DC Cancels Red Hood After a Single Issue After Pressure
This week saw the debut of Red Hood, a more adult series featuring a character who has built up a fandom from writer Gretchen Felker-Martin, with art by Jeff Spokes. It’s received relatively positive reviews with a current 8.7 rating from critics and a 7.2 from users, even with some review bombing. But, the comic has already been canceled after just its first issue and while DC hasn’t said why, it’s likely due to Felker-Martin’s comments after yesterday’s assassination of controversial rightwing figure Charlie Kirk.
While DC didn’t give specifics they said in a statement to Popverse:
At DC Comics, we place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints. Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct.
DC has told retailers it has canceled orders for future issues of the series and is also offering credit for all of the orders placed by retailers on the first issue, including sold copies. The ongoing series had its first three issues solicited, the first issue released September 10 with the next issue to have come out on October 2 and third November 12. The series was intended for a 17+ audience and not part of its more mature label DC Black Label, a curious move along with the release of another comic this week that is creator-owned and for all ages that teased a possible shift in the company’s publishing strategy.
Felker-Martin is no stranger to controversy, regularly being banned by social media platform Bluesky, and was banned again yesterday by the platform. She has been accused of antisemitism, support of Hamas, threatening statements towards JK Rowling, among other provocative statements that had been made well before she was hired by DC for this series. Felker-Martin recent post that’s most often shared:
The post was latched on to by regressive and rightwing elements within the industry that are known for their brigading to attack creators they disagree with politically, particularly creators who are minorities like African-Americans, LGBTQ+, and especially Trans individuals. Felker-Martin is Trans and numerous posts to DC’s social media attacks her for that. Kirk has said being gay is an “error” and has advocated that gay individuals should be stoned to death quoting a Bible verse that advocates for it during a debate and saying it affirms “Gods perfect law when it comes to sexual matters.” More of Kirk’s greatest hits of awfulness can be found here with lots of links out for evidence.
Trans people are a throbbing middle finger to God… …an abomination to the Lord, Your God.
Gretchen Felker-Martin’s firing coincides on the same day Matthew Dowd was fired by MSNBC for comments made during coverage of the shooting of Kirk continuing the trend of cancelation of “the left” while the right makes threatening and hyperbolic statements with no repercussions.
DC’s decision also rewards bigotry on full display in social media messages towards them and only encourages further similar action.
The firing also comes in an environment where parent corporations are regularly firing staff, censoring output, to appease Donald Trump and the current administration. DC is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav publicly stated that a Trump administration could offer a “pace of change and an opportunity for consolidation” for the media industry. Warner Bros. Discovery has announced a recent split back into two companies and who knows what future approval from the administration it will need. Zaslav has mentioned the need to consolidate streaming services to better compete as an example.
WBD confirmed that a company representative recently reached out to the Trump orbit seeking advice about how the company might advantageously interact with the White House and improve its Trump-age odor. The reported message was to look at the example of Amazon and Jeff Bezos paying Melania Trump $40 million to participate in a documentary about herself. Don Jr. might like a hunting and fishing show on the Discovery Channel, they were told. And that CNN could have more pro-Trump voices — suggestion provided.
Trump is a frequent critic of CNN which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. He has sued the news organization unsuccessfully multiple times. Find an example here and here. During his first administration, Trump’s antitrust officials sued to stop AT&T from buying Time Warner. Some believe that suit was due to Trump’s distate for CNN though officials have said that wasn’t the case.
Whatever’s best for stock prices…
