Joker: Another Banned Comic Cover

[thunderbolt]

The new Batgirl comic is aimed at girls and a younger demographic than DC usually does. The team that works on the comic was not aware of the cover ahead of time and did not approve of it when they saw it. They made the decision to not use it. Not only does the Joker not even appear in the issue, they've also said the Joker will never appear in the new Batgirl comic. If people think that is an appropriate cover for a light hearted comic aimed at young girls, I just don't know what to say.

the cover was a variant for a stunt "joker Month" line of covers at DC. So apparently those creators missed a memo. He's on all the variant covers for the month, not appearing in any of the books.

[enyawd72]

If you disapprove of that particular Spider Woman cover...then Im sure you want this one gone too...

First of all Hector, I don't think I said I wanted either cover gone...I said I thought they were in poor taste. There are many, many covers that I feel have crossed the line over the years. One in particular that springs to mind is Hulk #291 with General Ross about to shoot himself in the head, and that was 31 years ago! I was only 13 years old then, that cover was on newsstands, and inappropriate for a 13 year old.
That's the biggest problem with comics today.
People like Frank Miller, etc. thought comics needed to appeal to "adults".
Thing is, in doing so, they left their innocence behind and destroyed it for the next generation of kids.
What's more, comics don't NEED to be this way. Back in the 1960's Marvel comics were completely innocent and were still a huge hit with college kids. They weren't full of graphic violence and borderline porn, yet adults in their 20's enjoyed them just the same.

[Hector]

Well, I haven't read a comic book in about a decade...and I don't have kids...so that's just my personal take and perspective, that's all.

[thunderbolt]

That Spider-Woman cover is laughable, the pose is probably impossible for an actual human, and it looks like it was lifted from elsewhere. its a Penthouse Comix cover that I can't post here. Just Google Spider Woman cover, it shows up.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Sounds like a non-issue to me. I agree the Joker cover doesn't belong on a book targeted at young girls. Would you want that cover on Scooby-Doo Team-Up?

What's disturbing is that enough people at DC didn't think it through, or show the creative team of the book before it was pushed through the pipeline. Very telling.

Chris

[Hedji]

That Spider-Woman cover is laughable, the pose is probably impossible for an actual human, and it looks like it was lifted from elsewhere. its a Penthouse Comix cover that I can't post here. Just Google Spider Woman cover, it shows up.

Actually, it is completely possible. Some googling will turn up a cosplayer in body paint doing exactly the same pose.

[Hedji]

I think both are in poor taste...I don't think graphic violence or sexual imagery belong in any superhero comic, but I'm just old fashioned.

I'm no prude, but I agree 100%. The cover has a yucky rapey feel. I like to think of Batgirl as the lovely Ms Craig giving the bad guys a kick wit the boot. Would anyone here want their kids acting this out with Mego Joker and Batgirl?

[Hedji]

People like Frank Miller, etc. thought comics needed to appeal to "adults".
Thing is, in doing so, they left their innocence behind and destroyed it for the next generation of kids.
What's more, comics don't NEED to be this way. Back in the 1960's Marvel comics were completely innocent and were still a huge hit with college kids. They weren't full of graphic violence and borderline porn, yet adults in their 20's enjoyed them just the same.

AMEN! As a kid, it was always enough for me that Joker wanted to rob a bank or embarrass Batman.

[ubermanx]

+1 on the fact that the cover does not suit the current tone of the book. I don't think it was censorship so much as I think it was a misguided idea in the first place.

- Marty

[thunderbolt]

Actually, it is completely possible. Some googling will turn up a cosplayer in body paint doing exactly the same pose.

I bet her neck was sore. I saw some computer 3D simulations of it and it looks pretty impossible.

[kingdom warrior]

The new Batgirl comic is aimed at girls and a younger demographic than DC usually does. The team that works on the comic was not aware of the cover ahead of time and did not approve of it when they saw it. They made the decision to not use it. Not only does the Joker not even appear in the issue, they've also said the Joker will never appear in the new Batgirl comic. If people think that is an appropriate cover for a light hearted comic aimed at young girls, I just don't know what to say.

Ditto What she said.......

[Vinny0026]

Keep in mind I'm not taking sides here

But for the record I have seen much worse covers that star spider woman (just google Avengers Spider Woman cover)
and those were all comics that published in the past.

Any comic that had SpiderWoman in it during the whole New Avengers and Marvel civil war story lines have her drawn like a Penthouse pet or playboy bunny - just in red and yellow.
I'm not sure what the point is or when her character evolved into a sex symbol instead of Comic Book Hero.

Again - I'm not pro or con in this fight - just pointing out that some of her old covers are far more worse than the one that was banned

[Werewolf]

But for the record I have seen much worse covers that star spider woman (just google Avengers Spider Woman cover)
and those were all comics that published in the past.

That Spider-Woman cover wasn't used because the new comic is aimed at a female readership. It didn't really send the message they wanted, which was to encourage women and girls to pick up the new series.

[Earth 2 Chris]

That Spider-Woman cover wasn't used because the new comic is aimed at a female readership. It didn't really send the message they wanted, which was to encourage women and girls to pick up the new series.

Then why did Marvel hire an artist known for erotic art? You don't hire Rob Zombie to direct a movie for The Disney Channel.

Chris

[Werewolf]

Then why did Marvel hire an artist known for erotic art? You don't hire Rob Zombie to direct a movie for The Disney Channel.

Chris

Right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing type of thing I'd guess. Certainly not the wisest choice of cover artist knowing the demographics they were aiming for.