Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Question - 497

A controversial strip that led to a famous book whose cover is shown on the right. Identify all and also the resulting storyline changes.

Answer: This panel shows Batman and Robin and the homosexual overtones are hard to miss. This and other similar issues in the comics industry (such as the bondage subtext in Wonder Woman) led to an outraged polemic called Seduction of the Innocent by a psychiatrist called Fredric Wertham in which he claimed that such comics corrupt America's youth. In response, the batman franchise introduced Bat-woman and Bat-girl into the Batman universe. AJ, White Jack and Black Lagoon, Kamal Rathi, Ramki, Jamie, anon, Manix and tsp got it. Well done.

10 comments:

AJ said...

Led to an allegation that Batman & Robin were gay and hence they introduced batgirl/batwoman to refute the allegation. The book is called "Seduction of the Innocent" and it claims that comic books are full of violence and sexual innuendos and hence not good for the kids.

WHITE JACK AND BLACK LAGOON said...

batman and robin in batman #84, batman came off as a homosexual.
this was one of the main observations in the book seduction of the innocent. dont know abt the storyline change. maybe thats why catwoman was introduced.

Kamal Rathi said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_in_the_Batman_franchise

Ramki said...

Controversial Batman #84 panel showing Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in bed together, spurring off gay related themes.

Jamie said...

Also the introduction of Batwoman and bat girl

Jamie said...

Bruce Wayne( Batman), Dick Grayson(robin). Comics Code Authority.

Jamie said...

A correction the book is the seduction of the innocent.

Anonymous said...

Batman and Robin; Seduction of the Innocent.

Anonymous said...

Fredric Wertham's example of homoerotica in Batman & Robin, cover of DC's Mary Marvel issue

tsp said...

Something about homosexuality in the batman franchise?