Chris BurnhamMore fallout in the wake of The Dark Knight Rises tragedy.
DC Comics has decided to delay by a month the release of its highly anticipated new comic Batman, Incorporated #3 out of concern for the victims of last Friday's multiplex shooting in Aurora, Colo.
The comic book publisher, which is a unit of Time Warner, which also owns Warner Bros.—the studio that released The Dark Knight Rises—announced the decision in a letter to retailers, according to comicsalliance.com. DC execs cited as their main reason "content that may be perceived as insensitive in light of recent events."
The news was further confirmed over Twitter by Batman, Incorporated artist Chris Burnham.
"Batman Inc #3 is going to be delayed a month due to some grim imagery that would seem wholly inappropriate given the Aurora killings," he tweeted.
Burnham noted that the decision to push back the title's unveiling made sense for all parties involved, especially given that an element of the storyline apparently echoes the horrible event in Aurora.
"The book printed on time. I'm looking at a copy on my desk right now. This isn't a scheduling excuse, we're trying to do the right thing," he wrote, adding "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."
Perhaps they're hoping time's the great healer. Whatever the case, Burnham declined to divulge any more details.
Batman, Incorporated #3's new street date is now set for Aug. 22, though there's no word whether the folks at DC plan to make any last-minute tweaks to the scene they now find objectionable in the aftermath of the slayings.