Opinions On Paul Levitz

[Comics N' Toons]

What do you guys think about Paul Levitz?

His writing?
As a person, executive etc?

I feel like he has guided DC (with the help of Jenette Khan) and later as President with a great respect to the characters and DC's history.

He also seems IMO to be a little arrogant and apparently a lot of folks think he is kind of a *****e.

What do you guys think of him?

 

[NosfeRomas]

So far, everything i've read from him have been decent and good. Nothing spectacular but he is a solid writer and i liked his New 52 Legion of Superheroes and World's Finest was surpisingly good.

As president he seemed to be the last man who still had a code of ethics and respected both the medium and his collegues. The last old fashioned comic book guy in the buisness, before Hollywood and Hollywood politics consumed everything.

Here's what Mark Waid wrote on his blog about the turf at DC.

http://thrillbent.com/blog/how-dc-contracts-work/

Apparently, creator-ownership and creator rights in DC died with Paul Levitz's departure.

 

[RoughNTumble]

idk

 

[hippie_hunter]

I think it was time for Levitz to go by the time he was ousted. He has done a lot of great things, there are some Levitz policies that I would like DC to return to, but he wasn't going to revitalize the DC Comics line the way Dan DiDio has. He really isn't suited in an era where superheroes are more along the lines of licensing products for movies, video games, toys, clothing, etc.

 

[Anubis]

Eh.

 

[Phatman]

I think it was time for Levitz to go by the time he was ousted. He has done a lot of great things, there are some Levitz policies that I would like DC to return to, but he wasn't going to revitalize the DC Comics line the way Dan DiDio has. He really isn't suited in an era where superheroes are more along the lines of licensing products for movies, video games, toys, clothing, etc.

That's the funniest thing I've read about DC. Didio has DESTROYED DC. I'll take Levitz over Didio. Hell, I'll take Jim Shooter over Didio. At least both of those guys respected the characters and put them first over egotistical creators who have turned iconic characters into avatars for their angst.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

That's the funniest thing I've read about DC. Didio has DESTROYED DC. I'll take Levitz over Didio. Hell, I'll take Jim Shooter over Didio. At least both of those guys respected the characters and put them first over egotistical creators who have turned iconic characters into avatars for their angst.

BOOM! Very good post!

 

[NosfeRomas]

That's the funniest thing I've read about DC. Didio has DESTROYED DC. I'll take Levitz over Didio. Hell, I'll take Jim Shooter over Didio. At least both of those guys respected the characters and put them first over egotistical creators who have turned iconic characters into avatars for their angst.

Jim Shooter is a God !! by far the best editor Marvel. Sure he was a prick but he was a pro !!!

 

[Comics N' Toons]

Jim Shooter is a God !! by far the best editor Marvel. Sure he was a prick but he was a pro !!!

Jenette Kahn and Paul Levitz as a team were just as good as Shooter. DC and Marvel have both lost their purity since these people left.

 

[hippie_hunter]

That's the funniest thing I've read about DC. Didio has DESTROYED DC. I'll take Levitz over Didio. Hell, I'll take Jim Shooter over Didio. At least both of those guys respected the characters and put them first over egotistical creators who have turned iconic characters into avatars for their angst.

You're letting your fanboyism get in the way of blatant facts. Criticize DiDio's creative decisions and dickish behavior all you want, I certainly do as well. Still doesn't change the fact that when you look at the numbers, plain and simple, DiDio's tenure as publisher has been a massive success.

DiDio's pet project, the New 52 has been a sales success for DC's comics line. When Levitz left, DC's sales were declining (the entire industry was declining) and they were losing share to Marvel. Under DiDio's tenure, not only has DC's market share gone up on par with Marvel's, DC's sales are up over 20%, and the entire industry is up (by almost a third). DiDio's tenure has also allowed DC to develop a digital policy that is relevant to today's era, bookstore sales are also up, and DiDio has been more aggressively utilizing DC's IPs like Watchmen and Sandman. Numbers don't lie dude, they point to DiDio being a success.

DiDio didn't destroy DC Comics. He pretty much saved DC Comics which was just an executive decision from Warner Bros. away to just simply shut down the division and license the properties out to other publishing companies while DC Entertainment milked the characters for movies, toys, and cartoons. If anything Levitz was going to destroy DC Comics. I love the guy and what he represents. But his desire to stick to the past was ruining the company. Times have changed and businesses need to adapt to changes.

DiDio deserves a lot of criticism. He lacks the respect for creators the way Levitz did. A lot of the New 52 changes are kinda dumb. He's kinda wishy-washy on the creative direction DC should take. But "destroying" DC Comics is an undeserved criticism when he brought much needed business strategy to DC's publishing division.

 

[Cain]

You're letting your fanboyism get in the way of blatant facts. Criticize DiDio's creative decisions and dickish behavior all you want, I certainly do as well. Still doesn't change the fact that when you look at the numbers, plain and simple, DiDio's tenure as publisher has been a massive success.

DiDio's pet project, the New 52 has been a sales success for DC's comics line. When Levitz left, DC's sales were declining (the entire industry was declining) and they were losing share to Marvel. Under DiDio's tenure, not only has DC's market share gone up on par with Marvel's, DC's sales are up over 20%, and the entire industry is up (by almost a third). DiDio's tenure has also allowed DC to develop a digital policy that is relevant to today's era, bookstore sales are also up, and DiDio has been more aggressively utilizing DC's IPs like Watchmen and Sandman. Numbers don't lie dude, they point to DiDio being a success.

DiDio didn't destroy DC Comics. He pretty much saved DC Comics which was just an executive decision from Warner Bros. away to just simply shut down the division and license the properties out to other publishing companies while DC Entertainment milked the characters for movies, toys, and cartoons. If anything Levitz was going to destroy DC Comics. I love the guy and what he represents. But his desire to stick to the past was ruining the company. Times have changed and businesses need to adapt to changes.

DiDio deserves a lot of criticism. He lacks the respect for creators the way Levitz did. A lot of the New 52 changes are kinda dumb. He's kinda wishy-washy on the creative direction DC should take. But "destroying" DC Comics is an undeserved criticism when he brought much needed business strategy to DC's publishing division.

Well said.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

To re-establish this thread though, isn't Levitz kind of an unprofessional dick to his colleagues? There is the thing with Mark Millar that happened, but there are also reports that anyone who isn't 1st or 2nd generation comics guys (i.e. Denny O'neil, Neil Adams, Roy Thomas, Gil Kane, Englehardt etc. etc.) he just has hostility towards.

Thoughts????

 

[hippie_hunter]

Mark Millar is an unprofessional *****enozzle hack to begin with so Levitz not giving him respect is a-okay in my book.

 

[Anubis]

Yeah, it's a well believe internet fact that Millar is an Asshat.

 

[Tron Bonne]

You're letting your fanboyism get in the way of blatant facts. Criticize DiDio's creative decisions and dickish behavior all you want, I certainly do as well. Still doesn't change the fact that when you look at the numbers, plain and simple, DiDio's tenure as publisher has been a massive success.

DiDio's pet project, the New 52 has been a sales success for DC's comics line. When Levitz left, DC's sales were declining (the entire industry was declining) and they were losing share to Marvel. Under DiDio's tenure, not only has DC's market share gone up on par with Marvel's, DC's sales are up over 20%, and the entire industry is up (by almost a third). DiDio's tenure has also allowed DC to develop a digital policy that is relevant to today's era, bookstore sales are also up, and DiDio has been more aggressively utilizing DC's IPs like Watchmen and Sandman. Numbers don't lie dude, they point to DiDio being a success.

DiDio didn't destroy DC Comics. He pretty much saved DC Comics which was just an executive decision from Warner Bros. away to just simply shut down the division and license the properties out to other publishing companies while DC Entertainment milked the characters for movies, toys, and cartoons. If anything Levitz was going to destroy DC Comics. I love the guy and what he represents. But his desire to stick to the past was ruining the company. Times have changed and businesses need to adapt to changes.

DiDio deserves a lot of criticism. He lacks the respect for creators the way Levitz did. A lot of the New 52 changes are kinda dumb. He's kinda wishy-washy on the creative direction DC should take. But "destroying" DC Comics is an undeserved criticism when he brought much needed business strategy to DC's publishing division.

This is an older post, but I do think it should be pointed out that this was a rumor started by Mark Waid who had (and still has) a very strained relationship with DC and had no real knowledge of the workings within the company at the time. Not to discredit everything you said here, since there is a lot of truth, but Didio saving DC from certain doom is pretty hyperbolic.

As far as Levitz goes, no real strong opinion one way or the other from me.

 

[Batmannerism]

Really only knew his work from Legion of Superheroes back
from the 80's-90's, which was pretty awesome.

He's probably not the best human being, but he's amazingly creative
, and has done a lot for DC.

Other than that, can't say much.

 

[hippie_hunter]

This is an older post, but I do think it should be pointed out that this was a rumor started by Mark Waid who had (and still has) a very strained relationship with DC and had no real knowledge of the workings within the company at the time. Not to discredit everything you said here, since there is a lot of truth, but Didio saving DC from certain doom is pretty hyperbolic.

As far as Levitz goes, no real strong opinion one way or the other from me.

Except the situation really was that dire before the New 52. Time Warner's business strategy has been shying away from publishing printed material from selling the Time Warner Book Group to Hatchet and spinning off Time Inc. as a completely separate company even though it's a very strong magazine publisher. Even at DC Comics we're seeing less and less in regards to publishing with DC shutting down WildStorm, the Cartoon Network properties going to IDW, the decline of Vertigo, and DC no longer publishing video game adaptations that they used to do A LOT of.

And pre-New 52 sales of DC titles were abysmal. If something weren't done, Time Warner wasn't going to tolerate a division in decline. Jeff Bewkes is not a man who keeps business divisions open for the sake of nostalgia as he has proven with his ditching of AOL, Time Warner Cable, and Time Inc. And DC Comics has never been treated by Warner Bros. the way Disney treats Marvel where as long as sales are tolerable, comics are seen as a laboratory for Disney to make movies out of.

I firmly believe that if DiDio did not revitalize the comic book industry (along with the rise of indies), Warner Bros. would have eventually licensed another company to publish the DC characters while Warner's licensing and film divisions enjoyed the benefits of owning the IPs. It's an idea that's been brought up before.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Except the situation really was that dire before the New 52. Time Warner's business strategy has been shying away from publishing printed material from selling the Time Warner Book Group to Hatchet and spinning off Time Inc. as a completely separate company even though it's a very strong magazine publisher. Even at DC Comics we're seeing less and less in regards to publishing with DC shutting down WildStorm, the Cartoon Network properties going to IDW, the decline of Vertigo, and DC no longer publishing video game adaptations that they used to do A LOT of.

And pre-New 52 sales of DC titles were abysmal. If something weren't done, Time Warner wasn't going to tolerate a division in decline. Jeff Bewkes is not a man who keeps business divisions open for the sake of nostalgia as he has proven with his ditching of AOL, Time Warner Cable, and Time Inc. And DC Comics has never been treated by Warner Bros. the way Disney treats Marvel where as long as sales are tolerable, comics are seen as a laboratory for Disney to make movies out of.

I firmly believe that if DiDio did not revitalize the comic book industry (along with the rise of indies), Warner Bros. would have eventually licensed another company to publish the DC characters while Warner's licensing and film divisions enjoyed the benefits of owning the IPs. It's an idea that's been brought up before.

DC was on a decline, but you're over-selling it. As you mentioned, the industry itself was on a decline, and DC has rarely ever been over Marvel in the percentages. Plus, Disney's acquisition of Marvel is very recent, so I'm not sure it's even valid to compare the two right now.

I mean, I don't know if that was a possibility, but considering how cheap comics are to produce, I find it doubtful. But more to point, I don't think anyone really knew, much less Mark Waid who basically divorced himself from the company well before any of this was allegedly so close to happening.

 

[hippie_hunter]

When you go over Bewkes' business strategies for the entire company of Time Warner, it's a very reasonable conclusion that Warner Bros. would have eventually gotten tired of DC Comics if the comics industry continued its decline until various factors revitalized it (DiDio doesn't deserve all the credit).

And it's a very valid comparison with Disney. Unlike Warner Bros. and the rest of Time Warner, Disney has consistently shown that it doesn't forget that it owns a comic book publisher. And Marvel's comic book publishing division plays a much more vital role in the company than DC's comic book publishing division.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

When you go over Bewkes' business strategies for the entire company of Time Warner, it's a very reasonable conclusion that Warner Bros. would have eventually gotten tired of DC Comics if the comics industry continued its decline until various factors revitalized it (DiDio doesn't deserve all the credit).

And it's a very valid comparison with Disney. Unlike Warner Bros. and the rest of Time Warner, Disney has consistently shown that it doesn't forget that it owns a comic book publisher. And Marvel's comic book publishing division plays a much more vital role in the company than DC's comic book publishing division.

So what in your opinion would have happened to DC, the industry etc. if DC as a publisher was extinguished?

Would these characters be only used for other all the other media without the comics?

 

[Tron Bonne]

When you go over Bewkes' business strategies for the entire company of Time Warner, it's a very reasonable conclusion that Warner Bros. would have eventually gotten tired of DC Comics if the comics industry continued its decline until various factors revitalized it (DiDio doesn't deserve all the credit).

Yeah, but you can say the exact same thing today, though. The industry is still in an overall decline, at least in print (not sure if there's been a steady measurement of digital at this point).

And really, unless you're an insider of some sort, I don't see how one can really come to a reasonable conclusion one way or the other. We, as the audience, are always blind to certain things such as cost to profit ratio of making comics to selling comics. It could've been, but all I know is that I never heard anything about such a deal until Waid started talking about it, and it all of sudden became a thing people started saying.

And it's a very valid comparison with Disney. Unlike Warner Bros. and the rest of Time Warner, Disney has consistently shown that it doesn't forget that it owns a comic book publisher. And Marvel's comic book publishing division plays a much more vital role in the company than DC's comic book publishing division.

Disney has only owned Marvel for what? 4 years or something? Not a short time, but I think it's way too early to really show how they're going to handle them in the long run.

 

[hippie_hunter]

So what in your opinion would have happened to DC, the industry etc. if DC as a publisher was extinguished?

Would these characters be only used for other all the other media without the comics?

I think that they would still be published in comics, just that another publisher would have taken up the publishing duties like IDW, Dynamite, Boom!, or Dark Horse, and it would allow that publisher to gain immensely in prominence. There's still a comic book market for these characters to have thrived off of and it's why we see all sorts of comic book licenses given to these companies.