Animal Man and the New 52

Jeff Lemire's critically-acclaimed Animal Man series, part of DC's the new 52, is a bold reinterpretation of the Animal Man character that links him firmly with the supernatural/horror cohort of the new DC Universe that also includes Alec Holland/Swamp Thing (staring in Swamp Thing) and John Constantine (featured in Justice League Dark), characters newly reintroduced into the post-Flashpoint, mainstream DC Universe. In the new series, Buddy Baker (a.k.a. Animal Man) and his young daughter are presented (similar to Swamp Thing and his relationship to the Green) as aspects of the Red, a personification of animal life, and, because the girl (rather like Swamp Thing's daughter Tefe in the old DCU) is an avatar of the Red, the pair must do battle with the Rot, personification of decay, in order for her to achieve her destiny. As their connection to the Red is heightened, the pair display a variety of incredible powers, and Buddy's now manifest in grotesque warp-spams (akin perhaps to the Irish mythological figure Cuchulain) that transform him into bizarre human-animal creatures.

So far, the book is an enjoyable read, though the art is often disconcerting. The first arc, recently collected as The Hunt (a recent number one in the New York Times bestseller graphic novel list), does a fine job of introducing the main cast and their mission and, most importantly, does so without jettisoning the previous history associated with the characters. Following this story, a bridge issue leads into the next arc and prepares for an upcoming tie-in to the new Swamp Thing series.

Discussions:

Lemire Aims for Less Meta, More Family in DCnU ANIMAL MAN (8 June 2011)

BEHIND THE SCENES OF DC COMICS-THE NEW 52: THE ANIMAL MAN PROPOSAL (1 August 2011)

LEMIRE CUTS TO THE HEART OF "ANIMAL MAN" (9 Sept. 2011)

Exclusive: Writers Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire Talk 'Swamp Thing', 'Animal Man' and 'Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.' (28 Sept. 2011)

Animal Man interview with Jeff Lemire

LEMIRE'S ORIGINS OF "ANIMAL MAN," "FRANKENSTEIN" & "SWEET TOOTH" (30 Dec. 2011)

Writers Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire talk SWAMP THING and ANIMAL MAN (5 April 2012)

JEFF LEMIRE Schemes with GEOFF JOHNS On JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK (18 May 2012)