Witness the creation of the world’s first multiverse, when the publisher that would become DC Comics founded the superhero genre as we know it today. The groundbreaking debut adventures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and more return in Folio’s earth-shattering new collection DC Comics: The Golden Age. Former DC Editor-in-Chief Jenette Kahn selects and introduces eighteen epoch-making stories published during the formative age of American comic books. Scanned directly from original copies held in the DC archives, these seminal stories collect the earliest – often startling – incarnations of our modern Super Hero icons. Discover original work by the founding fathers of the genre, from Superman creators Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, Batman’s Bob Kane with Bill Finger, and Wonder Woman writer William Moulton Marston. This astonishing collection includes a complete 68-page replica of Action Comics #1, the world’s very first superhero comic. Presented in a dynamic clamshell case with a separate art print by modern Batman artist Yanick Paquette, DC Comics: The Golden Age explores the roots of a pop culture phenomenon, the first instalment in a brand-new series from The Folio Society in partnership with DC Comics.

DC Comics: The Golden Age spotlights every major character debut from this formative era, including the earliest incarnations of some of the world’s most iconic Super Heroes. In these early stories, Superman has yet to gain his famous powers of flight and battles corrupt landlords in lieu of crazed Super-Villains. Elsewhere, you’ll meet the original Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and DC’s Captain Marvel (later known as ‘Shazam’). Classic adventures abound, including Wonder Woman’s first mission to America in 1942’s Sensation Comics #1 and the classic Catwoman caper Claws of the Catwoman from 1947’s Batman #42. Presented here in prestige format are perfect examples of Golden Age comic-book art. Plastic Man #5 from 1946 showcases the brilliantly expressive cartooning of John Spranger, while legendary artist Wayne Boring updates Superman’s origin story for 1948’s Superman #53, establishing the signature look that would define the character throughout the 1950s. This is a truly exhaustive collection that brings you back to the day the superhero genre was forged, retaining every authentic detail of the original comic books.