Superman is bisexual now!!!

Bob_McMillan

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Or at least I assume that's what DC wants the headlines to read. This all feels too much like a publicity stunt to up readership.

Basically, DC's current Superman is actually his son, Jonathan Kent. I think Clark is somewhere out in space doing... things. Jonathan is also now a teenager/adult somehow, even though he was a child not too long ago. Now he's the main Superman of Earth, and it was recently revealed that he's fallen for one of his male friends. And so, we have Bi Superman.

Honestly, I wouldn't have cared. But Tim Drake, the 3rd Robin, was also made bi just months ago. People say this is progress, but this kind of diversity has always felt pretty cynical to me. I read an article saying that it's clever of DC to do this, so they can say there's queer Superman and Robin without actually making the "real" Superman and Robin queer. Again, having a hard time seeing how that's progress. If anything, it sounds kinda insulting.

Just like with the race swapping that was all the rage a few years ago, I see this as cheap as hell. Jesus, it feels like they aged up a child just so he could get into a relationship. This is exactly the kind of thing that gets erased once the writers change and we go back to the status quo. Look at black Captain America. That lasted what, 6 years? Sam Wilson is once again Falcon. The only way diversity stays is if the writers and artists behind everything are diverse as well, and new diverse characters are developed as a result.

But hey, this wasn't meant for me. If someone out there who identifies as bisexual is somehow empowered by this, then great. I just wish they would do it better. If you are bi, I'd love to hear what you feel about this.
 

Hawki

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If this was Clark Kent, I think a lot of people would be justified in raising their eyebrows, but I have no idea about the character or history of this Jon Kent (who I'd never even heard of till now), so I figure all bets are off.
 

Hades

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Didn't lots of people already ship him with Damian? So that's not terribly surprising.
 
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Bob_McMillan

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If this was Clark Kent, I think a lot of people would be justified in raising their eyebrows, but I have no idea about the character or history of this Jon Kent (who I'd never even heard of till now), so I figure all bets are off.
That's actually what bugs me, because in both cases, they clearly chose the least popular characters to become bi in order to piss off the least people. Gives off the same vibe as corporations making a rainbow version of their logo for Pride Month then go back to pretending LGBT people don't exist on November 1.

Regardless, incels are going to rage.
Probably. I eagerly await conservative news pundits trying to explain the whole situation before they complain about wokeness. Funny thing too is that some of those complaining are mad that they made the wrong Superboy bi, and now their dreams of a Connor Kent and Tim Drake relationship have been dashed.

Didn't lots of people already ship him with Damian? So that's not terribly surprising.
While I totally see that being a thing, I would hope not, because they are freaking kids. Or in Jon's case, was.
 

Hawki

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That's actually what bugs me, because in both cases, they clearly chose the least popular characters to become bi in order to piss off the least people. Gives off the same vibe as corporations making a rainbow version of their logo for Pride Month then go back to pretending LGBT people don't exist on November 1.
I sort of know what you mean, but making Clark Kent bi, on the other hand, would also be problematic IMO.

Like, I'll put it this way. Supes has been around for close to a century by now. I'm not entirely sure how DC's in-universe reboots work, but I'm assuming that he's fundamentally the same character, which generally includes a pretty monogomous relationship with Louis Lane. To say Supes is bi, now, would be poor writing. If you have a character around that long, and then introduce such a fundamental revelation to that character after all this time, isn't generally a good writing technique.

And it's not as if superhero comics are bereft of shoddy writing techniques - superhero backstory is shoved in all the time (e.g. how Norman Osborn was revealed to have fathered Gwen Stacy's children before later killing her). That doesn't excuse the poor writing however. On the other hand, if you have a less fleshed out charcter in Jon Kent (who I assume is more of a blank slate), then this type of stuff is easier to insert.
 

Bob_McMillan

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I sort of know what you mean, but making Clark Kent bi, on the other hand, would also be problematic IMO.

Like, I'll put it this way. Supes has been around for close to a century by now. I'm not entirely sure how DC's in-universe reboots work, but I'm assuming that he's fundamentally the same character, which generally includes a pretty monogomous relationship with Louis Lane. To say Supes is bi, now, would be poor writing. If you have a character around that long, and then introduce such a fundamental revelation to that character after all this time, isn't generally a good writing technique.

And it's not as if superhero comics are bereft of shoddy writing techniques - superhero backstory is shoved in all the time (e.g. how Norman Osborn was revealed to have fathered Gwen Stacy's children before later killing her). That doesn't excuse the poor writing however. On the other hand, if you have a less fleshed out charcter in Jon Kent (who I assume is more of a blank slate), then this type of stuff is easier to insert.
I DEFINITELY don't think Clark should be made bi. But yeah, I would say this was just poor writing mixed in with corporations trying to look progressive. This was crazy jarring to me, because just two years ago, Jon was a child whose biggest concern was how to sneak away at night when your dad is Superman. And in two years, he became college age (through some classic comic book bullshit, seriously look it up its weird as fuck) and is now messing about with his first relationship, just in time for his stint as Superman and Pride Month 2021. Surely there was a more heartfelt and impactful way for him to discover his sexuality.
 
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Gordon_4

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Well, this just gives them twice as many potential relationships to fuck up. Because if I've learned anything reading comics, it is that writers new and old approach writing meaningful romance the same way I approach any body of water bigger than a puddle in Darwin.
 
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Casual Shinji

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While I totally see that being a thing, I would hope not, because they are freaking kids. Or in Jon's case, was.
Damien has been shipped by DC itself with Raven though, eventhough they were teens. Why would him and Jonathan Kent not be okay?
 
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Hades

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That's actually what bugs me, because in both cases, they clearly chose the least popular characters to become bi in order to piss off the least people. Gives off the same vibe as corporations making a rainbow version of their logo for Pride Month then go back to pretending LGBT people don't exist on November 1.


Probably. I eagerly await conservative news pundits trying to explain the whole situation before they complain about wokeness. Funny thing too is that some of those complaining are mad that they made the wrong Superboy bi, and now their dreams of a Connor Kent and Tim Drake relationship have been dashed.


While I totally see that being a thing, I would hope not, because they are freaking kids. Or in Jon's case, was.
That's not all that rare. Nico and Will, Sasuke and Naruto(mostly for the memes), Sorey and Mikleo and Gon and Killua all get shipped to some degree, either canonically or just in the fandom. And most stories where the main characters are kids tend to have the hero win over the love interest in the end so it being two males wouldn't be all that different.
 
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Bob_McMillan

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Damien has been shipped by DC itself with Raven though, eventhough they were teens. Why would him and Jonathan Kent not be okay?
Jon was 10 when he was introduced into the universe. I know that's just a couple of years away from a teenager, but he is still most definitely a child. Raven and Damian, as far as I know, are only a thing in the animated universe. I have no idea what their ages were meant to be, but neither of them were presented as children. At least, in my opinion. I also happen to think that was a weird ass choice from them, I'll never understand their obsession with Damian for that universe.
That's not all that rare. Nico and Will, Sasuke and Naruto(mostly for the memes), Sorey and Mikleo and Gon and Killua all get shipped to some degree, either canonically or just in the fandom. And most stories where the main characters are kids tend to have the hero win over the love interest in the end so it being two males wouldn't be all that different.
I'll be honest, I don't know a few of those names. But for Naruto and Hunter x Hunter, I chalk that up to it being anime. I know it's not rare, but I'm not particularly fond of when people get into it either.
 
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BrawlMan

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That's not all that rare. Nico and Will, Sasuke and Naruto(mostly for the memes), Sorey and Mikleo and Gon and Killua all get shipped to some degree, either canonically or just in the fandom. And most stories where the main characters are kids tend to have the hero win over the love interest in the end so it being two males wouldn't be all that different.
Sora and Riku. My God, there is still so much yaoi/bi fan art of them on DeviantArt. Though, the trend was at its height when Kingdom Hearts II released.

Didn't lots of people already ship him with Damian? So that's not terribly surprising.
Looks like DC been watching DeviantArt, various fan fic sites, and hentai sites for "inspiration".
 
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Casual Shinji

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Jon was 10 when he was introduced into the universe. I know that's just a couple of years away from a teenager, but he is still most definitely a child. Raven and Damian, as far as I know, are only a thing in the animated universe. I have no idea what their ages were meant to be, but neither of them were presented as children. At least, in my opinion. I also happen to think that was a weird ass choice from them, I'll never understand their obsession with Damian for that universe.
Doesn't make much of a difference, kids can develop a crush on one another. And media has never had any problems showing that so long as it was straight. Not that I'm saying you're jumping to that conclusion, but seeing as media has spent decades cultivating the idea that two straight 10-years forming a crush is perfectly fine, but two gay 10-year olds is impossible and creepy *cough* Luca *cough*, it's easy for ones mind to initially go there.
 
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Piscian

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This is part of the 5G stuff that was leaked and then fell apart. DC wants that sweet sweet gen-z money. I have mixed feelings about it. I'm totally okay with it though Jon Kent is kind of a throw away character. I haven't heard any rumblings like the books are a must read or that he has a huge fan base, but I dont watch DC comics that closely. They've been going downhill since walking all over Alan Moore's grave, metaphorically speaking. Way before that for me personally.

I can't speak for that generation or the LGBTQ+ community as a whole, but there's something sort of cringy to me about the big gay twee splash page. It just seems cloying. Like the optics are more important than whether or not this is a good story. It reminds me of like the Spider-man and Mary Jane Marriage cover. Its not a cover than says "interesting Super kid is happy with a loved one", its HEY EVERYONE SUPERMAN IS GAY NOW AND DOING AN ALTGAY TWEE GUY. LOOOOOOOKK, like theyre smooshing the cover in my face while screaming at me. That said, I'm an old curmudgeon. Maybe some gay kid nerd is feeling lonely and isolated or ostracized and this gives him a little ray of sunshine like he's not alone. cool.

I think thats largely what still splits the majority of my older Millennial generation from some Gen-X and boomers at large. Those who lose their fucking minds about culture shifts and those like me who are like "Hey kid, I think Billie Elish is like nails on a chalkboard but I've been to three Insane Clown Posse concerts. I aint here to judge."
 
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BrawlMan

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I think thats largely what still splits the majority of my older Millennial generation from some Gen-X and boomers at large. Those who lose their fucking minds about culture shifts and those like me who are like "Hey kid, I think Billie Elish is like nails on a chalkboard but I've been to three Insane Clown Posse concerts. I aint here to judge."
At least Billie Ellish has talent. I'll take her any day over Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus. I'm not a fan of every single one of her songs, but she's got kick-ass music. Lady knows what she is doing.
 
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BrawlMan

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That's a meme I have not seen in a long while.

For reference, I'm 32 years old now. While there's plenty of stuff I love from the 80's, 90s, and 2000s, not everything was perfect. Sturgeon's law exists for a reason. For example, I can't stand a lot of the mainstream rap from the mid to late 2000s.

I never cared much for Insane Clown Posse. Great guys, but not my style. Compared to them, I preferred Korn. Also, you're talking to a big Gorillaz fan and Linkin Park fan.
 
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Xprimentyl

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And the award for "best use of a gif of the day" goes to...

OT, I'm all for inclusivity. I don't mind people doing/loving/being what they want to be (as long as it doesn't affect anyone else in a negative way,) and don't mind it being represented in the media I consume (except gay porn, hard pass,) but this recent trend of blatant pandering is just so disingenuous, I find it hard to believe those in the LGBTQ+ community can really appreciate it. I'm not OF that community, so I can't speak for them, but as a black man, I know it really frustrates me when "black" is shoehorned in because "black." There are ways it can be done naturally and organically, like create a NEW hero/character and have that be an innate trait of the character. A black Human Torch didn't "include" me... because the Human Torch isn't black. I know this. EVERYONE knows this. Coopting existing and iconic characters and saying "oh, they're gay now" or "oh, they're black now" does nothing for anyone. If anything, I feel it's insulting and hampers progress in that it gives those who aren't so understanding or accepting something else to rail at while they feel the minorities and gays are coming for their toys.
 
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