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DC's Dan DiDio Out as Co-Publisher
Dan DiDio is no longer with DC, THR can confirm. DiDio had served as publisher of DC alongside Jim Lee since 2010, following a six-year stint as VP executive editor, and, prior to that, VP editorial.
As publisher, DiDio was one of the main figures behind DC’s 2011 line-wide relaunch “The New 52,” which saw the company provide a contemporary make-over to its entire superhero back catalog. Initially a sales success, both sales and buzz faded to the point where 2016’s subsequent line-wide relaunch, under the banner “DC Universe Rebirth,” restored many elements dropped in the reboot.
DiDio’s departure comes ahead of an announced further relaunch of the DC comic book universe that would restore even more elements removed as part of the 2011 reboot, as teased at New York Comic Con last year. While that project has not been officially announced, certain stories that reportedly tie-in have been, including DC’s Free Comic Book Day release Generation Zero: Gods Among Us. It’s unclear if plans for this relaunch will be delayed or cancelled in the wake of this news.
Since stepping into an executive role at the company, DiDio has served as DC’s public face at conventions and public events, and has worked to champion not only the company as a whole but specifically the comic book division — and comic book specialty market — as being integral to DC’s success on an ongoing basis. DiDio was also part of the push to expand DC’s publishing reach into Walmart and Target via exclusive 100-Page Giant issues, an initiative that proved so successful that the issues were expanded to the comic store market.
Throughout his tenure at DC, DiDio has worked as a writer on multiple properties, including The Phantom Stranger, The Outsiders and Sideways. At time of writing, his Metal Men mini-series with artist Shane Davis is midway through a projected 12-issue run.
With DiDio’s departure, Jim Lee becomes sole publisher at DC, in addition to his role as the company’s chief creative officer, a position he’s held since June 2018.
So Why Did Dan DiDio Leave DC Comics Anyway?
Bleeding Cool now understands that yes, DiDio was fired this morning by Warner Bros at 10.30am PT in their Burbank offices and he left the building straight away. I am told by sources close to the situation that he was fired, for cause, for 'fostering a poor work environment' – as evidenced, as we previously stated, by significant departures at the publisher by editors. Dan DiDio has a reputation of being a micro-manager from some, for being very involved in projects from others. And DC Comics was heading towards a big change in its publishing program – one aspect of which was the much-rumored 5G – or Generation Five. Which would have seen DC's major figures Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Diana and more aged out and replaced with new characters taking the roles of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman as part of the new DC Timeline. And some folk at DC Comics were very much against this. But opposition never worried Dan, after all he was at constant odds with the direction the company line was pushed for pretty much his entire career as Publisher, and was always was striving to put comics first, as he saw it.
Also at ComicsPRO, there was a lot of discussion among retailers about DiDio's firing, with comic book writer Scott Snyder's name being mentioned a lot as a factor. Internally at DC Comics, Snyder was seen as someone opposed to what was being planned with 5G, and thought it could harm retailers.
Snyder and DiDio were not eye-to-eye creatively, but I understand that Snyder merely wanted to keep his upcoming Death Metal comic book as far away from 5G/Generation Five as possible, intending to use the series to celebrate DC's 85 years to date, rather than anything forward-looking. This frustrated DiDio's plans to introduce 5G with Death Metal. And as a result, mentions of Death Metal were taken out of the planned Generation Zero: Gods Among Us story for Free Comic Book Day.
#dccomics #dandidio #firedandidio
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