protip: bats are a positive symbol in China
Yet again, the Hong Kong protests have had an effect on western media. In this case, though, it’s DC’s doing, to a degree, and they’ve capitulated to Chinese demands to remove something. Specifically, it’s an image made to promote The Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child. The image in question features a young Batman successor preparing to throw a molotov cocktail in front of a background that reads “The future is young”.
Golden Child, set to release December 11th, is the story of the next batch of heroes, including Johnathan Kent, the titular “Golden Child”. Per Frank Miller’s press release from September:
The Dark Knight Returns story began with its heroes getting older. Now we’re seeing the next generation of heroes in action…heroes that are vigorous, untested and loaded with promise.
Frank Miller
Unfortunately, China seems to be where fun goes to die in modern times. Chinese social media users took offense to the image, which they viewed as being in support of the Honk Kong protesters. Because of the molotov. In an attempt to placate these users, DC took the image down; they did not, however, provide the additional apology these Chinese social media users demanded. Still, problem resolved, right?
Wrong. In doing so, they actually pissed off, well… everyone else. To the point where the image saw circulation specifically to spite DC’s decision to self-censor themselves. In addition to the usual internet mockery we’ve all come to know and love.
To which the book’s artist, Rafael Grampá, deemed the entire affair “surreal“.
As for DC, they’ve yet to publicly respond to the incident. Maybe China’s money is good enough they no longer have to care about the domestic market anymore? Who knows?
Source: Quartz
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