It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a bisexual superhero!
To celebrate National Coming Out Day today (October 11), DC Comics has revealed that Earth’s newest Superman, Jon Kent — son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane — will come out as bisexual in next month’s Superman: Son of Kal-El #5, hitting comic stands on November 9. Jon’s love interest, Jay Nakamura, is a reporter. Like father, like son!
“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I’m very grateful DC and Warner Bros. share this idea,” said the issue’s writer, Tom Taylor, in a statement. “Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, for truth, and for justice. Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics.”
According to the issue description, Jon and Jay were initially just friends, but “following a scene where Superman mentally and physically burns out from trying to save everyone that he can, Jay is there to care for the Man of Steel” — and it looks like some superhero sparks fly.
“I’m incredibly honored to be working beside Tom on the series Superman: Son of Kal-El, showing Jon Kent tackling his complex modern life, while also saving the world from its greatest threats, villains, and menaces,” said artist John Timms.
“We couldn’t be prouder to tell this important story from Tom Taylor and John Timms,” added DC chief creative officer and publisher Jim Lee. “We talk a lot about the power of the DC Multiverse in our storytelling and this is another incredible example. We can have Jon Kent exploring his identity in the comics as well as Jon Kent learning the secrets of his family on TV on Superman & Lois. They coexist in their own worlds and times, and our fans get to enjoy both simultaneously.”
Jon isn’t DC Comics’s first LGBTQ character, nor is this the brand’s first stab at queer inclusion. Back in March, DC unveiled the gloriously queer covers for its 2021 Pride campaign, which launched in June. In November 2020, the brand also introduced Kid Quick, its second nonbinary character and first nonbinary superhero.
If you want to catch up on Jon’s adventures before his same sex super-smooch, Superman: Son of Kal-El #1-3 are available at comic shops and digital retailers now, with issue #4 out next Tuesday, October 19, and issue #5 on November 9. Check out the variant covers of the special issue below.
