Animal Man #1| Writer: Jeff Lemire | Artist: Travel Foreman & Dan Green | Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski | Letters: Jared K. Fletcher | Publisher: DC Comics | Price: $2.99 | Release Date: September 7, 2011
I finally read Animal Man #1. I often find Vertigo titles hard to read so I held off on it. The book has generated a lot of hype and many are calling it the best of The New DC 52.
The book starts with Buddy’s newspaper interview with the “The Believer”. The piece highlights his life as a superhero, stuntman and family-man. It’s a text heavy page so it might be a turn off. It’s not a critical read but it might give you more of an appreciation or understanding of the character.
We then see Buddy at home preparing dinner with his wife, Ellen. His daughter, Maxine, wants a puppy but Buddy says no because being so close to one animal for a long time might interfere with his powers. He hates that he has to disappoint her but he would rather err on the side of caution. Ellen wants to know if he is going to get paid for a movie project he is involved in. Cliff, his son, runs down stairs to tell Buddy about a man with a gun holding people hostage inside a hospital and Buddy decides it’s time for Animal Man to swing back into action.
I would not want to see Travel Forman’s art work in a Superman comic book but it is perfect for this type of story. Jeff Lemire’s script is very well written and really knows how to convey a character’s depth to the reader. Bottom line, it’s good but just not my cup of tea. I need a little more action and adventure in my comics. I do recommend Animal Man to anyone to is a fan of good writing and is looking for something different.
