Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsMorrison Finding His Stride, Animal Man Not So Much
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2019
Grant Morrison can be somewhat polarizing, and I don't think all his works are created equal. However, to me, his run on Animal Man is one of his best (second maybe to Doom Patrol). You can almost see his metatextual/reality-focused style developing over the run as he finds his stride. And this first volume in particular has some great self-contained issues, like "The Coyote Gospel" and "The Death of the Red Mask," that tell interesting stories that will stick with you.
The problem, though, is that while this is good Morrison, it's just okay Animal Man. Buddy is ostensibly the focus of the series, but many times he seems secondary to whatever writing device, new character, or other experimental idea Morrison wants to test out. Which is a pity, because there are glimpses of real heart and character in Buddy, but they don't get as much focus as they do in say, Lemire's New 52 Animal Man run. While Animal Man does have an arc, involving issues with his powers, and working to join the Justice League, they feel like more of a chore for Morrison to address until he can jump back into the next weird story idea he wants to tinker with. All in all, it's still a great run I recommend to DC/Vertigo fans, but I think people really come to this for the Morrison, not the Animal Man.
