‘Superpowered: The DC Story – Season 1’
Considering what I do at GVN, it is hardly a surprise that I find behind the scenes looks at the comics I grew up with fascinating. Especially when it concerns the famed “Big Two” DC and Marvel. The companies that formed the foundation of my love of comics at a young age. I have read a number of books about their storied histories and rivalry. But not much in the way of documentaries.
So, when the opportunity to watch a series on the history of DC came about, I was more than ready to watch it. Going in with some knowledge from my reading but hoping for even more insights. Narrated by Rosario Dawson, by the end of the first episode of Season One, I was pleased. While it was not totally comprehensive (that’s a whole lot of history to cover), it did hit the major highlights, struggles and the emphasis on diversity that made DC survive and thrive.
Episode One: The Heroes Journey
Episode One centers on the base of the DC Brand, the superhero. Or to be specific, DC’s brand of superhero. From Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the hundreds of others that came to life from the talented artists and writers who created them and those who later expanded their stories. For over 85 years, DC has created a Universe full of unforgettable characters. During this documentary, they are discussed by the artists, writers, editors and those in the film and television industries who were fortunate to bring their interpretations to the mythos.
Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
But like all stories, it starts with a beginning. An Origin Story as it were. DC’s story began with a man named Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. A real-life soldier, and adventurer who parlayed his stories into adventure tales for the pulp magazines. This eventually morphed into Wheeler-Nicholson starting his own company and printing his own comic books, filled with original stories. That company, Fun Comics eventually became Detective Comics or DC.
Here Comes Superman
Unfortunately for Wheeler-Nicholson, his encountered financial struggles that forced him to sell the company. Right before the introduction of the hero that would revolutionize the industry: Superman. By now, most comic book fans know the origins of Superman. Created by Joe Schuster and Jerry Siegel, they based their new creation in no small part on their own lives.
Jerry was a mild mannered, introverted kid who wore glasses, and whom girls paid no attention to. He wondered what would happen if he had secret powers that made him mighty. Would those same girls have paid attention to him then? Joe Shuster was bullied as a kid. Being smaller, he was an easy target. How would that have changed if he had great strength? They combined their wish fulfillment into a superhero. One who was mild-mannered in his secret identity, but strong and heroic in his super persona. All they needed now was for someone to believe in the character enough to publish it.
A Question of Worth
It took them six years to find someone who would take a chance on the character and them. DC was needing an anchor story for their new anthology series, Action Comics. They decided to give this new Superhero a shot. Good move, DC. So, in 1939, Superman immediately blew off of stands and set the standard for all superheroes to follow. That was followed by newspaper strips, and radio shows. This seemed like good news to Siegal and Schuster. But in truth, while DC was profiting from their creation, they felt like they were being left out of the equation. They eventually had their page rates increased but this question of worth would be a long-standing conflict between them.
Enter The Batman
With the success of Superman, DC wanted other superheroes created to supplement their cash cow. They put out a challenge for their creators for new characters to be created to hopefully be as successful as Superman. The answer to that, was Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s Batman. Although, Kane didn’t immediately admit to Finger’s role in the creation of the character. Bob drew the character, but it was Finger who created the origin and wrote many of the background details and many of the villains that would become synonymous with the Caped Crusader.
In time, DC would introduce another staple that would become prevalent for them, the sidekick. One of the first would be Robin, the Boy Wonder. An opportunity for their young readers to connect with a character they could relate to. Child endangerment laws be damned. Nevertheless, Robin became a popular addition and eventually an integral part of what would become some of the best Batman stories of all time.
Wonder Woman
So, the men were well spoken for at DC. But there remained a missing piece. Where was the female Superhero? That was where William Moulton Marston’s Wonder Woman would come in. Marston was a critic of comics at the time and their emphasis on male masculinity. DC couldn’t help but agree with Marston and asked him to create a female character for them. With the help of artist H.G. Peter, he created the Amazonian heroine known as Wonder Woman. Based on the Greek gods and goddesses, he gave her powers that easily equaled or surpassed her male counterparts.
This was based partly on Marston’s huge influences by the women in his life. Involved in an open marriage, Marston was surrounded by strong women who secretly helped him with his Wonder Woman stories. Another element that helped push the Wonder Woman mythos was the beginning of WWII. Women all over were going to work at the factories to keep manufacturing going as the men were overseas. Symbolic of the strength shown on the pages of Wonder Woman. In fact, most of the DC comic book heroes were being used to push the war effort. Sales at that time were never higher, especially to send to the soldiers fighting for democracy.
The Post War Sales Lag
But when the war ended, sales of comics died down. DC felt this impact just like the other comic publishers. This was hampered further when another innovation battled for people’s time: television. But on the plus side, one of the shows that captured their attention was 1952’s Superman. Played by George Reeves, the show inspired kids and also pushed Superman comic book sales. However, there was another issue that would soon affect not only DC but other comic book publishers. The sale of crime and monster books that caught the attention of disapproving parents.
The Comics Code
In time, Washington took notice, having hearings on the possible deleterious effect that such books were having on children and delinquency. (On a side note, one of the more humorous segments in this part was writer Grant Morrison explaining what Americans were afraid of in the 1950’s… basically everything.) This forced the comics industry to impose their own censorship over their books. In 1954, the Comics Code Authority was created to appease those who wanted to ban comics outright. Basically, naming their own poison, the Comics Code told them what could not be included in a story. That small stamp sized seal in the upper right corner said that the comic had met the criteria laid down. Translation: they compromised. In creativity and in story. Which forced many talented creators out of work. It was not a good time to work in comics.
Superhero Meet Science
During that time, the superhero comic had gone out of vogue. The main trinity still existed but not much beyond that. It was then that DC Editor Julius Schwartz decided it was time to bring the superhero back, starting with the Flash. The combination of superhero and science proved to be a winner along with Carmine Infantino’s artwork. It was Schwartz idea that since kids of the time were into the space race and science, this emphasis would prove to be popular. And he was right. More importantly, Barry Allen was an ordinary guy. A police scientist who happened to get hit by lightning. That could happen, right??
The Introduction of the Multiverse
But Schwartz wasn’t done. He also introduced the idea of a parallel universe. Which soon evolved into the multiverse. The Flash was the perfect conduit for the exploration of this concept. Soon, DC brought back a number of little used characters back into the fold. It began the silver-age of comics with great artwork, stories and covers. Many drawn by the legendary Joe Kubert. (The segment on Joe Kubert already made watching the documentary worthwhile.)
Recompense
It was during the 50’s and 60’s the comic industry dealt with another problem. Having their images used in popular “pop-art” paintings without credit or recompense. At that time, artists were bouncing back and forth between being flattered that their work was being adapted, and outraged because they were not seeing anything from the money being made. A problem that is still an issue today in the age of A.I.
The Marvel Influence
Another issue for DC in the 60’s was their difficulty or unwillingness to reflect the pop-culture youth movement going on at that time. This was made even more clear when their arch-rival Marvel went out of their way to do just that. Under Editor in Chief Stan Lee, Marvel made sure they were consistent with the pulse of the young people, including what the fashions were. They also created heroes that had real problems. Ones that readers could identify with. Characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and the Hulk were not like the stolid, boring characters that made up the present DC roster. And the problem was, DC didn’t recognize their error.
BAM! POW! ZAP!!
However, when sales were plummeting and they were losing ground to Marvel, a savior came along in the Batman TV show. In 1966, Batman premiered and was a campy, almost silly look at the character. As the documentary shows, not everyone was cool with that adaptation of their favorite comic book character. But enough people were intrigued to trigger a blitz of toys and merchandise based on the show. Not enough however to maintain what steam the show had built up. It died after three seasons. Although, it did prove that audiences could accept a live action, Batman. That would prove to be beneficial in later years.
Warner Communications Takes Control
What it didn’t do was improve DC’s profit in their comic book line. Between the aforementioned pop-culture phase, the Vietnam War and Civil Rights, DC and their comics were being left behind. They didn’t embrace it like Marvel did. With their focus on merchandising and not the printed page, a number of comic legends were let go. Including Bill Finger and Joe Schuster and Jerry Siegel. That is when the fight over rights and profits from Superman came to a head. The DC family was struggling.
Capturing Superman
When Warner Communications took over DC Comics, their actual goal was single minded. Obtaining the rights to Superman. They felt that the Man of Steel was the only DC character worth adapting into a movie. The only one capable of headlining such a film and of course, the merchandising that would follow. As for the other characters, Warner saw no value in them. In fact, they saw no value in comics as a whole. If that wasn’t changed soon, DC was in trouble. It was time to call in the biggest superhero group ever assembled: The Fans!
Thoughts
The best part of this first part and no doubt the other two episodes is the contributions of so many legends and great creators in the comic industry. As I mentioned, hearing from Joe Kubert and his son was a selling point for me alone. But with such dignitaries like Grant Morrison, J.M Dematteis, Carmine Infantino, Jim Lee and so many others, it made the story come alive and me realize how the problems that DC faced effected the creators even more than the company. And while I was aware of the issues Joe and Jerry fought through with Superman, that didn’t make it any less sad.
I also appreciated how they have encompassed not only the comics but the film and television adaptations of their characters to tell a well-rounded story. In part one alone, they have created an educational and entertaining look at the beginnings of the DC Comic Book Universe. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Superpowered: The DC Story – Season 1 Episode 1 can be found to stream on HBO Max.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.