Superman comes out as bisexual in latest DC Comics issue
Jon Kent, Clark's son and successor in Superman: Son of Kal-El, will have a romantic relationship with friend Jay Nakamura
The next issue of Superman will see the superhero icon enter into a same-sex relationship for the first time.
Jon Kent, who has stepped into his father Clark Kent’s red boots to succeed him as Superman, will become romantically involved with friend Jay Nakamura in the next issue of the Superman: Son of Kal-El series, which is out November 9.
Tom Taylor, the series writer, told the BBC that DC had been considering opening up Superman to LGBTQ+ identities before he pitched the idea himself.
“There’s been a real shift over the last few years,” Taylor said. “Ten years ago, five years ago, this would have been more difficult, but I think things have shifted in a really welcome way.”
“It struck me that it would be a real missed opportunity if we replaced Clark Kent with another straight white saviour.”
While full plot details are yet to emerge, DC has shared a couple of teaser images. Kent and Nakamura, a reporter who sports glasses and pink hair, began developing a friendship in an earlier issue of Son of Kal-El.
DC Comics’ announcement for the relatively new series, first released in July, in honour of National Coming Out day in the US on Monday, October 11.
“We have people saying they read this news today and burst into tears – people saying they never thought in their life that they would be able to see themselves in Superman… literally the most powerful superhero in comics,” Taylor added to the BBC.
“You’ll always have people who’ll use the old line of ‘don’t put politics into comics’ – forgetting that every single [comic book] story ever has been political in some way,” he said. “People who don’t realise that the [Marvel comic series] X-Men were an analogy for the civil rights movement.”
“We try to bring those people with us, but we are writing for the people who will hopefully see this Superman… and say ‘This Superman is like me. This Superman is fighting for things that concern me’,” he added.