EDITORIAL: What is so great about a realistic Superhero

Well its nice to see that i am not the only person who feels this way in regards to what superheroes should be. As idiotic as the Schumacher, Batman movies were i think the core stories of the movies would fit quite well in a Batman comic especially the Mr. Freeze elements which were more fantastical.

What @supersaiyanfan1 said...

Well-written characters are what people connect with. Realism is a preference of some and since the Nolan Batman movies, which do arguably the best job of presenting a complex story with interesting characters, happen to be some of the most realistic comic book movies, people associate realism with complexity and depth.

I would say relatibility and realism are two different things. Relatability is the connection people have with an idea. Realism is how close an idea is to the real world.

you clearly don't understand either of the points you're talking about.

Realism can work in two ways: making a specific element of the story work in a realistic way (meaning you think of the reasons why it happens to make it more convincing), or (what you're more likely talking about) a version of the story in a more real world setting, like Christopher Nolan's Batman films. In that case, the realism is only there because that's what the story calls for. Using Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as an example, they're realistic (i.e. no superpowered characters or mega unrealistic characters) because the story Nolan and co. wrote works best in that way. Especially in those cases, it was the crews duty to make the best film they possibly could. Not the best comic book adaptation, the best film. And the way they chose to do that was to take a more realistic approach.

As for character relatability, that is the most important element, especially in most superhero films. Again, it's not about thinking "maybe I can fly too" or anything silly like that, it's about identifying with the character in a certain way. Maybe you feel like a bit of a loner or an outsider, or maybe a nerd who's down on his or her luck. Then you pick up a comic and you see someone like Superman, who's an alien that doesn't fit in, or Spider-Man, a down on his luck nerd too. And you think, "well, maybe life's not so bad".

And even if you don't identify like that, finding some common ground and relatability makes you feel, you know? It makes you care about the character, if you see something of yourself in them, or something you aspire to be.

Escapism doesn't mean you have to delve into a world of impossibility. Because sometimes, the idea that extraordinary things can happen in our world too is it's own form of escapism. That sense of wonder and awe is something truly special. Because every time you watch a film or read a book, you're achieving escapism. You wouldn't watch a film like Taxi Driver and think "This is all well and good, but it'd be better if he could shoot lasers from his eyes" do you?
You're escaping your own life and looking into someone elses. Realistic or not, it doesn't matter as long as the story's good. And story is the most important thing in any work of fiction.