DC Comics Makes Robin Bisexual in New ‘Batman’ Comic
Holy sexual deviancy, Batman! Robin’s bisexual!
DC Comics is once again generating controversy with sex, by “outing” Batman’s sidekick as bisexual, a revelation that hadn’t even been hinted at until now.
The reveal of Robin’ sexuality occurs in “Batman: Urban Legends” #6, an anthology series following Batman and his supporting characters. The storyline, titled “Sum of Our Parts,” is authored by Meghan Fitzmartin, who has written several DC comic titles, and focuses on Robin, aka Tim Drake.
For those of you who don’t follow the current “Batman” comic storylines, Tim Drake is not the original Robin – that would be Dick Grayson, who eventually left Batman’s shadow and became the superhero Nightwing. Drake took on the mantle of Robin after the second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed.
In “Urban Legends” #6, Drake saves his friend Bernard from being killed, only to realize he has feelings for him. The story ends with Drake asking Bernard out on a date.
While DC has said this push to include queer characters is a move towards more diversity, many say it’s a gimmick to increase sales. “Batman: Urban Legends” isn’t exactly a top seller for DC, despite featuring the publisher’s most popular character. According to Comicchron, “Batman: Urban Legends” wasn’t even among DC’s top 20 comics in June of 2021, the latest month for which sales figures are available. A $7.99 cover price likely didn’t help sales.
This isn’t the first time DC has used controversy to sell books. In 2018, DC released a Batman comic that showed full frontal nudity of Bruce Wayne. A number of DC characters, like Batwoman, have been revealed as LGBTQ, and for Pride Month this past June, DC released a comic featuring a new Justice League with all-queer characters.
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