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ANIMAL MAN #2

Maxine’s new abilities continue to terrify Ellen and Buddy Baker, and things take a turn for the worse as Buddy begins a startling transformation of his own that will lead him on a journey into the heart of The Red.

Meanwhile, The Hunters Three arrive on Earth and set their sights on the Baker family.

The Hunt is on as DC’s most surprising new series continues to take ANIMAL MAN in shocking new directions.

Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN

Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 29.8%

Reviews

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froggulper10/08/11NoRead Review
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chadwhitley10/06/11NoRead Review
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Avg Rating: 4.5
 
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Comments

  1. Avatar photo ghostmann says:
    October 3, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    that cover reminds me of Tetsuo at the end of Akira

    “KAAAANEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

  2. Avatar photo chadwhitley says:
    October 3, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    More Animal Man awesomeness. Stoked for Wednesday.

  3. Avatar photo misterckent says:
    October 3, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    I loved this digitally since it was sold out at my local store. Love day and date digital for that reason!!!

  4. Avatar photo yyzKyle says:
    October 3, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    The final page of the first issue was outstanding. Really top notch. I have to say though I hate these covers. They are thematically appropriate just not my taste.

  5. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    October 3, 2011 at 5:37 pm

    That is a gross cover, but I’m looking forward to whats inside.

  6. Avatar photo party says:
    October 3, 2011 at 6:23 pm

    I love everything about this series! It’s a good time to be an Animal Man fanboy.

  7. Avatar photo glwarm76 says:
    October 3, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    Amazing first issue, one of the top 5 of the New 52.

  8. Avatar photo HailScott says:
    October 3, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    I’m not into Foreman’s art. If it does not grow on me after one or two more issues, I’ll have to drop it. The only thing that has me sticking this out is the upcoming Swamp Thing ‘crossover’.

    • Avatar photo glwarm76 says:
      October 3, 2011 at 8:01 pm

      Foreman’s art is definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing. When I saw the initial preview I thought I’d be in the latter camp but after reading the issue I found Foreman’s work perfect for this title.

  9. Avatar photo CaseyJustice says:
    October 3, 2011 at 7:20 pm

    Funny. I really enjoyed issue one, but I’m not really keen to pick up issue two. This might be one of those series that’s great, juts not for me. Not monthly, at least. Maybe when the trade comes out…

  10. Avatar photo ReST says:
    October 3, 2011 at 8:27 pm

    I’m loving the insane imagery for Animal Man, psyched to pick this up Wednesday.

  11. Avatar photo Hexsas says:
    October 3, 2011 at 9:35 pm

    That cover is amazing

  12. Avatar photo jbraun says:
    October 3, 2011 at 9:40 pm

    Dinner time!

  13. Avatar photo Chemo says:
    October 4, 2011 at 1:15 am

    ANIMAL MAN #1 was awesome, can’t wait for #2!

  14. Avatar photo Sockman says:
    October 4, 2011 at 2:25 am

    I always wondered why this kind of hype couldn’t be obtained with Animal Man since Morrison’s run. I guess it just needed the horror element.

  15. Avatar photo markish says:
    October 4, 2011 at 6:43 am

    Was my POTW last week. Stoked for a further trip into this world…

  16. Avatar photo TomO says:
    October 4, 2011 at 9:21 am

    Frighteningly good cover!

  17. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    October 4, 2011 at 10:58 am

    Holy cow!! I don’t see the whole crazyness over this book?? I like Animal Man and want him to be successful however; \
    this book has me a little upset. Custome was kinda blah for me, the art sucked sorry, the story I am not sure yet. I will not give up on Buddy and the family just yet. I want them to make a big splash in this universe although; I got a bad feeling.

    Just sayin’
    K

  18. Avatar photo OttoBott says:
    October 4, 2011 at 1:29 pm

    Great series. My favorite of the 52 so far (with Swamp Thing being a close second).

  19. Avatar photo chewie810 says:
    October 5, 2011 at 11:18 am

    After reading Swamp Thing and hearing how the two will be connected I’m hoping to get a reprint of issue 1 as well as 2 today.

  20. Avatar photo keith7198 says:
    October 5, 2011 at 11:41 am

    I really hope this book picks up for me. I thought ther story fell apart in the second half of the book and Foreman’s art was pretty erratic. I want to like this book so I’m giving it another shot.

  21. Avatar photo chadwhitley says:
    October 5, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Oh, boy. Another fantastic issue of Animal Man. I can’t wait to see how Lemire and Snyder tie these two books together. This is gonna be quite a ride.

  22. Avatar photo Scruffy says:
    October 5, 2011 at 4:18 pm

    Wow. This was even better than the first issue. I really like how there’s a little bit of humor mixed in with the horror.

    • Avatar photo TurdSandwich says:
      October 5, 2011 at 6:41 pm

      Totally agree, I busted up when Ellen freaks about Buddy’s new ink, and he replies “But Cliff says they’re badass” that was great! It is such a Dad thing, to want to be cool in your kids’ eyes. I thought that was a nice touch.

  23. Smitty2013 says:
    October 5, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    Really, really good…..top notch!!

  24. Avatar photo thompsonlive says:
    October 5, 2011 at 6:37 pm

    Z…O…M…G! This book is incredible!

  25. Avatar photo thered says:
    October 5, 2011 at 6:51 pm

    i think i’m going to be a fan of this book as long as lemire is attached to it. i also hope that they keep foreman around. he’s got a very unique voice as an artist. sometimes some panels work better than others, but when it works it’s amazing. there are a lot of pages in this book that i would like to have hanging on my wall.

  26. Avatar photo treyjyert says:
    October 5, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    I loved this issue. I’m probably in the minority but I get annoyed with the daughter quite easily. Idk why I just can’t seem to like her yet, maybe in future issues I’ll learn to like her. Overall a great issue. Story: 5 Art: 4

    • Avatar photo scottsisco says:
      October 5, 2011 at 7:37 pm

      I actually love the daughter and her little kid confidence. I laughed out loud when I saw the panel where she was all of the sudden wearing the “to cool for school” shades, at night non-the-less. I’ve seen this type of behavior modeled in my nephew after he learned how to ride his bike without training wheels and play angry birds all in one day, but he’s a little less creepy. I absolutely love this book! It’s makes your skin crawl and is funny. What else could you ask for?

    • Avatar photo Sockman says:
      October 6, 2011 at 3:16 am

      @ Scottsisco I agree whole heartedly, these are the things that crack me up about my own kids. I could totally see Maxine dancing to Yo Gabba Gabba and telling me with certainty how many years it would take to fly to Jupiter. This book manages to be so human and relatable. As absurd as it sounds I feel like I know exactly how I would react to my neighbors hand turning into a chicken claw.

    • Avatar photo scottsisco says:
      October 6, 2011 at 5:34 am

      @Sockman Exactly 🙂

  27. Avatar photo scottsisco says:
    October 5, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    I love this book so much. Man, Lemire is knocking it out of the park.

  28. Avatar photo FishyBoy says:
    October 5, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    I liked this issue, I really did, but in both issue #1 and #2 there was something in each that was absolutely definitely not vegan. Since Lemire confirmed that Buddy’s household is a vegan one, in this issue… milk? Really?

    Sure it could be soy or almond and they just call it “milk” – but it jumps right off the page and takes me out of the story.

    Otherwise I’m still liking it. Travel Foreman’s rough art fits the subject and story and Lemire’s doing a great job building up a crazy story.

    • edward says:
      October 6, 2011 at 7:57 am

      you’re obviously not a vegan because your nit-picking right now

    • Avatar photo FishyBoy says:
      October 6, 2011 at 9:08 am

      I don’t know what to make of your comment, so I’ll put aside thoughts that it’s just boring old vegan snark and answer it honestly.

      I’m vegan, have been for nearly a decade, and I have a lot of vegan comic fan friends as well. Yeah, vegan comic book nerds exist, and there’s quite a few of us.

      My personal lifestyle shouldn’t matter, though.

      This is more a matter of the fact that milk, by its most common definition, is absolutely not vegan. Having a vegan character consume milk is on par with having a vegetarian character eat chicken.

      Whether or not I’m vegan really has nothing to do with it – I’d just like to get the feeling Lemire did the most basic bit of vegan research since he’s stated that Buddy and his family are all vegan.

    • Avatar photo OttoBott says:
      October 6, 2011 at 9:44 am

      I think it was snark. I took it as such and chuckled.

    • Avatar photo TurdSandwich says:
      October 6, 2011 at 11:45 am

      So, when you talk about the milk in your house do you always call it soymilk or almondmilk? I am just curious, I see your point about the Bakers not drinking “real” milk, but if soymilk is all they drink, I think it is reasonable to assume they just call it milk around the house.

    • Avatar photo FishyBoy says:
      October 6, 2011 at 11:57 am

      Yeah, I mean, that’s the theory I’m going with for now – good thinking on your part, because that’s exactly how I’m making it make sense in my mind. We call soy milk “milk” a lot of the time because my wife and I are both vegan and there’s never cow milk in the house.

      However, 2 issues so far and already 2 things jump out of the pages as “whoah, that’s not vegan but if I explain it away just right then it’s still could be possibly vegan”

      It seems like a stretch that these things keep having to be explained away when it would have been easier to use another beverage other than “milk”.

      Like I said, I really loved this issue, so don’t think I’m totally hung up on this. This book was by far my POTW and I’ll be back again and again as long as the quality keeps up – I just don’t really buy that the family’s vegan at this point.

    • edward says:
      October 6, 2011 at 2:22 pm

      you’re into vaganism, not martyrdom, right?

    • Avatar photo FishyBoy says:
      October 6, 2011 at 3:44 pm

      Your snarks would carry more weight if they weren’t riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. Just sayin’.

    • Avatar photo Firevine says:
      October 6, 2011 at 3:56 pm

      Tell it to the cleaning lady on Monday.

      But seriously, why is this a conversation?

    • edward says:
      October 6, 2011 at 11:07 pm

      you know it was a comment about your over-enthusiasm to criticize the book, it had nothing to do with being a vegan.

    • Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:
      October 6, 2011 at 11:12 pm

      It should also be noted that the inclusion of a milk carton could also have been Foreman’s choice.

    • Avatar photo kennyg says:
      October 6, 2011 at 11:44 pm

      I’m a meatatarian and I endorse this book. 5/5

    • edward says:
      October 7, 2011 at 12:24 am

      oh, for sure. the book was fantastic

    • Avatar photo FishyBoy says:
      October 7, 2011 at 9:17 am

      @edward I think I made it pretty clear how much I’m enjoying this book overall. Just pointing out inaccuracies from a vegan perspective that the average omnivore may not notice. Thanks for all the silly snark though – it was wholly unnecessary.

      @Paul I don’t have the book in front of me but I’m certain “milk” was in the text.

    • edward says:
      October 7, 2011 at 4:42 pm

      @FishBoy: and thanks for immediately going on the defensive. it really breaks down those vegan stereotypes

    • Avatar photo sitara119 says:
      October 8, 2011 at 2:38 am

      to which vegan stereotypes do you refer?

    • edward says:
      October 8, 2011 at 3:19 am

      @sitara119: the one where an individual inevitably and unfavourably frames any issue within the context of veganism while being convinced of others’ hostile views of that particular lifestyle when in reality no outside observer really cares about what they eat.

    • edward says:
      October 8, 2011 at 3:25 am

      and just to be clear, that and every other comment i have said was tongue in cheek.

  29. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    October 5, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    Simply fascinating.

  30. Avatar photo andybmcd says:
    October 5, 2011 at 8:09 pm

    Still DC’s best book bar none.

  31. Avatar photo JeffR (@JeffRReid) says:
    October 5, 2011 at 10:03 pm

    Ok. I really wasn’t planning on picking this up. My plan was to just sample a few New 52 #1s digitally before I decided to buy the inevitable trade in the spring. But dammit! I crumbled and bought this anyway. And it was soooooo good. I don’t know if I have it in me to not buy #3 and just wait.

  32. Avatar photo thejetcazet says:
    October 6, 2011 at 3:03 am

    Creepy. I loved it. What an awesome idea.

  33. Avatar photo Skyfire124 says:
    October 6, 2011 at 5:13 am

    The art definitely takes some getting used to…its not something I could have gotten into even just a couple years ago, and I sure can’t take it on MOST books as I usually prefer nice clean lines, but its working for me here… I love the characterization for nearly everyone. I’d like to see a little more out of Cliff, but thats not really what this arc is about so Im content to wait (though they need to lose Cliff’s mullet, quick).

    The story is amazing and as I stated over in Swamp Thing, I simply can’t imagine not reading both Animal Man and Swamp Thing together…I know they’re gearing up for a crossover but it feels like these two titles are just so strongly thematically tied together, that I need to read both.

  34. Avatar photo Zeppo says:
    October 6, 2011 at 7:38 am

    To me Cliff is the hero of this book. He made me laugh a few times, while everyone else is lost in the choas. The scene where Cliff puts on his hat and heads off with his spade had a great comic timing to it. Well done to Lemier and Foreman, it was a good line, and placed brilliantly in the scene.

    Buddy and Ellan are quickly becoming my favourite comics couple (they’re probably the only one left to be honest), their interaction in this was perfectly realised. Little worried that Maxine is being played a little too creepy too soon.

  35. Avatar photo Flash923 says:
    October 6, 2011 at 8:16 am

    This was a better issue than #1 it drew me in and I think I am here to stay, yeah Animal Man!! 4 out of 5 for sure almost my pick of the week for sure! There so many good books this week that it was hard for me to chose one. This was really very cool and I am impressed and a little concerned for these characters with the looming danger everywhere!! The chicken claw was cool, that fat ass deserved it!! See they have lured me in and now I am waiting after this book for the next I don’t know if I can make it.

    Just sayin’,

    K

  36. Avatar photo yyzKyle says:
    October 6, 2011 at 12:43 pm

    Gave this book a 4, I am really enjoying this. Probably not my favorite genre, but it is so well executed that I just have to get issue 3.

  37. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    October 6, 2011 at 8:29 pm

    Still not loving the art, but this issue was definitely better than last. That scene with the hippos was so disgusting and sad. I love hippos.

    Still great though. POTW for that moment alone.

  38. bigben2012 says:
    October 6, 2011 at 11:08 pm

    I really didn’t want to conform by making this my POTW. But damn it was so just a notch above Swamp Thing.

    5/5 GO ANIMAL MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  39. Avatar photo balsalm says:
    October 7, 2011 at 9:43 am

    That panel with the humans being eaten was messed up *shudders*. Great issue.

  40. Avatar photo BetaRayRyan says:
    October 7, 2011 at 10:14 am

    I know I’m the minority but I think this book is just too weird for me. I felt uncomfortable reading it. The art was unsettling…great, but unsettling. I like Lemire and I hope the book continues to do well, but I just don’t think this is for me.

  41. Avatar photo Arrrggghhh (@Arrrggghhh) says:
    October 7, 2011 at 5:14 pm

    With both Animal Man and Swamp Thing rebooted with such quality work – this really does feels like the old Grant Morrison & Alan Moore days again. By that, I mean these stories are just chilling, haunting and disturbing on so many levels – and that’s a fantastic thing.

  42. Avatar photo xrcst says:
    October 7, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    I hated the first issue, gave it a 1 star. I begin to see with this one why everyone likes it. it got up to 4 stars this week. But I hate the are so much. And didn’t like the last two pages, It just seemed really jarring and unsure what is going on

  43. Avatar photo sitara119 says:
    October 8, 2011 at 2:26 am

    i cant believe how good this is. and to think on 2 separate occasions flipped through issue 1 and rejected it cuz i hated the art at first and second glance. on the 3rd trip to the LCS, the owner convinced me take a leap of faith and just read the damn thing. i read it cover to cover and fell in love with writer and artist. they have made me a true believer. i cant believe i’m about to say this literally as well as metaphorically, but what the hell? never judge a book by its cover

  44. Avatar photo JNewcomb says:
    October 8, 2011 at 9:52 am

    “The red. We have to go in the red Daddy.” has got to be up there on the list of things you don’t want to hear your kid say.

  45. Kmanifesto says:
    October 8, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    Great follow up to issue #1. Can’t wait for issue #3!

  46. Avatar photo Anxy says:
    November 6, 2011 at 9:33 am

    Read the digital issue of this and it was great fun. I think the directional “animation” of digital comics did a great service to this comic, and it may be how I view future issues. If more DCnU comics were as edgy and fun as Animal Man, I might be impressed by the New 52.

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