DC Comics Hasn't Pulled Dark Knight Returns Cover Despite Hong Kong Controversy

Many media sources thought there would be some backlash around DC's Joker this year, but it seems as though some more controversy has sprung up around Batman media. A current cover to Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child drawn by Rafael Grampá raised some eyebrows on Chinese social media. While some initial reports speculated that DC was taking the cover off of the title, that seems to have been disproved by recent developments. The company took the posts off of social media, but Grampá posted it on their own. Funny enough, this is the second time that a protest movement has decided to adopt the visage of one of these characters for their own ends. Protesters in Beirut, Hong Kong, and other areas painted their faces to look like Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. These demonstrations have sprung up across the world to bring awareness to certain injustices and hopefully incite some sort of change with these displays. Now, it looks like the cover will likely live on as a symbol of resistance outside of its intended purpose.

The Future Is Young. pic.twitter.com/5BjcoCU6LH

— Rafael Grampá (@Rafael_Grampa) November 27, 2019

Carrie Kelly's Batwoman throwing a Molotov cocktail is nothing if not a bit politically tinged to begin with. But, that portrayal has been a bit of a constant in the world that Frank Miller has fashioned around The Dark Knight Returns. But, the artist, writer, and company probably didn't think they would be at the center of a social media controversy with this one. Someone out there edited the image to have the words "the future is young" behind Kelly tossing that weapon. The Chinese government has banned media over far less in the past, so the decision to pull the image off the official social media was swift. But, there is some fervor now, and that won't likely pipe down now that it's becoming a bigger story.

Here's a synopsis for the upcoming release:

DARK KNIGHT RETURNS THE GOLDEN CHILD #1 RAFAEL GRAMPA VAR ED

Frank Miller returns to the Dark Knight Universe!

It's been three years since the events of Dark Knight III: The Master Race. Lara has spent the time learning to be more human, and Carrie Kelley has been growing into her new role as Batwoman. But a terrifying evil has returned to Gotham City, and Lara and Carrie must team up to stop this growing threat-and they have a secret weapon. Young Jonathan Kent, "the golden child," has a power inside of him unlike anything the world has ever seen, and it's about to be unleashed… Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is Frank Miller's triumphant return to the world of the Dark Knight and joining him is the superstar artist Rafael Grampá, the mastermind behind the groundbreaking Mesmo Delivery. Following work in advertising and film, this incredible collaboration marks Grampá's first comics work in six years, bringing his extraordinary detail and storytelling to the Dark Knight saga, resulting in a Dark Knight story like nothing you've ever seen before.

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child releases in stores on Dec 11, 2019. List price is $5.99