Robin Comes Out As Bisexual In Recent DC Comic
Robin, Batman's long-standing partner in justice, has come out as queer in the latest issue of Batman: Urban Legends.
In the comic, Robin, aka Tim Drake (the third Robin in the Batman canon), has what he calls a "lightbulb" moment while fighting alongside his friend Bernard Dowd. The panel reads:
“Ever have a lightbulb moment? Like something out in the ether has been taunting you, teasing you. Like you know you’re supposed to be on the same page as your brain but not everything made sense. People keep asking me what I want. But I couldn’t grasp it. Whatever it was. It always felt just out of reach. Until now. Until right now.”
Later, he catches up with Bernard and says, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about that night and I don’t know what it meant to me. But I’d like to find out.” Bernard replies, “I was hoping you would. Tim Drake… do you want to go on a date with me?” Tim then says “Yeah … yeah. I think I want that.”
It's a landmark moment in comic book history. Though DC had always maintained the character was straight, Robin's sexuality has long been the subject of jokes, speculation, and wink-wink, nudge-nudges from Batman's fans and creators. Joel Schumacher made references to the character's ambiguous sexuality in Batman Forever and Batman and Robin. The long-running Stephen Colbert and Steve Carrell sketch series The Ambiguously Gay Duo was clearly inspired by the relationship between Batman and Robin.
“I wanted to pay tribute to the fact that sexuality is a journey,” writer Meghan Fitzmartin told Polygon. “To be clear, his feelings for Stephanie have been/are 100% real, as are his feelings for Bernard. However, Tim is still figuring himself out. I don’t think he has the language for it all… yet.”
The move was praised widely by comic book fans who had long seen a queer identity in Robin.
We need to discuss the implications of #Robin being bisexual, because this is a moment for the history books yall pic.twitter.com/WHy9dkMcPw
— Croc (@Croc_Block) August 10, 2021
Robin is fucking bisexual and I’m accidentally sobbing. This is so cool and I didn’t know how important it would feel to me until it happened. #TimDrake 💖 pic.twitter.com/vandL8hF6W
— tiefling rage (@bbkirpsty) August 10, 2021
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Matarael, Angel of Rain
Who would be the bottom one, Robin or that blonde boy?
Griff the Hoplite
Tigrerojo
WOOOOOOOOOOH BOI, is it time for people who TOTALLY dont care about fictional character's sexuality at all to Talk/Bitch about this for WEEKS to come!? We haven't had one of these in… what, two days?…
Lizzardtong
He's bisexual now? so?
look, that's the best response and reaction i can come up with, the novelty of "surprise! this character is non-hetero now" just isn't that special anymore, and i don't give a crap if its a serious permanent change or just pandering.
if you think those are great news, thats your view, i'm just not impressed by it, you may as well waltz over to me and present a character and go "behold! this character right here drinks water!"
it's just more of the same stuff i have come to expect in this day and age. events like this are predictable. if not downright normal to have.
Mr. Vendetta
lecorbak
Mono Bear
Is this what makes comic book heroes important? their sexuality?
Anindya
That's homophobic. 🤣
Anindya
As in, should have made him a homosexual instead. Could have shown him having lemon parties in the future. 🤣 Not that bisexual Robin can't still participate in lemon parties. 🤣🤷♂️
Anindya
Example of Robin being shown as an old man. 🤣
Rynjin
Is Tim Drake Robin again? Somewhere in all the universal reboots I've lost track.
TerribleTrike
Some people are really easy to impress I see.