If there is one thing DC is fairly notorious for, it’s editing their covers and content of what they believe to be offensive material (such as the infamous Superman root beer, Batman and the case of the boobage, and the mysteriously missing letters). Why, just today the internet is all in a lulzy flurry over the fact that DC removed an upside down cross from the cover of this week’s Batman and Robin, assumedly because it’s just “too dark” (I guess they didn’t read the interior?).
However, one cover that no one seems to be noticing is this week’s Justice League of America #50. Back in August, the Bleeding Cool folks noticed that Ethan Van Sciver had hidden a little message on the cover for JLA #50: STFU! Humorously placed around Donna Troy, these little innocent letters were either a hilarious practical joke by Sciver (akin to the Morrison/New X-Men days) or an honest goof (although Sciver does not that it was probably intentional).
So take a look at the originally solicited cover, and try not to stare at Donna’s chest for too long:
See the letters? Good. Now – take a look at the cover as it came out this week:
Is something missing to you (and don’t the colors seem kind of weird)? What a conspiracy!
I’m going to assume no one else caught this (yet) because a) it’s not as obvious and b) it probably seemed that, at the time when Bleeding Cool pointed it out, the STFU was kind of a reach. Apparently not.
Good work, DC! I’m glad you didn’t let those pesky letters get in the way of a woman being punched in the face by another woman! I hate distractions.
