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Batman comes out in new novel
Dark Knight is revealed as gay and in a failing relationship with Robin.
A new novel has re-imagined the myth of Batman... making him an ageing gay man.
'Erotic Lives of the Superheroes' brings together a handful of superheroes and their sexual leanings, including those of Superman, Mr Fantastic and Mystique from the X-Men.
But it's Bruce Wayne who has had something of an overt character overhaul.
[Batman Vs. Superman: Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling rumoured]
Wayne is openly gay in the book, by writer Marco Mancassola, and coupled with his long-standing sidekick Robin.
They bicker and have a failing sex life, while Batman picks up younger men for one night stands and attends charity dinners with Sir Elton John.
“There was no intention to shock or offend anybody,” Mancassola told The Independent. “'Erotic Lives of the Superheroes' is just an attempt at exploring the complex humanity of a group of characters.
“Batman has always had a very dark side. And it shouldn’t be a shock that my version of this character indulges in weird forms of fetishism and extreme sex.”
He admits, however that some fans may not be able to forgive his portrayal of their heroes.
“This is true especially when it comes to Batman,” he added, “who comes across as the least nice character of the book – egocentric, ridiculously vain, in some way ‘perverse’.
“But, actually, I depicted him that way because I love him. He is human. He embodies the tragedy into which contemporary society has transformed the fact of getting older.”
It is, however, not the first time that Batman's sexuality has come into question.
Grant Morrison, who has written Batman many times for DC Comics said last year: “He's very plutonian in the sense that he's wealthy and also in the sense that he's sexually deviant.
“Gayness is built into Batman. I'm not using gay in the pejorative sense, but Batman is very, very gay. There's just no denying it. Obviously as a fictional character he's intended to be heterosexual, but the basis of the whole concept is utterly gay. I think that's why people like it.”
The book is already out in Mancassola's native Italy, and available in the UK this week.
