"Batgirl" Variant Cover Cancellation Sparks Further Debate Among Comic Pros and Fans

[howler15]

the basic problem is that the cover was not right for the content of the comic. DC editorial must have some control over variant covers so it doesn't happen again.

[Agent Scarlet]

Rafael Albuquerque created the piece with a specific intent. When it was releases, he felt that in the context of that cover being on that particular book, which has a very specific ethos in the way it portrays its female hero, altered the piece to the point that his intent was being lost, so he asked for the cover being removed. Or at least, that's my understanding of it.

I think that's crangers point. Looking at history and how often cover's get pulled "just cuz", it's undeniably likely Rafael would not have come to this conclusion had those asking for his decision to be respected actually, ya know, respected his decision to begin with.

[eavatar]

Yeah, i'm done with this debate.

It was Rafael Albuquerque's own request that got the cover pulled. Respect the man's decision and move on.

He pulled the cover by peer pressure and internet Censorship. It wasn't a decision made for some regret about how he had done his job, but a decision made by fear of a major side effect on his next gigs. I hope you don't suffer the pressure he suffering now.


I think the next CBDF should focus to protect artists from the thin skin from the bloggers.

[Agent Scarlet]

the basic problem is that the cover was not right for the content of the comic. DC editorial must have some control over variant covers so it doesn't happen again.

The cover was sketched, penciled, inked, colored, then solicited. This is not an issue of "DC editorial didn't know what was going on" like people are trying to make it. As far as this cover got, DC editorial knew about it long before all the backlash.

[masksNcapes]

Notice that Dillon's cover with Superman, used to demonstrate how wrong the cover is, uses Superman and Doomsday and not Batman and Joker. Batman and Joker would have been a better comparison and most people would not have thought it out of the ordinary. Because that's the world of the Joker. The superman on is misleading. It's like It's like taking Pulp Fiction but replacing the characters with Muppets and saying "Look how disturbing this movie is, definitely not for children"!

In my opinion it still would have looked weird. I don't think Batman or Superman would cry while facing Joker or Doomsday. Superman would have looked pissed and angry, and Batman would have looked angry, pissed, and scared, but neither would have cried (in front of the villain, at least).

[Stormcrow]

The cover was sketched, penciled, inked, colored, then solicited. This is not an issue of "DC editorial didn't know what was going on" like people are trying to make it. As far as this cover got, DC editorial knew about it long before all the backlash.

DC editorial is not a single entity. The cover was commissioned by the marketing team that takes care of the themed variant program and hit solicitations without going through the creative team or the book's editors.

[dzub]

the basic problem is that the cover was not right for the content of the comic. DC editorial must have some control over variant covers so it doesn't happen again.

it was not meant to be the cover, it' s a variant.

Marvel had Lego variants sometime back and it definitely did'nt match the tone of the story

[Agent Scarlet]

it was not meant to be the cover, it' s a variant.

Marvel had Lego variants sometime back and it definitely did'nt match the tone of the story

Very good point. However, let's be honest, this was never about the cover not matching the tone of the story. If it were, there would be equal outrage any time a variant doesn't match the tone.

[sneakyflute]

If you wanna argue that the cover isn't consistent with the book's contents, that's fine. However, most of its very vocal detractors are claiming that it promotes rape without any regard for context or the artist's intentions. They sound just like the people who tried to prevent the theatrical release of Brokeback Mountain in my town.

[Flash Gordon]

This is all I'll say on this heated topic but I agree with the BATGIRL creative team. It's not appropriate for the comic series they've been trying to push, one that is a proven success and has started a bit of a creative spark within the DC offices. I didn't like the cover and thought it was just gross when I first saw it but it didn't bother me all that much. I believe in creative freedom but these are corporate characters and Barbara Gordon (if she's not going to be Oracle anymore) has to out grow the Killing Joke in order to move forward as a character.

[Bruce Wayne]

DC editorial is not a single entity. The cover was commissioned by the marketing team that takes care of the themed variant program and hit solicitations without going through the creative team or the book's editors.

Interesting, do you have further information on how variants get commissioned? Because this sounds very plausible at the same time it seems letting marketing running around behind their backs is a PR disaster waiting to happen.

[dzub]

Very good point. However, let's be honest, this was never about the cover not matching the tone of the story. If it were, there would be equal outrage any time a variant doesn't match the tone.

If this was the cover for batgirl, then yes, recall it, there's too much heat.

AFAIK, there's a certain number of books an LCS has to get before getting a variant, maybe get 10 copies and you can get this variant cover, or they might not even get any variant at all.

Chances are this might not even be on the shelves

[oasis1313]

This is all I'll say on this heated topic but I agree with the BATGIRL creative team. It's not appropriate for the comic series they've been trying to push, one that is a proven success and has started a bit of a creative spark within the DC offices. I didn't like the cover and thought it was just gross when I first saw it but it didn't bother me all that much. I believe in creative freedom but these are corporate characters and Barbara Gordon (if she's not going to be Oracle anymore) has to out grow the Killing Joke in order to move forward as a character.

I agree with this assessment. If DC wants to promote strong female characters, this is NOT the way to go.

[Luke Cage]

Ahhh Ray Dillon. I have my new desktop wallpaper.

[nepenthes]

Interesting, do you have further information on how variants get commissioned? Because this sounds very plausible at the same time it seems letting marketing running around behind their backs is a PR disaster waiting to happen.

Variants are planned and commissioned out of the Promotional office whereas regular covers come from Editorial/Creative. In this case the creative team did not know of the Joker cover until it went up with the solicits. So yeah the problem is largely around internal communication procedures and I daresay Rafa was spurred to request pulled once he realized he was inadvertently messing with the vibe of another creative team, his creative peers. As you touched on what this also means is that as DC are expanding their range of "fun" titles they'll need to fix this process if they want prevent future instances of, say, a racy pin-up variant appearing on the front page of the new female Prez.