We had been thrilled to see Tim Drake’s iconic bo employees make its debut within the season 4 premiere of Titans, but when Tim appeared just a little further comfortable about it to you, that most likely has to do with the one that gave it to him—Bernard Fitzmartin.
Performed on the collection by James Scully, Bernard is a brand new character to Titans, however he’s actually not new to followers of Batman’s third Robin. Tim Drake’s historical past with Bernard—whose title is Bernard Dowd within the comics—started virtually twenty years in the past, nevertheless it was solely just lately that it really developed into one thing price celebrating. We don’t but know the way the connection between Tim and Bernard goes to play out on Titans, however let’s see how issues have unfolded within the comics for hints as to the place issues may be headed.
Final yr, Tim Drake reunited together with his outdated highschool classmate Bernard in Batman: City Legends #4-6. After an journey involving kidnappers and a little bit of self-reflection, Tim requested Bernard out on a date, setting the stage for a brand new period of his life. It wasn’t a right away sure from Bernard. Like Tim, Bernard additionally wanted a while to return to grips together with his sexual identification, and that isn’t too stunning. In spite of everything, Bernard Dowd wasn’t initially conceived as a queer character, at the very least so far as we all know, nevertheless it’s stunning how a lot his early appearances laid the groundwork for that revelation.
Earlier than reappearing in Batman: City Legends #4, Bernard was a memorable, however underused supporting character in Tim’s life with solely six appearances within the DC Universe, the latest taking place in 2005. He was launched in Robin #121 when Tim Drake started his junior yr at Louis E. Grieve Excessive College. Bernard is straight away drawn to Tim and begins sizing him up, making an attempt to determine the place Tim matches in with the highschool social construction.
“It’s very important,” he tells Tim. “A spot for everybody and everybody of their place. That’s how the world works.”
It sounds lots like Bernard is making an attempt to suit into a job he thinks society expects him to be in.
Because the dialog goes on, Bernard threatens to “punish” Tim (!!) and tells him to not date any women he has a crush on. On the time, Bernard simply appeared like an eccentric greatest pal, however this scene takes on a complete new context after studying Batman: City Legends #6. Issues solely acquired extra fascinating together with his subsequent look in Robin #122. Tim and Bernard are hanging out at a diner when common lady Darla Aquista walks in. Bernard tells Tim that he has a crush on Darla, however the common jocks she hangs round with gained’t ever give him room to make his play.
What ought to we make of Bernard’s confession right here? Though we now know Bernard is queer, that doesn’t imply he by no means had a crush on Darla. The journey to discovering your individual sexual identification may be lengthy, and it’s potential Bernard was nonetheless figuring out his emotions. One other interpretation is that Bernard was closeted on the time and pretended to have a crush on Darla to be able to assert his heterosexuality. Darla can be the right particular person for this, since her social standing makes her unavailable.
Tim calls Bernard’s bluff and convinces the jocks to let Dowd ask Darla out. Bernard is furious and his temper is worsened when Darla expresses a romantic need for Tim. Studying this in 2004, we’re meant to consider that Bernard is bummed out as a result of he wished Darla for himself. However filtered by way of a 2022 lens, we are able to’t assist however marvel if his jealousy got here from his emotions for Tim.
The fallout was seen in Robin #123. Tim, who was relationship Stephanie Brown on the time, protests to Bernard that he has no designs on Darla, insisting that he already has a girlfriend. Bernard is lower than satisfied.
“The place is that this mysterious Stephanie whatshername?” he asks. “Why have I by no means met her? In case you’ve acquired one thing you need to inform me, then converse up. We’re buds. I’ll perceive. We’re two fashionable enlightened males within the third millennium, Drake. No have to make up imaginary girlfriends.”
Wow, the place to start?
Bernard is clearly teasing Tim, however this scene has a deeper which means in gentle of latest revelations. Bernard is virtually begging Tim to return out of the closet, however he’s doing it within the guise of a joke to save lots of face. Possibly Bernard is utilizing these feedback to check the waters, to see how Tim would react. The dialog is supposed to ship a transparent message to Tim—in case you’re queer, it’s not a giant deal and you may inform me. The scene ends with Bernard warning Tim in regards to the risks of relationship Darla. Interpret what you’ll from that.
In Robin #126, Bernard is a visitor on the Drake family for time for dinner, the place he spends all the meal fawning over Tim’s stepmother Dana. As soon as he and Tim have a second alone, Bernard begins gushing about how attracted he’s to Dana. But once more, this can be a scene that makes extra sense in case you suspect Bernard is hiding his sexual identification. He’s making an attempt to play the position of a sexy heterosexual teenager and he’s significantly overcompensating. As he did with Darla, Bernard has additionally chosen an unobtainable feminine to be his object of need. Tim might have known as his bluff with Darla, however Dana is a secure goal. There’s no approach Tim’s going to encourage his buddy to ask out his stepmom.
Bernard was seen once more in Robin #127 hanging out with Tim and Darla. He shared some conspiracy theories about Batman working for a shadowy authorities, unaware that he was standing subsequent to the Darkish Knight’s companion. Sadly, this could be the final time Bernard would share a scene with Tim for seventeen years. After the occasions of “Battle Video games,” Louis E. Grieve Excessive College completely closed and Tim moved to Blüdhaven. Bernard was seen once more in Robin #140 when Darla sought his assist in monitoring down Tim. Bernard advised her that that they had misplaced contact after their faculty had closed down, however pointed her in the direction of Blüdhaven. Darla continued her quest with out Bernard, who wasn’t seen once more till 2021’s Batman: City Legends #4.
In it, Tim reunites with Bernard for the primary time in years, sharing a meal at a flowery restaurant. Sadly, their reunion is reduce quick when Bernard is kidnapped by a cult chief referred to as the Chaos Monster. Tim’s seek for Bernard leads him to the Dowd family, the place Tim makes an fascinating statement relating to his mother and father.
“They all the time wished every thing simply so completely positioned. And Bernard by no means fairly measured as much as their requirements,” Tim muses.
Keep in mind what Bernard advised Tim after they first met about every thing having a spot? That assertion instantly makes extra sense, as does a few of Bernard’s outdated behaviors. Studying between the strains, one may conclude that Bernard was hesitant to confront his personal sexuality due to his repressive mother and father.
When Robin rescues Bernard in Batman: City Legends #6, the captive teen tells the Boy Surprise to go a message to Tim Drake in case they don’t make it out alive: “Inform Tim Drake he helped me notice my true self. Who I’m.”
After all, Robin is an outdated professional at rescuing individuals, so Bernard makes it out safely, unaware that his rescuer was none apart from Tim Drake. The story concludes with Tim visiting Bernard, who formally asks him out on a date. Tim accepts and fandom rejoiced.
Tim’s journey has been a frequent subject of dialogue, however Bernard’s evolution is price inspecting as nicely. Since Bernard shouldn’t be the protagonist, we don’t get pleasure from getting inside his head the way in which we do with Tim. Nevertheless, his phrases and actions have given us some massive items of the puzzle, sufficient to kind an image. Like Tim, Bernard wasn’t positive who he was or the place he match into issues. Dwelling below repressive mother and father, he denied features of his personal identification. Wanting to play the position his mother and father and society anticipated of him, Bernard acted like a hormonal highschool pupil and purposely sought out women who had been unobtainable. In line with what he advised Robin, Tim Drake helped him notice who he really was.
After all, Tim and Bernard on Titans are older and appear already snug of their sexuality. I don’t consider Tim’s ever come proper out and stated he’s queer on the HBO Max collection—there’s been no want for him to and there doubtless by no means might be. However he did acknowledge being fascinated about Bernard within the season premiere. As for Bernard, we don’t know his sexuality but, however I significantly doubt they’d present Tim’s curiosity solely to not pay it off (additionally, that shot of them practically kissing within the season 4 trailer sort of provides it away).
Titans’ Bernard and Tim, who’s performed by Jay Lycurgo, can have their very own distinctive story and nevertheless it performs out, it’s one other instance of some welcome LGBTQIA+ illustration throughout the Bat-Household and DC Multiverse typically. And in what’s really a rarity within the superhero world, each variations of the connection might be outlined on the similar time. Will Tim and Bernard break up within the TV collection and experience off into the sundown within the comics? That might occur, however so may the alternative. Or maybe they’ll get a contented ending in each. It doesn’t matter what goes down on Titans and in Tim Drake’s present comedian collection, Bernard has helped make one factor very clear to Robin #3 and his followers—that is who Tim is.
New episodes of Titans drop Thursdays on HBO Max. For the most recent information out of Titans Tower, go to our official Titans collection web page.
Tim Drake: Robin #1 and #2 by Meghan Fitzmartin, Riley Rossmo and Lee Loughridge are actually out there in print and as digital comedian books.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, motion pictures and comics for DC.com, is a daily contributor to the Sofa Membership and writes our month-to-month Batman column, “Gotham Gazette.” Comply with him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this characteristic are solely these of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and don’t essentially mirror these of DC Leisure or Warner Bros.
