REQUIEM, Retcons, and the Return of Damian?

[Claude]

At least Damian hasn't shown any previous interest in women before.

I don't disagree with your post in any great specifics, I just wanted to point out tha Daiman has shown an interest in women before. He had a bit of a crush on Katanna(!) and possibly one on Supergirl. Which Dick teased him mercilessly about.

[NexusTenebrare]

I don't disagree with your post in any great specifics, I just wanted to point out tha Daiman has shown an interest in women before. He had a bit of a crush on Katanna(!) and possibly one on Supergirl. Which Dick teased him mercilessly about.

Showing admiration and appreaciation is not the same as having a crush.
And Dick teasing him about a perceived crush is entirely in character for Dick, but not in itself evidence of an actual crush though.
People automaticaly assume everyone else is straight. Even more so with children.

[Claude]

Showing admiration and appreaciation is not the same as having a crush.
And Dick teasing him about a perceived crush is entirely in character for Dick, but not in itself evidence of an actual crush though.
People automaticaly assume everyone else is straight. Even more so with children.

He specifically wanted to know if Katanna was single, IIRC. :P

[NexusTenebrare]

He specifically wanted to know if Katanna was single, IIRC. :P

Can't say I remember that. Then again, it was some time ago since I read that issue.
That being said, it'd still be easier for them to explain that away as bluster. And wasn't that before the reboot anyway? So technically it could never have happened in the New52.
He's still my favorite if they ever decide to have a gay Robin.

[Cmbmool]

The argument, as I understand it, is that it creates a jarring, and somewhat insulting, narrative arc in which Bruce goes through an extended grieving process to be told at the end, "okay, now that that's over and we've got everybody's money, here's your son back." That is extremely subjective, I agree, but it seems a common response in some quarters. I think there are some people that would view it as 1) a sin against character development, and 2) an insult in that it makes light of grief and loss.

If this new event is being launched by command of Warner Bros, who I seriously doubt cares a penny about any of those concerns, then I can see how DC might decide to spare themselves a little trouble by quietly setting the Requiem stories aside. Then again, Tomasi has never shown himself to be shy about writing arcs that will inevitably be shoved into neverland, Arkham War being a great example.

Plus it sort of makes his death meaningless if he died just to return at WB's beck and call.

[Claude]

Can't say I remember that. Then again, it was some time ago since I read that issue.
That being said, it'd still be easier for them to explain that away as bluster. And wasn't that before the reboot anyway? So technically it could never have happened in the New52.
He's still my favorite if they ever decide to have a gay Robin.

Yeah, it was all pre reboot - so these things are up for grabs. And I agree that, if we were ever going to have a gay Robin, it'd be better to be Damian or Tim. The "swashbuckling Man's Man" type of Dick and Jason are just a little too obvious. I seem to remember that Winnick wanted to write Jason as bi, but wasn't allowed - which I'm almost glad about. "So badass he's open to anything!" is such a cliche for bisexual characters.


I have to be honest, I'm still surprised that Talon wasn't gay. Think it would have made his story stronger, at least in the broad strokes.

[Conway]

I was referring to the "Five Stages of Grief" issues though and not his Requiem issue. I'm really not a fan of Tomasi's Batman and Robin work though. It has a lot of stylistic problems to me that made his entire run less than enjoyable reading. I dropped it at issue 12 after hoping for months that it would improve. It never did. I came back temporarily for the beginning of the "Five Stages of Grief" arc and after two I was completely done with him. I haven't so much as touched an issue since the Batman and Red Hood one and I don't plan to return to the title at all until there is a creative team change. YMMV.

That first year actually had a really good payoff when it finally got to B&R Annual #1, but it did take a while to grow on me. The "Stages of Grief" arc had some real problems, and I dropped the book after that was over because it had become a gimmick title. I picked up the last two issues and they didn't help the feeling any. It's become the "lame contrivance for a random JL member appearance" book, that tells the exact same story over and over until Damian is revived by his evil grandpa.

[oasis1313]

I laughed my head off at Damian picking up girls in the Batmobile with Babs activating the ejector seats for them.

[ReverseReverseFlash]

Damian flirted with Squire, too. He isn't gay.

[Claude]

I laughed my head off at Damian picking up girls in the Batmobile with Babs activating the ejector seats for them.

Even if Barbara did get that girl killed by ejecting her into the path of Killer Croc.....

[oasis1313]

Damian flirted with Squire, too. He isn't gay.

If DC needs to make a statement about diversity, then they shouldn't just be creating tokens--they should be doing this among established characters. Batwing came into being because they wanted a black character, Batwoman was created to be a lesbian FIRST and whatever other storylines were just an afterthought. So looking at the heavy hitters in the Bat-Family, there isn't a lot of choice: Bruce is married to Gotham City like a nun to the Catholic Church; he's not interested in sex at all. Dick and Jason are established womanizers, and Damian was following along in their footsteps as a junior masher. Barbara could probably get away with being pronounced a lesbian--after all, what heterosexual woman would refuse to marry a Graysonesque Hunk? Tim is the only logical choice if a male gay Batcharacter is REQUIRED--and I say REQUIRED as the only reason for such a move. Tim is effeminate and shows no interest in women.

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

If DC needs to make a statement about diversity, then they shouldn't just be creating tokens--they should be doing this among established characters. Batwing came into being because they wanted a black character, Batwoman was created to be a lesbian FIRST and whatever other storylines were just an afterthought. So looking at the heavy hitters in the Bat-Family, there isn't a lot of choice: Bruce is married to Gotham City like a nun to the Catholic Church; he's not interested in sex at all. Dick and Jason are established womanizers, and Damian was following along in their footsteps as a junior masher. Barbara could probably get away with being pronounced a lesbian--after all, what heterosexual woman would refuse to marry a Graysonesque Hunk? Tim is the only logical choice if a male gay Batcharacter is REQUIRED--and I say REQUIRED as the only reason for such a move. Tim is effeminate and shows no interest in women.

I think that's a terrible idea. Having a sudden sexuality add just for "diversity" is TERRIBLE. Diversity characters only work when the writers and the editorial are fully comitted to it, see the trainwreck "Wally West" is now; there's nothing similar to the real Wally West, this character will be dragged down by "being" Wally, they needed to do retcons here and there to be able for him to exist and the foundations of the Blue Flash's story are frankly, idiotic.

[NexusTenebrare]

If DC needs to make a statement about diversity, then they shouldn't just be creating tokens--they should be doing this among established characters. Batwing came into being because they wanted a black character, Batwoman was created to be a lesbian FIRST and whatever other storylines were just an afterthought. So looking at the heavy hitters in the Bat-Family, there isn't a lot of choice: Bruce is married to Gotham City like a nun to the Catholic Church; he's not interested in sex at all. Dick and Jason are established womanizers, and Damian was following along in their footsteps as a junior masher. Barbara could probably get away with being pronounced a lesbian--after all, what heterosexual woman would refuse to marry a Graysonesque Hunk? Tim is the only logical choice if a male gay Batcharacter is REQUIRED--and I say REQUIRED as the only reason for such a move. Tim is effeminate and shows no interest in women.

You have read a book starring Tim, right?
Before the reboot he was in plenty relationships with women. Since the reboot he has had sexual relations with at least Wonder Girl and Solstice.
And Damian isn't any sort of 'junior masher'.
At most he might have had a crush once or twice. He's still young. When I was 10-11 I had a crush on an older woman too. And I hung around with girls. It didn't stick.

I'm not saying Damian is definitely gay. I'm suggesting that revealing Damian to be gay would be the easiest way to get a prominent male gay character in the bat-family.

[ReverseReverseFlash]

You have read a book starring Tim, right?
Before the reboot he was in plenty relationships with women. Since the reboot he has had sexual relations with at least Wonder Girl and Solstice.
And Damian isn't any sort of 'junior masher'.
At most he might have had a crush once or twice. He's still young. When I was 10-11 I had a crush on an older woman too. And I hung around with girls. It didn't stick.

I'm not saying Damian is definitely gay. I'm suggesting that revealing Damian to be gay would be the easiest way to get a prominent male gay character in the bat-family.

Obsessing and projecting sexuality into a super hero comic where there is none is just fantasy wish fulfillment and slashfic territory. It creeps me out.

That said, Tim has been with quite a few girls in his long history. He's never shown any implication that he was gay. That was internet weirdo slashfic from Deviantart. Again, it's creepy to see grown adults fixate so heavily on the sex-lives of fictional cartoon drawings. Also, to whoever said Bruce isn't interested in sex...I guess you haven't read anything from the 70s. Bruce is pretty active in the bedroom.

[Dzetoun]

Getting the thread back on track a little, it seems from the Newsarama preview that at least the Frankenstein portion of Requiem is being acknowledged. Frankie remembers what happened in Greenland, and appears to be pretty pissed:

http://www.newsarama.com/21143-dc-pr...nstein-31.html