Just in time for National Coming Out Day, some SUPER news!
The New York Times says that DC Comics has announced that the new Superman, Jonathan Kent, will be romantically involved with a male friend. Jonathan, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, has already faced modern foes that his Man of Steel father never confronted: climate change-caused wildfires, high-school shootings, and unfair deportations in Metropolis.
Tom Taylor, the author of the new series, Superman: Son of Kal-El, said
“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes.
Today, Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, comes out as bisexual.
I knew replacing Clark with another straight white savior could be a real opportunity missed.”
The comics industry hasn’t exactly been known for its representation of male characters who aren’t straight. As Glen Weldon, author of Superman: The Unauthorized Biography said in this piece for NPR,
“Given the hundreds of superhero characters owned by DC and Marvel, the fact that a handful of the biggest names among them might be queer just makes a kind of inevitable demographic sense.”
The announcement comes a few days before DC Comics’ virtual fan event, DC Fandome, this weekend.
I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes. Today, #Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, comes out as bisexual. I chatted to @georgegustines at the @nytimes about what's coming for Jon Kent.https://t.co/rcIYLXl7FB
— Tom Taylor (@TomTaylorMade) October 11, 2021
