Comic books have been recalled for various reasons, including simple printing errors, stories or images which were deemed inappropriate, and to avoid potential lawsuits. The rarest of these books is probably The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, volume 1, issue #5, published by an imprint of DC Comics, which was recalled due to the inclusion of a vintage advertisement for Marvel Douche. Other notable recalled comics are the Elseworlds 80-Page Giant, which originally contained a depiction of baby Superman in a microwave, and Marvel Knights' Elektra issue #3, which had in it tame nude images of the title character.
As well as comics with evidence of a genuine recall, there have been a number of comics which the publishers (or distributors) have not recalled, but have allowed to be returned. Comic books have been categorized below, with supporting references, as recalled, returnable, or neither.
Verified recalls
This section lists notable comics verified by the CGC Collectors Society as having been recalled. They are listed in the Society's Recalled Editions competitive comic book set.
Action Comics #869
November 2008, DC Comics: Action Comics #869 is the penultimate issue of the "Brainiac" story arc. The original cover shows Superman and Jonathan Kent outside the Kent farmhouse, drinking from bottles, which could be seen as containing beer, because their labels are unclear. DC issued a statement to retailers that the issue was recalled, and any copies featuring the initial cover should be destroyed. DC reprinted the issue the following week, with the labels on the bottles changed to read SODA POP.
All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #10
August 2008, DC Comics: All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder was intended for mature readers. Street thugs use profanity in the comic; in the production process, the curse words were included in the speech balloons, but then blacked out. In the original version of issue #10, the ink used to obscure the objectionable words is a slightly different shade from the ink used to print the words themselves, resulting in the profanity being marginally legible. Series writer Frank Miller commented, "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, vol. 3, #3
November 2001, Marvel Comics: As printed initially, this comic contained nude images of Elektra, though the panels were carefully drawn to show nothing untoward. Marvel recalled the issue and printed a replacement with underwear drawn on the character. Some 2,000 to 5,000 copies of the recalled version are believed to have survived.
Elseworlds 80-Page Giant
August 1999, DC Comics: One of the stories in this comic, "Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter", by Kyle Baker and Liz Glass, depicts the super-toddler climbing into a microwave, which spurred DC president Paul Levitz to order a recall of the issue. However, the story was subsequently printed in DC's Bizarro Comics collection. DC reprinted the entire comic, including the story to which Levitz had objected, as DC Comics Presents: Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1, which went on sale on December 28, 2011.
Halle the Hooters Girl #1
January 1998, Cabbage Comics: This tie-in with a national tour of Hooters models was not authorized by the restaurant chain, and Hooters forced Cabbage to recall the comic. The print run was only 2,000 copies. The CGC lists a "Gold Foil Edition" of the issue in addition to a standard version.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, vol. 1, #5
June 2000, America's Best Comics: An actual, early 20th-century advertisement for a douche manufactured by the Marvel Co. was reprinted in this issue. America's Best Comics had been acquired by DC, and president Levitz worried that the comic could expose the company to litigation from rival Marvel. He ordered the issue recalled, and it was reprinted with the word MARVEL changed to AMAZE. Two hundred copies of the original version are estimated to have escaped the recall. Leagues writer, Alan Moore, would later reference the episode in Top 10 issue #9 with a newspaper headline reading "Miracle Douche Recall".
The Matrix: Comic Book Preview
March 1999, Warner Bros.: This promotional comic was intended to be given away to audience members at American showings of The Matrix, but was withdrawn "due to mature content" (despite the film itself being rated R). Quite a few copies seem to have survived, however, and the comic is lower in value than others that have been recalled.
