For the bi-royalty out there, there’s some good news on the way. Titans Season 4 has taken a huge leap forward in a momentous event by paying a token of recognition to the writer who helped Tim Drake come out as bisexual. Although the character of Bernard Dowd has existed for almost 2 decades in the DC comics narrative, it was not until the contribution of Meghan Fitzmartin in 2021 that the story between him and Tim Drake was finally realized. Titans Season 4 invokes that connection in an adorable tribute to show its respect to the writer who made it possible.
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Titans Season 4 Pays Tribute to Writer Meghan Fitzmartin
The HBO Max premiere of Titans Season 4 has brought in a new addition to the roster with James Scully’s Bernard taking on the role of Tim Drake’s friend and love interest. However, the live-action debut of the character comes with a minor tweak from the creators of the show. Bernard, whose last name was Dowd in the comics, now becomes Bernard Fitzmartin as a sign of respect to the comic writer Meghan Fitzmartin whose expansive efforts with Tim Drake: Sum of Our Parts storyline helped establish Drake’s sexuality and finally reconciled the long-term friends as love interests.
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Originally created by Bill Willingham and Rick Mays, the character of Bernard Dowd debuted in the 2003 issue of Robin #121. At the time, the DC comic universe was focused on the New Earth continuity narrative which began with the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986 and ended with 2011’s Flashpoint. The post-2011 timeline, which then dived into a post-Flashpoint continuity arc helped collide the worlds of Tim Draka aka Robin, and Bernard Dowd in Batman: Urban Legends #4 written by Meghan Fitzmartin and illustrated by Belen Ortega.
Tim Drake’s Exploration of Sexuality in Urban Legends Arc
The historical establishment of live-action Bernard as a Fitzmartin instead of a Dowd can be traced back to the Sun of Our Parts multi-issue narrative beginning with the Urban Legends stories. These comics elaborately navigated the formative years of Tim Drake’s coming to terms with his sexuality and his eventual budding relationship with Bernard Dowd. In honor of LGBT Pride Month which is annually held in June, the issue titled DC Pride: Tim Drake Special #1 chronicled the titular hero’s journey as narrated by Meghan Fitzmartin in her Urban Legends issues.
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Later, in September, the comic writer collaborated with artist Riley Rossmo on the series Tim Drake: Robin thus taking the narrative forward in the world of DC comics. Titans actor, Jay Lycurgo, who plays Tim Drake/Robin on the acclaimed HBO Max series had shown considerable interest in bringing that story to the forefront on live-action television. Soon after, the series season 4 which debuted in November ushered in a new era in the world of comic adaptations when Bernard Fitzmartin stepped into the frame.
Titans Season 4 is now streaming on HBO Max.
Source: CBR
