DC Comics has abruptly canceled its newly launched "Red Hood" series on the same day its first issue was released. The publisher announced late Wednesday that it was canceling all future orders for the series and would be issuing a full credit to retailers for all copies of "Red Hood #1," including those that had already been sold.
The mature-rated ongoing series, set in the main DC Universe, was intended to follow Jason Todd (Red Hood) and Helena Bertinelli (The Huntress) as they relocated to Louisiana. The first issue was released on September 10, with subsequent issues solicited for October and November. The series, written by Gretchen Felker-Martin with art by Jeff Spokes, was announced in July as DC's first ongoing title for readers 17 and older set within its primary superhero continuity.
In a statement explaining the cancellation, DC Comics said, "At DC Comics, we place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints. Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct."
The cancellation follows a period of controversy surrounding the title, which was met with poor reception from many readers even before its debut. Anticipation for the series was marred by backlash online, and upon release, "Red Hood #1" garnered largely negative reviews. On the popular community review site League of Comic Geeks, the first issue currently holds a rating of just 1.7 out of 5 stars, with many user reviews citing dissatisfaction with the writing and character portrayals as reasons for the low score. This widespread negative sentiment among readers created a challenging environment for the new series from its inception.