DC Comics Reviews

Pros

It's cool if you like comics. As part of Time Warner, they have excellent benefits.

Cons

Antiquated way of doing business, little room for growth, internal communication issues, very bureaucratic.

Pros

A fun creative environment which allows the baility to work on the best pop culture icons in the world

Cons

As a company in transition there is a bit of uncertainty and change affecting the company now.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn to recognize talent and experience, reward it and let it grow

Pros

The famous characters and amazing talent.

Cons

It takes years to be promoted. People on top stay there for years, so there is no room for growth.

Advice to Senior Management

Try to understand and listen to your workers.

Pros

It was fun to work with people who loved the product they were producing. Most, if not all, of the editorial staff were the kids who hung out in comic shops every day. the hallways of the editorial staff is the adult version of the clubhouse they spent their youth poring over every page and swooning over every superhero pose.

Cons

The clubhouse mentality is strong there, and any new idea is quickly smashed. Editors basically act as asssistants to the writers and artists, not contributing anything of value except to keep track of schedules. New talent is avoided, fresh ideas unwelcome.

The staff is comprised of bloated middle-aged men completely out of touch with the younger generation of comic readers. They treat their characters like precious toys, not shared with new audiences.

While meaningful work is minimal, people are pressured into working long hours, recognized for how long they sit at their desk instead of the work they accomplish. The top writers and artists are given all the power while new talent that may have something more to offer, treated passive-aggressively.

Workers are expected to be profoundly grateful for the opportunity to work there and constantly reminded that there is al ine out of the door with possible replacements. There is no loyality to hard work, no respect shown to people who treat this as a career or a business. Instead, childish behavior is rewarded and promoted.

Divisions that actually make money for DC Comics, such as marketing, licensing, are treated like second-class citizens. Sitting in meetings with real business people was great theater. I still don't know how they were able to keep a straight face sitting across the table from these jokers.

Advice to Senior Management

Leave. Quit and go back to writing crappy comics and leave this business to someone who knows how to run a company. You are an over-grown fanboy who nurtured a childish mentality and drove away any real talent that could have made this company truly successful. Your greatest ambition was to keep this company second to Marvel so you could hide away and churn out worthless product.

Pros

Fun, creative atmosphere. A great selection of properties to play with. Overall, a nice enough bunch of employees doing work they love. The whole world recognizes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The work is great, challenging, creative, fun. Free comic books! An often warm family feeling.

Cons

Paternal atmosphere. Senior management treats staff like indulgent parents rather than intelligent creative partners. There is little room for advancement for the more competent. Management responds to credit-seekers over achievers; the feeling is that upper management is so poor because the company hires damaged goods they can get cheap. Because it attracts people/fans with a desire to be in that business, management knows they can he got cheap and held cheap.

Advice to Senior Management

Do the job of the person you're criticizing before you tell them how to do it. Learn empathy. Treat employees like intelligent adults; if they can't respond in kind, get rid of them instead of tucking them in corners. Give people the tools they need to do a job instead of penalizing them for being unable to do the job because they don't have those tools. Do your job. Let us do ours.