Rob Liefeld is taking Marvel Comics to task online, after definitively severing ties with the publisher, with Liefeld even going so far as to name names, directly calling out several higher-level executives at Marvel that he feels need to go. “Start over,” the author and artist put it bluntly in a social media post.

Liefeld took to X to follow up on comments made on his podcast, emphatically stating that the higher-ups at Marvel Comics are “out of moves,” in a rant that will certainly stir up the discourse surrounding what Marvel is or isn’t doing right with its current publishing ethos.

The publisher has been at the center of some controversy lately, and Liefeld’s comments open up another avenue of criticism, especially for those who believe Marvel’s product has become repetitive or watered down over the years.

Rob Liefeld Says Marvel Needs New Leadership, In Latest Shot At The Publisher

"These Guys Have No New Moves," According To Liefeld

Rob Liefeld's acrimonious split with Marvel Comics continues, with the divisive creator calling out the top executives at the company as the source of the publisher's problems; Liefeld cited Marvel Entertainment CEO Dan Buckley, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Talent Management David Bogart, and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Gabriel as being "spent and tired," while advocating for Marvel to "start over" at the highest echelons of its corporate structure in order to fix the issues he believes are systemic at the company.

The three executives named have all had long tenures with Marvel, and so they have had dealings with Rob Liefeld for many years. In other words, Liefeld has personal experience with the people he is calling out, and so there is no question that he is biased in his opinions of them; rather, the question is whether that bias is having an unfair bearing on his criticism of their work at the company, or, if it isn't, how legitimate Liefeld’s critique, and how viable his suggested solution, actually are.

Rob Liefeld's Sour End To His Affiliation With Marvel Complicates His Comic Industry Legacy

One Of The Medium's Most Outspoken Creators

Rob Liefeld has had a reputation for being outspoken for many years, but since he terminated his relationship with Marvel, seemingly for good, he has truly taken on a "gloves off" approach to the company. He has made it clear why he will no longer work with the publisher, and he has now gone after the top brass at Marvel Comics in a way that makes it clear, if it wasn't already, that there's no going back. At least, that is, unless they really do "start over".

Rob Liefeld is no stranger whatsoever to criticism and controversy, and his split with Marvel, and airing of grievances with the company, are just the latest chapter in his complicated place in the history of comics.

Wiping the slate clean at the executive level is likely the only thing that could open the door to Liefeld's Marvel return at this point. Unlikely as it is, comics are a "never say never" business, and Liefeld is nothing if not unpredictable. As a creator, and an emphatic voice in the industry, Image Comics pioneer and Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld is no stranger whatsoever to criticism and controversy, and his split with Marvel, and airing of grievances with the company, are just the latest chapter in his complicated place in the history of comics.

Source: Rob Liefeld on X