Animal Man #26

Issue Details

Synopsis

The issue opens with some establishing shots of Morrison's home. Everything, not just the home, but the whole world seems dull and gray. Morrison again invites Animal Man inside. When Buddy asks him who he is, Morrison tells him that he is the evil master mind, the puppet master;he is Buddy's writer. Buddy asks him if he created the yellow aliens. Morrison responds that he didn't; he just rescued them from limbo. He also didn't create Animal Man or his family. He shows Buddy his computer screen and boasts that he can make Buddy do anything he wants, even forget that he was ever married. He begins to tell Buddy about an imaginary friend that he had when he was younger named Foxy, but Animal Man angrily interrupts him. Buddy rages at Morrison and calls him a murderer. He grabs the writer and throws him through the glass window; killing him.Buddy is shocked at what he's just done, but Morrison appears behind him and informs the hero that he just made him do that. He tells Buddy that he thought they needed some action at the beginning of the issue to keep people interested. He goes on to inform Buddy that he is currently in a comic book approximation of the real world. He then pulls out some Animal Man comics and shows them to him. Buddy finds the issue with his family's death and asks Morrison why he did it. The writer cavalierly tells him that the story needed drama and it's easy to go get a cheap thrill by killing characters. When Buddy points out that isn't fair, Morrison tels him about his pet cat that had to be put to sleep recently. That wasn't fair either, but he has no one to complain to. He tells Animal Man that the comic world is much simpler because there's no problem that can't be solved by an idiot in tights. Buddy notices some Doom Patrol comics and asks Morrison if he writes everything. He replies that if he did; he would never get any sleep. He then points out to Buddy that someone else writes him when he's with the Justice League. He and Buddy go for a...