DC Comics makes Batman's sidekick Robin bisexual in new comic

DC Comics has officially made Robin come out as bisexual. In the latest installment of Batman: Urban Legends, Tim Drake (Robin) agrees to go on a date with a man named Bernard Dowd.

Robin's bisexual reveal comes with a "lightbulb moment" as he and Bernard fight off villains on the street. Batman's sidekick subsequently saves the day and pays a visit to Bernard's apartment.

Now in his civilian form, a nervous Robin walks up to Bernard's door and says, "I'm really glad you got home okay. I was relieved. And I've been doing a lot of thinking, about that night. And I — I don't know what it meant to me. Not yet. But I'd like to figure it out."

Bernard responds, "I was hoping you would. Tim Drake … do you want to go on a date with me?"

"Yeah, I think I want that," Robin answers — concluding this issue until the next comic in December.

DC Comics released a statement on Robin coming out as bisexual. "Tim Drake dates boys," says DC Comics writer Alex Jaffe. "If you're a member of DC's significant queer community, then you already understand why this is a big deal. In fact, you've probably been waiting for a moment like this for a very long time. But for the uninitiated, please allow me to explain."

Jaffe then explains that Robin is "queer coded" and has secretly always been bisexual. "Queer coding in comics, the idea of expressing your true self through a colorful costume as you hid your dual identity from the world, was once considered too scandalous for a largely homophobic nation," says Jaffe.

"As queer kids were finding a piece of themselves in characters like Robin, judges and psychologists and even the comic book publishers themselves, wary of a culture turning against them, did everything they could to censor queer themes from comics for decades to come. But even as those themes were stifled, speculation on Robin's sexuality has never stopped," Jaffe continues.

This shift to inclusivity of gay characters is not unique to DC Comics. Marvel also recently unveiled a gay Captain America. The next issue of Batman: Urban Legends comes out in December.