‘Batman’ Poster Pulled After Chinese Fans Accuses DC of Supporting Hong Kong Protests

The ad, which was posted on DC’s Instagram and on the official Batman Twitter page on Nov. 27, shows Batwoman preparing to throw a Molotov cocktail, according to Newsweek.

Chinese social media users likened the image to the on-going protests in Hong Kong.

Weibo users quickly criticized the image, with one user saying, as translated by Global Times, “Is Hong Kong really becoming Gotham City? But Hong Kong rioters are not Batman. Instead, they are the criminals of Gotham City.”

While some fans threatened to boycott DC Comics over the image, others called out the company for censoring itself.

Some fans speculated that Batwoman’s choice of clothing — a black costume and face mask — could be a reference to the uniform of Hong Kong protesters, mainly the black T-shirt, black trousers and a gas mask, Business Insider reported.

After receiving negative feedback, DC Comics reportedly removed the poster on Nov. 28.

Any mention of the “Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child” comic book has reportedly been censored on Weibo as of Nov. 29.

The comic book, which is set for release on Dec. 11, was penned by Frank Miller. The 48-page one-shot follows the story of a new Batwoman, Carrie Kelley, as she teams up with Lara Kent, the daughter of Clark Kent (Superman) and Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), to tackle an imminent threat in Gotham City.

They later discover that Lara’s little brother, Jonathan, may have the strongest superpower on Earth, which explains the title, “The Golden Child.”

Feature Image DC Comics via Amazon (Left), @Pansy_wpy (Right)