Recently, longtime Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada was promoted to the company’s Chief Creative Officer. This follows a similar announcement at DC Comics some time ago, where writer Geoff Johns was given the same position. (There are some differences between their two jobs, even though they share the same title, but those aren’t that relevant to the following discussion.)

First of all, let me offer my congratulations to Mr. Quesada. I’ve been a fan of his art since the 1990s, and since taking the helm at Marvel, he’s really turned the company around and made some ballsy moves to kick the industry in the ass. (I’ve also met him a few times at conventions, and he’s a cool guy to talk with.) Geoff Johns has done much the same over at DC; his writing skills alone have made Green Lantern and Flash super-hot properties, and together with his partner-in-crime Dan DiDio (DC’s Editor-in-Chief), their crossover events have topped the charts. I may not approve of specific themes that Quesada and Johns have implemented in their respective companies’ comics universes, but I certainly have a lot of respect for what they’ve done for the medium as a whole.

So where’s the problem?

In both cases, I have reservations about that much power being in the hands of one man. A CCO’s job is generally to “spread the word” beyond comics and into mainstream pop culture, be it video games, television, movies…you get the idea. At the same time, however, the CCO is inextricably linked to their comics universe. Creative decisions within that universe are ultimately going to need the CCO’s stamp of approval, and/or that of the Editor-in-Chief. In Johns’ case, he and DiDio think so much alike that they are practically the same person, and in Quesada’s case…that is the same person!

For up-and-coming creators, this presents a possibly contentious issue. Instead of a large sandbox in which many creators get to play and leave their mark, the Marvel and DC universes risk becoming the Quesada and Johns universes, respectively. Creators with solid careers behind them may have a bit more clout in which to buck the status quo, but newcomers are shit out of luck. Unless their ideas are guaranteed moneymakers or are otherwise easy to mainstream, it’s very likely that they’ll be brushed off. Especially if they’re playing with series that the CCOs had a direct hand in revitalizing; for example, Johns’ Green Lantern and Flash. He plans to write those books for the foreseeable future, as the feature his favorite characters, but it’s going to be a tough ride for whoever succeeds him. How much freedom will they really have?

I know the comics business has operated somewhat like this for many years, but with these new Chief Creative Officer positions, it has the potential to become much more pronounced and narrow-minded. With mainstreaming the comics medium rapidly becoming critical to a publisher’s bottom line, true creativity is going to suffer in favor of simpler fare that will satisfy the intellectual property holder and make more money.