Last edited by Dred; 09-28-2019 at 01:48 PM.
But I don't think Didio is even trying to deliberately insult Wally fans, just as he's not trying to insult Dick Grayson fans. Like I said, he's just clueless about why fans love those characters and keeps trying to "fix" them. As for "playing the heel". I think you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. A guy who loves playing the heel in the WWE is not actually an ******* (well, not necessarily), but he loves playing to the crowd. Didio's biggest mistake is thinking that the fans he's teased in the past were in on the joke, when those people took him deadly seriously (as comic geeks tend to do). If you think he was just being malicious, you can certainly do so, but I don't see much reason for him to do so. Didio seems to have a pretty think skin. I don't think he takes any of the insults that get hurled at him regularly very seriously, but he's learned the hard way that you can't tease fans back, because punching down is never a good look.
I agree that a lot of the moves he makes are very savvy, but since he still has his job, despite all his many screw ups, he must be pretty adept at navigating the corporate hierarchy at Warner Bros. Otherwise, they would have fired him already.
Last edited by Bored at 3:00AM; 09-28-2019 at 07:04 PM.
No doubt that Didio has said stupid stuff that got fans upset. He's said stuff that's gotten pros upset. From all reports, he's a loud, gregarious New Yorker who often puts his foot in his mouth. However, he's still kept his job, so he must be doing something right in order to do so. There's no doubt plenty of people who'd love to take Didio's job, yet he's still standing.
If memory serves, something similar was circulating regarding Eddie Berganza's ability to retain his job until Diane Nelson decided the bad press could impact the Wonder Woman movie's press tour. Who knows if any of that is true though.
I honestly have no idea how Didio keeps from getting fired, so he must be doing something right in the eyes of his WB corporate overlords.
He has done a lot of things right, all of which are unsubstantial for this conversation.
The many times he got all defensive (and, if we're honest, pissy and whinny) during lots and lots and lots of interviews over the last 15 years prove he is not as impervious to criticism to his choices as you say. It also proves he is pretty aware of them.
And the several times that he got dismissive, confrontational or damn right antagonistic with fans over the things covered here also prove his misfires on certain properties are completely intentional.
ConnEr Kent flies. ConnOr Hawke has a bow. Batman's kid is named DamiAn.
To do spoiler tags, use [ spoil ] at the start of the sentence and [ /spoil ] at the end, without the spaces. You're welcome!
So, your theory is that Didio knows he screwed up, but is doubling down out of spite and deliberately trying to alienate and insult his customers with no conceivable benefit to himself or the corporation that employs him?
That seems highly unlikely to me, but please keep in mind that I didn't think America would elect Trump either. I frequently have a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of people doing stuff that goes against their own self-interests.
Yup, he's petty like that.
And as long as it doesn't hurt the bottom-line too much, he's free to do so.
When it is hurting the bottom-line too much, we get stuff like Rebirth.
And then when he's "safe" again we get stuff like HiC.
Or do you REALLY think that he looked at at Tom King's pitch and went "oh, you know which character would benefit from this bullshit? Wally West!". Please...
Last edited by BohemiaDrinker; 09-29-2019 at 08:24 PM.
ConnEr Kent flies. ConnOr Hawke has a bow. Batman's kid is named DamiAn.
To do spoiler tags, use [ spoil ] at the start of the sentence and [ /spoil ] at the end, without the spaces. You're welcome!
Or Didio thought putting Wally West through the ringer would generate a lot of attention and sales, but because he doesn't understand why fans love him, he wildly miscalculated and is trying to course correct now. I think he also understands the sales benefit in drawing these things out, so when things return to the status quo. Fans get excited, sales spike, then sales start to slide again, so they get fans upset again when the rug gets pulled out from under them, which also temporarily spikes sales. This has been the yin and yang of superhero comics for decades.
I don't think it's a particularly good narrative cycle, but I suppose it's proven successful enough for both Marvel & DC that they keep doing it.
I think it's far more likely that Didio views Wally fans as a particularly passionate fanbase that he can keep on the hook with big stunts like bringing him back as a bad guy, crippling him, and sending him to prison to join the Suicide Squad. It's stupid and counter-productive, but I don't see malice on Didio's part, just an opportunity to get fans upset.