The current DC Comics logo since 2024, an updated version of the 1977-2005 logo
The 2005-2012 DC Comics logo shown in the opening of the 2009 Watchmen movie
A yellow-and-black version of the 1977-2005 DC logo used in the opening of Watchmen: Under the Hood
DC Black Label logo
DC Vertigo's current logo since October 2024
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC, formerly known as National Comics Publications and Detective Comics, Inc.) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. One of the oldest and largest surviving comic book companies in the world. Founded in Autumn 1934. It has been using the DC banner since 1937, but the company was not officially called DC Comics until 1977, ten years after it was acquired by Kinney National Company, which it eventually changed its name to Warner Communications in 1972, two years after it acquired Warner Bros. DC Comics' chief competitor is Marvel Comics.
DC is best known for titles such as Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Swamp Thing, Blue Beetle, Firestorm, John Constantine, Hellblazer, Jonah Hex, Ragman, Azrael, The Spectre, The Demon, The Question, Deadman, Deathstroke, Lobo, The Sandman, Birds of Prey, Preacher, Suicide Squad, The Outsiders, Peacemaker, Joker, Harley Quinn, Creature Commandos, Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, Captain Atom, The Atom, Catwoman, Black Canary, Black Lightning, Zatanna, Shadowpact, Reign in Hell, Day of Vengeance, The L.A.WS. (Living Assault Weapons), Injustice, WildC.A.T.s, The Grifter, Gen 13,Stormwatch, Transmetropolitan and iZombie. DC also published the popular humor magazine, MAD, best known for its Spy vs. Spy comics.
DC Comics is the current owner of the characters from the now-defunct Charlton Comics, The Question (Vic Sage), Blue Beetle (both Dan Garrett and Ted Kord), Captain Atom (Allen Atom), Thunderbolt, Peacemaker and Nightshade since 1983 that were inspirations for the characters in Watchmen, mostly to the Crimebusters/Watchmen.
Watchmen, along with Alan Moore's other comic book series, V for Vendetta were published by DC Comics during the 1980s. Moore also wrote some comics for Swamp Thing (co-created by Watchmen's co-editor, Len Wein) and Batman, including the Batman graphic novel, The Killing Joke in 1988, which it was eventually made into a R-rated animated direct-to-video film by Warner Bros. Animation in 2016. DC also did a twelve-issue comic book series, Doomsday Clock, which it is a sequel to Watchmen ran from November 21, 2017, to December 18, 2019, and the twelve-issue limited standalone, Rorschach comic book series from 2020 to 2021 through its imprint for mature readers, DC Black Label.