DC Holds Batman Inc #3 out of respect for the Colorado Shooting vitcims

mguy1977

http://ifanboy.com/articles/dc-holds-batman-inc-3-for-one-month-out-of-respect-for-aurora-victimes/#comment-434226

Due to "grim imagery" DC is holding Batman Inc #3 for a month out of respect for the shooting victims in Colorado. For fans of that title it is a small price to pay & is the right move for DC. Just take 5 or 10 dollars and donate to a charity of your choice instead.

Off my soap box.

Matthew

Vash

What happened in Colorado was obviously a tragedy and those involved deserve respect. However, the movie still released as planned and we still have other violent comic books hitting the shelves.

I do not believe that people should actively avoid something they love (be that the film or any other comic related media) because of the actions of a terrorist.

A real gesture would have been to postpone the release of the film by another week or so, unless Morrison has a terrorist shooting people (granted I have not read issue #2 yet) it seems odd to postpone the book.

David_D

Vash said:

What happened in Colorado was obviously a tragedy and those involved deserve respect. However, the movie still released as planned and we still have other violent comic books hitting the shelves.

I do not believe that people should actively avoid something they love (be that the film or any other comic related media) because of the actions of a terrorist.

A real gesture would have been to postpone the release of the film by another week or so, unless Morrison has a terrorist shooting people (granted I have not read issue #2 yet) it seems odd to postpone the book.

I'm guessing there is some specific content in Batman Inc. #3 that could have been found objectionable in this new context, especially as that is the only comic reported to be delayed out of the four or five Batman titles shipping soon.

As for the gesture of postponing the movie after it opened- sure, it would have been a strong gesture. But one that would have cost many more stake holders than just Warner Brothers. There are theater chains around the country staffed up for the expected biggest release of the year. Leave them without the product they expected and you are taking that gesture out of their pockets, as well as likely the pockets of a lot of hourly staff members who would suddenly find their shifts cancelled or shortened. And delaying the movie a week to open next week would step on the box office of whatever is slated to open next week, delivering another financial hit to the exhibitors, as well as the other movie distributors.

I'm all for gestures, but better for Warner Brothers to make their money, and then make a healthy gift to a fund for victims rather than do something that would have cost a lot of other people involved.

Vash

I'm all for gestures, but better for Warner Brothers to make their money, and then make a healthy gift to a fund for victims rather than do something that would have cost a lot of other people involved.

I would be all for a lump sum monetary donation or the creation of a foundation as well. Again, we will see when issue #3 comes out what the objectionably content actually is. Until then it's all conjecture.

David_D

Vash said:

I'm all for gestures, but better for Warner Brothers to make their money, and then make a healthy gift to a fund for victims rather than do something that would have cost a lot of other people involved.

I would be all for a lump sum monetary donation or the creation of a foundation as well. Again, we will see when issue #3 comes out what the objectionably content actually is. Until then it's all conjecture.


I suppose when it comes out we can see if we agree with the creative team or not, but artist Chris Burnham is on the record as saying that it was to do with specific imagery in that one issue so I don't think the reason they are doing it is in any doubt:

"It's not just a Batman comic with guns in it. There's a specific scene that made DC & the whole Bat-team say 'Yikes.' Too close for comfort."

mguy1977

Look DC wants avoid the Superman Our Worlds At War comparison. There was a Superman issue that was released like one day after the 9/11 attacks that had skyscrapers falling. It is better to put caution & wait 30 days and read something else be it Batman related or indie book.

Matthew

random73

I have absolutely no problem with this. If DC chooses to make a small sacrifice out of their own sense of appropriateness I am certainly not going to give them grief over it. And kudos to The Burnham for taking the time to clarify the rationale behind the decision.

David_D

random73 said:

I have absolutely no problem with this. If DC chooses to make a small sacrifice out of their own sense of appropriateness I am certainly not going to give them grief over it. And kudos to The Burnham for taking the time to clarify the rationale behind the decision.

I agree. Unlike delaying the release of the film, delaying a single issue a few weeks would not have a large impact on other parties, and if the content would seem tasteless so soon after the real world tragedy, then better to wait.

Krescan

Sounds like (and not much info so all speculation) like they're going the route with the school shooting episode of Buffy getting delayed right after the Columbine shootings. And the season finale was delayed as well.

I don't think any gesture of respect can be too small or too big.

jaydee74

I don't think a month should get people too upset. It's a nice gesture and it's not like the book won't come out at all or anything like that.

Night_stick

I can see holding the book off for a little while to let time heal some wounds but I hope they do not change anything, reprint with scenes removed, in the book. I recently read a story where another upcoming movie which depicts a movie shooting scene is being reshot to remove this scene. I understand that this scene may offend some but it was shot well before the tragic incident in Colorado and it is what the director and writer wanted for their film. To me I draw similarities to the editing of E.T. where they removed the guns and replaced them with handheld radios or telling an famous, still living artist, that I do not like a certain piece of work of his and want him to change it to please me. Just my 2 cents.

DarthKramer

I had no idea this was supposed to be held. I got my copy yesterday...

David_D

DarthKramer said:

I had no idea this was supposed to be held. I got my copy yesterday...

You're a monster.



Actually, this decision happened so close to the release date, I wonder if your shop even knew in time. I would be that Diamond orders had already been packed and many shipped, so it may have been that Diamond/DC sent out emails that not every LCS read in time.

DarthKramer

David_D said:

DarthKramer said:

I had no idea this was supposed to be held. I got my copy yesterday...

You're a monster.



Actually, this decision happened so close to the release date, I wonder if your shop even knew in time. I would be that Diamond orders had already been packed and many shipped, so it may have been that Diamond/DC sent out emails that not every LCS read in time.

That's probably the case. I can definitely see what they would have been touchy about. I respect their attempt to hold the book back, though.

JohnathanConstantine

Vash said:

A real gesture would have been to postpone the release of the film by another week or so, unless Morrison has a terrorist shooting people (granted I have not read issue #2 yet) it seems odd to postpone the book.

Wasn't the film already released by then. I know I saw the movie before it happened.

Murray

DarthKramer said:

David_D said:

DarthKramer said:

I had no idea this was supposed to be held. I got my copy yesterday...

You're a monster.



Actually, this decision happened so close to the release date, I wonder if your shop even knew in time. I would be that Diamond orders had already been packed and many shipped, so it may have been that Diamond/DC sent out emails that not every LCS read in time.

That's probably the case. I can definitely see what they would have been touchy about. I respect their attempt to hold the book back, though.

Ahhhh, but do you respect their decision enough to hold off reading the book for a month? :)

DarthKramer

Murray said:

DarthKramer said:

David_D said:

DarthKramer said:

I had no idea this was supposed to be held. I got my copy yesterday...

You're a monster.



Actually, this decision happened so close to the release date, I wonder if your shop even knew in time. I would be that Diamond orders had already been packed and many shipped, so it may have been that Diamond/DC sent out emails that not every LCS read in time.

That's probably the case. I can definitely see what they would have been touchy about. I respect their attempt to hold the book back, though.

Ahhhh, but do you respect their decision enough to hold off reading the book for a month? :)

Nope. ;) I didn't even know about this until I had already read the book. As David said, I'm a monster.

Vash

@JonathanConstantine I should have been more clear. The shooting was at a midnight release. I wanted to suggest that a real gesture would have been to postpone the general release.

BlackUmbrella

It's probably the only sensitive, decent thing to do, but it's sort of a hoax that we take these actions when we're slapped in the face by a real act of menace but then sink back to status quo in a few weeks, fully enjoying our depictions of violence again. I'm as guilty as anyone else. Just sayin'.