The editor
Overview several variant covers in June for new stories featuring Latino characters, which were slated for release in September at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. But the artwork was largely food-centric, drawing criticism from some Latino fans and artists who felt the covers reduced their communities to clichés.
A widely circulated cover shows superhero Kyle Rayner, a member of the Green Lantern Corps, in space with a bag of tamales in one hand and a flag reading “Viva Mexico!!” in the other. Another depicts Hawkgirl as a waitress carrying plates of food from the “Platanitos Fritos Cafeteria”. Yet another shows Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle flying through the air with tacos.
DC Comics and CNN share parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, whose 2016 graphic novel “La Borinqueña” explores Puerto Rican history and identity, was among the cover critics.
“So @DCComics thinks these Hispanic Heritage Month covers of their Latin superheroes eating ethnic food are a good idea,” he said.
tweeted. “I’ve never seen Batman eat filet mignon, Wonder Woman a gyro, or a Superman tuna casserole, but that’s what happens when we’re not on the editorial staff.”
Samantha King, comics writer for Screen Rant, called the covers “an absolute disappointment that shows a lack of creativity and respect for the community.”
“Culture and heritage go far beyond food,” King wrote in a recent post. “While this is one of the most effective ways to bring people together and start building bridges, it shouldn’t be the single objective covers that aim to celebrate so many different cultures.”
At least one of the covers appeared to have been altered from the artist’s original vision.
Shortly after DC launched its Hispanic Heritage Month covers, comic book illustrator Jorge Molina shared a version of the Green Lantern cover without tamales. In it, the character Kyle Rayner is holding a green lantern and a Mexican flag without the coat of arms.
This version, which Molina said was unfinished, paid homage to
Mexican muralist Jorge González Camarena emblematic work “La Patria”. Molina added at the time that the cover was not supposed to be published due to “legal issues”.
Recently, Molina seemed to address the controversy again,
Tweeter that “one has my signature and the other doesn’t, go figure.”
DC Comics told CNN that the cover of Green Lantern with the tamales is not the official cover and that
Original version by Molina will be released on September 20. Molina confirmed the news on social media on Tuesday.
“It is part of DC’s internal creative process to receive and develop multiple versions of comic book artwork from our artists,” DC said in a statement shared with CNN. “Some are released as variant covers, some are never used.”
The company did not respond to criticism aimed at the other covers.
While DC has made efforts to address the lack of diversity and inclusion in the comics industry, its failed attempt to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month contrasts with a recent effort by competitor Marvel, which announced a new anthology in his “Marvel’s Voices” series. that would spotlight Latino superheroes while elevating the work of Latino artists, writers, and creators. The upcoming “Marvel’s Voices: Comunidades #1” has garnered praise for its thoughtful exploration of its characters’ intersecting identities.
