In stunning news over the weekend, it was revealed DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio is exiting the company. Details about the exact nature of his departure are sparse and at times conflicting, but the biggest question remains - what comes next for DC Comics after Dan DiDio’s exit?

Dan DiDio first boarded DC Comics as vice president-editorial as well as the writer of Superboy in 2002. He became Co-Publisher of DC Comics along with Jim Lee in 2008. DiDio also wrote a handful of series over the years, including The Metal Men, a Phantom Stranger series with Brent Anderson as well as The Outsiders along with various tie-ins and back-up stories. Before coming to DC Comics, DiDio was employed by Mainframe Entertainment as a writer and story editor for the Reboot and War Planets properties.

DiDio oversaw DC Comics through several major shake-ups. The biggest, by far, was The New 52 relaunch in 2011 which saw a near-total reboot of the DC Comics continuity. This coincided with the release of fifty-two new series, intended as a way for new readers easily access characters without decades worth of confusing backstories. In the short term, the New 52 was an instant hit with massive sales along many titles as well as the launch of several fan-favorite arcs, including Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman, J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman’s Batwoman, Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man, Paul Cornell’s Demon Knights, and several others. Over the long term, however, the move was marred by several editorial controversies, a lack of female creators and the general shallowness which came from expulsing so much of DC’s continuity. This lead to several subsequent events and relaunches, including Convergence and DC Rebirth, which largely did away with The New 52 concepts.

DiDio’s departure calls into question plans for Generation Five, which would significantly age up the DC Universe and replace many familiar superheroes with new legacy characters, including Jonathan Kent as Superman, Luke Fox as Batman and Captain Cold Jr. as the Flash. Dan DiDio was heavily involved in the 5G publishing plan, so his exit raises a considerable amount of questions. Does DiDio’s sudden departure signal a move away from Generation Five, or perhaps, some changes in its execution? Whatever the reason for DiDio’s exit, it seems highly unlikely DC Comics will abandon the concept altogether, since DC Comics just announced a Generation Zero Free Comic Book Day offering.

For now, Dan DiDio’s ouster - if it is indeed an ouster - remains abrupt and mysterious, and will likely remain that way until either DiDio or DC give a statement on the matter. Many comic book creators have praised DiDio on social media, though his exit has been rejoiced by fans as well. This isn’t too be completely unexpected though. As Co-Publisher, DiDio made a convenient target due to his position - too far removed from the individual successes of creative teams and all too visible during the various controversies DC Comics weathered during and since The New 52. The more pressing questions lie with his replacement and just how they will shape the vision of the DC Universe as it undergoes a potentially momentous transformation in the years to come.

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