DC Reverses Decision, Will Allow Superman Symbol On Statue To Honor Deceased Boy

Call this a victory for the heart.

While DC initially was unwilling to allow a statue designed to honor Jeffrey Baldwin, a 5-year old Canadian boy who was abused and died in the care of his grandparents, to sport the Superman symbol, the company has changed its mind.

DC’s statement this morning addressed its thinking on the matter:

"We are honored by the relationship that our fans have with our characters, and fully understand the magnitude of their passion. We take each request seriously and our heartfelt thoughts go out to the victims, the family and those affected. DC Entertainment uses a flexible set of criteria when we receive worthy requests such as this, and at times have reconsidered our initial stance. After verifying the support of appropriate family members, DC Entertainment will be allowing the Jeffrey Baldwin Memorial Statue to feature the Superman S Shield."

It’s a fitting gesture as Superman was the boy’s favorite super hero, and while any company has to be very careful with how its intellectual property is used, the reactions of fans and other people around the internet appear to be overwhelmingly in support of this reversal.

Could the threat of a social media backlash (to say nothing of an intensifying amount of old media coverage) have helped nudge DC in this direction? We’ll never know, but it would be a surprise if that didn’t factor into the decision in some manner.