When DC Comics announced its controversial New 52 initiative back in
2011, Canadian writer Jeff Lemire was tasked with helming a new Animal Man
series. This book would become one of the most unique offerings from the
company at that time, whose everyman hero and family-centric drama proved to be
an engaging read. For 29 issues (and a 0 issue), Lemire crafted an encompassing
epic that followed the personal struggles of Animal Man as he dealt with the
Earthly invasion of the Rot and the machinations of Brother Blood.
Having previously read Grant Morrison’s Animal Man run from the ‘80s, I had become indoctrinated to the
character via a metafictional and self-aware narrative that sought to analyze
the medium of comic books. While Lemire does give the occasional nod to
Morrison’s work, he takes a different tact here. One which I feel is more
organic and more relatable. From the onset, we meet Buddy Baker on the upswing.
His adventures as Animal Man have earned him some notoriety and he’s recently
become an actor via a critically-acclaimed Indie film called Tights. Then he discovers that his
daughter Maxine has superhuman abilities and is able to commune with the animal
world. This leads to the bombshell that Buddy is in fact an agent of the Red,
an otherworldly place that links all animal life together, and that Maxine is
to be an omnipotent avatar for the Red. If that weren’t enough, Buddy must also
protect Maxine and the Red from the monstrous invaders known as the Rot. Then,
he must fend off Brother Blood when he makes a play for control of the Red.
I’m a big fan of Jeff Lemire. His Green
Arrow run was flawless and his Justice
League Dark tenure was impressive, so it’s no surprise to me that I enjoyed
Animal Man as thoroughly as I did.
With the help of artist Travel Foreman, Lemire crafts this truly unique and
distinctive world for Animal Man to operate in. Where his Green Arrow run was grounded, Animal
Man features a Guillermo Del Toro-style aesthetic and tone. It’s dark,
gritty, horrific, quirky and fantastical. However, it is also deeply rooted in
relationships and the importance of family. The Baker family is the nucleus of
Lemire’s run, which further extends to Maxine’s feline guardian Socks and the
humanoid goat Shepherd.
The cast is complex and relatable. Each member of the Baker family
feels real, like we know each one of
them in our real lives. From the phone-addicted Cliff to the spunky Maxine,
these characters are lovable in their own way. The titular hero in particular
is remarkably easy to root for and the reader no doubt finds him or herself relating
to him. He’s a flawed hero who makes mistakes, but is constantly looking out
for his family. That said, the show is constantly and consistently stolen by
Socks and Shepherd. These two are a hoot, especially Socks as this
avatar-turned-cat acts as the Luna to Maxine’s Sailor Moon. On the flipside,
there are some characters that aren’t the most likeable – specifically Buddy’s
wife Ellen. Though it’s not difficult to understand where she’s coming from,
she comes across as naïve and wholly ignorant of the reality of her daughter
possessing powers. Though she eventually comes around, her actions lead to some
painful moments for Buddy and for feelings of alienation from Maxine.
The action unfolds chapter by chapter as an epic that continues to
build on the preceding events. Much like Brian Azzarello’s run on Wonder Woman, Animal Man is best read in its entirety. The Rotworld saga that
occurs during the mid-point of the series is imaginative and offers a rather
interesting alternate future for our world, where the Rot has overtaken the Red
and the Green. The action is top-notch and the visuals alone are breathtakingly
distinct. Lemire even uses the storyline as an opportunity to bring in Black
Orchid, Constantine and Frankenstein, all characters he’d been writing in Justice League Dark and Frakenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. The
aftermath of this arc is gut-wrenching and emotional, as it deals with the loss
of a major character. Things simmer as our titular hero struggles with this
loss, but he’s then thrust into the closing conflict against Brother Blood. The
decision to bring in a classic Teen Titans villain, reinvent his motivations
and redesign his look is nothing short of brilliant.
Along with Lemire’s run on Green
Arrow, Animal Man is a must-read.
It is an engrossing series that creates a unique world around its characters. It’s
also cohesive in its tone and themes, which gives the book a sense of
completion when it concludes. Its characters and story are exceptionally
well-written, while the art is expressive and whimsically grim. Animal Man is an accessible title as
well, which makes it an easy read for newer readers to comic books.
RATING:
A-
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