A new 'Batman' comic confirms that sidekick Robin is queer

(CNN)The latest contented of a Batman comic bid confirms the Caped Crusader's lovable sidekick, Robin, is queer.

Tim Drake, 1 of respective characters to person taken up Robin's mantle successful the comics, accepts a day with a antheral person successful the new contented of "Batman: Urban Legends," a bid that debuted earlier this year.

The issue's last leafage sees Drake sojourn his person Bernard astatine his location aft the 2 shared a infinitesimal of unexpected transportation (and Drake, arsenic his change ego Robin, indispensable rescue Bernard from a villain). In the past panel, Drake tells Bernard, beaming, "Yeah ... yeah, I deliberation I privation that" aft Bernard asks him out.

"[The issue] happened due to the fact that this is who Tim is," comic writer Meghan Fitzmartin said in an interrogation with Polygon. "I emotion this quality precise much, and arsenic I went backmost to reread arsenic overmuch arsenic I could to bash Robin justice, it became wide this is the communicative Tim needed to tell."

Fans person agelong seen Batman's loyal sidekick arsenic a perchance queer quality since the archetypal Robin, Dick Grayson, made his comics debut successful the 1940s. In a 2016 nonfiction for Slate, adapted from his publication connected the World's Greatest Detective, civilization professional Glen Weldon documented a fewer instances that made readers' ears perk up. These see depictions of Batman and Robin lying adjacent to each other, naked, successful abstracted beds; Batman and Robin waking up successful the aforesaid bed; Robin throwing jealous fits erstwhile Batman entertained pistillate emotion interests. Former Batman comic writer Grant Morrison adjacent told Playboy mag that "gayness is built into Batman."

Despite decades of fans clamoring for queer Robin content, the sidekick's sexuality was ne'er overtly stated, though assorted iterations of Robin, from Drake to newer summation Damian Wayne, person had relationships with women successful the comics.

Speaking to Polygon, Fitzmartin said that Drake's caller narration doesn't erase his past dalliances with women (most notably Stephanie Brown, who moonlights arsenic the leader Spoiler).

"I wanted to wage tribute to the information that sexuality is simply a travel ... However, Tim is inactive figuring himself out," Fitzmartin told Polygon. "I don't deliberation helium has the connection for it each ... yet."

The doorway is unfastened for Drake and Bernard's narration to germinate successful the adjacent contented of "Batman: Urban Legends." But they articulation a increasing constellation of LGBTQ characters successful the DC universe: There's Batwoman, besides known arsenic Kate Kane, who astatine 1 constituent was punished for her narration with different pistillate nether the US military's erstwhile "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy; Harley Quinn, who's ditched the Joker for her person Poison Ivy successful caller comic runs; and the transgender idiosyncratic Victoria October, who debuted successful a 2017 Batman series.

DC and chap comics juggernaut Marvel person some started to see more LGBTQ characters successful their stories. Both companies released peculiar anthology comics starring queer and trans characters successful June to coincide with Pride Month.