The Didio thing...

[Vampire Savior]

Multiple Green Lanterns works, but DC has so many to the point now where it doesn't.

In my opinion, (and this is just my opinion, so Green Lantern fans back off), they should only have Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart, plus a Corps filled with aliens. The decision to create Kyle Rayner was always very questionable to me, and he worked best by himself without the Corps. I would probably turn him into something else and take him out of the Corps. Alan and Jade should exist but in a different reality. The rest of them? I don't see any point to have them, and I actually do think having 34039402948 Earth Lanterns "threatens the brand." It damages it.

The Flash? To the tell you the honest truth, having more than one character on the same Earth with the name "The Flash" makes no sense to me. I said it a while ago, but the Flash's main deal is that he's the Fastest Man Alive. There can only be one fastest man alive. Multiple Flash's doesn't work. Somebody would have to be something else, and somebody would have to be slower, which would instantly diminish them compared to the other. Some character would have to step down in some form.

[OpaqueGiraffe17]

Barry works best when he’s the best/fastest and Wally is just his kid sidekick. And Wally works best when he’s the best/fastest and Barry is just a dead martyr. I’m thrilled the OG Wally is back in continuity, but I doubt we’re ever really going to have a great balance between him and Barry co-existing as “equals.” They just conceptually diminish each other. Even if the powers that be didn’t have clear favoritism of one over the other, I think it’d be really really hard to find a good balance.

[Buried Alien]

Barry works best when he’s the best/fastest and Wally is just his kid sidekick. And Wally works best when he’s the best/fastest and Barry is just a dead martyr. I’m thrilled the OG Wally is back in continuity, but I doubt we’re ever really going to have a great balance between him and Barry co-existing as “equals.” They just conceptually diminish each other. Even if the powers that be didn’t have clear favoritism of one over the other, I think it’d be really really hard to find a good balance.

It's not that hard. In Japan, they've balanced dozens of Ultramen, Kamen Riders, and Sentai Ranger teams for more than fifty years now. It's really not that hard.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Vakanai]

I feel like Didio consistently misses the boat on what readers are looking for and love in DC books.

Legacy!

No, not every DC fan likes the legacy aspect. I'm a huge DC fan like everyone else here, but I don't really care for the whole legacy thing. All my favorite characters are originals (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, seriously I love the trinity). Nightwing is okay, but I've never felt like he was all that interesting or special, unlike seemingly EVERYONE else here (I don't hate him like Didio obviously, I'm just a bit indifferent to Dick Grayson).

Not every reader is looking for the same thing from DC, not all fans are the same.

[Frontier]

T
He's not entirely wrong about that. The Fab 5, at a glance now, are just a discount JL.
They don't have to be though, it'd be better to put some creative energy into finding new roles for them instead of killing them or banishing them from continuity.

People already put that creative energy into them but then they suffered the fate of the Titans franchise...reboots, bad writing, and editorial mandates.

It's not that hard. In Japan, they've balanced dozens of Ultramen, Kamen Riders, and Sentai Ranger teams for more than fifty years now. It's really not that hard.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

The difference between most of those (I'm more familiar with Rider and Sentai) is that you get new Rider and Sentai teams divorced from the previous installments after their story is finished. They only really come together as equals for team-up movies usually.

Sure, with Rider you have the precedent of Ichigo and Nigo but nowadays there's a clear divide between the Main Rider and the 2nd Rider even if the 2nd Rider gets a pretty hefty amount of screentime (probably more then Wally's gotten outside a few arcs since Rebirth).

Granted, a lot of these issues would be resolved if DC would just give Wally more of a chance again instead of relegating him to a supporting role.

[Vakanai]

It's not that hard. In Japan, they've balanced dozens of Ultramen, Kamen Riders, and Sentai Ranger teams for more than fifty years now. It's really not that hard.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

To be fair, only one Ultraman, Rider, and Sentai team has a series going on at any one time. We never have the New Adventures of this Year's Ultraman going on at the same time as The Continuing Adventures of Last Decade's Ultraman. There's like what, a new Ultraman a year, and the others just show up for some crossover movie at the end?

[SiegePerilous02]

No, not every DC fan likes the legacy aspect. I'm a huge DC fan like everyone else here, but I don't really care for the whole legacy thing. All my favorite characters are originals (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, seriously I love the trinity). Nightwing is okay, but I've never felt like he was all that interesting or special, unlike seemingly EVERYONE else here (I don't hate him like Didio obviously, I'm just a bit indifferent to Dick Grayson).

Not every reader is looking for the same thing from DC, not all fans are the same.

I pretty much agree, though I love Dick almost as much as the Trinity. And I mainly love him for his role as the original Robin, it informs everything that came afterward for him.

There's plenty of new characters I love, but the main draws for me are the original and/or the most iconic ones (and that includes the villains). Even some of the "newer" characters I like aren't legacies, like pretty much all of Morrison and Way's Doom Patrol characters, or pre-Question Renee Montoya.

People already put that creative energy into them but then they suffered the fate of the Titans franchise...reboots, bad writing, and editorial mandates.

So is it better to just let DiDio get rid of them?
It kind of sucks that the only choices are mediocrity or Didio banishing them, though the former is in part a result of Didio's issues with them.

[skyvolt2000]

One of the reasons I started this thread is not to Didio-bash as much as to understand.

Several have talked about Didio's hate for the sidekick-emeritus characters. Any word on why he's down on Grayson and West? Is it that they make continuity messier or what?

The idea is they make Batman and friends look OLD.

Which is ODD seeing Batman & Superman with KIDS. Meanwhile Black Lightning, Green Arrow, Wally & Red Arrow lost their kids.
Also wouldn't Batman look older seeing he had Jason, Tim, Stephanie, Damian & Duke after Dick Grayson?

Comic book readers can look past that and not have our minds blown. I mean, Didio, please.

Meanwhile at Marvel Franklin Richards is suddenly the same age as Miles Morales.
Not to mention some how the New Mutants managed to age. While the Young Avengers are still the same age as the RUnaways.
And lets not forget Cloak & Dagger, Generation X & Rocket Racer have trouble aging.

I think the MILLION dollar answer to your question is Wally, Dick, Teen Titans, John Stewart, Young Justice and others that he don't care for bring this to the table.....

COMPETITION.


If I RUIN who I think is competition to what I like-I make it EASIER to get stuff for who I like versus the other one.

He removes the competition and that is a BAD THING. Because what happens to folks like ME who don't read Barry, Bruce and so on?

I become the guy who helps keep Carol Danvers, Miles, Ms Marvel and others on the best seller list on Amazon.
I become the guy who works at the library and RECOMMENDS Saga, Wrong Earth, Black and Jane Foster to folks.
I become the guy who works at a SCHOOL and gets asked what graphic novels to BUY for the school.
I become the BLACK guy who gets asked by black parents looking for books to get that black child READING.

This is Dan's FLAW. Batman and friends selling is FINE. But don't forget about JSA, Legion and the rest. I don't care for Hal Jordan but I understand a WELL DONE Hal book along with a EQUALLY well done GLC or whoever solo GL book benefits EVERYBODY. Not this war of fans that we are seeing now. Dan has to understand that.

[MoneySpider]

Dan DiDio is Editor-In-Chief at DC Comics? I thought Bob Harras is the EIC? The most recent issue of "DC Previews" just lists DiDio as "Publisher."

[hareluyafan1]

I'm not the most industry-tuned in of participants on these boards. I read a lot of unflattering things about Didio around here. I gather he has biases, but no one's ever really specific.

Now, to be clear, this is not a bashing request. Please be civil.

What is it that Didio seems to like, and what is it that he seems to hate, and how have these biases turned up in decisions detrimental to DC?

I recommend you check out Professor Geek's videos on YouTube. He explains very well why people complain about Didio. For example:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xERvCwwJOmk

[DrNewGod]

Another thing this question has pointed out is that DC fans come in several flavors, each with radically different preferences. Much of that has been born of DC attempting to modernize (or fragment, depending on your point of view) their characters, but it's no wonder DC can't make their fans happy.

While it's off topic, I agree that the Silver Age reboots aren't legacies. That notion was retrofitted on to them in 1986, nearly 25 years after their introduction.

[Buried Alien]

To be fair, only one Ultraman, Rider, and Sentai team has a series going on at any one time. We never have the New Adventures of this Year's Ultraman going on at the same time as The Continuing Adventures of Last Decade's Ultraman. There's like what, a new Ultraman a year, and the others just show up for some crossover movie at the end?

What I feel should be done with the Flashes, etc.: have Jay star for a while, and when he starts getting stale, replace him with Barry (but don't kill Jay). When Barry gets stale, replace him with Wally (but don't kill Barry). When Wally gets stale, replace him with Bart (but don't kill Wally). Then, once a year, have them all team-up for some crazy epic adventure that requires all of them together. Occasionally, do a special spotlight issue on a Flash that hasn't been used in a while. Everybody wins. Everybody is happy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Frontier]

What's what I feel should be done with the Flashes, etc., sometimes. Have Jay star for a while, and when he starts getting stale, replace him with Barry (but don't kill Jay). When Barry gets stale, replace him with Wally (but don't kill Barry). When Wally gets stale, replace him with Bart (but don't kill Wally). Then, once a year, have them all team-up for some crazy epic adventure that requires all of them together. Occasionally, do a special spotlight issue on a Flash that hasn't been used in a while. Everybody wins. Everybody is happy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Or at least put them all in good, strong, books with their own directions and storylines.

Barry has The Flash solo. Jay will probably have the JSA book when it comes back. Bart has Young Justice.


Wally had Titans but that didn't end well.

I am still kind of surprised DC still hasn't capitalized on any spinoff books for the title yet with how well it's selling and with how popular the Flashes are.

[Vakanai]

What I feel should be done with the Flashes, etc.: have Jay star for a while, and when he starts getting stale, replace him with Barry (but don't kill Jay). When Barry gets stale, replace him with Wally (but don't kill Barry). When Wally gets stale, replace him with Bart (but don't kill Wally). Then, once a year, have them all team-up for some crazy epic adventure that requires all of them together. Occasionally, do a special spotlight issue on a Flash that hasn't been used in a while. Everybody wins. Everybody is happy.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Not really. Some fans are going to hate that their favorite Flash is relegated to just one team up a year and rare spotlight pity issues. And who decides when one Flash has gotten stale?

You can't please everyone. Everyone can't win. Least not with this direction. Never mind it begs the question, who replaces Bart? What happens when we're on the 20th Flash? Ultraman is a live action series, the aging of characters is inevitable. But many fans, myself included, don't want an aging, progressing, realistically changing DC where our favorite characters retire or die and the legacies take over, and there's no way to do what you're suggesting without eventually going down that route.

[BohemiaDrinker]

And who decides when one Flash has gotten stale?

I do.

And they all have gotten stale.

I say create a new character and retire all of them!

ALL OF THEM!