DC Comics has come under criticism for removing a poster promoting the upcoming comic "Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child," after some Chinese commentators claimed it showed support for the protestors in Hong Kong, Newsweek reports.
The comic is a sequel to "The Dark Knight Returns," a 1986 miniseries written and illustrated by Frank Miller, featuring an aging Batman in the future. According to DC Comics, "Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child," follows Batman's former sidekick Robin, now known as Batwoman, tracking down the son of Superman.
The company shared a poster this week that appeared to show Batman, but more likely the comic's main character Batwoman, throwing a Molotov cocktail along with the book's tagline, "the future is young," in bold letters.
Some Chinese Internet users were quick to accuse DC of siding with the pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong.
"The black clothes represent Hong Kong, the mask represents Hong Kong, the Molotov cocktail represents Hong Kong, what else here doesn't represent Hong Kong???" wrote one user on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to Variety.
After DC removed the poster, some users inside and outside of China began criticizing the company for censoring the image, which has no outward connections to China or the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.
"Really disappointed on DCComics [sic]," one Twitter user wrote. "Just because of China citizen comment few word of Hong Kong democracy, DC choice to del the post on IG . . . China is affecting US freedom!"
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