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The
Pull-Box:
ShotgunReviews.com's Ongoing Comics Column
012.01.02
by Troy Brownfield
And
I Want . . . And I Need . . .
Animal Man Vol. 1
Animal Man Vol. 2: Origin of the Species
Rating:
More info: www.dcomics.com
With the X-Mas buying season upon us like a pack of wild
dingos, I thought it incumbent to drop an idea or two into
the suggestion box for all fans and their friends and families.
Typically, the work of Grant Morrison is a no-brainer to suggest.
From the Doom Patrol (criminally, only one volume is currently
available) to The Invisibles (which is like a mammoth mini-library
in its own right) to the JLA (eight outstanding collections,
if you count Earth 2 and One Million, which I do) to Marvel
Boy and the X-Men (three volumes and counting), it's also
readily found in comic shops, online stores, and chain outlets.
However,
one series that's finally receiving its collected due stands
among the best of Morrison's work. With two trades out and
a third reportedly on the way, Animal Man relates an
intelligent super-hero tale with a twist. Buddy Baker isn't
just a man of action; he's an activist. With a hero that cared
as much about the exploited animals of the world as threatened
people in jeopardy, Animal Man's point-of-view stood
in sharp contrast to much of the Reaganite vigilantism that
crept into comics in the '80s.
What's
more, Morrison wasn't even writing a regular super-hero story
to begin with. Terror creeps in at the edges, and forces quickly
become evident that threaten Buddy's family, his sanity, and
his own personal history. At turns funny, fast-paced, action-packed,
frightening, and totally engrossing, this pair of trades is
nothing less than a must-have.
Perhaps
the high point in the first volume is the much-discussed story,
"The Coyote Gospel". Evoking images of Prometheus,
Christ, and yes, the Looney Tunes, the fifth issue explored
man's inhumanity to animals, notions of sacrifice and redemption,
and the question of how saviors look to different people.
Another intriguing element was the last panel, which set up
a sprawling undercurrent to the series that won't actually
reach an apothesis for collection-readers until the third
volume. This is champion writing by a master craftsman.
Of course,
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the art. Animal Man
features the pencil and ink work of a gallery of fine creators.
Chas Truog, Doug Hazlewood, Tom Grummett, Steve Montano and
Mark McKenna all contribute in great fashion.
Even as
the character was appearing in Justice League Europe and striking
many who didn't read the book as a goofy concept, the animal-powered
hero reached his zenith under the sure hand of Morrison. Morrison
asked throught provoking questions, poked at continuity, and
stretched the boundaries of a fictional universe in new and
exciting ways. As he continues to push the limits of the super-hero
on New X-Men, don't forget to check on the pioneering
work found in these two volumes.
And did
I mention they'd make a great gift?
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. He's
runnin' with the wind, a shadow in the dust. Email Troy at
psikotyk@aol.com
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