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Comic books have been recalled for various reasons including simple printing errors, stories or images that were deemed inappropriate or to avoid potential lawsuits. The rarest of these books is probably ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a comic book series (inspired by the 1960 British film ''The League of Gentlemen'') co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The series spans four vol ...
'' volume 1, issue #5, which was recalled due to the inclusion of a 19th-century advertisement for "Marvel"-brand
douche A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself. Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing ...
; since ''League'' was published by an imprint of
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, DC's publisher felt that this could be perceived as an attack on DC's main rival,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. Other notable recalls were the ''
Elseworlds 80-Page Giant ''Elseworlds 80-Page Giant'' is an 80-page collection of '' Elseworlds'' stories published by DC Comics. The collection was withdrawn and pulped after DC became concerned about a scene in one of the stories. Publication history This comic includ ...
'' which included a portrayal of baby Superman in a microwave, and
Marvel Knights Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe (Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles (''Black Panther'', ''Punisher'', '' Daredevil ...
' '' Elektra'' #3 which included tame nude images of the title character. As well as comics with evidence of a genuine recall, there have been a number of rumored recalls and comics where the publisher (or distributor) has allowed the comic to be returned but has not issued a recall notice. Comic books have been categorized below as verified or unverified/returnable with supporting references.


Verified recalls

This section lists comics verified by the CGC Collectors Society as being recalled and listed in the "Recalled Editions" competitive comic book set.


''Action Comics'' #869

November 2008,
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
: ''
Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...
'' #869, the penultimate issue of the " Brainiac" story arc, was recalled by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
for cover content. The original cover depicted Superman, in civilian attire with his 'S' shield clearly visible, and his adoptive father outside the Kent farmhouse drinking what appears to be beer. DC issued a statement to retailers that the issue was recalled, and that any copies featuring the original cover be destroyed. The next week, DC reprinted the issue featuring a cover in which the label on the bottle was changed to read, "
soda pop A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar ...
".


''All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder'' #10

August 2008, DC Comics: ''All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder'' was a mature-readers comic in which street thugs used profanity. DC did not want this language to actually appear in the book, so the text was placed in the speech bubbles and then blacked-out. In issue #10, slightly different shades of ink were used in the two elements leaving the vulgar words just readable.
Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
commented on this incident: "This is the first I've heard of it. I have no idea how this awful thing happened. It's just one of those terrible and glorious things that happen time to time in publishing, ...And my first reaction is simple: I want at least three copies".


''Elektra'' volume 2, #3

November 2001,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
: Elektra appears nude in shadow.


''Elseworlds 80-Page Giant''

August 1999, DC Comics: In
Kyle Baker Kyle John Baker (born 1965) is an American cartoonist, comic book writer-artist, and animator known for his graphic novels and for a 2000s revival of the series ''Plastic Man''. Baker has won numerous Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards for his wor ...
and Liz Glass' story, "Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter", the super-toddler climbs into a microwave. When
Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...
, the president of
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, objected to this portrayal of the infant Clark Kent, most copies were recalled and pulped. The story was subsequently reprinted in DC's ''Bizarro Comics'' collection. In 2011, the entire issue was reprinted under the title ''DC Comics Presents: Elseworlds 80-Page Giant'' #1. It went on sale December 28. and ''DC Comics Presents: Elseworlds 100-Page Spectacular'' #1.


''Halle the Hooters Girl'' #1

January 1998, Cabbage Comics: The San Antonio Texas (Gold Foil) Edition was specially produced (only 2000 made) for the National Tour of the swimsuit/calendar models who were the inspiration. However, a lawsuit ensued with the
Hooters Hooters is the registered trademark used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by the private investment firm Nord Bay Capital (with ...
organization which led to the comic being recalled. The standard recalled edition is thought to be the rarer of the two versions although the set scores in the CGC registry seem to contradict this.


''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' Volume 1, #5

Issue #5 of Volume One contained an authentic advertisement for a Marvel-brand
douche A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself. Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing ...
from the early part of the 20th century. This ad caused
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
executive
Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...
to order the entire print run destroyed over concerns that this could lead to litigation with their main rival
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. None of the recalled comics were ever distributed in the US; however, a small batch had been shipped to the UK and escaped the destruction. With only 100 thought to exist this makes it more than 10-20 times rarer than the ''
Elseworlds 80-Page Giant ''Elseworlds 80-Page Giant'' is an 80-page collection of '' Elseworlds'' stories published by DC Comics. The collection was withdrawn and pulped after DC became concerned about a scene in one of the stories. Publication history This comic includ ...
'' that Paul Levitz also recalled, and is probably the rarest modern comic book in existence. In '' Top 10'', Moore creates a "
Miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...
Douche Recall" headline on a newspaper.


''The Matrix: Comic Book Preview''

March 1999,
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
: This comic was specially printed for the cinema audience for the film of the same title. The content was however deemed too mature for cinema audience and it was withdrawn and pulped. This comic, although recalled, retains a low value.


''Millennium Edition: Mad'' #1

February 2000, DC Comics: This comic was a reprint of the original first issue of '' Mad'', but inside
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
used their own masthead and copyright instead of EC's so it was withdrawn to be corrected. A very low number of these comic books have been encapsulated by CGC.


''Phonogram: The Singles Club'' #5

October 2009, Image Comics: Recalled and pulped due to a printing error that caused the bar-code from issue #4 to be used.


''Star Wars: Return of the Jedi''

May 1983, Marvel Comics: As reported in ''
Comics Buyer's Guide ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The publ ...
'' #497 (May 27, 1983), actor and comic book fan Mark Hamill discovered copies of Marvel Comics' comic book adaptation of the ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
'' film, on sale a month prior to the release of the film, and alerted Lucasfilm. According to Marvel's
direct sales Direct selling consists of single-level marketing (in which a direct seller makes money by buying products from a parent organization and selling them directly to customers) and multi-level marketing (in which the direct seller may earn money f ...
manager Carol Kalish, Marvel swiftly recalled the book off the stands upon learning this, though it did not prevent premature revelation of many of the film's secrets.


''Tangled Web, the Thousand Spider-Man'' #1

June 2001, Marvel Comics: The first issue of the comic was produced on the wrong paper stock giving it a matte finish. The comic was withdrawn and the cover reprinted on the correct stock.


''Universe X Spidey'' #1

January 2001, Marvel Comics: This alternate-universe Spider-Man book was recalled after it was discovered that artist
Al Milgrom Allen L. Milgrom (born March 6, 1950) is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of ''Marvel Fanfare''; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker ...
had hidden slanderous comments about former Marvel Comics editor
Bob Harras Robert Harras (born January 11, 1959''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comics writer and editor, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1995 to 2000 and editor-in-chief of DC Comics from 2010 to 2020. ...
within the issue. On page 28, panel 3, the spines of books on a bookshelf in the background read, "Harras, ha ha, he's gone, good riddance to bad rubbish he was a, Nasty (blurred), s.o.b." when the comic is turned sideways. The comic was distributed to retailers as part of the First Look scheme, in which retailers get to see a copy of next week’s issue, but then recalled and pulped when the slander was spotted. Milgrom was fired and then quietly rehired several weeks later.


''Wolverine'' #131

November 1998, Marvel Comics: This issue featured a genuine error where, instead of the word "killer", the antisemitic slur "
kike The word ''kike'' () is an ethnic slur for a Jew. Etymology The earliest recorded use of the word dates to the 1880s.
" made it into
Viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...
's description of
Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...
's archenemy Sabretooth.


Unverified recalls and returnable comics

This section lists comics that have been rumored as recalls or have been voluntarily returnable to the publisher (i.e. a recall notice was not issued).


''Action Comics'' #309

February 1964, DC Comics: In one of the stories in this anthology issue, Superman visits the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
, and trusts President
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
with his secret identity. The story was produced shortly before Kennedy was assassinated, which led to the cancellation of its publication. It was eventually published months later.


''Adventures of Superman'' #596

November 2001, DC Comics: This issue was shipped to stores the day after the
9-11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
incident in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. Due to an unfortunate coincidence the Superman comic features a scene in which
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...
' twin LexCorp Towers have sustained damage due to events in the "
Our Worlds at War "Our Worlds at War" was a comic book storyline, published by DC Comics in mid-2001. OWAW was a crossover storyline that spanned several different books, including several books starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, a ...
" storyline. DC quickly announced that the issue was returnable, although few, if any, were actually returned.


''Conan and the Demons of Khitai'' #3

December 2005,
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...
: '' Conan and the Demons of Khitai'' #3 featured a spoof nude advert for ''Conan'' #24. After complaints, a second printing was issued, replacing the spoof nude advert with actual (non-nude) advert for ''Conan'' #24, with retailers offered the option to swap copies (hence not technically a recall).


''Death: The High Cost of Living'' #3

May 1993, DC/Vertigo: Page 19 and 20 in the first print were not facing each other, which led to this being corrected and reprinted.


''Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme'' #15

March 1990, Marvel Comics:
Jackson Guice Jackson "Butch" Guice (born June 27, 1961) is an American comics artist who has worked in the comics industry since the 1980s. Biography Guice was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.. Retrieved March 21, 2008. Growing up in the 1960s, Guice was fond o ...
's cover for ''Doctor Strange'' #15 (March 1990) used
Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aroun ...
singer
Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...
's likeness without her permission, leading to her management filing a complaint against Marvel Comics, saying the cover gave the appearance she was associating with witchcraft. A US District Court sealed an out-of-court settlement between Grant and Marvel in early 1991, with a consent decree that Marvel did not admit to any liability or wrongdoing.


''Ka-Zar The Savage'' #12

March 1982, Marvel Comics: Most copies have a blank panel on the bottom left of page 10. About 1600 copies (of 80000 issues printed) show a red ink drawing of Dante in that panel. In the "
Bullpen Bulletins "Bullpen Bulletins" (originally titled "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins") was the news and information page that appeared in most regular monthly comic books from Marvel Comics. In various incarnations since its inception in 1965 until its demise in 200 ...
" page in Marvel Comics cover-dated June 1982, Editor-in-Chief
Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
humorously explains this with "The First Annual Shooter Awards". Shooter wrote: "The Award for Worst Engraver's Error goes to Chemical Color for ''Ka-Zar'' #12 "Belasco...!" in which an entire panel, a color-hold, was dropped out!"


''Sandman'' #18 ("A Dream of a Thousand Cats")

August 1990, DC/Vertigo: There are two versions of this issue where the first page has either three panels colored blue or the same three panels colored yellow. The blue panel variant is listed by CGC as an "error version" and very few are thought to exist.


''Sandman'' #19 ("A Midsummer Night's Dream")

September 1990, DC/Vertigo: Pages 18 and 19 printed in the wrong order (not recalled).


''Spider-Man: Reign'' #1

December 2006, Marvel Comics: On December 6, 2006, the same day that '' Spider-Man: Reign'' #1 shipped to retailers,
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics * ...
issued an apology and a "CONTENT ADVISORY" statement, announcing that the issue was now returnable as it "contains an image that may be misinterpreted by some readers as inappropriate". This was due to a panel showing a naked and elderly
Peter Parker Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
sitting on a bed, an image in which his genitalia are apparently visible. ''Spider-Man: Reign'' had shipped with a T+ (Teens & Up) rating. The second printing avoided this problem by modifying the panel, hiding Parker's body in shadow.


''Venom: Lethal Protector'' #1

February 1993, Marvel Comics: Returnable (not recalled) due to "Black Cover" printing error.


References

{{reflist Comic book collecting Comics terminology Comics