Look, we all know Batman‘s a certified badass. Dude goes toe-to-toe with crazies like the Joker and Bane on the regular, but there’s one line he never crosses: the kill line. Recently, director Zack Snyder got folks riled up defending his “murderous Batman” in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Now, legendary comic writer Grant Morrison is throwing some serious shade Snyder’s way, saying a killin’ Batman would be basically no different from the Joker himself. Whoa, plot twist!
Snyder Said Bats Should Be More Ruthless, Morrison Says Nah
So, here’s the deal. Snyder basically said his brutal Batman was a more realistic take on the character. Morrison, however, is arguing that the whole “no-kill” thing is way more than just a rule Batman follows. According to Morrison, in his newsletter Xanaduum (via ScreenRant), it’s baked into Batman’s whole messed-up psyche. Basically, watching his parents get iced as a kid kinda messed Bruce Wayne up for life, and refusing to kill is part of how he deals. Morrison calls it Batman’s “magnificent, horrendous, childlike psychosis.” Deep stuff, right?
Here’s another way to look at it: Batman throws down with bad guys all night, but he never becomes one himself. Why? Because he doesn’t kill. It’s that simple (well, kinda simple). If Bats started offing folks, he’d be no better than the very criminals he puts away. Morrison says that line Batman draws is what separates him from the Jokers and Two-Faces of the world. Cross it, and Bruce becomes everything he swore to fight against.
This is where things get interesting. Morrison says Batman’s no-kill rule is a choice, a personal code of honor that keeps him on the straight and narrow. Snyder, on the other hand, seems to see it as a limitation, a rule that can be broken. He even said in an interview, “You’re making your God irrelevant” when referring to people who think Batman shouldn’t kill. Harsh, bro.
Choice vs. Can’t Kill: Big Difference
Morrison argues that Snyder misses the point. For Batman, it’s not about “can’t kill” – it’s about “won’t kill.” It’s a moral code, not a rule some cop gave him. And sure, there have been times when Batman’s gotten pushed to the edge, moments where he almost crosses that line. But those moments are what make him such a compelling character. They show his struggle, his dedication to his code, even when things get messy.
The occasional slip-up actually makes Batman more human. It reminds us that Bruce Wayne, under the cowl, is just a dude trying to do the right thing after a terrible tragedy. And by making the no-kill rule a choice, rather than a rule, as Morrison argues, Batman becomes way more interesting. He becomes a hero constantly striving to be better, a hero who can be deconstructed and reexamined, unlike Snyder’s more brutal interpretation.
So, who do you agree with? Is a killin’ Batman a better Batman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Source: ComicBook.com
