Grant Morrison Explains Realism in Comics

A fan asks Grant Morrison at Comic-Con how old Batman and Robin are, and Grant explains his take on people's perceptions on this form of fiction and how people over-analyze things.

I agree with him. People shouldn't "turn off their brains", but sometimes you need to realize that all things we read in comics are non-realistic and that's the point. We read it because it's fantasy, and the real world is boring, so don't try to ruin the very purpose these stories serve.

Batman is only real when he's drawn in ink.

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[InnerVenom123]

I disagree with how he answered. Seemed kinda off. You could say "Who cares?! They're not real!" to any question in this fashion. He didn't ask any of the "How did it get that way? How did that happen?" questions. He wasn't demanding uber-realism. He just wanted an age-range. At least, to me. Prove me wrong if I am, please.

[VsxFedora]

@InnerVenom123 no, you're right. But it was a nice rant nonetheless. Lots of writers do this at comic-con when a question reminds them of something they wanna share.

[prag]

I mildly disagree with this 'cause one of the charms of these characters especially Batman is to be able to relate to them, to be able to think that if you have enough will you can be like Batman. "Well, these characters are fiction, let's make them into whatever we want to, without even making sense of it all." That would be horrible. That is why though these characters are fiction they still have background stories and science (though bended) behind them. But I get what Grant was saying.

[VsxFedora]

@prag Yes, there ARE charms to realism, but I have to laugh at the claim that Batman is relatable. The only thing we have in common with him is the fact we don't have powers. He is obsessed, paranoid, and driven to the point of being impossible for any man to sustain the things he goes through. No man on earth could be anything like Batman, and when you think about it, he's the most unrealistic superhero of them all.

[jonahda0mega]

richard 26 they said so in last nightwing issuses againist two-face and tim is either 17 or 18and bruce is in his 40's,late 30's,and 1st robin was 11,until he became nightwing around 17 like when tim became red robin,damian the youngest robin by one year and jason is 23 or up,and barbara just old like 28 lol

[VsxFedora]

@jonahda0mega TWOMERCY just explained all that in like 20 comments below you and I don't know why people are still saying that XD listen to the video! It doesn't matter!

[FUCKOFF6605]

Wow some Nolanites have major butt hurt. Grant Morrison for the win XD

[0424ivan]

Where did you find this picture from 00:23 to 00:28

[hanshotfirst1138]

@VsxFedora Well, I think it does make Batman "relatable." Now, I'm not saying it makes him "realistic," far from it (especially when you consider that he's a billionaire, something most of us will never be), but I do think it gives Batman a more immediate repeatability than, say, a godlike being. If anything, Batman's actually hyperrealistic.

[42upupandaway]

I love this idea. And I think it's true. Even in the most realist fiction, there's certain things you can get away with and people accept because it's still fiction.

[Mercenary78]

bring back the fantasy in batman, a realistic retard in a halloween costum like bale isn''t realism at all.

[Koho7]

Does anyone have a link to the full image at 0:12?

[PanterAmetal100]

What is considered to be real is actually unreal, and what is unreal can become real within the certain period of time.

[baroh2413]

That must be one of the best answers to a stupid question i have ever heard

[J5MARLON]

Well my theory is that Myxplk and bat-mite rule the DC multiverse and just like to have fun killing and reviving the world.

[theJellyjoker]

Is it to much to ask that our fiction at least make seance in it's own continuity? His answer is basically "Fuck you, I ain't gotta explain shit!"

[Relugus]

I love Nolan's Batman movies, I think Nolan is taking his own approach. But the problem is if every comicbook film takes that approach. I enjoyed Thor and Iron Man because they stayed true to the characters and themes.

Morrison's early work on ZOIDS (in Spiderman & ZOIDS) is amazing. Like Simon Furman di with Transformers he took a toy-based comic and gave it amazing depth. Indeed, there are Nolanesque elements in Morrison's ZOIDS.