Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
The latest issue of a Batman comic series confirms the Caped Crusader's lovable sidekick, Robin, is queer.
Tim Drake, one of several characters to have taken up Robin's mantle in the comics, accepts a date with a male friend in the new issue of "Batman: Urban Legends," a series that debuted earlier this year.
The issue's final page sees Drake visit his friend Bernard at his home after the two shared a moment of unexpected connection (and Drake, as his alter ego Robin, must rescue Bernard from a villain). In the last panel, Drake tells Bernard, beaming, "Yeah ... yeah, I think I want that" after Bernard asks him out.
"[The issue] happened because this is who Tim is," comic writer Meghan Fitzmartin said in an interview with Polygon. "I love this character very much, and as I went back to reread as much as I could to do Robin justice, it became clear this is the story Tim needed to tell."
Fans have long seen Batman's loyal sidekick as a potentially queer character since the first Robin, Dick Grayson, made his comics debut in the 1940s. In a 2016 article for Slate, adapted from his book on the World's Greatest Detective, culture critic Glen Weldon documented a few instances that made readers' ears perk up. These include depictions of Batman and Robin lying next to each other, naked, in separate beds; Batman and Robin waking up in the same bed; Robin throwing jealous fits when Batman entertained female love interests. Former Batman comic writer Grant Morrison even told Playboy magazine that "gayness is built into Batman."
Despite decades of fans clamoring for queer Robin content, the sidekick's sexuality was never overtly stated, though various iterations of Robin, from Drake to newer addition Damian Wayne, have had relationships with women in the comics.
Speaking to Polygon, Fitzmartin said that Drake's new relationship doesn't erase his past dalliances with women (most notably Stephanie Brown, who moonlights as the hero Spoiler).
"I wanted to pay tribute to the fact that sexuality is a journey ... However, Tim is still figuring himself out," Fitzmartin told Polygon. "I don't think he has the language for it all ... yet."
The door is open for Drake and Bernard's relationship to evolve in the next issue of "Batman: Urban Legends." But they join a growing constellation of LGBTQ characters in the DC universe: There's Batwoman, also known as Kate Kane, who at one point was punished for her relationship with another woman under the US military's former "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy; Harley Quinn, who's ditched the Joker for her friend Poison Ivy in recent comic runs; and the transgender scientist Victoria October, who debuted in a 2017 Batman series.
DC and fellow comics juggernaut Marvel have both started to include more LGBTQ characters in their stories. Both companies released special anthology comics starring queer and trans characters in June to coincide with Pride Month.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.