Buddy Baker, Animal Man, is the rare superhero who is married with children and trying to balance both aspects of their life. Unfortunately, his movie career, role as an animal rights activist and his plans to play the role of father full time have to take a back seat when a new evil comes into the world, threatening to destroy all life.
Animal Man Volume 1: The Hunt
Animal Man issues 1-6
by Jeff Lemire & Travel Foreman
DC Comics
May 2012
It starts with Baker's daughter, Maxine, manifesting unusual powers that are similar to his, but different enough to spook him. When he finds her in the yard playing with dead animals because she wanted a pet things start to unravel. Then in the course of helping the authorities with a hostage situation, Baker starts to manifest some of these unusable powers as well leading him on a journey into the Red where he finds the ultimate manifestation of death and "Rot incarnate."
Struggling to save his family, and especially his daughter, from The Rot, he finds that he isn't powerful enough leaving readers with a cliff hanger that interested readers can only resolve by continuing the story in the regular comic in episode 7 and going forward.
The only completely new character in DC's New 52 (DC's relaunch of their entire comic line in November 2011), Animal Man is nothing like the normal characters found in the DC superhero universe. He is much more akin to DC's former Vertigo imprint and without that imprint there may be the misunderstanding that this comic is for general readers. Animal Man is a comic for more mature readers who are also fans of horror. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
I found that the horror aspects of the world weren't compelling enough for me to continue the story after this graphic novel I did find some parts worth salvaging. For example, book starts with a "reprint" of an interview done with Baker and a magazine where he discusses transitioning from superhero to activist and actor which was a fascinating read since so few comic stories engage the characters in the story as more than simply tights-wearing anarchist super-powered policemen. Seeing a character mature and consider what happens next was refreshing. Also, there was a section where Baker's son was watching his father's upcoming movie on his tablet. When he is caught watching a show he lies and says he was watching "a movie." This is another example of the maturity of writing in these stories where the characters reflect true emotional realism fleshing them out and making the story come alive.
Unfortunately, those were the only sections I enjoyed. I'm not a fan of horror and I didn't enjoy the Red vs. Rot storyline. If you are a fan of horror then this is one of the better written books in the new DC line of comic books. If you are like me, though, then go with the new Justice League, Green Lantern or Batman (Court of Owls) relaunches.
