On Friday, DC Entertainment released several Joker variant covers for their June comics. Among them was this homage to “The Killing Joke,” drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, for BATGIRL #41.
The backlash was immediate and fierce. Since October, when Batgirl got both a new costume and a new creative team, the comic has tonally been aimed at female teens and young women. Having Barbara in tears at the hands of a man who crippled, tortured, and perhaps sexually abused her was considered off-base by many, HitFix Harpy included.
DC Comics and the creative team behind Batgirl agreed and, at the request of Rafael Albuquerque, pulled the cover. One of Batgirl's writers took to Twitter to explain the decision.
The cover was not seen or approved by anyone on Team Batgirl and was completely at odds with what we are doing with the comic.
– Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) March 17, 2015
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To those fans who were concerned about censorship of artistic expression, he had this to say.
So, we have the creators of the book and the artist himself all agreeing that the cover was inappropriate. There”s no “censorship” here.
– Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) March 17, 2015
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If you”re concerned about artistic integrity and creative vision – that”s what we”re doing. Keeping the integrity of our book intact.
– Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) March 17, 2015
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He also assured fans that Rafael was not in trouble with either himself of DC in general.
I stand behind Rafael as an artist and a friend, and think he made the right decision.
– Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) March 17, 2015
Stewart took to Twitter again after some confusion about DC”s muddled wording in regards to threats received in the wake of the controversy. Specifically this line: “[…]Threats of violence and harassment are wrong and have no place in comics or society.”
Something to clarify, because DCs statement was a little unclear. @rafaalbuquerque did not get threats. People OBJECTING to the cover did.
– Cameron Stewart (@cameronMstewart) March 17, 2015
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Rafael Albuquerque also tried to ward off any misunderstanding of the language used in the official statement.
Ill talk more about it tomorrow but I was never threatened. just to make it clear.
– Rafael Abuquerque (@rafaalbuquerque) March 17, 2015
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Neither DC nor anyone on Batgirl”s creative team have yet said if Albuquerque will create another Joker variant for the issue or if BATGIRL #41 will simply be variant-less this June.