8 Biggest WTF Comic Book Moments Of 2020
7. Time Warner Lays Off Staff AND Kills DC Collectibles Right Before FaNdOmE
So 2020 was in itself a wild time for the comics industry, but more so for DC than any other company.
DC's parent company, Time Warner, was purchased by AT&T in 2018 and there were a lot of signs that they didn't really care much for the comics publisher - at least as anything more than an IP farm to mine for movies and video games. The years since have seen job losses and restructuring at DC, with AT&T choosing 2020 - cruelly - to deliver their most worrying changes yet.
The first and most noticeable move was the sacking of longtime publisher Dan DiDio in February. DiDio was the subject of frequent criticism by readers, but the secrecy surrounding his unceremonious departure raised alarm bells for the year ahead.
In the build up to DC FanDome - a virtual comic con-style event designed to show off first looks at upcoming DC Comics films, TV shows, video games, and maybe some comics - DC announced a record number of layoffs at the editorial level. The move also saw DC Collectibles - the publisher's own premium merchandising outlet - shut down, as well a number of layoffs at DC Universe, as Warner Media shifted attention to HBO Max.
These sorts of moves would've been crap anytime of the year, but right before your fan-oriented 'celebration' of DC? Just an incredible way of informing everyone how much Time Warner really values comics as a medium when it's not churning out content to adapt to the big screen.