Late last year, DC Comics revealed that Superman (son of the original Superman now acting in that role) would kiss another man.

Now it might be Batman's turn. Bleeding Cool have shared some panels from an upcoming comic.

DC's plans for Superman were criticized from both sides of the diversification divide for different reasons but we felt they struck the perfect balance.

Increased diversity while preserving continuity of the original character.

And also historical authenticity.

The stories of these characters have been retold repeatedly in different eras but we can't ignore that their origins date back to a very prejudiced time.

Being out and proud would have been extremely difficult.

So would juggling separate everyday, superhero and sexual identities.

Then there's Bruce Wayne.

Money changes everything and if Bruce Wayne had any such inclinations he could have afforded to exercise them discreetly.

Plus there was time spent outside of the US and the public eye, learning his martial arts skills which is where Batman: The Knight #5 finds him.

This definitely looks like an interrupted kiss initiated by the other guy and his, "Just debriefing," remark tells us what his plans were.

But we disagree with Bleeding Cool's take on Bruce seeming to reciprocate.

To our eye that is unclear from these few panels.

Change one of their genders and that degree of physical proximity would suggest that they're both on the same page, but two guys?

Casual physical contact between men and women was discouraged because that could obviously turn sexual.

Homosexuality was falsely portrayed as exceedingly rare so casual physical contact betwen men was ok and didn't mean anything.

Until explicitly sexual.

To our eye the attempted kiss might have been interrupted before Bruce could decide how to respond.

Whatever comes next, this comic showcases the potential to artfully improve diversity in established characters without contradicting their histories.

[ Main Image: Batman: The Knight #5. Credit: DC Comics via Bleeding Cool. ]

References

Johnston, Rich (May 16, 2022). A Bi-Curious Bruce Wayne In Batman: The Knight? (Spoilers). Bleeding Cool.