Because he’s so hot right now. No, seriously, the guy languished for years and then suddenly he reappears in the DCnU 52 and he’s one of the best titles of the past year. Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman, with friends, have made Animal Man a must read title once more. That’s surely no easy feat.
I must admit, I wasn’t previously an A-Man fan – even the nickname gives me the willies. I hadn’t read any of his books and I didn’t think he could actually be that cool. But, he kind of is. He isn’t A grade and he knows it. He’s just a guy who can channel the abilities of animals around him and he thinks quick to use these. I like the simplicity of it all.
I also dig that it's now this funky horror comic. And that Buddy baker is pretty much exclively shirtless. And they kept the kid's mullet. Anyway, now I'm gushing.
If you haven’t dipped into Animal Man then think about getting in with the first trade of the Lemire/Foreman run. Then get your hands on what Grant Morrison did with him. Then enjoy yourself.
Now I just hope no one gives him the power of the human centipede.
I read the new trade just last night, so he's on my mind. I'll get to thinking now...
ReplyDeleteGot one!
ReplyDeleteAnimal Man: Call of the Wild
1) Buddy sitting on the floor of his bedroom, legs crossed, eyes shut. He is meditating.
BUDDY (CAP): Sometimes being connected to all animal life on Earth is exhausting.
2) Closer on Buddy. We can see he is concentrating hard.
BUDDY (CAP): I can feel so much emotion flowing through my mind...
BUDDY (CAP): Like how sometimes you can hear your own heartbeat, when you've been running or something...
3) Large. On Buddy, but with images appearing behind him of various animals fighting, courting, eating, fleeing, and other things animals do.
BUDDY (CAP): Fear.
BUDDY (CAP): Rage.
BUDDY (CAP): Hunger.
BUDDY (CAP): Lust.
BUDDY (CAP): LOVE.
4) Close on Buddy again, this time his face screwed up, almost like in pain.
BUDDY (CAP): But there's one species that's harder to tune out than most...
5) Extreme close-up of Buddy's eye. Full of anger.
BUDDY (CAP): MAN.
END OF PAGE.
I with you I missed the Animal Man boat first time around but now with the trade out and my local store having the rest of the issues up to date I am now in the loop and loving the series, and this page fits nicely into the world I have been reading about. I personally love panel 3 it would look amazing on the page and yours choice of words to punctuate it are spot on. My only negative is the end of panel 2 I don't know why but I don't like the or something, for me the caption works better as just Like hoe sometimes you can hear your own heartbeat when you've ben running. Just my two cents anyway mate. Great page though.
DeleteThanks! The "or something" was added in at the last second, 'cause I didn't think the script reflected Buddy as the everyman. Upon reflection, it is a tad too much.
DeletePanel 1: Animal Man, seen from the back holds Superman limp in his arms. Superman is bleeding. Maybe he's in a Superman-esque costume with the Superman insignias switched out with his Animal Man logo, maybe not. We need to see it's him, but not see his face. A collection of Justice League members stands, aghast. Robin crying.
ReplyDeleteANIMAL MAN: YES! IT'S *TRUE*! I'VE KILLED SUPERMAN -- WITH HIS OWN POWERS!
BATMAN: BUT -- BUT YOU'RE A HERO, BUDDY! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?
ANIMAL MAN: I CAN NEVER TELL YOU, BATMAN --
Panel 2: close on Buddy's face. He is forlorn and desperate. A single tear streams down his face.
ANIMAL MAN: AND YOU'D NEVER BELIEVE ME IF I COULD.
Oop, forgot the title:
DeleteAnimal Man In - The Red-K Clash!
Wow this is a big page. Huge idea and has a lot of powerful beats to it for only two panels. You have me intrigued with this one. Good stuff.
DeleteANIMAL MAN in "Just One Night"
DeleteAll CAPTIONS are BUDDY
Panel 1 - Close-up of CLIFF BAKER's face. He is happy as hell and screaming his head off. The stars are out.
CAPTION: I always wish that Cliff and I had the kind of relationship that Maxine and I have.
CAPTION: He always seems so angry at me, and maybe rightfully so.
Panel 2 - Zoom OUT. CLIFF is sitting on BUDDY's shoulders. His fists are in the air as he's still smiling and shouting. He's wearing a black t-shirt with the Skankin' Pickle(tm) logo on it. Buddy's smiling too, and they are both looking downward at the same thing.
CAPTION: I tell him I love him, but he rolls his eyes as if he's too old for the sentiments of a drippy dad.
CAPTION: I worry that I just don't know how to speak his language.
Panel 3 - Zoom OUT. We see CLIFF and BUDDY as before, but they are levitating in the nighttime air. Buddy has one fist in the air like his son, the other hand holding his ankle. Buddy's wearing a matching t-shirt and a cheshire-cat grin.
CAPTION: So I stop trying to be Dad. Act my other part.
CAPTION: Tap the morphogenetic field. Catch flight from a nearby hummingbird.
Panel 4 - From over their shoulders, looking down, we see that they are hovering over a outdoor concert. The stage scrims read "LESS THAN JAKE" and their Pez-head Kid is on either side of the stage. The band is tearing it up, and the crowd is nuts.
CAPTION: Boys' night out, and the best seat in the house.
CAPTION: And for one night, I'm my son's hero.
FIN
Hot damn this is a good page. You tap into the thing that is fantastic about the character, his complex relationships with his family. This reads with a sharp tone of honest and emotion to it which I really dig.
Deletepure joy
Delete