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DC Comics, Inc. (founded in 1934 as National Allied Publications) is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner. DC Comics produces material featuring a large number of well-known characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and the Martian Manhunter, along with such superhero teams as the Justice League and the Teen Titans, as well as antagonists such as Lex Luthor, the Joker, Darkseid, Sinestro, the Riddler, Catwoman, Brainiac, and the Penguin.
The initials 'DC' came from the company's popular series Detective Comics, which featured Batman's debut and subsequently became part of the company's name. Originally in Manhattan at 432 Fourth Avenue, the DC Comics offices have been located at 480 and later 575 Lexington Avenue; 909 Third Avenue; 75 Rockefeller Plaza; 666 Fifth Avenue; and 1325 Avenue of the Americas. DC has its headquarters at 1700 Broadway, Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Random House distributes DC Comics' books to the bookstore market, while Diamond Comic Distributors supplies the comics shop specialty market. DC Comics and its major, longtime competitor Marvel Comics (owned by Time Warner's main rival The Walt Disney Company since 2009) together shared over 80% of the American comic-book market in 2008. | |
