OK, so everyone at this point has heard of the two biggest Comic Publishers of all time right? DC (formerly National) and HIT (Formerly Quality) have been in the pop culture Nexus ever since the 1930s, although it was the 40s when they both truly hit their stride with guys like Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Dr Fate, Uncle Sam, The Blackhawks, Plastic Man and Phantom Lady. Course, they both had their own ways of doing things. I mean for the longest time, Quality's only team was a squad of Fighter Pilots who were designed to be America's Middle Finger to the Luftwaffe. (Not that the Blackhawks aren't awesome in their own right.)
It wasn't until 1955 when they rebranded as HIT, got the idea for rejuvenating their old Superhero line and scrapped their Horror Comics line when they first began laying down the blocks of what would become The Freedom Fighters when they brought back Uncle Sam, the Ray and the Phantom Lady that same year, Followed by Plas and Human Bomb the next and so on. Just in time too, as it probably saved the company from being driven out of business by the anti-comic sentiments of that decade. Definitely also helped that they brought on new, original creations too in the 60s, with guys like Steve Ditko and Ramona Fradon.
National/DC was doing fine throughout this, thinking they'd bumped off all major competition. Timely? Bought out in 53. Fawcett? Shut down in Court and would end up being bought by HIT later on. Fox Features? Also bought out. In the end, it didn't seem like there was anyone left who could challenge them, till HIT's miraculous rebirth. Probably what spurred them to bring the Flash and GL Back in Showcase. Of course, the way their heroes are treated differs too. DC's guys are mostly paragons of virtue, whereas, with Hit's Heroes, you're either a Government Agent that's been sold to the public as their champion or a lawless, powered Vigilante, distrusted by the law, the government, but treated like a celebrity by the average joe.
But, too the point. It makes you wonder. What if DC hadn't taken out most of their major competitors Early on? What if Quality never became HIT? Who would have become part of the big two? Would there have been a Big Three or Four instead? Leave your ideas below.
It wasn't until 1955 when they rebranded as HIT, got the idea for rejuvenating their old Superhero line and scrapped their Horror Comics line when they first began laying down the blocks of what would become The Freedom Fighters when they brought back Uncle Sam, the Ray and the Phantom Lady that same year, Followed by Plas and Human Bomb the next and so on. Just in time too, as it probably saved the company from being driven out of business by the anti-comic sentiments of that decade. Definitely also helped that they brought on new, original creations too in the 60s, with guys like Steve Ditko and Ramona Fradon.
National/DC was doing fine throughout this, thinking they'd bumped off all major competition. Timely? Bought out in 53. Fawcett? Shut down in Court and would end up being bought by HIT later on. Fox Features? Also bought out. In the end, it didn't seem like there was anyone left who could challenge them, till HIT's miraculous rebirth. Probably what spurred them to bring the Flash and GL Back in Showcase. Of course, the way their heroes are treated differs too. DC's guys are mostly paragons of virtue, whereas, with Hit's Heroes, you're either a Government Agent that's been sold to the public as their champion or a lawless, powered Vigilante, distrusted by the law, the government, but treated like a celebrity by the average joe.
But, too the point. It makes you wonder. What if DC hadn't taken out most of their major competitors Early on? What if Quality never became HIT? Who would have become part of the big two? Would there have been a Big Three or Four instead? Leave your ideas below.
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