Super heroes from the Atom to Zatara: 75 years of DC Comics In 1935, DC Comics founder Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson published New Fun No. 1, the first comic book with all-new, original material—at a time when comic books were mere repositories for the castoffs of the newspaper strips. What was initially considered to be disposable media for children was well on its way to becoming the mythology of our time—the 20th century’s answer to Atlas or Zorro. More than 40,000 comic books later, in honor of the publisher’s 75th anniversary, TASCHEN has produced the single most comprehensive book on DC Comics, in an XL edition even Superman might have trouble lifting. More than 2,000 images—covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles—are reproduced using the latest technology to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life as they’ve never been seen before. Telling the tales behind the tomes is 38-year DC veteran Paul Levitz, whose in-depth essays trace the company’s history, from its pulp origins through to the future of digital publishing. Year-by-year timelines that fold out to nearly four feet and biographies of the legends who built DC make this an invaluable reference for any comic book fan.

From the Man of Steel to Batman and Wonder Woman: the super hero is born In June of 1938, Action Comics debuted with a new kind of comic book character on its cover: a costumed man with two identities, who possessed extraordinary strength and powers—a man able to protect the public when ordinary measures would not do. He was not the first super hero, but the Man of Steel would become the prototype for all super heroes thereafter. Superman's story, and those of Batman, Wonder Woman, and hundreds of other DC Comics characters, are all told in The Golden Age of DC Comics . The single most comprehensive book on the subject, this volume traces the company's first decades, from its pulp origins up to the comic book burnings of the McCarthy ’50s in more than 400 pages bursting with comics, art, comics, photographs, and more comics. Also included is an exclusive interview with legendary artist Joe Kubert! About the series: TASCHEN's series on DC Comics explores the origins of comics’ most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men and women who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award–winning XL book, 75 Years of DC Comics, this new series hits the shelf at a reader-friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and more than 1,000 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans. DC Comics characters and all related elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. (s13)

Flash forward. The Super Hero in the Space Age With Super Heroes nearly extinct at the start of the 1950s, DC Comicsreignited the fire that would make them central to modern popular culture by infusing them with science fiction elements. To circumvent the limitations of the self-censoring Comics Code Authority, DC Comics’ writers and editors spun ever-more fantastic tales, bringing Super Heroes and Bob Hope alike into the realm of sci-fi. The results were transformative, delivering the first-ever “reboot” of Golden Age greats with the Flash, Green Lantern, andHawkman as well as the hit TV show Batman. The Silver Age of DC Comicschronicles it all, right down to the wacky shenanigans of television’s Batman, which made him the embodiment for the camp sensibility of the ’60s and further immortalized the Dark Knight as a pop culture icon for generations to come. Plus a new exclusive interview with Green Lantern/Batmanartist Neal Adams! About the series: TASCHEN’s series on DC Comics explores the origins of comics’ most enduring legends and the behind-the-scenes stories of the men and women who created them, era by era. Expanded from the Eisner Award–winning XL book, 75 Years of DC Comics, this new series hits the shelf at a reader-friendly size with essays updated by author Paul Levitz and more than 1,000 new images across five volumes. Thousands of covers and interiors, original illustrations, photographs, film stills, and collectibles have been reproduced to bring the story lines, the characters, and their creators to vibrant life, making this an invaluable reference for comics fans. DC Comics characters and all related elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. (s13)

On December 15, 1978, the dreams of generations of American children finally came true. “You’ll believe a man can fly” read the posters and billboards for the blockbuster film Superman. The hugely popular movie cemented the role of the Super Hero as America’s most enduring archetype, and the comic book as one of the country’s most significant native art forms. That art form, however, was already moving in a new direction. Influenced by the emergence of underground comics and shifting political tides, DC Comics’ line of comics was increasingly aimed at adults, and sold in comic book shops, rather than on newsstands. Socially relevant subjects such as racism and women’s rights had entered the mainstream, and comics weren’t just for kids anymore. This reader-friendly sized edition explores the evolution into the Bronze Age of DC with a careful curation and expansion of material from TASCHEN's XL book, 75 Years of DC Comics, winner of the Eisner Awards, the Oscars of the comic world. Bountiful images bring the story lines, characters and creators to life, alongside an original interview with Green Lantern/Green Arrow writer Denny O’Neil.