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I work for a fairly large company, that has public stock, and a board. The board dictates more of these things than you would think.

The board doesnt like the way things are going with one of their properties, or one of their sub-properties, then they order changes to satisfy the stockholders and their portfolios. Its just business.

My company's parent's board says promote this brand, we promote it. Hirings, firings, shake-ups, the works. TimeWarner/Aol says fix Nightwing, or Superman, or any other property, guess what happens.

I shall protect you, milady! scream heart

*nudges slayer-girl's bag with his toe*

Seem fairly reachable to me.

The Apostate is likey... correct. Consider how heavily censored Vertigo... would be if they micromanaged to such a degree. The Filth... would have been impossible. Preacher... would have been impossible.

*peeks under the table*

Is she a superhero? Does anyone know? She seems rather like SquirrelGirl, only...with mice. Or possible gerbils.

That is completely wrong. Large companies know that you succeed by micromanaging, and by satisfying the shareholders.

Time Warner doesnt have DC for the paper its printed on. Time Warner acquired, and held on to, DC because it was good for the stockholders at the time. The board dictates any changes that might be good for the stockholders, then it trickles down, and that is a fact.

The company I work for once owned Planters' (of peanuts fame), Life Savers, and all RJ Reynolds' brands of tobacco, and the board was able to make changes to the damn flavors.

Its pure and simple that one person can make one decision that will reflect in that property from top to bottom.

You think that the decision to kill Superman, break Batman, or send Hal off the deep end started with the fans? Bullshit. It started at the damn top, most likely with one of the executives, and ordered its way down.

I dont think you understand the power of the stock market.

Ooh, yummy! heart

You don't understand the managing policies of comics. Or any creative market. For example, The Death of Superman. Started with a writer's idea. It was run past a few editors, got a blessing from Siegle, run past a few writers. Planned out in full by a not too large creative team but still a larger number than usual. Superman dies, comes back. Huge event. Details were organized. Idea were formed. A story happened and was published. The opinions of Time Warner were never asked.
Similar happened with Batman. With Hal, it was entirely the choice of the creative team at the time, with the OK from editorial to get rid of him.
In a creative market, you don't micromanage. Because the company fails. Massively.
That's how it works. Top down ideas don't work, it's been proven. Didio's rediculous ideas are already having a slag down effect on DC proper. Time Warner doesn't get involved until it needs to lay down rules for cross-promotional material. Movies. Video games to a lesser extent.
And Time Warner doesn't hang onto DC. DC went to them for the merger. DC wanted to be bought, or at least editorial wanted it. The DC board controls DC. Time Warner stays out of the comics for good reason. It sticks in a hand and everything falls apart. Comics are creative team driven, more now than ever before. The core books have rules, editorial takes a special interest in them. But there's a reason there are so many Bat books, it's because so many people have Bat stories and because the company knows they sell.
There's a big difference between a piece of candy and a comic book.