DC Comics May Sue Over Gay Batman

DC Comics is threatening legal action against a New York art gallery that's showing paintings of Batman and Robin kissing and embracing.

The Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts gallery was told it would face legal action unless it removed watercolors of the superhero by artist Mark Chamberlain.

Mark Chamberlain's watercolors at the Kathleen Cullen Fine Arts Gallery depict the dynamic duo in a number of homoerotic poses and posing in various stages of undress, the New York Post reported Saturday.

"DC Comics wants me to hand over all unsold work," said Ms Cullen.

Arts website Artnet was also told to remove the series of semi-naked images of Batman and Robin from its website. DC Comics was unavailable to comment.

Artist Chamberlain's works have been exhibited in numerous Manhattan galleries since 1991, with collections entitled Neo-Erotic and Gender Tennis among others.

Two years ago an artwork featuring Kylie Minogue's bottom was pulled from the Royal Academy's summer show after the singer's lawyers complained.