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Dan [=DiDio=] (born October 13, 1959) was [[Franchise/TheDCU DC]]'s Co-Publisher along with Jim Lee, and counterpart to Creator/JoeQuesada. Although they started off pretty much the same, as with everything involving the two companies, they eventually drifted in very different directions. While Quesada continues making or approving decisions that piss off an extremely large majority of Marvel fans, [=DiDio=]'s later changes to the DCU split the fanbase pretty much evenly and he even seems to be undoing his earlier "mistakes", with a hint that this was the intended result all along... that or Creator/GeoffJohns is fixing his mistakes.

He's known for being a huge fan of UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks and wanting the DC Universe to resemble the [[RunningTheAsylum comics he grew up with]]. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as many fans and creators have a lot of affection for the Silver Age even today, mostly because of how [[LighterAndSofter lighthearted]] and [[DenserAndWackier silly]] it was. However, unlike most creators who try to recapture the spirit or tone of the Silver Age (i.e. Creator/AlanMoore’s ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}''), [=DiDio=] prefers to simply take everything back to the status quo of TheSixties (breaking up marriages, removing supporting casts, replacing {{Legacy Character}}s with the originals, etc.) and playing it completely straight and serious.[[note]]Basically the Silver Age without everything that made the Silver Age fun.[[/note]] He’s also known for disliking any form of legacy or history in the DCU (despite that being one of DC's main appeals to fans), favouring YoungerAndHipper takes on characters which have been around for over half a century in some cases. He once stated in an interview that he believes it's impossible for a KidSidekick to grow up and take up the mantle or forge their own path (despite the fact that many of them did) because they would always be overshadowed by their mentor, and that they [[InsaneTrollLogic therefore]] "had to" be [[RetGone erased]] from continuity.

[=DiDio=]'s own comments (such as claiming that [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] "doesn't really fit" in the DC Universe--despite decades of doing so) has led people to think that he intentionally wants the DC Universe to be DarkerAndEdgier. Fans have noticed that under his reign, nearly every member of the humorous version of the [[Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League]] was killed off or reinvented in a darker way. Certainly, ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' was a direct play at fans' hopes that the the DC Universe would be less dark afterwards. In 2013, after accusations that ExecutiveMeddling to prevent ComicBook/{{Batwoman}} from marrying her lesbian partner was homophobic, he came right out and declared that [[TrueArtIsAngsty superheroes are meant to sacrifice any chance of happiness in their lives for heroism]].

[=DiDio=] has so many [[{{Hatedom}} people who dislike him]] that a rumor that he was going to get fired from his position ran like wildfire in 2008, but it turned out to be false. However, [=DiDio=] would finally be removed as co-publisher of DC in February 2020[[note]]The exact reasoning for his ouster has yet to be revealed, but speculation suggests that [=DiDio=], a notorious micromanager, began heavily pushing work towards the so-called "Generation Five" initiative, stressing everyone out to the point where it was the last straw[[/note]].

His editorial decisions include:
* The breaking up of [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] and [[ComicBook/{{Oracle}} Barbara Gordon]], which was not received well by fans.
* Forcing Creator/GeoffJohns to turn Bart Allen, previously ComicBook/{{Impulse}}, into the second Kid Flash and seemingly curing him of his ADHD and fun personality. Johns and Bart's creator Mark Waid strongly objected, but were overruled on the matter. Bart's fans strongly dislike this change, and Johns would "reset" Bart back to his Impulse personality, while keeping the Kid Flash codename.
* Editorial interference on ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' that, along with [=DiDio=] giving Rucka's promised ''ComicBook/WonderWomanEarthOne'' project to Creator/GrantMorrison, caused Greg Rucka to quit writing for DC in a very public fashion.
* Okaying the return of [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kara Zor-El]] to the mainstream universe on the grounds that Supergirl's backstory had become too confusing--four different Supergirls with increasingly convoluted origins since the death of the original character in 1985--and a simplified version was needed.
* Trying to kill off [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick Grayson]] in the pages of ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', something Johns outright refused to write, instead offering [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} Conner Kent]] in his place. In the end, Conner was killed and Dick lived.
* The reinstating of the Multiverse in ''Infinite Crisis'', previously done away with in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
* Removing Wally West, the third and arguably most popular ''Franchise/TheFlash'' at the time, in order to make [[ComicBook/{{Impulse}} Bart Allen]] ''the'' Flash, hiring the writers of the '90s TV series. Fan reception was not positive, and Bart was killed off within 12 issues, with Wally returning right after.
* According to writer Creator/MarkWaid, ranting about how the series ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'' turned out, and that ''ComicBook/CountdownToFinalCrisis'' was the way it should have been. One of the few cases where [=DiDio=] was flat-out wrong, as 52 was a commercial hit and critical darling while Countdown... wasn't. On the other hand, [=DiDio=] may have been referring to the fact that ''Countdown'' actually told the story it was supposed to (the quality of said story notwithstanding), whilst ''52'' ran away with itself and DC was forced to make another miniseries to tell the story they had originally wanted ''52'' to tell.
* The downplaying of Wally West from the DC Universe, in favor of bringing back his mentor Barry Allen in the pages of ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis''. This led to a huge BrokenBase within the Flash fanbase.
* The ComicBook/New52 reboot, a move that garnered positive press at the time and boosted sales tremendously for the company. Basically, only the Silver Age characters and characters created under or close to [=DiDio's=] tenure exist, removing popular characters like Wally West, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown and the entire Justice Society within the entire universe, DarkerAndEdgier trappings, incorporating popular Vertigo concepts and characters into the mainstream DCU (a move that was roundly criticised in the industry) and strongly mishandled editorial interference that led to numerous writers quitting titles (including the ''Batwoman'' example mentioned above). As time went on, DC's sales dropped back to pre-New 52 numbers, and the opinion on the New 52 became more unanimous (leaning towards negative), which led to...
* The ComicBook/DCYou initiative, meant to reinvigorate the line by revamping characters, costumes and premises. While there were some much beloved titles, the majority of revamps were received extremely negatively, and sales dropped further, leading to ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'', a Soft Reboot that ([[BroadStrokes mostly]]) keeps the New 52 canon, but incorporates many elements of the post-Crisis DCU that fans had been missing ({{Legacy Character}}s, optimism, and numerous elements of post-Crisis canon). It has been ''far'' better received than the New 52, and interestingly uses ''Geoff Johns'' as its poster boy and promoter, rather than [=DiDio=]. In fact, the ''DC Universe: Rebirth'' special that kicked things off has Johns [[CreatorBacklash none-too-subtly railing against those who removed "love and legacy" from the DCU, seemingly taking a jab at DiDio]] and making it clear the New 52 (which Johns wrote the lead-in to) was ''not'' Johns' doing.
* Starting the Creator/YoungAnimal line with [[Music/MyChemicalRomance Gerard Way]], an imprint that hearkens back to what Vertigo originally was; an imprint where more mature stories set in the DCU can take place. Revivals of ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'', ''ComicBook/ShadeTheChangingMan'' and ''Cave Carson'' began, joined by new title ''ComicBook/MotherPanic''. The line has been well-received and is continuing to expand.
* Starting the ''[[Creator/DarkMatter2017 Dark Matter]]'' line, a line that featured new heroes and new takes on pre-existing, obscure heroes such as [[ComicBook/TeenTitans Damage]], with the goals of diversity and stronger writer-artist collaboration in mind.

While primarily an editor, [=DiDio=] has done some writing work as well, including the following:
* A run on ''ComicBook/{{Superboy}}'' (before he became Editor in Chief).
* A number of stories for DC's Christmas and Halloween specials.
* The ComicBook/MetalMen segment of ''ComicBook/WednesdayComics'' and a 2019-2020 limited series starring that team.
* A ''Weird Western Tales'' special that tied into ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.
* A run on ''ComicBook/{{The Outsiders|DCComics}}''.
* ''ComicBook/{{OMAC}}'' with Keith Giffen for DC's "The New 52"; one of the first books cancelled from the relaunch.

Before working at DC Comics, Dan was an executive at [[Creator/RainmakerEntertainment Mainframe Entertainment]], overseeing the third season of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', as well as the entirety of ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'', where he told Marv Wolfman (original series outliner) to do as he pleased with ''[[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]]'' continuity, and then told story editors Bob Skir and Marty Isenberg to ignore everything that came before them as "Beast Wars was too continuity-heavy". Between this and the big DCU reboot, one has to wonder just what continuity did to him as a child.

There are rumors that he was fired from Mainframe after selling their rights to ''WesternAnimation/ScaryGodmother'' for [[http://reboot.wikia.com/wiki/Dan_DiDio one Canadian dollar]], but the claim is unsourced and is more than likely false.
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