Within every form of media, in one way or another, there needs to be representation. And it ranges from everything from ethnic backgrounds to sexuality/sexual awakenings and realizations. And while it is great, not all of it is perfectly executed. Some throw off the reader out of left field completely, which is attributed to creating shock value from the writers.
While there is an active need and want for representation, it needs to be concise and actively make sense rather than simply create a gay/bi/trans character for this need. A writer needs to create “seeds” so to speak, so that it comes across naturally and organically.
The third Robin of the Batman comics, Tim Drake, had recently came out as bisexual. And while there were explanations for it, and the overall character seems happier, it still makes little sense. Tim was not defined by his relationships with the exception of Stephanie Brown/Spoiler. Much like his predecessor, the first Robin; Dick Grayson, his relationships help realize things of his character and make him grow. While he’s tied to and arguably defined by his relationship with Stephanie and possibly Tamara Fox, daughter of longtime ally Lucius Fox, they do have an impact of sorts on him. His new relationship with his current boyfriend is sweet and wholesome, but it equally takes away the impact his relationship with Stephanie had.
While still addressing the need for representation for the bisexual part of the LGBTQIA community, Tim may not be the best member of the Bat-Family for it. While there is an expansive list now, and with Harper Row/Bluebird, acting as an occasional ally and a bisexual character to boot, she’s not a highly prominent character. For both to be mutually exclusive, one could go to the character of Jason Peter Todd, the fallen Robin and current Red Hood.
Jason Todd was the least favored Robin in his initial run, until he came back from dead (literally) and became the iconically popular anti-hero Red Hood. Jason has had numerous compelling storylines from his rise from the grave, ranging from trying to become the new Batman in his desire for revenge and prove himself, to trying his hand at being a crime-lord, to becoming a more heroic character and growth into a leader-like figure, while still diving into less-than ethical behavior. But there is one aspect of his character that hadn’t been dove into too well; romance. Compared to his predecessor and successor of the Robin mantle, Jason’s love life and interests are sparse and few in-between.
He doesn’t have a long history of established romantic relationships. He also has gap of years where we really don’t know what went on or what happened to him. Jason is often on a constant journey to understand who he is, and his sexuality could be part of that journey of discovery. Although, one could argue that Tim and Jason’s respective journeys are about finding and establishing their own identities, Jason’s evokes independent lone-wolf archetypes that he tries to do things himself. And there were some instances where he would interact with male characters in a way that could be interpreted as flirting.
Tim has stated that he won’t be Batman but he should have a Nightwing-esqe story in establishing and creating a new identity for himself. Being more than Robin or the moniker of Red Robin, which was just a slightly different mantle with a costume that evokes a bit more of Batman and his influence on him. Jason would have been a perfect choice for a bisexual coming out story. He’s had romantic relationships before, but they’re more of an afterthought compared to Tim and Dick’s love interests and stories. He’s had interests and/or relationships with Rose Wilson/Ravager, Artemis, Donna Troy, the assassin Essence and a flight attendant named Isabella. But they didn’t help develop his character or bring anything else; particularly the latter. Jason having a coming-out-story would help bring out the more romantic/sexual aspects of his story. And it wouldn’t detract how much of badass antihero he is. We need to see more beyond the trigger-happy brooding Red Hood. It wouldn’t add more complexities to his character but make him a more nuanced and balanced character.
