Some definintions relating to Comics and Graphic Novels:
For more on Comics and Graphic Novel, follow this link.
Source: Supergods by Grant Morrison.
DC Comics Encyclopedia: the definitive guide to the characters of the DC universe by 
Action Comics: 80 years of Superman by 
Investigating Lois Lane by 
Wonder Woman Unbound: the Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine by 
The Many Lives of Catwoman: the felonious history of a feline fatale by In the 1950s, DC Comics had adapted Superman to television. The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves as Superman ran for 6 seasons from 1952-1958. In the 1960s, it was Batman's turn. Batman with Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin ran for 3 seasons from 1966-1968. Like The Muppet Show of the 1970s and early 1980s, many well-known entertainment personalities opted to appear on the show. During Batman's 120 episodes, the campy tv series had some Bat-tastic guests:
| Steve Allen as Allen Stevens | John Astin as The Riddler |
| Tallulah Bankhead as The Black Widow |
Anne Baxter as Zelda the Great |
| Milton Berle as Louie the Lilac | Victor Buono as King Tut |
| Art Carney as The Archer | Dick Clark as Himself |
| Joan Collins as The Siren | Sammy Davis, Jr. as Himself |
| Phyllis Diller as unnamed scrubwoman | Howard Duff as Cabala |
| Maurice Evans as The Puzzler | Zsa Zsa Gabor as Minerva |
| Lesley Gore as Pussycat | Frank Gorshin as The Riddler |
| Glynis Johns as Penelope Peasoup | Van Johnson as The Minstrel |
| Carolyn Jones as Marsha, Queen of Diamonds | Eartha Kitt as Catwoman |
| Bruce Lee as Kato | Liberace as Chandell |
| Art Linkletter as Himself | Ida Lupino as Dr. Cassandra |
| Roddy McDowall as The Bookworm | Burgess Meredith as The Penguin |
| Ethel Merman as Lola Lasagne | Dina Merrill as Calamity Jan |
| Julie Newmar as Catwoman | Paul Revere & The Raiders as Themselves |
| Otto Preminger as Mr. Freeze | Vincent Price as Egghead |
| Cliff Robertson as Shame | Cesar Romero as The Joker |
| George Sanders as Mister Freeze | Jill St. John as Molly (Riddler's Assistant) |
| Rudy Vallee as Lord Marmaduke Fogg | Eli Wallach as Mr. Freeze |
| David Wayne as The Mad Hatter | Shelly Winters as Ma Parker |
| Henny Youngman as Manny the Mesopatamian |
Source: IMDB.com
Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir by 
The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: awesome female characters from comic book history by 
Twelve-Cent Archie by 
Peanuts: a golden celebration : the art and the story of the world's best-loved comic strip by 
The Ten-Cent Plague: the great comic-book scare and how it changed America by COMICS CODE
According to Tim Hanley's Investigating Lois Lane (p.53-54), at the end of World War II, superhero comics were at their peak in popularity since the introduction of Superman. "By the early 1950s, DC Comics' superhero line was down to just Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin. Horror and crime comics took over the newsstands, though not for long.
"The 1954 book, Seduction of the Innocent by Dr. Frederic Wertham alleged that comic books exposed young people to harmful images of images of violence, crime, and abnormal sexuality...Facing the treat of external censorship, publishers banded together to create the Comics Code Authority, which imposed a strict set of rules regarding comic book content. Horror and crime comics...were eliminated completely."
From that point on until Marvel challenged the Code in 1971, it was the law in the industry. No comic book would be sold at a newsstand without the Seal of the Code. Only Mad Magazine escaped because it was considered a magazine designed for an adult audience.
Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels by 
Supergods: what masked vigilantes, miraculous mutants, and a sun god from Smallville can teach us about being human by 
Slugfest: inside the epic fifty-year battle between Marvel and DC by Stodder, C., & Phillips, M. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool: A Celebration of the Grooviest People, Events and Artifacts of the 1960s. Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press.
