DC Comics Cancels "Batgirl" Joker Variant at Artist's Request

[Auguste Dupin]

Variant covers by their very design clash with the tone of the book. The Joker isn't even in the vast majority of the titles out that month.

Pretty much. These things are little more than collectibles for hardcore fans (something I will never get, but moving on). Talking of "artistic integity" for that, especially about what is in essence a character owned entirely by a corporation (so by definition something that has no artistic integrity), is somewhat amusing.

EDIT; nevermind.

[Luke Cage]

I think the "Where's the Red Hood equivalent" is a pretty edifying question, though. There are totally ways to maintain the personal relationship Barbara has with the Joker (Simone's Batgirl run had a whole arc that used that quite effectively), but that cover really isn't letting Barbara be any kind of superhero -- she's being victimized; again, try to imagine an equivalent cover with one of the male heroes. And even if you can, DC doesn't have quite the history of tone-deaf moves with male fans it does with women. There are some unfortunate sexual undertones in that cover as well, intended or not. It's not viscous, but it does seem tone-deaf and certainly out of sync with what DC seems to be trying to do (and definitely should be doing, just as decent people) as far as being more inclusive and socially aware.

I like Albequerque's art a lot, and I'm sure he meant no harm with this, but I looked that cover for about two seconds and went, "Oooof, bad call."

It sucks sucks sucks that this came to death threats though; both because that's inherently sh*tty and because I'm sure it's shut down what should have been a really open conversation about these kinds of things.

No one would bat an eye if that was Bruce, Dick, or Jason.

[DevilsGambit]

I'm pretty sure he is downplaying it.

[thecrimson]

exactly what i thought and said previously - it was probably SJW threatening supporters or vice versa.

Well that's good, glad he wasn't threatened. So if it was the people against the cover doing it to supporters, that's still wrong.

Also better remove those three letters. Mods will remove your comment.

[Stormcrow]

No one would bat an eye if that was Bruce, Dick, or Jason.

Except it would never be Bruce, Dick, or Jason. That's the point.

[Coal Tiger]

There was nothing distasteful about this cover. It's a picture of a sadistic murderer tormenting a hero. It's kinda what they do. Batgirl is standing there with a creeps arm over her shoulder holding a gun. She's not bound and naked, or being brutalized.

And exactly what message should the publisher be sending about different genders? That female characters can't handle the baddies? That they need to be coddled and not exposed to the same things as the male characters? People ask for equality for characters, but they blanch in the face of the sadistic nature of the Joker. It's okay for Bruce, Dick, and Jason Todd (R.I.P.). but not Barbara?

If the point of all the variant covers is to show the Joker terrorizing various heroes, there's ways to do that without directly invoking Killing Joke. Why not show Batgirl fighting the Joker? What about Batgirl infected with Joker venom?

I'd rather not get into telling the artist what art they should be making, but why go the least artistic and creative route and reference Killing Joke? Is that all you can say about Batgirl and the Joker?

[Claude]

And exactly what message should the publisher be sending about different genders? That female characters can't handle the baddies? That they need to be coddled and not exposed to the same things as the male characters? People ask for equality for characters, but they blanch in the face of the sadistic nature of the Joker. It's okay for Bruce, Dick, and Jason Todd (R.I.P.). but not Barbara?

Where are the Bruce, Dick, and Jason versions of this cover?


It's this kind of snide "pffft, they say they want equality - they just want to ruin our fun!" thinking whenever there are complaints about aspects of comics that are going to be far more harmful to the industry than the "censorship" of a writer of a book asking his editor to step up the plate for him to get a cover changed.

Albuquerque has said he wasn't threatened. The writer wanted the cover changed. The artist has said that he sees the points being made.


Just because some people you don't like, and an even bigger horde of Imagined People who exist for you to dislike and lump in with the first lot of people, are happy about this decision doesn't make it a bad one.

[The_Greatest_Username]

Well that's good, glad he wasn't threatened. So if it was the people against the cover doing it to supporters, that's still wrong.

Also better remove those three letters. Mods will remove your comment.

Just to be clear, if anyone is sending death threats, it's wrong.

[hunter_peterson]

That's actually exactly the message this cover sends, and why so many people took umbridge with it.

^Re: above: Really glad to hear that. Hopefully he saw value in the negative reactions to this cover an chose to pull it based on solidarity with some of the complaints. Again, I don't think anyone (hopefully) imagined that he meant to cause harm with this cover; but as far as contributions to an overall scene, intentions are irrelevant.

So you're saying that nothing bad can be depicted happening to a woman on a comicbook cover now? Even when it references canon being used in the book last issue? That sounds awfully boring.

[Pinsir]

what i'm puzzled is..why are covers ,usually variants, getting removed while some questionable content in some books rarely get a mention..

The funny thing this book also a had a bunch of problems with one issue do to a male villain that dressed up as a woman.

This type of thing is infuriating. I strongly favour toward disliking the joker and I will probably never read the Killing Joke, but this is not fair to the artist or DC.

I was thinking about making a thread for this also, but there was another artist recently who pulled his webcomic down over complaints he was 'fetishizing' Japanese culture. The problem with appealing to this 'tumblr' culture (which is what Batgirl is designed to appeal to) is they are incredibly thin skinned and if you dare step outside their comfort zone they freak out.

[dzub]

Don't be puzzled. You're the sane one here.

well,my morning cup of coffee helped..

i mean, if variants are getting removed every couple of months or so for whatever reason, should'nt books get the same treatment too?
it should be consistent.
if you ask me, what's between the covers is more important than what's on the covers

[Vinsanity]

I got a death threat AND a dox threat over a certain other social media controversy that for the sanity of all involved here I shall not name.

There are always people like that out there. You can't let them have control. And yet, like a slippery slope, that's what's happening. Like no one in Hollywood will touch North Korea anymore after the whole fiasco with The Interview, or the Spider-Woman cover likely putting an end to the classic Jessica Drew costume, and now this. It's getting more numerous, and it's getting worse.

That's why I avoid talking about politics, social issues and stuff on social media. Reasons being I could make myself sound absolutely stupid, I am not confident in talking about those issues and I don't really want to be cut into little pieces virtually. I'm at ease with sport and comics, more sport because I started reading comics regularly since 2011 with the New 52.

But really I mean it is just a variant, so either way people are going to forget about it pretty quickly regardless.

[solletaire]

I don't agree with censoring the artist, but I'll 100% agree with this. "The Killing Joke" was a landmark story, but it's not Batgirl's only story and especially given the new direction of the book, not one that I'm eager to see again. When they rebooted the story, I started buying them for my 9-year-old girl, who loves it. When I saw that new cover, I blanched; no way I'm going to let my daughter read THAT. I'm glad they're going to pull it back.

Death threats are acts of terrorism. It's cruel that it's happened like this.

A)Lets not forget that the covers were about the Joker. This is Barbara's definitive Joker story!

B) This is a variant cover, not the regular cover. I can respect why you would think it's inappropriate for your daughter to see it, but you can always buy her the issue of Batgirl with the regular cover (which will be easier to find to begin with). Variant covers are usually aimed at a specific group of the comic buying audience. Those who are prepared to go the extra mile and pay extra to get it. Why censor the content for everybody else just because a group of people don't like it!

[AcesX1X]

huh interesting. so what is DC claiming then? if there were threats, then i'd like them to clarify that statement a little more.

[M L A]

What's funny is that if there was a variety cover that paid homage to DITF, no one would even care.

Am I imagining things or wasn't there already one of those?