DC Comics has abruptly canceled its new Red Hood series after just one issue, citing “standards of conduct” following writer Gretchen Felker-Martin’s social media posts about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
Felker-Martin, a trans author best known for her 2022 novel Manhunt, drew headlines after screenshots of her Bluesky account circulated this week. In the posts, she appeared to celebrate Kirk’s assassination during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. “Hope the bullet’s okay after touching Charlie Kirk,” one post read. Another added, “Thoughts and prayers you Nazi bitch.” Her Bluesky account was suspended shortly after.
Kirk, founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, was known for his staunch opposition to transgender rights — calling for them to be taken care of “the way we used to take care of things in the 1950s and 60s,” ie lobotomized, subjected to shock therapy, and involuntarily institutionalized — often using slurs and advocating for policies that targeted queer communities.
His killing has reverberated across U.S. politics and media. President Donald Trump announced he would award Kirk a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, while MSNBC cut ties with analyst Matthew Dowd for his televised comments about the shooting. Comedy Central even pulled a South Park episode satirizing Kirk after rising pressure from MAGA.
Against that backdrop, DC announced on Thursday, September 12, that it would not move forward with Red Hood. The company notified retailers that it would cancel orders of upcoming issues #2 and #3 and issue credits for copies of #1 already sold.
“At DC Comics, we place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints,” a spokesperson said. “Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct.”
The cancellation immediately halts what had been a high-profile new run. Felker-Martin’s Red Hood paired her with artist Jeff Spokes to reimagine Jason Todd, the former Robin turned antihero, in a murder mystery set in a crumbling city called New Angelique. The first issue had only hit shelves on Wednesday, hours before Kirk’s death.
The move also raises larger cultural questions. For DC, it underscores how quickly corporate publishers act to distance themselves from controversy, particularly when it involves political violence. But within the queer community, the situation lands differently. Felker-Martin, a rare trans voice hired to write a marquee Batman-adjacent title, lost her platform for lashing out at a figure who spent his career vilifying people like her.
It’s a stark example of how representation in mainstream comics can be both groundbreaking and precarious. Red Hood was meant to expand one of DC’s most complicated legacies; instead, its cancellation now highlights the collision of free speech, corporate policy, and the politics of identity in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Pride: DC Comics yanks trans author’s ‘Red Hood’ series over Charlie Kirk assassination comments