The Four Color Media Monitor

The Rome News Tribune in Georgia published another weak puff-piece by Andrew Smith about DC's severe cutbacks at owner AT&T's behest of recent, and notes:

According to The Hollywood Reporter, roughly a third of DC Comics editorial was let go, including Bob Harras, the editor-in-chief. Bobbie Chase, who launched DC's popular young adult line of graphic novels, has been terminated. Ditto editor Mark Doyle, instrumental in creating Black Label, DC's line of mature readers GNs.

Interesting. Chase once worked at Marvel at a time when they weren't as politically correct as they've become now, and she was the brains behind DC's young adult line, which is built on PC-ness? Guess that's why we can't be too sorry she's been let go now, if she was going to waste money on low-denominator pandering that didn't bring in the masses they thought would embrace the mess. What was she thinking?

When AT&T bought WarnerMedia in 2018, speculation began immediately as to what areas the communications giant would be downsize, trim or combine — and DC Comics was on the tip of the rumor mill's tongue. Would it be sold? Would the IP be leased to another publisher? Would it go completely digital?

None of that happened, but DC did do something dramatic and unexpected: In June it ended its contract with Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. and began distributing through two comic shops with large mail-order businesses. Inexplicable at the time, it seems likely now that this was the first step on the road to self-distribution.

Obscuring Diamond's monopolistic practices, are we? What a disgrace. But it does hint Smith hasn't really changed much since he attacked DC for parting ways with Diamond a few months ago.

And, of course, those other possibilities are still on the table. With a third of its staff gone, DC's output and market share will inevitably contract. It's as if, you know, AT&T just doesn't care what happens to its comic book arm.

Frankly, I don't think Smith cared either, or he would've called out DC for their practices under Dan DiDio long ago, and he didn't. He even lists a few creators and what they think. For example:

"No one works in comics who doesn't do it for love of comics," tweeted "Batman" and "Justice League" writer Scott Snyder. "Only compassion and love for friends and creative partners at DC tonight. Hoping everyone sees far better days in far better years."

Sorry, but that's far removed from reality, and psychology. It obscures all the SJWs who've been forcing their politics into other people's creations under the shield of the corporations in whose ownership they unfortunately wound up, whose politics are basically the same, and at this point, they have no issue with shoving propaganda down the audience's throats, since it's become the most politically correct thing to do, and telling a good story is all but anathema to their beliefs now.

But of all disasters that have befallen a comics company, this one may have the worst timing. Because on Aug. 22, the publisher is running a 24-hour online convention celebrating all things DC. Called "FanDome," it's touted on DC's website as a "first-of-its-kind, immersive global fan experience in nine languages, featuring exclusive reveals with our biggest stars across the DC Multiverse."

That includes the likes of Brec Bassinger ("Stargirl"), Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman 1984"), Timothy Dalton ("Doom Patrol"), Dwayne Johnson ("Black Adam"), Val Kilmer ("Batman Forever") and Margot Robbie ("Birds of Prey"). And the announcement of a new Suicide Squad video game is expected as well, so they're not just blowing smoke.

Sorry, but they are. What's the use of making Robbie a guest, considering what a disaster the BoP movie was, doing a horrible disfavor to Chuck Dixon's vision? What if Robbie uses the convention as an opportunity to espouse leftist propaganda too? I don't think inviting Kilmer was such a great idea either, given how overrated Joel Schumacher's take on Batman was in retrospect.

But for the mainstream press to emphasize apologia is nothing new. Though that certainly doesn't make it any less galling.

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