In Superman: Son of Kal-El #5, which hit shops earlier this month, the young superhero came out as bisexual.
Young Kent falls in love with Jay Nakamura, a pink-haired reporter in the comic, after the hero says his new role has him
“mentally and physically burnt out.”
Writer Tom Taylor told The Washington Post that the series was an
“opportunity to do something different, something not seen before…
represent people who haven’t been represented before and haven’t been able to see themselves. To pitch something like this [to DC] is a little bit daunting.
…are they going to go with this?”
Because historically, I have had queer characters erased or rejected [at other publishers]. But there’s been a real shift, a really welcome shift in comics.”
Taylor explained he wanted to establish the younger Kent as Superman and he didn’t want the story to be that DC Comics made Superman bisexual. (But that’s exactly what people thought just reading the headlines…)
In the comic Taylor wanted it to be more matter-of-fact…
“The next issue isn’t going to be some big speech about it. The kiss is just something that happens in the comic.”
Marie Javins, DC Comics editor-in-chief, told the Post that when it was revealed to the “higher-ups” that Jon Kent was bisexual.
“greeted with nothing but support… [it] makes perfect sense in the context of the world that he lives in…
Gender and sexuality is so much more fluid to young people today. Our fans know that. Our retailers know that. Our staff knows that.
It’s not like we’re all off in this little bubble and don’t know 20-year-olds.”
Taylor said that the young Superman will reveal more about his love life to those closest to him in upcoming issues, including, Damian Wayne, who is the son of Batman and one of several people who take on the mantle of Robin.
Taylor added that the young Kent’s “thing” will be that he
“stands for everyone”, including those who are “oppressed” or “underrepresented”.
There has been some anti-LGBTQ backlash. Former Superman actor (& conservative Republican) Dean Cain, who was on the 1993 TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, dismissed the new LGBTQ storyline as
“bandwagoning…
“I don’t think it’s bold or brave or some crazy new direction. If they had done this 20 years ago, perhaps that would be bold or brave.”
TMZ reported that police were sent to the homes of the artists that worked on Superman: Son of Kal-El to protect them after they received death threats over Kent’s sexuality and coming out storyline.
Otherwise, the news that Jon Kent is bisexual has been widely celebrated by fans and DC Comics says they got an “unprecedented” number of orders for the issue.
(Images, DC; via Pink News)
