For a dime, Spivock bought the comic book last week for her 12-year-old son at Mecklenburg's South County Regional Library. Her kids recently discovered the 1960s Batman TV show. The most eye-popping scene is a two-page spread showing Batgirl's body-to-body tussle with Catwoman for the important notebook. But it doesn't look like a struggle, and contains none of those exclamations from the TV show: POW! BOOM! WHAM! Spivock and her husband, Bill, were not amused.

The call for a rating system!

• # ALL AGES

• # A

• # T+ TEENS & UP

• # PARENTAL ADVISORY

• # MAX: EXPLICIT CONTENT

"DC seriously needs to adopt a rating system for their books. I don't know why they haven't started yet."- Tina/Batmansgirl via http://twitter.com/batmansgirl

I think the problem is parents sitting their kids in front of the TV or any old thing and then being surprised when GI JOE detonates the F-Bomb.

I didnt realize DC didnt have a rating system, though.

Some parent's will be outraged regardless of how tame the subject matter. What I find hilarious is that it's hardly ever about violence which is much more present in most comics than sex. I have no problem with either one and I agree that it is the parents responsibility to screen material for their children. Also they're going to learn about sex and nudity no matter what, chances are that kid's already thinking about sex.

I think that it's really the parents fault for not at least sifting through the comic before hand, or at least gaining some sort of knowledge of it. If they don't want to read through it themselves, I'm sure a quick google-search could find the info they wanted.

Although, it's strange for DC to not have a rating system. Just from some of the stuff I've read, DC has (like you said) a wide range of content that goes from pretty innocent to fairly graphic.

My personal opinion (and of course I'm not a parent) is that the Spivock family saw an opportunity to get five minutes of fame and took it. Like you said in your closing Babs, I to have to question the timing of this incident. If their excuse is that they watched the old Adam West Batman t.v. show and decided to then purchase Batman Confidential #18 and were shocked by the content, I'm not buying it. You can take one look at the cover and clearly see its a far cry from the T.V. show. Catwoman's custom is all torn not to mention her chest is heavily exaggerated. That right there should have raised a red flag for this uber sensitive mother. At the very least you would think it would have caused her to open it up and flip through a couple pages. Hahahaha I mean wtf, Batman isn't even on the cover. You would think after watching the show she would have at least picked up an issue with the star on the cover. But that's just me. Not to mention the kid was 12, 12! Good thing she didnt check out a comic with Powergirl, she would have never recovered and probably sued the Library.

Now having said that, there's really no excuse for DC comics not to have a rating system. Will it stop parents like the Spivocks from protesting or complaining about the mature nature of comics, no, but at least it takes some of their ammunition away.

The problem isn't the rating system and if there is one or not. Its parents for the most part are ill-informed. They see a colorful cover and think "My child likes Batman/Spiderman.. I should buy it.. who needs to read it." Then when they get home and glance at it they freak out, first by yelling at the seller, saying stuff like "you are being irresponsible and not informing your customers of the books content." Then they go after the comic company basically saying the same thing, but during the whole process no one says those same things to the parent. No one says "No sir or ma'am you are being irresponsible for not opening the books and either reading it or at least looking over it to find if it is suitable."

Parents today seem to be more interested in letting others, TV, Comic Books, Movies, and the Internet to raise their children. So when the child turns into a mess its not their fault, "they watched to much TV or played to many video games." It makes me sick what this country is turning into. It seems people forget that censorship is what helped the facist germans and the communist russians gain so much power.

I love it when i see parents outraged over Comics/Literature, but turn around and buy their kids the latest 007 game lol

F#ck parents.It's their fault their kids are f#ck-ups,not comics.Also they need to take the ratings off comics,it's not even remotely necessary  and more importantly nobody even checks for them.

Ignorant parents with the same old bs..

Maybe is time to stop blaming shows, movies, comics, mangas, internet sites, etc. and start blaming themselves for not paying attention to what their children are watching or reading..

Is hell easy to blame others.
They think they are perfect but a comic does not fall into a person's hands like magic, it must be chosen, paid for and taken home.

I don't know, maybe they should of read the damn comic that has a hot D-cup spandex kitty girl on the cover with her clothes all tear up in the first place before giving it to their kid.

I don't see the ranting system as something that's suppose to solve the problem. Its more of an insurance policy or disclaimer for the company. Jon and Sally homemaker cant really complain about buying a comic for a 12 year and being shocked by the content if there's a mature rating on the cover.

 "It seems people forget that censorship is what helped the facist germans and the communist russians gain so much power."

I too was a late bloomer and agree that DC's ratings system sucks

Sic the CBLDF on 'em.  And then remind them of something called Free Speech.  And then, just for kicks, loan them a copy of Alan Moore's "Lost Girls."

I think that comics should have a rating. My son is now at that age that he is starting to dig (No pun intended) through my comic collection. So being a parent I say yes. Comics mostly from the beginning to the mid 90's were basically kid related. Now a days we have rape, blood, and death, like they are no big deal. The issue in question though, is a group of parents trying to make an example of  nothing. Got to love those southern baptist!

i think that they need to look at the bigger picture here. I started reading comics when i was a kid because i always thought it would be cool to have super powers, to be a hero and save the world. if more kids read comics then they might see the difference between good and evil, and maybe make a difference when they grow up.  there are comics out there with abit of expilcit material yes, but they are also rated for that reason.
maybe if more kids got interested in comics then less kids would go down the wrong path in life, and think back to that hero they always wanted to be.

I would have understood the parents if the kid was like 6, but 12?  I think he's mature enough to handle it.

DC should have a rating system. Also, how outdated are those parents? Still thinking Batman was like he was in the 1960s? Jesus christ...

We are living in an age where most Americans are bunch of whiny beeyotches, most people bitch about the most asinine (did I spell that right?) things these days. I bet you a million bucks these folks voted for McCain. This my generation that's raising children, but they're raising a generation of pussies. I can't stand parents that refuse to take responsibility for their shortcomings and look to blame somebody else instead of themselves.

While I do think DC should implement a rating system, it is strange how this "news" broke at the beginning of a comic book convention. In any case, these parents need to relax. 

And somewhere in Hollywood..........Adam West is laughing his @$$ off. 

" My personal opinion (and of course I'm not a parent) is that the Spivock family saw an opportunity to get five minutes of fame and took it. Like you said in your closing Babs, I to have to question the timing of this incident. If their excuse is that they watched the old Adam West Batman t.v. show and decided to then purchase Batman Confidential #18 and were shocked by the content, I'm not buying it. You can take one look at the cover and clearly see its a far cry from the T.V. show. Catwoman's custom is all torn not to mention her chest is heavily exaggerated. That right there should have raised a red flag for this uber sensitive mother. At the very least you would think it would have caused her to open it up and flip through a couple pages. Hahahaha I mean wtf, Batman isn't even on the cover. You would think after watching the show she would have at least picked up an issue with the star on the cover. But that's just me. Not to mention the kid was 12, 12! Good thing she didnt check out a comic with Powergirl, she would have never recovered and probably sued the Library.

Now having said that, there's really no excuse for DC comics not to have a rating system. Will it stop parents like the Spivocks from protesting or complaining about the mature nature of comics, no, but at least it takes some of their ammunition away. "

Not to mention she seems to have the comic in question open in front of her presumably younger daughter (and the cat!).

I AGREE 100% that the issue was far from pornographic and in fact, Was campy.  This is yet another case of a set  parents thinking that everybody in the the world should conduct themselves in accordance with their morality, senese of humor,ect... DC comics is not responsible for raising their kids and should publish what they want. The parents in question have the right to not buy the book. I don't beleive in censorship in any form. that is our right to choose and decide what is appropriate for ourselves. Or as someone else wrote this could also be people just looking for their 15 min of fame. In either case if this is that couples bigest problem then they should count themselves blessed.

There's no such thing as bad publicity, and non is better than this kind of

Another sad illustration of the moral descent of our society- said one commentor on the Charlotte website.

Thats right folks! Kevin Maguire is leading the moral descent our society!

i don't really think a rating systhem is that neccacary, (couldn't hurt of course), i just think that every kid is different, i could watch scary movies and read scary books at younger age than some others, of ourse if a comic is pornographic it should be on a top shelf away from kids, but it are the parents that should look inside the kids comics from time to time and decide for themselfs if its suitable for their kid. they know best if their own child can handle it, i guess.

""Good thing she didnt check out a comic with Powergirl, she would have never recovered and probably sued the Library."


@Gambler:  Quote of the day. "

I think DC should adopt a ratings system like Marvel...it can't hurt.  At least it can give parents some sort of guide.  And I think Marvel shows a little be more breadth in regard to its subject matter than DC does.

You wanna know why mango and da animu sell way more than comics? Because of stupid assholes like this ruining everything in America. "I'M OFFENDED!!!!!! GIMME MONIES CUZ U OFFENDED ME!!"

....I got nothing

There should be an official rating system on comics, just like there are for games and movies. If parents let their kids get comics rated for older readers then that is their fault for being dumb.

"

Conservatives: Ruining comics since 1954.

"

I can see why these idiots...i mean parents, are unhappy with this. to be honest its very understandable, without a rating system for dc how are they supposed to know if its aproppriate for their kids to read. these people are coming from the days where comics and other media didnt have this level of content. most comics have grown with their readers becoming more and more mature as the years grew buy. marvel realized this and they were smart to incorporate a ratings system, hell they even pumped out the marvel adventures series that is geared for younger readers. but seriously over reacting like this from parent is nothing new and comics have been coming into the line of fire more and more lately its just the way things are.

"@Vance Astro: 150% agree with you there Vance. The same can be said for video games, the only people that look at them and use them are retailers. The kids certainly don't, most of this little b@st@rds just put their hand out, get money and go buy whatever they want. Then the parents get upset at the sellers. Its not hard, its called being a good parent and half of that is interacting with your kids and know what they are up too.And that's all for my ranting today."