We’ll be updating this post as more announcements are made on this historic day.

• Dan DiDio has announced that Paul Levitz will be taking over as the writer of ADVENTURE COMICS.

• Vertigo’s Karen Berger has made a statement:
Paul has been my friend and mentor ever since he hired me straight out of Brooklyn College 30 years ago. Not being a comics fan, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into, but I was immediately taken by the medium, and I had an excellent teacher. With his razor-sharp intelligence, innate business and creative talent and stellar integrity, Paul’s influence on me, both personally and professionally has been huge. His life-long passion for comics and his great respect for the writers and artists who produce them has been infectious and unfailing, and his support for new creative visions and the unlimited storytelling potential of the form has helped transform this medium.

• And now, Diane Nelson’s statement:

Dear DC Colleagues and Friends,

As hopefully each of you now know, this morning Warner Bros. announced the formation of DC Entertainment, and I’ve been entrusted with the honor of heading up this exciting new venture, reporting to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

DC Entertainment’s mission is to deeply integrate the DC brand and characters into all of Warner Bros.’ creative production and distribution businesses, while maintaining the integrity of the properties and DC’s longstanding commitment to and respect for writers, creators and artists. The founding of DC Entertainment is about Warner Bros. taking DC to the next level and giving DC an even greater degree of focus and prioritization in all the businesses in which we operate—films, television, home entertainment, digital, consumer products and videogames.

You are all an integral part of the success DC has achieved to date and your expertise and support will be essential moving forward – as we raise this brand and collection of characters to even greater heights. Together we can make the next 75 years even more successful and productive than DC’s illustrious 75-year history.

Jeff and I will be in the DC offices next week and will say hello personally at that time. Until then, thank you in advance for your support and continued contributions to DC Comics and the new DC Entertainment.


• My own statement: Paul is one of the smartest, kindest people I’ve ever worked with. He changed comics for the better in such vast ways that it’s hard to imagine where the industry would be without his stewardship. I wish him all the best.

1 COMMENT

  2. The man has certainly earned a great retirement, and if that retirement involves returning to the best thing he’s ever written and doing it all over again, I’m certainly down for that! Really looking forward to his run.

  3. >> The man has certainly earned a great retirement, >>

    Paul’s 52.

    Hardly time to retire. More like time to take on new challenges.

    kdb

  4. heh… So is Karen Berger going to edit Paul Levitz on Adventure Comics?

    The most shocking thing I discovered about Paul Levitz was his age. That he could do so much before he was 50… well, I hope he doesn’t retire for a long time.

    I wonder what his first “A” plot will be?

  5. My 2nd real world interview was with Paul Levitz. We ended up talking about stories…everything from LOTR to Elric. He was always very kind and encouraging to me while I worked at DC, and though I was only an Assistant Editor, he took the time to say goodbye when I left 4 years later. I have the utmost respect for Paul, and I think this new direction he’s going in will bring a lot of interesting stories to the table.

    It sure is an interesting time to work in this industry!

  6. “The founding of DC Entertainment is about Warner Bros. taking DC to the next level and giving DC an even greater degree of focus and prioritization in all the businesses in which we operate—films, television, home entertainment, digital, consumer products and videogames.”

    Kinda funny that comic books aren’t mentioned as part of “the businesses in which we operate.”

  7. Chad — I was struck by the same thing. She doesn’t mention “comics” in any way, shape or form. Or “creativity” for that matter. But if you’re looking for “brand integration,” she’s on it. Definitely interesting times.

  9. The new guard is probably stoked with looking for ways to migrate comics into the digital world, in a way that spreads the brand around..and allows cash to flow in…

  12. From reading the statements, it seems like Mr. Levitz will still be very visible and his advice and opinions listened to. This is really good to know. He’ll be the one the execs turn to when they need to get information or history. His ability to speak their language as well as language fans and pros can understand should prove invaluable.

    Personally, I’m looking forward to his new Legion stories but look forward to seeing what he does outside the Legion ghetto.

  13. An 8/22/08 WSJ article is the source for at least some of the quotes from Robinov re movies about DC heroes:

    Like the recent Batman sequel — which has become the highest-grossing film of the year thus far — Mr. Robinov wants his next pack of superhero movies to be bathed in the same brooding tone as “The Dark Knight.” Creatively, he sees exploring the evil side to characters as the key to unlocking some of Warner Bros.’ DC properties. “We’re going to try to go dark to the extent that the characters allow it,” he says. That goes for the company’s Superman franchise as well. [. . .]

    Many of the studio’s directors credit Mr. Robinov for taking Warner Bros.’ films in a darker and deeper direction. Christopher Nolan, who directed “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” says Mr. Robinov “really encouraged the logic of the villain” from “Batman Begins.” That led to focusing heavily on the Joker in the sequel. “At the script stage, Jeff really wanted us to be very clear on the Joker’s lack of purpose,” he says.

    What I take from that is that Good should eventually triumph over Evil, but Evil is a hell of a lot more entertaining.

    SRS

  14. I’ve known Paul for years, even before we were both members of the apa INTERLAC. Paul is a wonderful person and true gentlemen. I wish him much success in the future. I look forward to his future DC work.

    I’ve also considered Paul an advocate for the direct market and direct market retailers. I trusted him to always make the best possible decision when dealing with direct market retailers such as myself.

    I’m uncertain how dedicated to the direct market the new regime will be and that concerns me. Somewhere one of the statements there was wording regarding integration DC into the Warner’s distribution system. I hope that does not mean a repeat of the Heroes World fiasco. And I don’t know if Diamond, already on shaky ground, could survive the loss of DC.

    Paul, my best wishes.

    Dan Veltre
    Dewey’ Comic City

  15. “From reading the statements, it seems like Mr. Levitz will still be very visible and his advice and opinions listened to.”

    Maybe but the language is standard corporate speak used when someone has been pushed aside but has been a loyal servant so is been thrown a bone or is getting a decent payoff – who can tell what it is from the outside?

  16. “Somewhere one of the statements there was wording regarding integration DC into the Warner’s distribution system.”

    I wouldn’t read too too much into how what that wording might imply for DC’s current comics/publishing business, at least not at this time.

    After all, at this point, Warner doesn’t have much in the way of print distribution systems…at least not much that DC doesn’t already seem to be working with. Time-Warner sold off its “real” book publishing and distribution unit a few years back, which is part of what impelled DC to eventually move to Random House for book trade distribution.

    And whatever DC may already be enjoying in the magazine market likely comes from the Time side of Time-Warner, which is where the magazine division is organized, which has from time to time been reported as being up for sale as well. So it may be unlikely that the Warner execs are suddenly seeing additional potential in getting more out of Time than DC is already getting.

    Of course, if DC were to buy Diamond…

  17. @Sphinx Magoo – Legion Ghetto? ;)

    Like several of the commenters have said, I think the absence of Comics in the Business operations is a telling slipup. It’s clearly not going to get the same company focus it has been over the years – which isn’t really surprising. For years, DC has been referred to as an R&D company by the rest of Time Warner enterprises.

    What is interesting is with Disney owning Marvel and this new non-Comics focus at DC, could 2010 be the year that we see a move to make Marvel and DC comics liscensed publications ala the Walt Disney line of comics?

  18. Time/Warner doesn’t distribute comic books. Their magazine are distributed to newsstands, just like other comics are. Random House distributes DCE books to libraries and bookstores, but they have little experience or desire to distribute magazines, which is a shrinking field.

    HOWEVER, Time Inc. offers their magazine content, as many titles as DC, for free online (supported by advertisements). Could DCE follow this model soon?

    What this means for Diamond? DCE will probably not exercise their option to purchase Diamond.

  21. @Jim Shelley —
    Yup. Legion ghetto does sound a bit harsh, but hear me out…

    Sure Mr. Levitz has written some of the most fondly remembered Legion stories, but there’s no need to have it so he’s stuck ONLY writing Legion stories. That’d be like saying Roger Stern could only write Spider-Man from now on, or that Marv Wolfman could only write Tomb of Dracula from now on.

  22. I’ll be happy to read Paul’s Legion stories instead of the Johns Legion stories. Hopefullly less hyperviolence.

  23. should be interesting to see how Warner brothers and Dc entertainment works and one thing with Diana now calling the shots Dan Dido days of letting the dc universe become dark and bloody may be capped. as for Paul will have to check out his work on the new title. and one thing Diana should really do is get rid of that stupid clause where if a dc character is used somewhere else they can not be used elsewhere espically animation and that includes not letting smallville have batman show due to confusion to the fans. junk.

  24. I’ve already said my peace about Paul, hopefully these two don’t screw things up now that the comics are out of his very capable hands.

  25. Alan, it’s what DC’s been fixated on for years with its unending stream of rape and gore fests. Just wondering if these changes will mean fewer gruesome, nihilistic books for dismemberment enthusiasts, is all.