The following article contains minor spoilers for Titans Season 4, Episode 1, "Lex Luthor," now streaming on HBO Max.
The Season 4 premiere of HBO Max's Titans has introduced a key love interest for Tim Drake (Jay Lycurgo), paying subtle tribute to a key DC writer in the process.
The first episode of Titans Season 4 marks the live-action debut of Bernard (James Scully), Tim Drake/Robin's boyfriend from the DC comic books. In the comics, Bernard's surname is Dowd. In Titans, however, it's Fitzmartin. This is a nod to comic book writer Meghan Fitzmartin, the writer who penned the story that saw Tim come out as bisexual and begin his romance with Bernard.
Meghan Fitzmartin Ushered in a New Era for Tim Drake
Created by Bill Willingham and Rick Mays, Bernard Dowd first appeared as a friend of Tim Drake's in 2003's Robin #121, as part of DC's New Earth continuity. Bernard was finally brought to Prime Earth (i.e. the current, post-Flashpoint continuity) in 2021's Batman: Urban Legends #4 as part of the "Tim Drake: Sum of Our Parts" story arc, written by the aforementioned Fitzmartin and illustrated by Belén Ortega.
Fitzmartin and Ortega's multi-issue "Sum of Our Parts" story from Urban Legends, which chronicled Tim's coming out and the early days of his relationship with Bernard, was collected in DC Pride: Tim Drake Special #1 this past June. Fitzmartin then teamed with artist Riley Rossmo Tim's new ongoing series, Tim Drake: Robin, which launched in September. Around that same time, Titans' Lycurgo voiced his excitement to depict Tim's bisexuality in live-action.
Fitzmartin's other writing credits for DC include the five-part series Dark Crisis: Young Justice, the two-part series Future State: Robin Eternal and the "March of the Penguin" story from Detective Comics #1038. She also co-wrote the 2021 DC animated film Justice Society: World War II.
Titans Season 4 Has Arrived
The fourth season of Titans premiered its first two episodes on HBO Max on Thursday, Nov. 3. "Having saved Gotham, the Titans hit the road to head back to San Francisco," an official synopsis for the new season reads. "But after a stop in Metropolis, they find themselves in the crosshairs of a supernatural cult with powers unlike anything they've faced before."
New episodes of Titans Season 4 drop Thursdays on HBO Max.
Source: HBO Max