Animal ManVol 1
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Chas Truog, Tom Grummett and Doug Hazlewood
Sorry. This item is currently unavailable from Islington Libraries.
Animal ManVol 2: Origin of the Species
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Chas Truog, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood, Steve Montano, and Mark McKenna
Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/
Animal ManVol 3: Deus Ex Machina
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Chas Truog, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood, Steve Montano, and Mark McKenna
Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/
No offence to Animal Man - but when you first hear the premise - it's pretty goofy. Buddy Baker is an ordinary guy until the day he gets exploded on by an extraterrestrial spaceship - which - duh - grants him the power of animals (Eyes of the Hawk, Ears of the Wolf, Strength of the Bear, Speed of the Puma etc). Obviously he decides to wear a bright orange suit with a blue "A" on his chest and fight crime - because hey - it was the sixties and that's what people do in superhero comics. Unsurprisingly he never managed to reach the popular heights of Batman and Superman and all that lot and instead ended up as member of the "Forgotten Heroes" (who also included such has-beens as: Resurrection Man, Calvin "Cave" Carson and Congo Bill). In case you couldn't tell from that - the original creators weren't exactly aiming for subtly or philosophical deepness - just an excuse for adventures, fights and empty-headed mayhem but that all changed following DCs Crisis on Infinite Earths event (which once you get past it's epic storytelling nonsense was basically just an excuse to clean house and reboot it's titles) - when they decided to give the storytelling reins to the fresh-faced, head-full-of-hair, animal rights champion Grant Morrison. At first given a limited four issue run Morrison decided to try to bring out the human side of Animal Man and show the strange stresses and unremarked upon consequences that can result when someone with magical powers decides to put a mask and fight for what they believe is right and then with an ever-expanding readership and increased run - he started to cut loose and go down some pretty freaky tunnels (as well as the usual "animal rights" angles). The Brian Bolland cover to the second volume sums it up beautifully without the need for words but - well: this is a careful unpicking and unravelling of the underpinnings of the superhero comic - but garnished with enough mysteries and thrills to keep it away from being a dry and dull academic exercise: it's deconstruction with the juicy bits left in. There's also this small moment in the third volume with an empty chair that kind of blew my mind (watch out for it) plus "I can see you."
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Links: Blog Critics Article: A Fine Pyrrhonism; or, (Put Your) Faith in Crisis, Fourth Age of Comics Review of Animal Man #5, For The Birds Analysis, Comic Addicts Review of Vol 1 / Comic Addicts Review of Vol 2 / Comic Addicts Review of Vol 3, Fourth Age of Comics Animal Man Retrospective: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3.
Further reading: Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Promethea, The Boys, Justice League: A New Beginning.
Profiles: Grant Morrison.
All comments welcome.
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