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The Bleeding Cool Top 100 Power List 2015 – 4 To 2

Welcome to the Fourth Bleeding Cool Top 100 Power List for the next Bleeding Cool Magazine, being serialized right now on the Bleeding Cool website.

It's an attempt to list the most powerful people working in the English speaking comic book marketplace. It's judged by all manner of attributes, the ability to influence what comics exist and sell, but also the willingness to use that power and the ability to retain said power if one aspect is taken away – a job, a gig or a prominent role. Which is why you will see a number of people on a higher spot than their bosses.

The Power List rewards those who combine roles, those who are double and triple threats and also where power is concentrated in one person or perceived identity. But it also notes certain teams who work together, who've built up a joint identity, a gestalt more powerful than the sum of their parts. Some powerful organisations or groups, where power is diffused amongst many, drop down or drop out altogether.

It does not measure talent or likeability and also does not intend to represent diversity. All it does is note power, used for the betterment – or the detriment – of comics.

The list has been created in consultation with a number of senior figures in the comics industry. However, I'm aware the one thing that can be guaranteed is that everyone will think it's wrong and prefer their own take. Including all of those who were consulted.

There will be a new post every day on Bleeding Cool.  We'll run the previous ones below as well, so, in reverse order…

4. Joe Quesada

The face of Marvel Comics. Chief Creative Officer at Marvel, Joe Quesada is the man most publicly associated with the publisher – aside from Stan Lee that is. has become far more hands on of late. After the dismissal of the Marvel Creative Committee earlier in the year, he has been a lot more influential over the rest of Marvel Comics. A guiding force at creative summits, he's the man who can slap the unruly down, and events considered mistakes in previous years such as Fear Itself being superseded by those like Secret Wars showing his thumbprints, as do characters such as Angela, and the lastest Marvel Now relaunch. A strong political player at the publisher, he can also bring his still-much-in-demand artistic skills to push one particular project over another, and the promotion of Jessica Jones from oft-forgotten comic book to the most critically acclaimed TV adaptation has brought more.

Position next year depends upon: Someone somewhere deciding that an Ash movie just has to happen.

By Jeffrey O. Gustafson

3. Dan Buckley (DOWN)

The publisher of Marvel Comics, Dan Buckley spreads his wings across media, the crossroads point of all of Marvel's publishing and creative efforts and the man who signs them off. He runs Publishing and Animation with heavy input into almost everything. Losing influence over the films this year has seen him concentrate more on the rest of the company, including the comics, which has also led to convergences such as ABC's The Voice. He's also managed to slightly turn the bookstore market round this year, using Star Wars to push the Marvel brand into areas that DC and Image have more traditionally dominated.

Position next year depends upon: Moving forward with that bookstore performance.

Photo by Kendall Whitehouse

2. Dan DiDio (UP)

While the year may not have gone totally swimmingly for Dan DiDio, he has entrenched his position at DC Comics, changing the direction of the publisher towards his preferred "meat and potatoes" tone. But more than that, he has become incredibly hands on, micro-managing and changing whatever he can to find what works. Even during the Thanksgiving holidays, creators were finding themselves hired and fired, at least one abandoning dinner to work on a cover that was needed right then. With a priority of keeping everything on time, he is fearless in demanding pages be pulled from one slightly late artist in favour of another to keep schedule. And he pushes himself forward as the DC Comics salesman more than anyone else at the publisher. He may not be the most senior individual at the company but more than anyone, he is their face. DC Comics may be less powerful than Marvel, but Dan DiDio has far more of the creative power and influence of the company concentrated in one person. For better or worse, it's DiDio Comics.

Position next year depends upon:

One to go… and you've guessed it…

#100-#98 – Dennis Barger, Janelle Asselin, Matthew Rosenberg

#97-#95 – Rich Johnston, Marc Silvestri, James Killen

#94-#92 – Jim Demonakos, Tim Buckley, Gahl Buslov

#91-#89 – Rob Liefeld, Peter Dolan, Catlin DiMotta

#88-#86 – Ken Levin, David Alpert, Kate Leth

#85-#83 – Jason Aaron, Stephen Christy, Jon Goldwater

#82-#80 – Stan Lee, Lorelei Bunjes, Marc Toberoff

#79-#77 – Jason Kingsley, Fiona Staples, Neal Adams

#76-#74 – Jim Sokolowski, Robbie Robbins, Corey Murphy

#73-#71 – Greg Capullo, Neil Gaiman, Art Baltazar & Franco

#70-#68 – Nemesis 43, Chris Powell, Mike Armstrong

#67-#65 – Hank Kanalz, Chuck Parker, John Rogers

#64-#62 – Alan Moore, Fred Pierce, John Wurzer

#61-#59 – Kate Beaton, CB Cebulski, Charles Soule

#58-#56 – Jeff Lemire, Matt Gagnon, Gail Simone

#55-#53 – Grant Morrison, Dinesh Shamdasani, Nicola Barrucci

#52-#50 – Skottie Young, William Christensen, Brian Azzarello

#49-#47 – Warren Ellis, Tim Lenaghan, Nicola Landau

#46-#44 – Eddie Berganza, Jonathan Hickman, Ross Richie

#43-#41 – Jonah Weiland, Peter Philips, Mark Waid

#40-#38 – Chris Ryall, Dan Slott, Mark Paniccia

#37-#35 – Nick Lowe, Raini Telgemeier, Sana Amanat

#34-#32 – Mark Doyle, Lance Fensterman, Mark Millar

#31-#29 – Hajime Isayama, Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie, Kevin Tsujihara

#28-#26 – John Cunningham, Dave Marshall, Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmotti

#25-#23 – David Goyer, Loot Crate Merchandising Team, Frank Miller

#22-#20 – Ted Adams, David Steinberger, Kelly Sue DeConnick & Matt Fraction

#19-#17 – Brian Bendis, Brian K Vaughan, Bob Harras

#16-#14 – Kevin Feige, Jim Lee, Tom Brevoort

#13-#11 – Jeph Loeb, David Gabriel, Scott Snyder

#10-#8 – Mike Richardson, Robert Kirkman, Diane Nelson

#7-#5 – Geoff Johns, Eric Stephenson, Axel Alonso

And catch up on previous years, here:

2014:

#100-#81
#80-#61
#60-#41
#40-#21
#20-#11
#10-#1

2013:

#100-#81
#80-#61
#60-#41
#40-#21
#20-#11
#10-#1

2012:

#100-#81
#80-#61
#60-#41
#40-#21
#20-#11
#10-#1

Bleeding Cool Magazine #19 is out now in all good comic book stores. Bleeding Cool Magazine #20 with the full Top 100 Power List will be out in January.

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