I've linked to a story that I'm a little uneasy about. DC Entertainment named Jim Lee and Dan DiDio co-publishers and Geoff Johns CCO. I can live with the Lee and Johns decisions...well really I can't because I feel that Lee is an artist with very little talent outside that and Johns is a writer who's talent is on the wane...but DiDio. For me this just leaves me scratching my head.
DiDio has been the editor-in-chief for DC Comics (now DC Entertainment) for a while now and though there have been a fairly steady flow of great material coming from his camp I can't say that any of it has to do with his work. He is just another carbon copy of Bill Jemas. He has always had a heavy hand in editorial that usually ends up in changes to titles that ruin what would have been a perfectly linear storyline. His continuous changes to titles like Countdown, Final Crisis, Infinite Crisis and others take moments that were building to a plateau and ended up leaving the readers flat. Now he has thrown his hat in the writing ring...like Jemas...and like Jemas his work is horrible.
Okay...enough picking on Dan DiDio. It is easy to target the retarded. What about Jim Lee? The man is probably one of the greatest artists ever in the industry. He gave up a career in medicine to draw "funny books". He is that good. Lee was also one of the founders of Image Comics but jumped ship which set the standard for what seems to be his career: always running after the almighty buck. That is why he has created countless throw away titles that never were finished (Wildcats relaunch anyone?). That and he is an artist. Too many artists in the industry try to dabble in other areas of the field and I'm a firm believer is sticking to what you know. Now they put him in some amount of charge of one of the big two comic publishers. Huh? Sure this could turn out like a Joe Quesada move for DC but that is rather doubtful. Quesada has proven again and again he is a force to be reckoned with and someone that is committed to comics. Lee seems to be just along for the ride and whatever catches his fancy.
Lastly, Geoff Johns. This guy really came along when DC needed something to jumpstart the company. In my opinion, he should be in the position of the previous two. Why would I say that with all the titles he has been involved with? Where there lies the problem. He just doesn't have it anymore. Blackest Night has been a sound disappointment from page one. With such huge runs on The Flash, Green Lantern, and countless event comics it just seems like while he still understands what the company needs he just doesn't have the ability to write it in ways I care about. Him taking over Flash again and rebooting Superman's origin leave me with more concern than excitement. Johns is just spread to thin much like Brian Micheal Bendis has been.
These words are just mine and probably mean little but I feel after devoting my life since I was 6 to the industry that I've picked up on enough to know that some things are just speeding up a run away train that is about to tumble into a precipice. I still feel that the biggest issue that DC has is being owned by Time Warner. Of course I'm excited for the Disney/Marvel merger so who knows. Maybe this will all mean nothing. I just know I'm very protective of my memories whether they be movies, music, or comics. These kinds of shifts should scare everyone from the collector to the owner of your LCS. Good luck DC...I think you are going to need it.
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