Rating: 
Summary: Hey, Kids, Comics!
Review: Back in the 1960s, there was something about a minor comic book character appearing in STRANGE ADVENTURES that stuck with me long after his obscurity had become more than mere. That character was Animal Man and apparently he had a similar effect on British comics genius Grant Morrison. This book is a collection of the first nine of Animal Man's contemporary adventures under Morrison's competent pen. While Morrison's ever-present wry humor is present, there are sufficient superheroics as Animal Man and his family, a pretty bourgeois group, come to terms with life in the Eighties, super powers, and the conflict the two can create. This is a must-read and must-have for all graphic novel collections and fans of the other Brit comic masters Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman will find much to enjoy here as well. The art is also fabulous; even the superpeople look like actual human beings.
Rating:
Summary: Hey, Kids, Comics!
Review: Back in the 1960s, there was something about a minor comic book character appearing in STRANGE ADVENTURES that stuck with me long after his obscurity had become more than mere. That character was Animal Man and apparently he had a similar effect on British comics genius Grant Morrison. This book is a collection of the first nine of Animal Man's contemporary adventures under Morrison's competent pen. While Morrison's ever-present wry humor is present, there are sufficient superheroics as Animal Man and his family, a pretty bourgeois group, come to terms with life in the Eighties, super powers, and the conflict the two can create. This is a must-read and must-have for all graphic novel collections and fans of the other Brit comic masters Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman will find much to enjoy here as well. The art is also fabulous; even the superpeople look like actual human beings.
Rating:
Summary: Talk about a good start!!
Review: Before Grant Morrison was questioning reality and generally messing with the readers' sanity in THE INVISBILES he was bringing back a 60's forgotten hero: Animal Man. This was his first work for DC and let me tell ya it is GOOD!! He starts with a bang and never stops! And after you're done with it, find the other remaining issues of his run (I think it ends in #26) and hold on to your sanity cause it's going for a ride!!
Rating:
Summary: This book is excellent; it should never be out-of-print
Review: Grant Morrison is becoming more and more popular in the comics industry that many new readers of 'JLA' and 'Invisibles' like to research Morrison's previous projects. This was the first, and Morrison started out big. Animal Man has a fresh perspective of comic continuity and the 'super-hero.' Although I feel the artwork is rather poor, the writing as well as the cover art is breathtaking. This is also very 'Crisis' related if people are into Marv Wolfman. This book should always be available for the new and old fans. Why did DC make it out-of-print?!
Rating: 
Summary: Loyal Subject of the Animal Kingdom
Review: In 1988, writer Grant Morrison revived a forgotten '60s superhero for DC Comics with the help of artists Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood. After a bizarre encounter in the woods, former stunt man Buddy Baker found he was able to duplicate the abilities of any animal species through a psychic link with the "morphogenetic field" that serves as a template for all life. In this book (collecting the first 8 issues of the comeback series), the intimate rapport Animal Man shares with all Earth's creatures leads him to make a radical departure from accepted codes of superheroic conduct: he becomes an outspoken animal rights activist (and, of course, a vegetarian). In addition to dealing with super villains and alien invasions, the story line aggressively addresses the topics of vivisection, hunting and meat eating....While it dealt with all sorts of unpleasant issues, what kept this series grounded was Morrison's characterization of Buddy Baker. He was always portrayed as a human being first and a superhero second. Animal Man's constant struggle to find a balance between his convictions and his responsibilities to the world provided a sense of compelling emotional involvement.
Rating:
Summary: Loyal Subject of the Animal Kingdom
Review: In 1988, writer Grant Morrison revived a forgotten `60s superhero for DC Comics with the help of artists Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood. After a bizarre encounter in the woods, former stunt man Buddy Baker found he was able to duplicate the abilities of any animal species through a psychic link with the "morphogenetic field" that serves as a template for all life. In this book (collecting the first 8 issues of the comeback series), the intimate rapport Animal Man shares with all Earth's creatures leads him to make a radical departure from accepted codes of superheroic conduct: he becomes an outspoken animal rights activist (and, of course, a vegetarian). In addition to dealing with super villains and alien invasions, the story line aggressively addresses the topics of vivisection, hunting and meat eating....While it dealt with all sorts of unpleasant issues, what kept this series grounded was Morrison's characterization of Buddy Baker. He was always portrayed as a human being first and a superhero second. Animal Man's constant struggle to find a balance between his convictions and his responsibilities to the world provided a sense of compelling emotional involvement.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful series
Review: Once again, DC's trade paperback division (no doubt actually the primate cage at the New York Zoo) has managed to miss completely the point of this wonderful series by Grant Morrison. The first nine issues of this series do not comprise anything that even remotely resembles a coherent story, but that's what DC chose to reprint, and by god, that's what people will be reading for the next ten years. THe story becomes interesting around issue 12, and Buddy descends into a kind of meta-narrative hell that leads to one of the most startling, original, and above all, moving conclusions in the history of comics. That's in issue 26. This trade, however, reprints only the first nine. While some of them animal rights issues are downright whiny, the seeds of greatness are readily apparent in here. Issue 5 ("The Coyote Gospel") has already been rightly recognized by another reviewer as being "simply THAT GOOD." Other standouts include "The Death of the Red Mask" and a fantastic Mirror Master story, whom Morrison has found a way to slip into every mainstream title he writes. This is the beginning of the book's evolution from a peurile animal rights diatribe to a comtemplative treatise on the nature of fiction, but it is only the beginning. Be amazed, be enthralled, be frustrated.CODA: DC has done the unthinkable and, after nearly twenty years, decided to release the other two books in the series as "Origin of the Species" and "Deus ex Machina." Go buy them NOW.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful series
Review: Once again, DC's trade paperback division (no doubt actually the primate cage at the New York Zoo) has managed to miss completely the point of this wonderful series by Grant Morrison. The first nine issues of this series do not comprise anything that even remotely resembles a coherent story, but that's what DC chose to reprint, and by god, that's what people will be reading for the next ten years. THe story becomes interesting around issue 12, and Buddy descends into a kind of meta-narrative hell that leads to one of the most startling, original, and above all, moving conclusions in the history of comics. That's in issue 26. This trade, however, reprints only the first nine. While some of them animal rights issues are downright whiny, the seeds of greatness are readily apparent in here. Issue 5 ("The Coyote Gospel") has already been rightly recognized by another reviewer as being "simply THAT GOOD." Other standouts include "The Death of the Red Mask" and a fantastic Mirror Master story, whom Morrison has found a way to slip into every mainstream title he writes. This is the beginning of the book's evolution from a peurile animal rights diatribe to a comtemplative treatise on the nature of fiction, but it is only the beginning. Be amazed, be enthralled, be frustrated. CODA: DC has done the unthinkable and, after nearly twenty years, decided to release the other two books in the series as "Origin of the Species" and "Deus ex Machina." Go buy them NOW.
Rating:
Summary: Morrison Nudges The Super Hero Again
Review: The first issues of Animal Man were written with the intent of trying to sell the character as a solo series to modern readers. Grant Morrison wrote these issues as one stand alone adventure, in case the book did not get the green light for a longer run. His take on the whole confusion of life that comes with being a superhero is not unique, but it is well handled. Buddy Baker played an important role in saving the world in The Crisis event. Then he sort of put his costume away, unsure how to capitalize on his heroism. He has paid $800 for a uniform that his wife, Ellen, points out has hung unused in the closet. Life is complicated when you want to be a super powered being. You have the whole cash flow thing as well. It helps if your wife is a succesful illustrator. Buddy is frozen with ennui, unsure of himself. Then comes an epiphany to him. There is a world of pain out there when man and animal interact. Somehow, as a hero, he has to help level the playing field. His first case involves the creation of some horrifying genetic mutations and murder. A gorilla used in AIDS research has been stolen, and Animal Man answers the call for help. Of course, the poor beast is revealed to have been the victim of germ warfare experimentation. A figure from the jungles has come to America to free his beloved simian from barbaric captivity . That figure turns out to be Bwana Beast, the protector of the jungles of Africa. The story is at times fantastic, at times horrific, but always engaging and challenging. Grant Morrison has set the stage for far more fantastic and thrilling adventures to come in the subsequent collections of this series.
Rating:
Summary: Volume 1 is already world wild animal web in the making
Review: The foreword is wonderful (ah yes). The story arc is webbed and wing-propulsed in several dimensions. Follow it and you might meet with more than one animal man reflection on subject Earth as humans made it, crual, unbreathable and...surprisingly full of surprises. The Earth stays diverse, reactive, vibrant. The animals cry. White burning ink on abused, mistreated animal furry cheeks. Superhero, did you know anti-gravity power, self-healing power, and powers of all kinds might come up from the nearest live pigeon bird, from the invisible slug underneath? No need to be swallowed in a catastrophic event to get powers. No need indeed of a radioactive spider bite. The idea is awsome... That made me think that maybe communication with animals is the true power platform of animal man. Plus it seems to make life circulate the planet up and down like an animal/earthian powered star. To keep it brief, the writing is immense. The drawing and inking and lettering are top comics style. They gave me the feel of my first (treasured by a local market shop) second-hand Strange and Superman and Spiderman issues. And that also felt very very good.
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