Animal Man by Grant Morrison — Book Three

It’s the part of the run you’ve been waiting for: Buddy Baker can see you! And Grant Morrison can talk to you, too. We’ve seen Animal Man establish his superhero cred, straighten out his origin, and become an animal-rights activist. Now, in issues #18-26 closing out Morrison’s run, the very nature of his fictional reality is at stake as our hero also deals with the ultimate personal tragedy. In this episode, we interrogate the series’ interrogation of “the realistic superhero comic,” think about the limits of cathartic violence in fiction, explore Comic Book Limbo, and ask what the relationship is between the Grant Morrison who appears in issue #26 and the Grant Morrison who wrote issue #26. Strap in for some metatextual pontification (and some laughs as always). Support the podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics