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DC Cancels Red Hood After One Issue: A Mess of Their Own Making
The comic book industry has no shortage of controversy, but DC’s latest debacle stands out. On September 10, 2025, Red Hood #1 hit shelves — and on that very same day, DC cancelled the series outright. Issues #2 and #3 were scrapped, retailers were refunded for all copies, and the book was effectively erased from DC’s lineup. The reason? Its writer, Gretchen Felker-Martin, once again used social media to spew hate.
A Writer Who Couldn’t Control Their Hate
Felker-Martin posted celebratory remarks about the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, including:
“Thoughts and prayers, you Nazi bitch.”
“Hope the bullet’s okay after touching Charlie Kirk.”
These are not jokes, critiques, or heated debates. They are vile, hateful comments that cross the line into cheering violence against a political opponent. Bluesky suspended her account, and DC quickly followed with its own statement, citing “standards of conduct” that prohibit posts which can be seen as promoting hostility or violence.
This is not new behavior. Felker-Martin has a track record of inflammatory social media posts attacking people and groups with venom and disdain. By her own admission, she warned DC when they hired her that backlash was inevitable. And yet DC pressed ahead.
DC’s Complicity
The outrage shouldn’t stop with the writer. DC is equally culpable. They knew exactly who they were hiring. They were aware of Felker-Martin’s history of hateful speech and controversies online. And still, they decided she was the right voice to helm a Batman-family title.
In chasing shock value and “edginess,” DC put their brand, their partners, and their fans at risk. Then, when the inevitable happened, they scrambled to clean it up by cancelling the series after one issue — leaving retailers, collaborators, and collectors to pick up the pieces.
This wasn’t an accident. It was a failure of judgment from the start.
Fallout
For Collectors: Red Hood #1 will likely gain aftermarket interest as a one-and-done oddity. But any value spike comes at the cost of a poisoned reputation. It’s less a collectible for the character than a reminder of DC’s blunder.
For Collaborators: Artist Jeff Spokes, cover artists, and letterers poured time and talent into a project that was destroyed not by poor sales or weak storytelling, but by a writer’s reckless hatred and DC’s willingness to ignore it.
For DC: The publisher looks hypocritical — embracing controversy when it suited them, then panicking when it exploded in their face.
The Bigger Lesson
The comics industry thrives on bold voices, but boldness is not the same as hate. Felker-Martin’s comments were indefensible. But DC’s decision to hire her despite a clear pattern of incendiary behavior shows a disregard for professional standards and the fans who keep this industry alive.
This was not just a writer imploding. It was a company gambling with its own integrity. And everyone lost.
Final Word
Red Hood #1 will be remembered — not as a new chapter for Jason Todd, but as a symbol of what happens when publishers ignore red flags and give platforms to people who thrive on outrage. DC shouldn’t have hired Gretchen Felker-Martin. And Felker-Martin shouldn’t have been given the chance to turn Gotham into a headline for all the wrong reasons.
The cancellation wasn’t a shock. The shock is that it ever got this far.
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Secret word: DC