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[habitual]

So it's been ten years and in what some would consider typical Didio fashion he made a massive self congratulatory post to face book that was then condensed and posted to Bleeding cool.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/27/dan-didio-celebrates-his-ten-years-as-a-dc-comics-executive/

Here's an excerpt:

This weekend on Facebook, Dan DiDio chronicled his ten high points of his first ten years as an executive at DC Comics, in chronological order as he best remembers it. Here they are, threaded together…

1) BATMAN 608 HUSH. Work on this incredible run by Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb was started before I joined DC Comics but came out my first year there. The success of this series, putting a superstar team on the ongoing title instead of a miniseries (thanks Jim), showed that the periodical series still mattered, now more than ever. On the personal side, it was important to me because this run on was so successful that it allowed us to experiment (both good and bad) on the rest of the line while we began chartering the course for the DC Universe. The cover stated “It Begins Here”, and in my opinion, it really does.

2) IDENTITY CRISIS. Now, I’ve never been able to shy away from controversy (although I do think I’ve mellowed a bit), and this was first real controversial project of my time. This mini-series, (brilliantly written by Brad Meltzer and drawn by Rags Morales) created a complex and compelling story that would have once been considered an Elseworlds, and instead, placed it in the center of the DCU. It tackled tough issues and pitted hero versus hero and set the tone for things to follow. Personal note, for me, it perfectly captured the paranoid and unease of the post 9/11 world and put our heroes in touch we what people we feeling today, which is exactly what I was hoping to inject in the DCU.

3) GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH. We have done a lot of re-launches, re-starts and reboots over the last ten years but this is my first, and arguably, our best. Geoff Johns (remember that name, you’ll hear it again) and Ethan Van Sciver found a way to take everything that came before, and without casting it aside, returned Hal Jordan and Green Lantern to premiere status. Geoff’s love for all things DCU shone through every page, and he brought that energy and sense of respectful re-invention to Teen Titans, Hawkman and so many other books. For me, this reminds me of the all the fans questioning why we brought Hal back from the dead.. And as I liked to remind people, for the time that Hal was “dead”, he appeared in more series than when he was “alive”. Only shows how popular he was.

(Before we more onto number 4, have to admit, I cheated a little and looked up some release dates to some of our series to make sure keep this in some sort of chronological order. )

4) SUPERMAN/ BATMAN 8: SUPERGIRL. Now Jeph Loeb did an amazing job re-inventing World’s Finest for an all new audience with Superman/ Batman, but it wasn’t until issue eight that this series made its mark on the DCU. With the return of Kara Zor-El, one of the biggest walls from the epic series Crisis on Infinite Earths came tumbling down. Beautifully drawn by Michael Turner, Supergirl returned with the full grandeur she deserved. I know for some fans Supergirl will always be a protoplasmic matrix from a pocket dimension that merged with a devil worshipping teenager before being infused with the Angel of Fire, but for most, she will always be Superman’s cousin. It’s really that simple, and that’s why she came back.
On a personal note, this is where my brief but lasting friendship with Michael Turner began, he left a lasting mark and he is missed.

5) COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS. 80 pages for a buck, what’s not to like? Probably my favorite comic of all things published in the last ten years. Perfectly crafted by the first, true architects Greg Rucka, Judd Winick and Geoff Johns, (and a little unaccredited help from Brad Meltzer) it truly captured the scope, spectacle and humanity of the DCU. Arguably (there’s that word again) the best Blue Beetle story, it took us through all facets of the DCU as we followed one man’s struggle against all odds, never giving up, but ultimately failing. This story a sense of unexpected to the DCU that made even the most jaded fan wonder what would happen next. Personal side, I remember I could barely sleep the nights before this book came out, since the next two years of story hinged on its success. It was an all in bet that paid off in a very big way.

6) INFINITE CRISIS. Well, we had to countdown to something. When we planned to do our first company crossover, I knew only one person could write it. Geoff did a masterful job bringing all the stories of the last year and half to a single point and crescendo. All the sign posts led here. Death of Blue Beetle, Wonder Woman killing Max Lord, Destruction of Watchtower, Day of Vengeance, OMAC Project, Rann/ Thannagar War and Villains United, everything played out brilliantly. Geoff brought the characters to life, and Phil Jimenez (with help from George Perez, Ivan Reis and Jerry Ordway) brought them form, and together they did the impossible, they created the perfect sequel to the original, seminal maxi-series. To me, it’s my first, and our best. I never tire of reading it, and someday, maybe when’s it’s an absolute, we can print all our notes of how this came to be and what was supposed to happen after… maybe

I only posted up until Infinite Crisis on his timeline here because that's honestly the point where I couldn't stomach DC comics any more.

There was a sweet spot right after Identity Comics where I thought the company was at there apex creatively; Geoff Johns wasn't overextended and JSA and the Flash probably represent his best works .

There have been one or two bright spots since then, but, overall nothing to make me that interested in picking up any DC since the complete creative nightmare that was Infinite Crisis.

Metaphorically I will now hand two garbage can lids to Herald to bang together like we all know he will.

Hab

[sdsichero]

Hmn, no Herald yet...

[Royal Nonesuch]

That lead-up to Infinite Crisis was pretty exciting, and it was really remarkable how it seemed like everything was coming together and leading to something big. Much of that goodwill was spent not far into Infinite Crisis, but I'll never forget how much of a buzz they had going into that story.

[habitual]

That lead-up to Infinite Crisis was pretty exciting, and it was really remarkable how it seemed like everything was coming together and leading to something big. Much of that goodwill was spent not far into Infinite Crisis, but I'll never forget how much of a buzz they had going into that story.

I agree for the most part with one exception: Rebirth.

It was the first real sign that Johns' workload had become too heavy and was the first time I really remember reading a book by him that I thought was substandard, sans his Avengers stuff.

I had the title officially redubbed: Afterbirth.

Hab

[Zechs]

A decade too long and of too much crap.

[avengingtitan]

I didnt really hate the man until about 8 months ago. He just had to reboot everything.

[Lord Ice]

meh He's no Julius Shwartz.

[Cat-Scratch]

If only Dan Didio and Joe Quesada would go away.

[habitual]

I think Quesada's tenure has had the same amount of peaks and valleys, just not as dramatic.

Hab

[Herald]

Personal note, for me, it perfectly captured the paranoid and unease of the post 9/11 world and put our heroes in touch we what people we feeling today, which is exactly what I was hoping to inject in the DCU.

With the return of Kara Zor-El, one of the biggest walls from the epic series Crisis on Infinite Earths came tumbling down.

Note to anyone who ever claimed that Dan isn't making things Darker and Edgier, or he isn't a Silver Age fanboy trying to bring it back in some form: The above are further evidence that he IS. Anyone who is practically crowing about how he's undoing COIE clearly wants his Silver stuff back, PERIOD.

Metaphorically I will now hand two garbage can lids to Herald to bang together like we all know he will.

Why stop at two garbage can lids??

[The Shadow]

I only posted up until Infinite Crisis on his timeline here because that's honestly the point where I couldn't stomach DC comics any more.

There's absolutely nothing on that list I liked. ESPECIALLY Identity Crisis. Enjoyed the mystery until the last issue and then it went to the shits. Along with DC Comics.

I'd rather he take credit for Jonah Hex than anything on that list.

Geoff Johns wasn't overextended and JSA and the Flash probably represent his best works .

Agreed.

There have been one or two bright spots since then

Sadly the exception rather than the norm.

[The Shadow]

If only Dan Didio and Joe Quesada would go away.

Quesada's not the EIC anymore... and under him we've had Bendis/Brubaker on Daredevil, Brubaker on Cap, a resurgence of the Avengers franchise, Waid on FF and now Daredevil, Hickman on FF, Thunderbolts and so many other great books. PLUS the Ultimate line.

Are there misses? Sure, but no creator is perfect... Stan and Jack had some misses too.

Overall I've spent more money on Quesada's Marvel than Didio's. And I haven't spent this much on Marvel and this little on DC since Shooter was EIC at Marvel.

[habitual]

The one thing I'll credit Identity Crisis with is that it definitely created a buzz in the media.

There was a small write up in Time magazine and I think maybe the networks did some 20-30 second spots on it.

I definitely started picking up more DC and read some titles fairly steadily until Infinite Crisis.

I checked out Final Crisis and haven't really looked back since then.

Hab

[Zechs]

Quesada has only two blackmarks on his entire tenure. OMD and Chuck Austen's run on X-Men books. That's it. Compared to Didio.. Quesada is a genius and a man for the ages.

[habitual]

Quesada has only two blackmarks on his entire tenure. OMD and Chuck Austen's run on X-Men books. That's it. Compared to Didio.. Quesada is a genius and a man for the ages.

A number of people would argue that there were some things that went on in Civil War character wise that didn't make much sense.

I'm not a fan of them abandoning the MAX imprint.

Then again incorporating Vertigo into the DCU was just as horrible of an idea.

Hab