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With a Google alert set for “Gay D.C.,” I’m constantly referred to blogs devoted to gay superhero speculation. Now, DC Comics has made some gays’ fantasies—-and, let’s face it, the wet dreams of many, many straight men—-come true. Via io9:
“With Bruce Wayne “elsewhere” (and that’s all DC is saying about that), 2009 will see its first lesbian superhero in its longest running book as Batwoman takes over Detective Comics. DC super-writer Greg Rucka and artist J.H. Williams will be taking over the reins of the flagship title for ‘at least’ twelve issues.”
io9 notes that Batwoman is not the first gay superhero character: former Batwoman partner Renee Montoya, also a DC creation, has also been revealed as a lesbian. While GLBT groups like GLAAD have commended DC Comics for the incorporation of gay characters, I wonder about the role gender is playing here. Despite decades of gay fantasies swirling around the Batman and Robin relationship, no male superhero (Ambiguously Gay Duo notwithstanding) has been outted as gay, DC has left us to believe that Batman is mere “mentor” to the twinkish Robin. Meanwhile, its treatment of gay male superheroes has been less than enlightening (caution: violent superhero rape ahead).
Is it any coincidence that a genre that banks on pathetically nerdy white males decided to usher gayness into its universe in the form of a red-lipsticked, pointy-boobed, pert-assed Dominatrix?