young readers, while DC Ink is aimed at young adults. Creators include

Mariko Tamaki Mariko Tamaki (born 1975) is a Canadian artist and writer. She is known for her graphic novels '' Skim'', ''Emiko Superstar,'' and ''This One Summer'', and for several prose works of fiction and non-fiction."Mariko Tamaki". CBC Radio, '' The Next ...

Ridley Pearson Ridley Pearson (born March 13, 1953 in Glen Cove, New York) is an American author of suspense and thriller novels for adults, and adventure books for children. Some of his books have appeared on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Literary ...

, and more. The books came in a standard format with a standard price: 128 pages for $9.99. Zoom launched in October 2018 with ''DC Super Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis'' by Shea Fontana.

Earth M

Earth M is an imprint announced at New York Comic Con 2017 set to relaunch the Milestone universe by DC and

. Earth M was supposed to launch its first book in early 2018 but the first release featuring this reality was ''Milestone Returns'' #0 in September 2020. ''Milestone'', ''Static Shock'', ''Duo'', ''Love Army'' and ''Earth M'' was the announced slate of titles.

Earth One

Earth One (EO) is a DC Comics

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

imprint that features a separate continuity from their main imprint. Announced in 2009, Earth One graphic novels features re-imagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...

''Elseworlds''

'' is DC Comics' superhero alternative history and non-canon imprint. In November 1989, the first ''Elseworlds'' title, ''Gotham By Gaslight: An Alternative History of the Batman'', was printed. The line became an imprint with October 1991's ''Batman: Holy Terror'', as it was the first to carry the ''Elseworlds'' logo.

Helix

was a science fiction imprint of DC Comics. It only lasted two years before being merged into DC's

imprint.Helix. Page 5. Originally, it was planned to be released in July 1996 with September cover dates as "Matrix". However, to avoid comparison to the then-upcoming film ''

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...

'', the imprint was renamed "Helix". The imprint continued until 1998, when its "signature book" ''Transmetropolitan'' transferred to the Vertigo imprint. Additional Helix titles were later republished in collected editions under the Vertigo brand.

Impact Comics

Impact Comics, also stylized !mpact Comics or Impact! Comics, was a superhero imprint for DC Comics using the Red Circle characters licensed from

Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.Silver Age as a mascot for DC Comics. DC started a Warner Bros cartoon characters line featuring

and

with the April 1994 issue of ''Looney Tunes''. In September 2004, DC upgraded this line to a full imprint as Johnny DC for the November cover date. In the same month, the imprint added ''The Batman Strikes'', a comic based on the Cartoon Network series ''

The Batman Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman or The Batman may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Characters * Batman (Terry McGinnis) * Batman (Thomas Wayne) * Batman (Earth-Two) * Bat ...

'', and ''Cartoon Network Block Party'', an anthology title. In September 2006, ''Krypto the Superdog'' comic was released based on the Cartoon Network series of the same name. Three new titles, ''

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! ''Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!'' was an all-ages comic book series published by DC Comics as a part of its Johnny DC imprint. The series debuted in September 2008, and was originally written and drawn by Mike Kunkel.Tiny Titans'' and ''Super Friends'', were launched in August 2007 by Coordinating Editor Jann Jones. In February, ''Tiny Titans'' first issue was released, while in March the ''Super Friends'' title was relaunched, now based on the

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...

toyline of the same name. ''Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade'' began in December 2008. The imprint was renamed DC Entertainment.

Minx

Minx was an imprint of DC Comics graphic novels aimed at the young adult market, particularly teenage girls. The line was launched with ''The Plain Janes'', the line's signature title. DC signed Alloy Media & Marketing to market the imprint with a $250,000 budget. Also, Minx was working with Book Sense to get the novels into independent bookstores. ''The Plain Janes'' was the only title to get a second volume before the imprint was shut down.Minx. page 9.

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, DC's bookstore distributor could not get the line's books into the young adult fiction section at the major bookstores. The line was canceled in September 2008. ''The New York Four'' moved to

for its sequel, ''New York Five''.

Paradox Press

Paradox Press was DC's second mature readers imprint replacing

in 1994. The Paradox imprint was shut down in 2001. Paradox's first comic books, ''Big Book of Urban Legends'', ''La Pacifica'' and ''Brooklyn Dreams'', sees print in January 1995. In August 1996, Paradox begins reprinting of ''Gon''

by Masashi Tanaka. ''Road to Perdition'' published in April 1998 was later adapted into a motion picture. Paradox stopped releasing material with ''Gon on Safari'' in September 2000.

Piranha Press

Piranha Press was DC Comics' first mature readers imprint launched in 1987. The book establishing the imprint's tone was ''Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children'' (BSUC), an anthology by Dave Louapre and Dan Sweetman. Piranha's best-selling (and most well-remembered) title was ''Why I Hate Saturn'' (which started Kyle Baker's solo career). Piranha was shut down in 1994 to be replaced by

.Piranha Press. Page 8. The imprint was DC's first imprint that allowed creator-owned titles. Piranha was announced in November 1987 with Mark Nevelow as its editor. In June 1989, the imprint's first titles hit the stands, ''BSUC'' and ''ETC''. 24 different titles saw print under the Piranha imprint. BSUC lasted 30 issues, while most were one-shots or did not last for more than five issues. In December 1992, ''Prince: Alter Ego'', based on the rock star Prince, hit the stands.

Tangent Comics

Tangent Comics was a

imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

that introduced the Tangent Universe, a new universe of superheroes, created by

Dan Jurgens Dan Jurgens (; born June 27, 1959) is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for his work on the DC comic book storyline "The Death of Superman" and for creating characters such as Doomsday, Hank Henshaw and Booster Gold. Jurgens ...

in 1997 based on alternative concepts for the regular DC superheroes. The imprint published a series of 18 one-shots over two years starring the Tangent version of the major DC Universe characters. The first nine specials were published during December 1997's "skip-week", with the second nine for September 1998's skip-week. The one-shots were collected into two volumes published in January 2008. In 2006, the Tangent characters appeared in the regular DC Universe in ''Infinite Crisis'' in 2006, in ''Ion'' #9-10 in 2007 and then in ''Countdown to Final Crisis'' in 2007. A 12-issue maxiseries ''Tangent: Superman's Reign'' written and drawn by Jurgens, ran from March 2008 to March 2009 and revisited the Tangent Universe 10 years later, both in reality and fiction. *

is an African-American New York police officer named Harvey Dent who received psychic powers from experiments conducted on him by a top secret 'Big Brother' group called Nightwing. * Tangent's Flash is a teenage celebrity and movie star named Lia Nelson who has the ability to move at the speed of light, fly, teleport, and create holograms.

Vertigo

Vertigo was the alternative imprint of

. In January 1993, DC's Vertigo imprint was launched with the ''Sandman'' and ''Swamp Thing'' groups of titles, plus ''Animal Man'' and ''Doom Patrol'', all former DC Comics imprint titles plus ''Death: The High Cost of Living'', a three-issue ''Sandman'' related miniseries, being the imprint's first new title. In February, several creator-owned titles begin printing with Vertigo from

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's aborted Touchmark imprint starting with ''Enigma''. Also, in October, the imprint had its first crossover storyline "The Children’s Crusade", running through the Vertigo annuals with ''The Children's Crusade'' "book-end" series. In 1998, the Helix imprint closed down with its "signature book" ''Transmetropolitan'' transferred to the Vertigo imprint. Vertigo took over publishing collected editions for the ''Helix'' titles. Starting in January 1999, ''The Trenchcoat Brigade'' brought Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Dr. Occult and Mr. E together in one series lasting four issues. Vertigo had its first fifth-week event in December 1999 to mark the change in the millennium with books named starting with "V2K". In May 2002, an ongoing title, ''Fables'' by Bill Willingham, revitalized the Vertigo line with stories updating old fairy tales. In July, the imprint launched the ''Vertigo Pop: Tokyo'' title, lasting four issues and including some manga, and the successful ''Y: The Last Man'' lasting to January 2008 and 60 issues. ''Fables'' first spin-off, ''Jack of Fables'', was launched in July 2006 and lasted over 38 issues. After the September 2008 cancellation of the Minx line, Minx's ''The New York Four'' moved to Vertigo for its sequel, ''New York Five''. Vertigo's ''Fables'' line had its first crossover, ''The Great Fables Crossover'', a nine-issue storyline, through its two ongoing titles plus a miniseries, ''The Literals'' in 2009. In June 2009, Vertigo launched its first line in Vertigo Crime with ''Filthy Rich'', followed by ''Dark Entries'', both as black and white hardcovers. DC Universe characters returned to the DC imprint in July 2010, thus cancelling a title and effecting a proposed new ''Swamp Thing'' series. The same year, Vertigo saw another ''Fables'' spin-off, ''Cinderella: From Fabletown With Love'' and its 100-page "Spectacular" reprints program began. On September 27, as part of DC Entertainment's reorganization, Vertigo joined its other DC imprints under the same Editor-in-Chief Bob Harris, while three Vertigo editors were fired the next day. Vertigo in 2011 released two one-shot multi-editor anthologies: ''Strange Adventures'' and ''The Unexpected''. Another ''Fables'' spin-off, ''The Fairest'', was launched in March 2012. In 2018, Neil Gaiman and Mark Doyle began to oversee a ''Sandman Universe'' imprint under the Vertigo banner. The Vertigo branding was retired in January 2020, with most of its library transferred to its successor,

DC Black Label DC, D.C., D/C, Dc, or dc may refer to: Places * Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia), the capital and the federal territory of the United States * Bogotá, Distrito Capital, the capital city of Colombia * Dubai City, as distinct from the ...

Wildstorm

Wildstorm was an imprint and subsidiary of DC Comics that was acquired that featured superheroes.Wildstorm. Page 1. The imprint was formerly a member studio of

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

. In August 1998, DC purchased Wildstorm including imprints Cliffhanger, Homage and America's Best Comics with the imprints appearing under the DC banner in January 1999. In November 1999, the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' comic book began publishing under Wildstorm with a series of one-shots and miniseries. In September 2010, as part of DC Entertainment's reorganization, DC began to cancel Wildstorm imprint (with the December issues with two titles moving to the DC brand) and the Wildstorm editorial staff relocated to DC's Los Angeles-based digital publishing division. With DC's ''New 52'' reboot in September 2011, the Wildstorm characters were integrated into the DC Universe with the Edge line of titles with a ''Stormwatch'' and ''Grifter'' title.

America's Best Comics

America's Best Comics (ABC) was an imprint of Wildstorm, originating before Wildstorm's purchase by DC comics in 1998. Alan Moore created the concepts of the line. The imprint published its first comic, ''League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' #1, in January 1999. Additional titles printed were ''Tom Strong'', ''Promethea'' and ''Top 10''. In April 1999, Tom Strong begins its run. Moore became increasingly dissatisfied with DC, wrapping up the various series and moving ''League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' to Top Shelf/Knockabout.

Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger was an imprint of Wildstorm Productions for creator-owned projects. In July 1998, the Cliffhanger comic ''Danger Girl'' was licensed out to

New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...

for a film adaptation. Cliffhanger merged with Homage to become "WildStorm Signature Series".

Homage

Homage Comics was an imprint of Wildstorm Productions for writer-creator owned comics. In March 1996, Wilstorm announced the start of the Homage Comics in August with the relaunch of Kurt Busiek's ''Astro City'', with Homage Comics to be published outside the

system. In August 1998, DC purchased Wildstorm including imprints Cliffhanger, Homage and America's Best Comics with the imprints appearing under the DC banner in January 1999. Homage merged with Cliffhanger to become "WildStorm Signature Series". ;Titles * Kurt Busiek's ''Astro City'' * ''Leave It To Chance'' by James Robinson and Paul Smith * ''Strangers In Paradise'' by Terry Moore * ''Red'' by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner

Zuda Comics

Zuda Comics was DC Comics' internet comics website/imprint starting in 2007. The site published all new web comics and open submission policy for new creators. DC shuttered Zuda in 2010 as the company moved to only DC Comics digital releases instead of web comics. Zuda Comics was later made as a free online site for original comics. The site was a competitive based submission site where users could try to have their feature run the longest to qualify for a print collection. The first Zuda Comics winner, Jeremy Love's ''Bayou'', was printed in April 2009. As part of the DC Entertainment reorganization, DC ended Zuda imprint in September 2010.

Pop-up imprints

Wonder Comics

Wonder Comics is a DC Comics curated imprint with in DC Universe continuity with a teen focus by the main contributor and curator being

Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...

. Bendis moved to DC in Autumn 2017. In addition to moving over his Jinxworld personal imprint to DC from Marvel, Bendis took over writing ''Superman'' and ''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/Comic anthology, magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics ...

'' and later became curator and contributor to a new in DC Universe continuity imprint. DC revealed the name and titles of the imprint, Wonder Comics, to debut in 2018. The line consisted of a ''Young Justice'' book written by Bendis with art from Patrick Gleason, ''Naomi'' by Bendis, David Walker and Jamal Campbell, ''Wonder Twins'' by Mark Russell with art by Stephen Byrne, and ''Dial H for Hero'' which was written by Sam Humphries and drawn by Joe Quinones. Additionally the line introduced two new characters, Jenny Hex, a teenage descendant of the Western Hero Jonah Hex, and Teen Lantern, a teen who manages to hack into a Green Lantern power battery.

Young Animal

In April 2016, DC revealed they had teamed up with

Gerard Way Gerard Arthur Way (born April 9, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and comic book writer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the rock band My Chemical Romance. He released his debut solo album, ''Hesitant Alien'', i ...

to launch a new "pop-up imprint" aimed at mature readers, described as "comics for dangerous humans". The line was led by ''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...

'' in September, written by Way with art by Nick Derington. Way also co-wrote two other books, ''

Mother Panic Mother Panic, also known as Violet Paige, is a fictional vigilante appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and its imprint Young Animal, focused on mature readers. The character was created by writers Jody Houser and Gerard Way and illus ...

'' with Jody Houser, and ''

Cave Carson Calvin "Cave" Carson is a fictional character that appeared in stories published by DC Comics. Carson, a spelunker, first appeared in '' Brave and the Bold'' #31 (September 1960); he was created by France Herron and Bruno Premiani. Publication h ...

Has A Cybernetic Eye'', with Jon Rivera. ''Mother Panic'', which features art by Tommy Lee Edwards, is said to be about a new Gotham vigilante, who by day is the celebrity heiress Violet Page. The final series in the initial line-up was ''Shade The Changing Girl'' by

Cecil Castellucci Cecil C. Castellucci (born October 25, 1969 in New York City), also known as Cecil Seaskull, is an American-born Canadian young adult novelist, indie rocker, and director. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Biography Castellucci gre ...

and Marley Zarcone, with covers by Becky Cloonan. All titles are edited by Jamie S. Rich.

Planned imprints

The Killing Zone

The Killing Zone is an upcoming pop-up imprint from DC Comics curated by

, formally announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. It was set to begin publishing in May 2019; as of yet not much else is known about The Killing Zone and what books will be under this Pop-up imprint.

Lines

Lines of comic books are related comic books that do not necessarily have their own imprint. They may feature affiliated characters to a major character (

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...

), source of the characters (

), or other similarities. DC lines currently includes Batman,

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

, supernatural and young superheroes.

DC Archives Editions

DC Archives Editions is a reprint line that collects DC Comics in hardcover multi-issue format.

Edge

Edge is a line of DC Comics books that includes the

Wildstorm Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wilds ...

characters. With DC's ''New 52'' reboot in September 2011, the Edge line of titles was launched with the ''Stormwatch'' and ''Grifter'' titles, the

characters integrated with the DC Universe, and the ''All-Star Western'', ''Sgt. Rock and the Men of War'', ''Deathstroke'', ''Blackhawks'', ''OMAC'', ''Blue Beetle'', ''Suicide Squad'' titles.

First Wave

''First Wave'' is the name of a separate

line of

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

featuring a

fictional universe A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...

and a comic book

limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...

of the same name. The universe was a melding of licensed

pulp fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...

characters with versions of established non-superpowered DC heroes. The comic book line was launched with a ''

Doc Savage Doc Savage is a fictional character of the competent man hero type, who first appeared in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. Real name Clark Savage Jr., he is a doctor, scientist, adventurer, detective, and polymath who "rights w ...

'' one-shot issue followed by the limited series and two continuing series. The limited series was six issues long, published in 2010 and written by

, and drawn by

Rags Morales Ralph "Rags" Morales () is an American comic book artist known for his work on various books for DC Comics, including ''Identity Crisis'', ''Countdown to Infinite Crisis'', ''Batman Confidential'', and The New 52 reboot of then Superman-centric '' ...

featuring the main characters of the universe. With DC's acquisition in 2009 to comic book rights for Doc Savage and the Spirit, among other pulp characters, DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio and writer Brian Azzarello decided on a shared universe for these characters, then added established non-superpowered DC heroes to the mix. The First Wave

is a part of the

DC Multiverse In DC Comics, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC take place in. The worlds in this multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure has changed several times in the h ...

and was launched in the ''

one-shot One shot may refer to: Film and television * One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so * ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake * ''One Shot'' (2 ...

, by writer

with

Phil Noto Phil Noto is an American painter and comic book artist who is known for his work on such titles as ''Jonah Hex'', ''X-23'', ''Uncanny X-Force'' and, more recently, '' Black Widow''. His work on ''The Infinite Horizon'' (a modern retelling of ...

as artist. This was then followed by a ''First Wave'' six-issue limited series with art by

with the first issue released on . The miniseries added additional characters, such as the

Black Canary The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...

, the Blackhawks, Rima the Jungle Girl, the

Avenger Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

, the

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

, and Doc Savage's group the Fabulous Five. Two First Wave line

ongoing series In comics, an ongoing series is a series that runs indefinitely. This is in contrast to limited series (a series intended to end after a certain number of issues thus limited), a one shot (a comic book which is not a part of an ongoing series), ...

were then started: ''Doc Savage'', by

Paul Malmont Paul Malmont (born 4 March 1966) is an American author who has specialized in books considering the style and tropes of popular fiction of the past, making the writers of that popular fiction the heroes and protagonists of his own work. As a mar ...

as the first writer joined by artist Howard Porter, and ''The Spirit'', by Mark Schultz the beginning writer joined by artist Moritat. Both of these titles also included back-up stories further showcasing the ''First Wave'' universe. ''Doc Savages back-up was Justice Inc., starring '' The Avenger'', while ''The Spirit'' had additional Spirit black-and-white short tales by various creators. By February 2011, DC planned to cancel the line; however, the ''Doc Savage'' and ''The Spirit'' titles were solicited as late as August 2011. In February 2012, DC listed a First Wave collection for May 2012 release. Licenses for the non-DC characters the Spirit, Doc Savage and the Avenger ended prior to December 17, 2012.

Hanna-Barbera Beyond

Dan DiDio and Jim Lee began a new partnership between Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics in January 2016, both companies owned by Time Warner, in order to remake most of the studio's comedic characters and adapt them into darker and edgier settings. The four titles in the line are ''Future Quest'', ''Scooby Apocalypse'', ''The Flintstones'' and ''Wacky Raceland''. New titles were released in March 2017.

Red Circle

Red Circle was a DC Comics line of comic books in the DC Universe featuring the Red Circle characters. The line was the second licensed attempt of DC to use these characters, the previous attempt being Impact Comics. DC was granted the license to the Red Circle characters in 2008. DC planned to merge the characters into the

and tapped writer

J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ( ...

to write their introductory stories in the series ''

The Brave and the Bold ''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varied ...

'' in 2009. The line was instead launched as a series of one-shots in August 2009. The Red Circle one-shots were followed in September by ''The Shield'' ongoing series with an ''Inferno'' back-up feature and ''The Web'' ongoing series with a ''Hangman'' back-up feature. Both titles folded after 10 issues, to be replaced by ''The Mighty Crusaders'' ongoing series which, by issue #3, was shortened to a six-issue miniseries. In July 2011, DC no longer had the rights to them.

The New Age of Heroes

The New Age of Heroes, originally called Dark Matter, spun out of DC comics' 2017 event '' Dark Nights: Metal''. This line introduces new characters and teams into the DC Universe. This line was headed up by DC Comics' master class with contributors such as

Greg Capullo Gregory Capullo (; born March 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on ''Quasar'' (1991–1992), '' X-Force'' (1992–1993), ''Angela'' (1994), ''Spawn'' (1993–2000, 2003–2004) and ''Batman'' (2011� ...

Andy Kubert Andrew Kubert (; born February 27, 1962) is an American comics artist, letterer and writer. He is the son of Joe Kubert and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists, and the uncle of comics editor Katie Kubert. He is a graduate of an ...

Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...

and

John Romita Jr. John Salvatore Romita (; born August 17, 1956), known professionally as John Romita Jr., is an American comics artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2010s. He is the son of artist John Romita Sr. Early ...

The Dark Multiverse concept is a fluxing reality responding to the viewer's subconscious fears. The ''Dark Nights: Metal'' six-issue miniseries started in August 2017. The event introduced the Dark Multiverse concept and the Dark Knights, a villainous team that mixed Batman with other Justice League members. Dark Matter was initially announced to have five titles, but had two more added. :Titles: *''The Silencer'' by Dan Abnett and John Romita Jr. (September 2017) - the story in which the world's most deadly assassin unretires due to her past returning to haunt her. *''Brimstone'' by Justin Jordan and Philip Tan *''The Terrifics'' by Jeff Lemire and Ivan Reis *''Damage'' *''Sideways'' *''New Challengers'' *''Immortal Men'' *''The Unexpected''

TSR

TSR was a DC comic book line based on games licensed from

TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...

Dragonlance ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...

'' was first to be licensed and published with its first issue hitting the stands in August 1988. Additional titles followed with issue one of ''

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ga ...

'' in October and ''

Gammarauders ''Gammarauders'' is a post-apocalyptic board wargame published by TSR, Inc., in which players act as the human handlers of giant mutant creatures called ''bioborgs''. A 10-issue comic book series associated with the game was published by DC Comics. ...

'' in November. In July 1989, ''

Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...

'' began publication. In October, ''Gammarauders'' was canceled with issue 10. An annual anthology, ''TSR Worlds'' #1, was launched in July 1990 with ''

Spelljammer ''Spelljammer'' is a campaign setting originally published for the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (2nd edition) role-playing game, which features a fantastic (as opposed to scientific) outer space environment. Subsequent editions have included ' ...

'', beginning a 15 issues run the next month. In October 1991, the TSR license ended bringing an end to the line with ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' reaching issue 36.

References

* * Hughes, Bob. DC Timeline.

External links

DC homepage
{{DC Comics imprints, state=expanded DC Comics imprints

Imprints Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...