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WhenTim Drake AKARobinwas let out to be epicene last year inBatman : Urban Legends # 6,many readers were unfamiliar with the laughable book story of his amatory interest , Bernard Dowd . However , Bernard has had a long - traverse friendship with Tim , as to begin with written by Bill Willingham , who had n’t see the character ’s sex .
First appearing inRobin # 121(February 2004 ) illustrated by Ricky Mays , Willingham write Bernard as one of Tim ’s penny-pinching friends from high-pitched schooltime . The quirky conspirator believed theories about Batman allegedly working with the American government , and suppose that Robin had once lived in an orphans' asylum operated by the Dark Knight . As a supporting theatrical role , Bernard give Tim a sense of a societal life beyondfighting law-breaking with Batman . He only appear a fistful of times , until he returned in comics withBatman : Urban Legends # 5 . The new loop of Bernard had once been best friends with Tim but had n’t witness him in a prospicient prison term . Quickly after reconnecting with each other , they decided to start going out .
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In a piece onSubstackpublished on August 28 , 2021 , comic book writer and creative person Bill Willingham press out that his characterisation of Bernard Dowd was intended to be straight . At one percentage point in Willingham ’s run of Robin , Bernard declare his interest in Tim Drake ’s stepmother . He cites this scene as an instance of the role ’s gender . “As originally believe , Bernard Dowd was many things , but he was n’t gay . I can be intimate this for a sure thing because , unlike go historical human body , it ’s possible to roll in the hay the secret inner works of a fiction character , because they are whatever the generator compose them to be . And in this case Bernard Dowd like girls . He had a crush on Tim Drake ’s hot stepmother , and that ’s about it for the romantic / sexual front . ”Similar to the instauration of Tim , he was n’t initially mean to be bisexual . Instead , his type evolved with fourth dimension , as draw by many writer and artists .
To be reasonable , much of Bernard ’s past tense stay on a mystery , and it could after be revealed thathe is bisexual like Tim , meaning he is n’t gay as readers have assumed . Before the recent reveal , Tim Drake had splendidly been in a relationship with Stephanie Brown AKA Spoiler . Just as his character has been expand over meter , the same could be true of Bernard . While Willingham criticized the vastly different version from his own , there are still opportunity for connections to be drawn with his run on Robin .
Although there has been an outpouring of supporting for the originative decision regarding Tim ’s hermaphroditism , some readers have vocalize criticism coming from various linear perspective . While LGBTQIA+ representation is for the most part wanted by fans , some consider it a cliche for character who have a snug friendship to be also have a romantic attractor to one another . Despite this decimal point , the new take onTim DrakeandBernard Dowdis make many readers finally experience seen in comics .
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Source : Substack
