Sadness at DC’s decision to move its publishing offices to Burbank (see "DC Comics Leaving New York") came from an unexpected quarter on Wednesday, as Marvel Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada expressed his reaction to the news to Newsarama.  After giving his best wishes to DC’s employees, and noting that he wasn’t in a position to comment on the business decision, Quesada said, "[F]rom a strictly historical point of view and as a born and bred, dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker, I have to honestly say that it breaks my heart."

Acknowledging the competitive side of the relationship, Quesada made his case for the significance of the move.  "To me, comics are New York City, and New York City is comics," he said.  "We all know that the first character to put his underwear on over his pants was created in Cleveland, but it was New York City that gave him his start.  It was New York City that provided the spotlight and it was here that he and all those that followed in his footsteps became famous...  [I]t’s the end of an era and yes, while I’ve always loved to tweak our crosstown pals, New York City will admittedly be a little diminished by DC’s absence."