MINOR PROJECT REPORT

DC COMICS (MARKETING ASPECT)

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD OF

THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF COMMERCE 2021-22

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

MS. DIVISHA GUPTA
SUBMITTED BY
LUV ARORA
02661188820(B.COM – 2B)

Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies

Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi
PSP Area, Plot No. 1, Sector 22, Rohini Delhi 110086
 STUDENT UNDERTAKING

This is to certify that I have completed the Project titled

(Minor Report Project) in (DC COMICS) under the
guidance of (Ms. Divisha Gupta) in partial fulfilment of
the requirement for the award of degree of Bachelor of
Commerce at Maharaja Agrasen Institute of
Management Studies, Delhi. This is an original piece of
work & I have not submitted it earlier elsewhere.

LUV ARORA
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project titled “Minor Report

Project” is an academic work done by “Luv Arora”
submitted in the partial fulfilment of the requirement for
the award of the degree of Bachelor of Commerce from
Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies,
Delhi, under my guidance & direction. To the best of
my knowledge and belief the data & information
presented by him/her in the project has not been
submitted earlier.

Ms. Divisha Gupta

INTRODUCTION:-
Marketing is the process of getting people interested
in your company's product or service. This happens
through market research, analysis, and understanding
your ideal customer's interests. Marketing pertains to all
aspects of a business, including product development,
distribution methods, sales, and advertising.

Marketing tools
Marketing tools are product development and
promotional strategies and actions that a
company uses to develop and promote its
products or services. An example of marketing tools
are market research surveys and focus groups.

Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviour, also called as consumer
psychology, is a branch of applied psychology,
marketing, and organizational behaviour. It examines
consumer’s decision-making processes and ways in
which they gather and analyse information from the
environment.

This project has been prepared to put a light on

marketing strategies for promotion of products at DC
Comics. This project is completely based on market
research of comics.

Purpose of the Study

To carry out the study on consumer buying behavior
for DC Comics.

Research objectives of the study

The major objectives of the study are as follows:

 To study the awareness of customer about DC

Comics.
 To learn consumers’ attitude towards DC Comics
  To understand consumers’ preference towards dc
Comics and movies.
 To find out the frequency of purchases of dc
comics.
 To study consumers’ preferences for DC Comics.

Sources of Data Collection

There are two sources of Data Collection:

A.Primary Data

 The primary source of my data collection

is carried through questionnaire method.

B. Secondary Data
 They are those, which has already been
collected by someone else. Secondary data
is extracted from files, registers, web sites
and records obtained from personnel
department.
Research Methods
The method of sample selection is carried through,
the Survey Method (Questionnaire by Mail). In this
method, the Questionnaire is prepared through
google forms and then sent to the consumers
through mail.

Size of the sample

The sample size is 9 respondents.

Area of Research
The area of research is kept limited to Delhi.

Limitations of the Research

The limitation of the research is –:
1. No personal interview could be conducted as
most of the respondents of the questionnaire
were able to answer it only through mail.
2. Time constraint was one of the major Limitation
of the research.
3. The level of satisfaction of the customers was not
considered. As information of satisfaction is not
provided by customers.
4. Research might not reflect the real target market
as the total sample size is comparatively less to
represent the entire population.
ABOUT THE
ORGANISATION:-

The History of The DC Comics Universe

The history of the contemporary DC Comics universe
goes far back in the past, or rather, into the 1930s, and
has undergone a number of development stages in the
meantime. Therefore it is difficult for a newcomer to
understand the influences of the past. In the following
we present you a small round trip and thus relevant
events in the history of Superman, Batman & Co.!

If one speaks of the founding of today’s DC, it is often

referred to the person Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, who
in his day founded the so-called National Allied
Publications (1934). One year later, the first series was
released under this name: New Fun: The Big Comic
Magazine. The pioneer of the classical Committee was
born, who focused primarily on the narrative of different,
wonderful stories and thus did not have a precisely
defined face.

The second se Comics (1935), which was soon renamed

Adventure Comics, focused on the narrative of exciting
stories and, for the first time, the motif of the
superheroes in the 1940s, although it was told in of
heroes. While the Adventure Comics were released, the
founder of the National Allied Publications was forced to
work with Harry Downfield due to increased debts, the
consequence of which was the founding of Detective
Comics, Inc. as well as the series of the same name. For a
long time, Nicholson did not rule out this state of affairs,
which dissolves the partnership and bought up his built
National Allied Publications by Detective Comics.
 Can not just super, is great
© DC Comics

The image of the 30s was rounded off by the

introduction of another series called Action Comics.
Already the first version of the series included the
costume hero Superman, the well-known colleagues such
as Batman, Wonder Women, Flash and Green Lantern
followed. Not for nothing, this decade also speaks of the
Golden Age of , because the response was
overwhelmingly positive, even if this was soon to change.

The 40s were basically characterized by a phase of

organizational activities. National Allied Publications
teamed up with Detective Comics, Inc. to form National
Publications, which, on the other hand, became National
Periodical Publications with Independent News, an
already owned publisher, and All-American Publications
(1944). “DC Superman”, the well-known face of the
comic series, was unofficially known at this time. After
the end of the Second World War, however, the reader
lost the interest in the great mass of super helves, which
were gradually presented, whereupon they decided to
concentrate on other genres, while only the most famous
superheroes were continued Phase of rest.

In the fifties, they decided to try a new experiment and

began to revive Flash and Green Lantern in a new
version, the first of which proved to be a great success.
DC’s highlight was reflected in the founding of the Justice
League of America, which focused on the merger of the
most famous heroes and was often to be adapted in the
coming decades.

The 60s are referred to retrospectively as the Silver Age

of Superheldencomics, as new heroes were created in
this decade, the parallel publication with MARVEL being
particularly striking, which had been forced by the
success of DC to formulate or to form competition. In
terms of content, the increased use of female characters,
which were characterized not only by extreme feminist
tendencies. Only a few examples are characters like
Spider-Woman, on the side of MARVEL, or Power Girl.
The merger of Warner Bros. and National Books rounded
off the time span.

Pouring rain, the cape sits

© DC Comics

The impact of this culminated in the 70s, when one

officially decided to change the publishing house to
today’s DC Comics, Inc. Old veterans of the publishing
house were replaced by young employees to bring fresh
air into the creation of the stories by exposing old heroes
to new influences or by creating entirely new ones. As a
problem, on the other hand, the fact that these
newcomers were strongly influenced by the
organizational concept of MARVEL, which gradually
began to network the individual stories, should turn out
to be a problem. Paralleluniversen were created or new
earths, in order to establish the connection. This,
however, should prove to be a mistake when one slowly
but surely lost control over the whole. The overall
transaction became too complex and too confusing to be
understood by the average reader, which lost the
interest in the comics suddenly. This was also the
beginning of the so-called Bronze Age of the
Superheldencomics, whose influences should last until
the next decade.

As a counter-measure, in the early 1980s, the abolition of

all these parallel universes began to create a single world
or a single earth. In order to achieve this goal, the Crisis
on Infinite Earths appeared, which ensured a complete
new beginning. New editions of individual characters
have been created, of which especially the Man of Steel
series highlighted, as the history of Superman’s got a
new face. Officially speaking in this context, it is also
generally known as the beginning of the modern age of
Superheldencomics, and as the whole organization of the
organization was characterized by an incredible degree
of freedom for readers and artists, MARVEL easily came
out of its throne. Watchmen (1986) as well as The Dark
Knight returns (1986/1987) enjoyed greater popularity
and clarified the success of DC.

The general upturn in the industry picked up in the 1990s

as readers became aware of the growing attention. It can
almost be said that the books have since been actively
regarded as collectors. Solitary issues and gaps that arose
after the Crisis on Infinite Earths and which have been
dying in recent years have been rectified by Zero Hours
(1994), while a recent significant upswing by the death of
Superman (1992/1993) Crippling Batman (1993/1994).
The economic downturn, however, stifled the joy in
combination with increasing disinterest in germination,
which led to a phase of depression.

The ultimate hottie among

the superheroes
© DC Comics
In the new century, one began to counteract the lack of
interest, which especially with Batman: Hush from the
year 2002 succeeded. The interest gradually returned,
while further gaps of the universe were filled with
Identity Crisis (2004/2005). Infinite Crisis (2005/2006),
however, was an active continuation of the Crisis series
from the 80s, leaving the classic superheroes, Superman,
Batman and Wonder Woman, disappearing for a year,
giving more unknown faces the opportunity to trace their
history to leave. At the same time, however, the best-
known figures were not neglected. Instead, they were
discussed in the new-appearing all-star series, which
focused on the origins of all of them. While the individual
parts appeared to Superman and Batman, further
offshoots to Wonder Woman and Batgirl were planned,
but were abandoned as a result of the sudden abort in
2008.

And today, what remains after almost 80 years of DC

history? Especially in the last years, the motif of the
supersede experienced an enormous upswing.
Characters have been re-presented in films, while fan
articles flood the market in waves and video games such
as Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013) complete the
impression that we are likely to expect much of the
superheroes in the next few years. How the whole thing
actually develops, however, remains to be seen.

Company Perspectives:
What I love about DC is that we're not a one-note
business. We can be on-line, we can be CD-ROM,
we can be video games and interactive toys, or we
can be movies, television, animation. So the
opportunities technology brings are all open to us,
and each one of those different areas helps all the
others&mdash long as we never lose sight of the
fact that the comics made all these other things
possible. --Jeannette Kahn, President

DC Comics Inc. is the world's largest comic book

company and is perhaps best known for publishing
the adventures of Superman and Batman. The
history of DC is in many ways the history of
American comic book publishing; its dominance
during the 1990s is a testament to the enduring
appeal of comic book superheroes, whose
marketability in a variety of formats--including the big
screen, television, video games, and CD-
ROM&mdash⟩peared to be boundless.
Progenitors, 1934-37
In 1934, Eastern Color Printing (ECP) began
publishing news-strip comics reproductions
in Famous Funnies. Imitators soon included King
Comics and Popular Comics. In 1935, Malcolm
Wheeler-Nicholson published New Fun: The Big
Comic Magazine #1, the first all-original comic book.
Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied
Publications (NAP), attracting such talent as Vin
Sullivan and Whitney Ellsworth. By 1938, Wheeler-
Nicholson sold to Liebowitz/Donenfeld; Ellsworth left;
and only Sullivan remained at NAP.
Superman Appears, 1938
Donenfeld traveled, building distribution. Liebowitz
released 200,000 copies of Action Comics #1/1938,
in which Sullivan published the first appearance of
Siegel and Shuster's Superman and Fred
Guardineer's Zatara. Created by two "kids" from
Cleveland, Superman solidified the industry. The
comic, selling for a dime then, was worth six figures
in the 1990s.
Initially created in 1932 for Science Fiction, a fanzine
the two published, Superman coincided with Hitler's
rise to power and vow to create a race of
Nietzschean "supermen." The first Superman was a
bald villain! The second was sans cape but a crime-
fighter. The "real" Superman came in 1934, with
alter-ego Clark Kent named for Clark Gable.
Superman reappeared on the cover of 500,000
copies of Action Comics #7, and was selling a million
copies by 1939. Siegel and Shuster opened a
studio, and Superman got his own title, becoming a
McClure-syndicated news-strip in 1939, appearing in
300 daily newspapers worldwide by 1941, and then
appearing regularly until 1966.
Batman Debuts, 1939
In May 1939, Bob Kane's Batman--created from
such images as da Vinci's flying machine, The Bat
Whispers (1930), The Mark of Zorro (1921),
and Dracula (1931)--debuted in "The Case of the
Chemical Syndicate" (Detective Comics #27).
Sullivan promptly bought the character, though left
later that year to start his own company.
Everyone Else, 1939
Liebowitz rehired Ellsworth and also hired Weisinger
and Jack Schiff from the pulps. But the comics flood
was only beginning. NAP accountant Victor Fox quit,
opened offices, and hired Will Eisner for Wonder
Man (Wonder Comics, 1939). NAP sued and the title
was canceled after one issue. Fox created The Blue
Beetle later that year.
Liebowitz, with M(axwell) C(harles) Gaines, created
All American. Gaines, who, in 1933 at ECP, helped
develop the first comic books, thought to sell them at
newsstands, and also worked at The McClure
Syndicate repackaging news-strips into comic books
with Sheldon Mayer, the two who recommended
Superman to NAP in 1938. Mayer would also create
Scribbly for All-American Comics and hire Joe
Kubert. All American also featured Jon L. Blummer's
Hop Harrigan and Bud Fisher's Mutt and Jeff.
The Golden Age: 1939-50
By 1940, the distinctive DC circular logo
(for Detective Comics) was appearing on NAP and
All American comics. NAP created Superman Inc.--a
licensing company--turning out hundreds of
merchandise items and promotions. That year,
Johnny Thunder and Gardner Fox creations The
Flash and debuted.
When Fawcett Publications debuted Captain Marvel
(Whiz Comics), NAP promptly sued for similarities to
Superman, fighting through 1953 before Fawcett
settled, canceling Captain Marvel. In 1973 NAP
acquired the rights to Captain Marvel, resurrecting
him in Shazam!.
In 1941, The Adventures of Superman radio
program began. Batman and Robin visited in 1945,
beginning regular appearances, and the show ran
until 1951.
A seven-minute animated film--
Superman (1941)&mdash⟩peared from
Paramount Pictures. The first of 17, this Academy
Award-nominated film was suggested to producer
Max Fleischer, whose studio had created Betty Boop
and Popeye.
Meanwhile, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon created
Captain America for Marvel and Jack Cole's Plastic
Man and Will Eisner's Blackhawk debuted for Quality
Comics Group, both characters which NAP acquired
(1956). Weisinger created Johnny Quick, Aquaman,
and Green Arrow, the three moving to Adventure
Comics.
William Moulton Marston, best known for creating
the lie detector, due to an article the psychologist
wrote attacking comics, was approached by Mayer
to write comics. Marston agreed and Wonder
Woman debuted in All Star Comics #8/1941,
becoming lead character in Sensation
Comics #1/1942 and graduating to Wonder
Woman #1/1943.
After Pearl Harbor, Weisinger enlisted; Bert
Christman (Sandman) died with The Flying Tigers;
Superman and Batman promoted war bonds; Simon
and Kirby created Boy Commandos before ending
up in uniform themselves; and before Siegel joined
up, he and Hal Sherman created The Star-Spangled
Kid, who debuted in Star Spangled Comics #1, a
series which also featured Liberty Belle and Siegel's
Robotman.
In 1942, Superman villain The Prankster appeared;
Random House published the first Superman novel;
Wildcat debuted (Sensation Comics); and Hop
Harrigan appeared on a radio show which ran until
1948.
Batman became McClure-syndicated in 1943.
Wonder Woman and Hop Harrigan also had
newspaper runs. Superman villain The Toyman
debuted. Batman finally beat Superman to the
punch, becoming the first NAP superhero with a live-
action film. Columbia Pictures released a 15-part
serial entitled Batman.
In 1944, DC hired Julius Schwartz--literary agent for
H. P. Lovecraft&mdash story editor. Concurrently,
Liebowitz bought out Gaines's share of All American,
merging it with NAP. Gaines went with his son Bill to
create EC Comics--which would release Tales from
the Crypt, Mad (1952), and Mad Magazine (1955;
sold to Premier Industries, 1962). The Three
Mousketeers also debuted that year.
Superboy debuted in More Fun Comics #101/1945,
graduated to Adventure Comics (1946), and got his
own title (1949), the last of the important superhero
titles of The Golden Age. Superboy introduced Lana
Lang, but created contradictions (Supe was not a
superhero until adulthood, did not meet Lois until
Metropolis). Siegel and Shuster did not like the
character, suing NAP (1947) for royalties, which they
received, but left the company, creating a rift until
1975, when they were awarded compensation,
pensions, and credit again on their creations.

From 1946 to 1949, NAP published Real Fact

Comics to promote education through comics (with
Pearl S. Buck among the writers). That year, NAP,
All American, and other DC predecessors combined
to form National Comics Publications (NCP).
Marston died in 1947; Kirby and Simon created a
new Sandman; Mayer quit to return to drawing, and
after World War II interest in superheroes began to
slump. NCP canceled More Fun Comics, Flash
Comics, All-Flash Comics, and dropped costumed
characters from All Star Comics, Sensation Comics,
and Star Spangled Comics. Action
Comics, Detective Comics, and Adventure
Comics continued with Superman, Batman, and
Superboy.
In 1948, Superman debuted in film, appearing in
Columbia's 15-chapter serial Superman, produced
by Sam Katzman, who also produced Batman and
Robin (1949) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950).
Other NCP characters appearing as Columbia
serials included Hop Harrigan (1946), The
Vigilante (1947), and Congo Bill: King of the Jungle.
The impact of TV and film was felt in comics, as
evinced by such titles as The Adventures of Ozzie
and Harriet and The Adventures of Alan
Ladd (1949); Feature Films and The Adventures of
Bob Hope (1950); The Adventures of Dean Martin
and Jerry Lewis (1952-57); Jackie Gleason, (1956-
58); Sgt. Bilko, (1957-60); The Adventures of Jerry
Lewis (1957-71); The Many Loves of Dobie
Gillis (1960-64); and Welcome Back, Kotter (1976).
George Reeves played Superman in the superhero's
first feature film, Superman and the Mole
Men (1951), serving as the pilot for the television
series Adventures of Superman (1951-57).
In the 1940s and 1950s, westerns and animals
gained popularity, with debuts of Western
Comics, Tomahawk, and The Dodo and the Frog;
and name changes from All-American Comics to All-
American Western, All Star Comics to All Star
Western, Funny Folks to Nutsy Squirrel, and Animal
Antics to The Raccoon Kids. Dell Publishing bought
Walt Disney, Walter Lantz, and Warner Bros.
characters. NCP acquired The Fox and The Crow,
based on Columbia's 1941 cartoon The Fox and the
Grapes, and Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen got his
own title in 1954.
Mysteries and horror boomed, with Gleason's Crime
Does Not Pay (1942), followed by
DC's Gangbusters (1947), Mr. District
Attorney (1948), Big Town (1950), House of
Mystery (1951), and House of Secrets (1956); and
EC's Tales from the Crypt. Science fiction also grew,
with debuts of Strange Adventures (1950)
and Mystery in Space (1951); war stories abounded,
with Our Army at War, Star Spangled War Stories,
and All-American Men of War (all 1952); and
romance and teen comics popped up, with Prize
Comics/Simon and Kirby's Young Romance (1947;
acquired by DC, 1963), and DC's A Date with
Judy (1947), Leave It to Binky, Here's
Howie, Romance Trail (1949), Girls' Love
Stories (1949), Secret Hearts, Girls'
Romances, Falling in Love, and Heart
Throbs (bought from Quality, 1955).
Attack on Comics, 1954
In 1954, with a booming comics industry, Dr. Fredric
Wertham of Bellevue launched a Congressional
inquiry when he blamed comic books and their
gruesome, lurid covers for growing juvenile
delinquency, and asserted that Batman, Robin, and
Wonder Woman were homosexual. Though the
industry created the self-governing Comics Code
Authority, EC Comics was essentially destroyed, as
were other comics publishers.
The Silver Age Begins, 1956
Schwartz inaugurated The Silver Age of Comics
when he revived Flash in 1956. In 1958, Lois Lane
got her own title--Superman's Girlfriend Lois
Lane&mdash did The Challengers of the
Unknown (April-May). Two years later The Justice
League of America debuted. In 1961, Kirby and Stan
Lee released The Fantastic Four; Donenfeld died;
his son Irwin replaced him; and NCP changed its
name to National Periodical Publications (NPP).
Getting their own titles were Hawkman (1964),
Metamorpho The Element Man (1965), and Teen
Titans (1966). In 1966, Superman hit Broadway
with It's A Bird ... It's A Plane ... It's Superman! and
returned to a cartoon series (1966-70), going on to
Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends (1973-86). The
superhero icon was also immortalized in paintings by
both Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Concurrently, Batman debuted on television,
appeared in a film and two animated TV series
(1966, 1977), plus novels, collections of kids' letters
to Batman, and every merchandise item imaginable.
NPP and Warner Bros. were purchased in 1968 by
Kinney National Services. In 1972, NPP debuted
Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's innovative horror
title Swamp Thing--which would become a cult hit
movie (1982) and sequel (1989), as well as a spinoff
TV series (1990), and animated miniseries (1991).
That same year Tarzan came to DC.
In 1973, Prez, Plop!, and The Shadow appeared in
print, and Aquaman launched a cartoon television
series (1973-86), which included solo appearances
by The Atom, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman,
The Teen Titans, and The Justice League. Marvel's
Dr. Strange appeared, and Captain
America and The Punisher were shot, but never
released. Wonder Woman debuted in a TV movie
(1974), followed by a series (1975-79), and Jonah
Hex got his own title (1976).
The Path of Kahn, 1976
Jenette Kahn became publisher in 1976 and
president five years later, and was credited with
revamping the entire company. She changed the
name NPP to DC Comics Inc. in 1977, fashioned a
new logo, and led DC to become the first comics
company to pay royalties in 1981.
Christopher Reeve took over in Superman: The
Movie (1978), Superman II (1980), III (1983), and IV:
The Quest for Peace (1988)--spinning off
a Supergirl film (1984)--before moving to
videocassette.
In 1982, DC's Camelot 3000, became the first
original offset series sold through direct-sales
market, followed by Frank Miller's Ronin (1983)
and Sun Devils (1984). Spinoffs from games began
with Atari Force (1984) and Dick Grayson
transformed from Robin to Nightwing. Graphic
novels began appearing, with DC's Star
Raiders (1983), Metalzoic (1986), and Tell Me,
Dark (1992), as well as Ray Bradbury's Frost and
Fire, Harlan Ellison's Demon with a Glass Hand, and
Jack Kirby's Hunger Dogs.
In 1985, DC cleaned house, consolidating all of its
universes (including those acquired from Fawcett,
Charleton, and Quality), but some heroes--Supergirl,
Silver Age Flash, and Nighthawk--paid the ultimate
price. A second housecleaning came in 1994, with
Hal Jordan's Green Lantern becoming the victim.
In 1986, Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight
Returns sophisticatedly redefined Batman; John
Byrne's Superman--updated in Man of Steel--
became the first million-copy seller since The
Golden Age, and had three top-100 titles;
and Watchmen, which would become the most-
honored comic series in history, debuted.
Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, and Peanuts made
comebacks in the 1980s, joined by Wonder Woman,
The Justice League of America, and The Flash
(1987). That summer, DC outsold Marvel for the first
time in years.
During the 1970s-80s, industry birthday parties
abounded, with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all hitting the
golden mark (1978, 1984, and 1987, respectively).
February 29, 1988 marked Superman's 50th
birthday and DC Comics started a year-long
celebration beginning on Memorial Day 1987, when
an exhibition opened at The Smithsonian
Institute; Superman IV debuted; Superman joined
The White House and U.S. Department of Education
in The Drug-Free America Balloon Launch; CBS had
a one-hour prime-time special on Supe; a weekend
birthday party occurred in New York City; and The
Grand Finale occurred in Cleveland that June, with a
ticker-tape parade and a statue of Supe.
In 1988, Superboy appeared in a live-action TV
series (1988-91); Jason Todd as Robin died, being
replaced by Tim Drake. In 1989, Warner
Communications merged with Time Inc. to form
Time Warner Inc., making DC part of the largest
media company in the world, and Neil Gaiman
created a third version of Sandman. Simultaneously,
Marvel was sold by struggling New World Pictures to
MacAndrew & Forbes, a holding company of
financier Ronald Perelman.
That year also marked Batman's 50th
birthday. Batman: Arkham Asylum became the
bestselling hardcover comic ever;
and Batman became the largest-grossing Warner
film ever, with domestic box-office sales of $251
million (sixth in film history), total sales at over $400
million, and the videocassette was the bestselling
ever.
Analysts estimated the comics industry went from
$130 million in 1986 to $400 million in 1990 as Clark
Kent and Lois Lane got engaged. Superman died
in Superman #75 (1993), the most widely read comic
book ever, selling over six million copies. However,
he was resurrected in 1993 and married Lois in
1996.
The Flash starred in a TV series (1991), but DC was
hard-pressed to catch industry leaders Marvel and
Malibu. In 1992 DC's The Human Target ran six
episodes; Batman: The Animated Series debuted,
winning an Emmy award; Superman and Batman
appeared in The New Batman/Superman
Adventures; Batman Returns (1992) became the
only film to date beating Batman's opening weekend
box office record; and Bill Gaines died.
In 1989, seemingly only Kool-Aid advertised in
comics. But in 1993, an upsurge occurred. DC and
others suddenly had attracted such advertisers as
Sega, Nordic Trak, Warner Bros., Crunch 'N Munch,
and Stridex; Marvel characters promoted Pizza Hut
(X-Men) and Burger King; and Malibu introduced its
Ultraverse on MTV and Nickelodeon--the first time a
comic publisher used national advertising--and a
merger with Acme Interactive triggered Malibu's tie-
in package, with a live-action video portion of the
story, and the rest in the comics. Lois and Clark: The
New Adventures of Superman, an hour-long
primetime series, also appeared.
DC debuted a new line--"Vertigo"--offering
innovative graphic stories to adult readers of
nontraditional comics. The psychologically
compelling, cutting-edge titles ranged from science
fiction to horror to dark fantasy.
July 1994 saw year-old Milestone Media--publishers
of Icon, Static, Kobalt, Rocket, Shadow Cabinet,
and Xombi--team characters
from Hardware and Blood Syndicate with Superman,
Superboy, and Steel in the "Worlds Collide"
crossover series, following Superman/Spiderman
(1970s), Batman/Hulk (1980s), and Teen Titans/X-
Men (1990s). Also appearing in 1994 were Looney
Toons and Paradox Press--with such titles
as Brooklyn Dreams, La Pacifica, Beautiful Stories
for Ugly Children, Urban Legends, The Big Book of
Weirdos, and Stuck Rubber Baby.
Batman Forever was the top-grossing film of 1995,
and DC comics appeared in Waldenbooks. In 1996,
Superman joined Snuggle Bear, WB, Kids WB
Network, and Six Flags' Magic Mountain in Best
Western promotions. Batman and Robin debuted in
1997.
By mid-1998, Action Comics and Detective
Comics were still appearing, along with numerous
other titles. Rumors abounded of a Superman V film;
and, with Marvel/Malibu bankrupt, DC became sole
survivor of The Golden Age of comics and the
largest comics publisher in the world.
-Additional Details
 Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Time Warner
Inc.
 Founded: 1935 as National Allied Publications
  Employees: 200
 Sales: $75 million (1997 est.)
 SICs: 2721 Periodicals Publishing & Printing,
6794 Patent Owners & Lessors
Further Reference
Barmann, Timothy C., "Rhode Island Internet
Provider Engages in Battle with Comic
Giant," Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News,
February 18, 1998, p. 218B1051.Boughton, Victoria,
"Wonder Woman," Working Woman, March 1982, p.
71.Daniels, Les, DC Comics: Sixty Years of the
World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes, Boston and
New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995, 256
p.Fenner, Austin Evans, "Manhattan Publisher
Milestone Media Celebrates 16 Months in
Business," Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News,
July 19, 1994, p. 07190074.Flatow, Sheryl, "Leaps
and Bounds," Public Relations Journal, February
1988, p. 13.Fost, Dan, "Comics Age with the Baby
Boom," American Demographics, May 1991, p.
16.Frank, Jerome P., "DC Comics Is Serious About
Production; Using an In-House Electronic System,
the Comic Book Publisher Saves Money and
Improves Quality," Publishers Weekly, October 7,
1988, p. 91.Grimm, Matthew, "Marvel Comics
Strikes Back: Beaten Badly by Archrival DC in the
Cross-Marketing Arena, the Industry Leader Vows to
Flex Its Muscles in Licensing, Promotion and
Hollywood," ADWEEK's Marketing Week, January 1,
1991, p. 13."Holy Suit, Batman!: Owners of
Copyright Sue Stores," Philadelphia Business
Journal, February 26, 1990, p. 28.Jensen, Jeff,
"Dead Superman May Revive DC
Comics," Advertising Age, November 23, 1992, p.
13.Ketzenberger, John, "Holy Bootleg, Batman!:
Warner, DC Comics File Suit Here to Stop 'Caped
Crusader' Rip-Offs," Indianapolis Business Journal,
September 4, 1989, p. 1A.Lehrman, Celia
Kuperszmid, "Superman Faces Midlife Crisis," Public
Relations Journal, September 1986, p. 15.McCoy,
Frank, and Alfred Edmond, Jr., "Serious
Business," Black Enterprise, September 1989, p.
86.Miller, Cyndee, "Comic Book Publishers Battle for
Market Share, Advertisers," Marketing News,
October 11, 1993, p. 1.Morris, Chris, "Winters Show
Discontent Over DC Comics Depiction," Billboard,
March 23, 1996, p. 95.Reid, Calvin, "500 Walden
Stores to Feature DC Comics," Publishers Weekly,
February 27, 1995, p. 32.Rigg, Cynthia, "Upstarts
Aim to Be Comic Book Heroes," Crain's New York
Business, April 6, 1992, p. 1."Swamp Thing's
Quagmire," Time, July 10, 1989, p. 47.Underwood,
Elaine, and Betsy Spethmann, "Superman, WB Fly
at Best Western," BRANDWEEK, May 27, 1996, p.
4."Will Superman Fly?" Chain Store Age--General
Merchandise Trends, June 1987, p. 69.Zinn, Laura,
"It's a Bird, It's a Plane--It's a Resurrection;
Superman Returns on Apr. 15, But No One Knows
What Form He'll Take," Business Week, April 12,
1993,

SURVEY QUESTIONS:-

1. NAME
2. AGE
3. GENDER
4. OCCUPATION
5. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT DC COMICS?
6. EVER HEARD ABOUT ANY DC COMICS
SUPERHEROES?(EX.-SUPERMAN, BATMAN)
7. HAVE YOU EVER PURCHASED ANY COMICS OF DC
UNTIL NOW?
8. HOW MANY DC COMICS HAVE YOU PURCHASED?
9. HOW MANY DC MOVIES HAVE YOU WATCHED?
10. WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE DC HERO?
11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DC MOVIE?
12. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY DC COMICS IN FUTURE?
13. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE PRODUCT OF DC
COMICS?
14. IN THE FUTURE WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECOMMEND
PEOPLE ABOUT READING AND WATCHING DC COMICS

SURVEY RESULTS:-
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:-

According to the survey we have found that consumers

are thinking about purchasing a DC Comics in the future.
The majority of the respondents, 55.6%, chose “maybe”
when asked if they would buy a dc comics in the future
while 33.3% said “yes”. The majority of these people
planned to purchase a dc comics in 1 to 4 years. We also
found what consumers look good in dc comics and the
drawbacks in buying a dc comics. These findings will
enable us to make comics that is suitable for the
consumers. Not many people actually purchased dc
comics before.
The majority, 77.8%, answered "0" when asked if they
have purchased dc comics before, it let us get an idea
about preferences of consumers toward dc comics.
This information lets us know that there
demand in the consumers mind.
From my primary research I also found out that brand
image was a strong factor in purchasing a comics and
what
people were looking for. This makes it very important for
us to continue to improve our brand image so that it will
be appealing to all consumers. We also found out what
kind of DC heroes does our consumer prefer as Batman
got 44.4% and behind batman was Superman with
33.3%."DC Movies” was picked the most as having the
strongest influence on purchasing decision. This is why
we will need to improve our movies plans for our
customers and also look for new customers. Having a
solid service plan that the customers like will just add to
the value of owning a DC Comics. The
influential factors on purchasing an dc comics were
range, style, price and product quality. Majority of
people “33.3” have watched more than 2 DC Movies
before. Their favourite DC movies was “Man Of Steel”
with “35%”. This survey helps us to find what kind of
product are consumers are looking forward to. This will
allow us an opportunity to create a lower priced
comics so that we can reach the mass market.
DISADVANTAGES:-

RUSHED

While not following the Marvel way of things was a

bold move, it has ultimately caused a mixed reaction
from fans and critics alike concerning the direction
DC films are going in. From an outside view, it may
seem that DC is eager to catch up with Marvel and
compete with them head to head on the silver
screen. One can only imagine that if DC took their
time and planned out their movie universe more
carefully these early entries could have been met
with more favourable reviews.

MISSED THE BOAT

With the vast influx of Marvel movies there seems to

be a real panic amongst the heads at DC. This is
probably the main reason for every other con on this
list. The fact that DC are trying so hard to capitalise
on the popularity of comic book films is actually
hindering their own goals in the process. They have
to realise that the foundations have to be strong
before spreading themselves further. Comic book
movies will always be popular amongst fans and the
general public. However, they are smart enough to
see when films are solely being pushed out just to
keep up with a rival.

NOT ENOUGH FUN

A common criticism for the DCEU has been the lack

of humour or levity in their films. Batman Vs
Superman for example was heavily criticised for this.
Some fans have been clamouring for the charm,
smiles and jokes of the Reeve era. Although Cavill
has been great in the role of Superman, this has
been a sticking point with some fans. While the
brooding and dark sided nature of Batman is
considered the norm for that character, people want
to see a more approachable Man of Steel.

TOO MANY COOKS

This is something that has clearly damaged the

opening films in the DCEU. Reports of studio cuts
and director cuts are always a sign of troubled
productions. This is clear for all to see in the
structure of the films we have gotten. They seem to
be veering all over the place in what they want to be.
Do they want to be serious, dark impactful stories or
do they want to tell entertaining, fun and more
commercially viable films? There are sections in the
movies which greatly complement either of these
structures, but they then suddenly try to be
something else. This is an extremely tight rope to
walk and is very hard to make work. The heads at
DC seem to have a decision to make; either they
trust their directors or they hire yes men hacks.

OVER-RELIANCE ON ESTABLISHED HEROES

The constant reliance on DC’s biggest heroes has

always been a disappointment. Whenever DC panic
or need a profits boost, they know they always have
Batman and Superman to push out. There are signs
of improvement with the introduction of the Justice
League, however some of the characters are not
even getting their own film before teaming up. They
are making sure everyone knows that Batman and
Wonder Woman (thanks to BvS) will be assembling
the team. When they eventually give these
characters their own stories to tell I really hope they
keep it as just that.

CONCLUDING
THOUGHTS:-

Like Marvel, the net worth of DC Comics isn’t readily

available. However, we can estimate the company’s
net worth based on a few factors.

First, licensing revenue. Like Marvel, DC makes a

hefty sum from retail sales. Batman is the most
licensed of DC characters and made the company
$494 million in retail sales in 2013.

Second, movie sales. DC Comics makes an average

of $224 million per film release, according to Indie
Wire. Based on those factors alone, DC Comics
estimated net worth is likely near that of Marvel.

DC has ruled this part of comic sales for 48 years

compared to Marvel's 37 years. Currently Marvel has
greater shares due to them publishing 400 more
stories than their rival's. Marvel tends to flood the
comic stores with too many variant covers.
Dollar share: It's the amount of money comic stores
spend on a particular brand. Marvel has taken the
top spot for roughly a 50 years. Marvel is leading the
way here.
Marketshare per capita: These is the average
number of books sold by a particular publisher to
comicbook stores. DC on average sells around 348
books for every 1000 books while Marvel sells
roughly 302 books for every 1000 books. DC has
been consistently winning this side of the sales for
around 60 years now except for 2–3 years in
between.
But these shares don't tell how many books are sold
to customers. For that we look at digital sales and
diamond gem awards.
Digital comic sales: Comicbook sites like
Comixology and youtuber “ilovecomics” give a good
look into it. These books are sold directly to
customers and sales numbers tell us how many
customers each brand has. DC has been dominating
the digital sales for a long time now.
Diamond Gem Awards: These awards are handed
out by Diamond comic distributors for best
performers. The winners are picked by comic store
owners who decided it on the basis of how much
each publisher sold to customers. DC has been
winning the best publisher award for roughly 15
years now from 2002 and Marvel has been winning
the top dollar share award for roughly the same
time.
So looking at all these factors, in terms of units sold,
DC has the better sales but when it comes down to
money made, Marvel has the better sales