DC Comics: A Visual History
In 1938, DC Comics set the template for the nascent comic-book business when it introduced Superman, creating the superhero genre that would dominate the medium for most of the next seven decades. This lavish, slipcased volume traces the company’s long history, which mirrors the trajectory of the entire industry: after starting out in the mid-1930s with black-and-white publications that emulated newspaper comic strips, DC was in the forefront of the ascendance of superheroes in the 1940s. Tastes shifted the following decade, and DC moved into the same genres as other publishers: horror, war, westerns, and romance. Superheroes bounced back in a big way in the 1960s—led by DC’s revival of its most popular characters, such as the Flash and Green Lantern—and they’ve constituted the bulk of the company’s roster ever since. The book’s colorful, chronological rundown showcases a dozen or so key titles from each year, reproducing the cover and detailing the issue’s significance. No matter when their comics-reading youth occurred, anyone who ever loved comics, from baby boomers to millennials, will enjoy this nostalgia-laden tome. --Gordon Flagg