Feb080203DWell, it looks like the slow news day may be ending, as DC is requesting that this week’s shipment of ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #10 not be put on shelves. This morning, a Diamond advisory went out:

***** SHIPPING ADVISORY: DC COMICS’ ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #10

Dear Diamond Customer:

Please be advised that copies of DC Comics’ ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #10 (FEB080203-4D) may be included in your September 10 shipment.

At DC’s request, please do not place this book out for sale to your customers. Instead, please destroy any copies that you receive. You will be credited for these copies on your September 17 invoice.

Diamond apologizes for any inconvenience this creates for you or your customers. If you have additional questions, please contact your Diamond Customer Service Representative. Thank you.


DC has had problems with already-printed books being deemed unsuitable for distribution before. Notably, a story by Kyle Baker in which a baby crawled into a microwave forced a run of an “Elseworlds” special to be destroyed, and concerns over a Victorian ad for Marvel Douche caused the run of LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #5 to go into the hopper. It’s more unusual for a comic to be shipped out and recalled, although a special Best Buy edition of that LoeG that was was a gift with purchase of the DVD had to be recalled when the material was found to be a bit strong for the chain.

DC had no comment on the reasons for the return. However, sources close to DC suggested that a printing problem was probably the culprit.

While at this hour we don’t know exactly what caused the problem, it’s unlikely that all copies of the issue will be destroyed. In fact we’re guessing that if your store owner really likes you, you may just be able to get a copy.

With Diamond’s retailer summit underway out in Las Vegas, expect this to quickly become topic A on the gossip circuit.

Developing.

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1 COMMENT

  6. What’s to stop a retailer from claiming they destroyed their copies and getting that refund, while simultaneously selling those copies on ebay?

  8. I’d put money on a last minute discovery of profanity that was supposed to have been edited into symbol based faux-profanity of the #@%*!!! variety.

    Something like the use of ‘asshole’ that slipped into Final Crisis.

  9. “What’s to stop a retailer from claiming they destroyed their copies and getting that refund, while simultaneously selling those copies on ebay?”

    Once upon a time stores had to send back covers to prove they were destroyed. I don’t know if they still do that.

  10. This once happened to a Batman comic I did because there was a coloring error on Robin’s costume throughout the issue. It’s not a controversy, DC just doesn’t let stuff like that slide with their trademarked characters.

  15. I find it funny that DC is more concerned with their trademarked characters costumed being colored wrong, but they have no problem with allowing profanity,graphic violence,and strong sexual innuendos in the comics featuring those same trademarked characters.

  16. Considering that ASBAR seems to have no set schedule and just comes out whenever, this seems like a non-issue. One week later is still far earlier than I’d ever expect it to appear (i.e. when hell freezes over).

  17. Funny, I don’t recall actually telling anyone to go sell them or scan them. Just conjecturing what people are likely to do based on past experiences in this community ~_^

  18. Development:

    It is the perfectly legible word “CUNT” with a (clearly not opaque enough black box over it).

  19. (sorry for the double post)

    Development:

    It is the perfectly legible word “CUNT” with a (clearly not opaque enough) black box over it.

  26. I’d heard it’s because Batman has his balls hanging out of his shorts for five consecutive pages just to make Superman uneasy.

  30. All of the curse words are censored, it’s just that the censor bars are insufficiently opaque.

    And if it’s any consolation Baal, the person who uses “the c-word” is a Bad Guy.

  31. And I have to wonder why they would even print the profanity at all. Why not the traditional symbols or even just put a black box over an empty space? The method they chose was just asking for trouble.

    Oh, and it is nice that Miller has gone so gonzo that he would have the GDBatman use THAT word…

  32. Only Johnny DC books are ever for kids. The last kid I saw in a comic book store was me in 1993 and I was buying a Spawn comic. Food for thought.

    Censorship sucks.

  33. “By the spirits of my XXXXX parents, I will avenge their XXXXXXXXX deaths by spending the rest of my life XXXXing all criminals… Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious XXXXXXXXXX, so my XXXXX XXXXXX disguise must be able to strike terror into their XXXXXXX hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, XXXXXXXXXXX, terrible… A… A… A XXXXXing bat!”

  35. With the naughty words, DC should have flagged this issue for review after it came off the presses.
    Also, is there a small printer which can replicate four color printing, so that errors can be found before plates or negatives are made?

  36. Keep in mind these are photos. To the naked eye it’s probaly clear as a bell.

    How STUPID is DC? Haven’t they been publishing comics for DECADES? Haven’t they seen one ink bleed through anotherone before? I have.

    Never mind the fact even with the dialog retracted it’s still plenty offensive.

    Someone please xplain the attraction of Frank “I haven’t done anything good in decades” Miller?????????

    http://www.funnybookbabylon.com/2008/09/09/tough-love-tuesday-breaking-news-insufficient-censorship/#more-1230

  37. “How STUPID is DC? Haven’t they been publishing comics for DECADES?”

    The company has existed for decades. The people in companies changes. This, too, shall pass.

  38. “How STUPID is DC? Haven’t they been publishing comics for DECADES?”

    The company has existed for decades. The people in companies change. This, too, shall pass.

  39. ————-
    Ed Brubaker:
    > This once happened to a Batman comic I did because there was a coloring error on Robin’s costume throughout the issue. It’s not a controversy, DC just doesn’t let stuff like that slide with their trademarked characters.
    ————-

    Weren’t you writing a Batbook during the period that DC dropped Detective Comics down to two-colour, leading to stuff like a purple & green Batman?

  41. I actually got to read one of the Sep. 10th issues, somebody had posted it online and I found it while looking for a Robin comic. XD Ugh I can’t believe we waited 6 months longer than we should have (as it was supposed to have come out in March/April) granted it was profane but honestly, do people expect something different? If DC is so fussy about children getting their hands on profane language via their comics, you’d think they’d have the brains to put a warning rather than push it back for months just to have a butchered version get released on accident and ask for them to all be destroyed. I think the whole incident has just made them look stupid for not picking up a copy themselves to see what the final product had looked like. I like the series, as well as Frank Miller and Jim Lee so muh.