Maxine, The Animal Queen
This issue has a REALLY intense cover. The solid red is extremely eye catching and intense. And then the contrast with the black and white foreground creates such a creepy image. Animal Man looks freaky, and the wolves are badass.
Steve Pugh is starting to show his own style a bit more in this issue, easing us away from Travel Foreman, who still does the first few pages. I'm definitely really going to miss Foreman, but Pugh's doing a pretty fine job. His first few pages are stellar, with really nice layouts and a lot of intensity.
Maxine starts to exhibit some odd new powers, and begins a transition beyond 'little girl who knows too much' into 'little girl with the powers of a Goddess.' She begins to learn the art of body jumping, transferring her consciousness through The Red; reminding me of some classic moments in Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. It really shows how much more in tune with The Red Maxine is compared to her father, developing a powerset that actually mirrors Swamp Thing's.
Not a whole lot happens in this issue, because Pugh abuses large panels just a bit, but the issue does manage to end in quite a shocking cliffhanger. It's so sudden it really catches you off guard and sets up a terrifying potential for the future, along with setting up the next arc.
In Conclusion: 4/5
Some of the spark of perfection is missing with the departure of Travel Foreman, and it's hard not to hold it against the series because I understand the reasons..... but it really was a key feature of the series. Otherwise this issue just didn't do a whole lot aside from the revelations about Maxine, rehashing some of the family drama points, and the aforementioned shocking ending. You do really feel the bond in the family though, so that's powerful writing.
