Animal Man Forum

1 What comic is it where he gains new powers?

2 Why was he in Vertigo comics?

Posted 7 months, 1 week ago

Copy says:

"1 What comic is it where he gains new powers? 2 Why was he in Vertigo comics?"

No idea. Ask Nighthunter though, He seems to be a big DC Fanboy.

Posted 7 months, 1 week ago

I don't know tons about Animal Man. In 52

he dies and is reborn. He was able to call upon the powers of a Sun-Eater.

As for Vertigo, they just did some more darker/mature stories.

Not sure if that answers your questions.

Posted 7 months, 1 week ago

His powers were reinvented the first time in the Grant Morrison run of Animal Man. In the process it established what is now the standard MO at DC and to a lesser extent at Marvel, especially for the UK imports- allow them to take over a lesser character or an ailing main character (Aquaman is ripe for the treatment; Swamp Thing got it courtesy of Alan Moore, Animal Man had Morrison, a similar thing happened to Starman of course).

The reinvention was a rethinking of the implications of his original powers, which were typical fluffy Silver Age fare, and not particularly entertaining to a lot of people. The Red is the morphogenetic encoding of the universe, the blueprint for the energy matrix to wrap around matter and confer specific powers and abilities on each living animal. This makes Animal Man a cosmic level superbeing when written correctly, almost like Doctor Strange being a Sorceror/-er Supreme in the sense that like Strange, Animal Man could "invoke" any conceivable power albeit as long as a living creature possessed it.

Add to this Morrison's scientific ignorance and typically ill-conceived left wing politics and you have the adolescent power fantasy and preachfest that was Animal Man.

From there it was a short leap to mainstream fame and glory during the camp as a row of tents "now legendary" (to whom?) JLI JLE period.

Killing him and having him be reborn in 52 is just a quick and dirty piece of story surgery to reset the Morrison subversive literary elements into something more recognisably heroic and digestible for the Pornface Era of comics in which we find ourselves.

Posted 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Animal Man First appeared during Strange Adventures 180 - Which was his Origin Issue - He turned Vertigo when just shortly after Peter Milligan left the book because of the mature content of the next few writers, much of which was unfortuntaly retconned during 52, which was a shame in my eyes, it really developed Buddy, Ellen, Cliff and Maxine, as well as adding in new supportive cast members and transformations for Animal Man - Though Morrison Era was still a good era; despite it being a "preachfest".

I do have a very complete history of Animal Man, complete with Tangential appearences in other comics, but im slightly dubious about putting it up here in case it gets completely ripped to shreds!

Posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago