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Animal Man by Grant Morrison 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition #2
Animal Man by Grant Morrison, Book Two
One of legendary comics writer Grant Morrison's earliest works took a forgotten, almost laughable DC Comics hero, Animal Man, and reimagined him in a stunning, postmodern series chronicling his bizarre adventures as a second-rate superhero struggling with real-life issues and moral dilemmas.
From one of the greatest storytellers of his generation, Grant Morrison's Animal Man took a forgotten DC Comics character and reimagined him in a groundbreaking, postmodern series that redefined what was possible in superhero comics.
Buddy Baker, aka. "the Man with Animal Powers," is a second-rate superhero, devoted father, and animal activist. There isn't much money in the hero game, and with a wife and kids to support, Buddy soon finds himself torn between trying to make a living through traditional super-heroics and getting more deeply involved in the questionably legal world of animal rights activism. But in today's world with real-life issues, who really needs Animal Man's protection? Is it humankind or the animals? Or is it Buddy himself?
Collects Animal Man #14-26.
From one of the greatest storytellers of his generation, Grant Morrison's Animal Man took a forgotten DC Comics character and reimagined him in a groundbreaking, postmodern series that redefined what was possible in superhero comics.
Buddy Baker, aka. "the Man with Animal Powers," is a second-rate superhero, devoted father, and animal activist. There isn't much money in the hero game, and with a wife and kids to support, Buddy soon finds himself torn between trying to make a living through traditional super-heroics and getting more deeply involved in the questionably legal world of animal rights activism. But in today's world with real-life issues, who really needs Animal Man's protection? Is it humankind or the animals? Or is it Buddy himself?
Collects Animal Man #14-26.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 2020
12 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,574 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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October 7, 2020
Animal Man by Grant Morrison is a lot of things at the same time and it's good at nearly every single one of them. The overarching story was weird and original and the single issues were full with a ton of detail I could drool over. It also served as a love letter to a long gone era of comic books nearly no one reads anymore and serves as an evaluation (for a lack of a better word) of what comics mean to us.
I just disagree with the message that in Grant Morrison's own words are preachy, mostly about his views on GreenPeace and Peta... (organisations that have some dark and brutal secrets) and by now should have proven to people they are not really a solution for these topics. But to everyone their own opinion I clearly don't share Morrison's as it's naiv and very innocent thinking on his part.
Still a very cool and strange read even though I don't agree with his opinion.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
I just disagree with the message that in Grant Morrison's own words are preachy, mostly about his views on GreenPeace and Peta... (organisations that have some dark and brutal secrets) and by now should have proven to people they are not really a solution for these topics. But to everyone their own opinion I clearly don't share Morrison's as it's naiv and very innocent thinking on his part.
Still a very cool and strange read even though I don't agree with his opinion.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
June 12, 2021
As Animal Man becomes an eco-terrorist, his life unravels and reality frays along the edges...
Here we are, the concluding volume of Grant Morrison's Animal Man run, collecting issues #14-26. It's been quite a journey over the last 26 issues.
In this volume, Animal Man learns of his true origins, the nature of reality, and the meaning of the life, the universe, and everything. Some seriously crazy stuff happens in this. Morrison does some deconstruction, using Animal Man to show the nature of comics and the super heroes that dwell within.
It gets extremely meta toward the end with Grant Morrison appearing in the story. Speaking of Morrison, did the Matrix get 75% of its material from the tail end of Animal Man plus The Invisibles? Morrison shows a deep knowledge of the DC universe, throwing deep cuts like Ultra the Multi Alien, the Inferior Five, Red Bee, the Gay Ghost, and Red Bee, among others.
Shit got really weird for a while there but Morrison had a plan the entire time, apparently. In the end, Animal Man is back where he started, ready for the next writer. I have to wonder if the editors just gave up and trusted Morrison to tie everything together at the end.
Animal Man by Grant Morrison 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book Two concludes a coherently weird voyage into the nature of comics and reality. Four out of five stars.
Here we are, the concluding volume of Grant Morrison's Animal Man run, collecting issues #14-26. It's been quite a journey over the last 26 issues.
In this volume, Animal Man learns of his true origins, the nature of reality, and the meaning of the life, the universe, and everything. Some seriously crazy stuff happens in this. Morrison does some deconstruction, using Animal Man to show the nature of comics and the super heroes that dwell within.
It gets extremely meta toward the end with Grant Morrison appearing in the story. Speaking of Morrison, did the Matrix get 75% of its material from the tail end of Animal Man plus The Invisibles? Morrison shows a deep knowledge of the DC universe, throwing deep cuts like Ultra the Multi Alien, the Inferior Five, Red Bee, the Gay Ghost, and Red Bee, among others.
Shit got really weird for a while there but Morrison had a plan the entire time, apparently. In the end, Animal Man is back where he started, ready for the next writer. I have to wonder if the editors just gave up and trusted Morrison to tie everything together at the end.
Animal Man by Grant Morrison 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book Two concludes a coherently weird voyage into the nature of comics and reality. Four out of five stars.
January 25, 2021
(Zero spoiler review for the entire series)
I am a little conflicted over this one. As a recent convert to the amazing (and recently infuriating) world of comics, as well as being a passionate ethical vegan, I couldn't believe it when I learned there was a mainstream comic by a well known and beloved author about a superhero who engages in animal activism. Whilst I am aware of, and outspoken against the pitfalls of identitarianism and where it all leads, I still couldn't believe that this comic existed. Especially as the modern left is far more concerned about making everyone a victim than actually acknowledging those actual victims in fur and feathers. But anyway, I ordered both of the deluxe hardcovers, anxiously awaiting the books to arrive. A further disclaimer, I am not much of a superhero fan. It is only recently that I have started adding a few superhero books to the collection, and I am very careful about what I choose to buy and read. It is of little surprise to anyone, that the superhero elements of Animal Man are, in my opinion, the greatest weakness of the story, and the 'animal activist' aspects of the story, when they are implemented, are its greatest strength. Morrison's run spanned 24 issues, if I am not mistaken, and there were very few stories contained within his run that straight up dealt with issues pertaining to animal rights. This was always going to be a balancing act, as Morrison himself discusses in the very meta, and very interesting final issue of his run. He stated that he felt like he was being too preachy and had nowhere to go with the character. I felt these stories were by far and away the strongest, most original and most meaningful contained within his run. When he left the animal aspects alone instead focusing on straight up superhero type stories, these were some of the most bland and uninteresting issues I have ever read. I would hazard a guess that he felt he needed to inject more content for the 'non vegetarian(vegan)' readers who just wanted animal man to punch things and save the day. There are countless other comics that tick those boxes. The very thing that made Animal Man unique seemed to be the very thing Morrison felt he was unable to fully bring to life as he would have wanted. Stories about a superhero stopping whale hunts and the ethical quandaries of vivisection were amazing to see explored through the lense of a comic book. It was just a shame Morrison either didn't feel he could, or wasn't allowed to devote more pages to this aspect of the character, as I would challenge any non-vegan who has read the run to say the more animal orientated aspects of the story, which were few and far between, were the runs strongest. And considering what passes for preachy these days. Morrisons run in the late80's early 90's is positively a mealy mouthed pushover by comparison.
Well worth checking out, although I can't help but feel it could have been so much greater if the author took the character where he seemed to really want to take him. 3.75/5
OmniBen
I am a little conflicted over this one. As a recent convert to the amazing (and recently infuriating) world of comics, as well as being a passionate ethical vegan, I couldn't believe it when I learned there was a mainstream comic by a well known and beloved author about a superhero who engages in animal activism. Whilst I am aware of, and outspoken against the pitfalls of identitarianism and where it all leads, I still couldn't believe that this comic existed. Especially as the modern left is far more concerned about making everyone a victim than actually acknowledging those actual victims in fur and feathers. But anyway, I ordered both of the deluxe hardcovers, anxiously awaiting the books to arrive. A further disclaimer, I am not much of a superhero fan. It is only recently that I have started adding a few superhero books to the collection, and I am very careful about what I choose to buy and read. It is of little surprise to anyone, that the superhero elements of Animal Man are, in my opinion, the greatest weakness of the story, and the 'animal activist' aspects of the story, when they are implemented, are its greatest strength. Morrison's run spanned 24 issues, if I am not mistaken, and there were very few stories contained within his run that straight up dealt with issues pertaining to animal rights. This was always going to be a balancing act, as Morrison himself discusses in the very meta, and very interesting final issue of his run. He stated that he felt like he was being too preachy and had nowhere to go with the character. I felt these stories were by far and away the strongest, most original and most meaningful contained within his run. When he left the animal aspects alone instead focusing on straight up superhero type stories, these were some of the most bland and uninteresting issues I have ever read. I would hazard a guess that he felt he needed to inject more content for the 'non vegetarian(vegan)' readers who just wanted animal man to punch things and save the day. There are countless other comics that tick those boxes. The very thing that made Animal Man unique seemed to be the very thing Morrison felt he was unable to fully bring to life as he would have wanted. Stories about a superhero stopping whale hunts and the ethical quandaries of vivisection were amazing to see explored through the lense of a comic book. It was just a shame Morrison either didn't feel he could, or wasn't allowed to devote more pages to this aspect of the character, as I would challenge any non-vegan who has read the run to say the more animal orientated aspects of the story, which were few and far between, were the runs strongest. And considering what passes for preachy these days. Morrisons run in the late80's early 90's is positively a mealy mouthed pushover by comparison.
Well worth checking out, although I can't help but feel it could have been so much greater if the author took the character where he seemed to really want to take him. 3.75/5
OmniBen
November 23, 2021
"I can't seem to fly. I could fly once. Now I just walk."
Pra terminar com os olhos marejados ou as bochechas salinas. Há um senso muito maior de unidade e tragédia no "Livro Dois" d'O Homem Animal, com urgências dramáticas mais angustiantes a cada volume, sem perder sua ternura, e incapaz de conter-se nos quadros tão característicos de sua linguagem. Aventuras e desventuras e andanças remoendo o irreversível da vida, o que nos leva a perambular por tais páginas - que ansiamos, que brutalizamos; um desabafo como nenhum outro.
E continuamos bem servidos...
January 25, 2021
Animal Man by Grant Morrison 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book 2
A shadowy figure had been walking around Buddy Baker's house, while he was in Africa. It's revealed later in the story who that was, but I don't want to spoil that part for you. Animal Man fights some people that have been killing dolphins, in order to stop this cruelty. After that his wife learns that a publisher is going to publish her book. To celebrate they go to Paris, were with JLE they encounter the obscure and very philosophical villain, Time Commander. Also, an agent is constantly following the Bakers family, but everything seems to go great for them. People start getting hurt in the process of saving animals, so Buddy wants to resign from being a superhero. The same day, when he returns to his house he finds a guy named James Highwater at the floor of his living room, being half drawn (yes, you read correctly). Together they go to Arizona and there, in the desert, they do some hallucinogenic drugs and they see some weird visions. In these visions Animal Man sees the pre-crisis on infinite earths Animal Man, who confronts him and is concerned about being written out of continuity. Animal Man then realises that he's just a character in a comic and he has a discussion with James about God (who in that case is the writer). When he returns home, after having acquired new information about his powers and his existence, he finds out that his wife and kids have been murdered.He gets extremely depressed (as everyone would in such a situation) and he decides to commit suicide, but he stops when he gets a phone call from the Mirror Master. With his help, he gets revenge for the death of his family, but that still doesn't make him feel any better. I'm gonna stop my plot synopsis here, because I don't wanna spoil the final issues of this amazing run, but I'm gonna say that the things that happen in the last issues are mind blowing!
This was an amazing run! The writing by Grant Morrison is truly remarkable. All the characters are very well written, but the most important aspect of this run is certainly the plot, the philosophical ideas it introduces and the way it criticizes and deconstructs comics.
First of all I wanna talk about Animal Man (or Buddy Baker). Animal Man is a very interesting character. He's very different that most other "mainstream" superheroes. He doesn't like fighting. When he encounters Time Commander, instead of trying to fight him like everyone else did, he just asks him to think about what he's doing. I find that extremely interesting and it makes me wonder "why aren't more superheroes that do that?" and the answer probably is "Because that's not visually exciting and it's actually sort of boring to most people". Another interesting thing about Animal Man is the reason why he's a superhero. Most superheroes do what they do to avoid dealing with trauma, or because they feel a lot of guilt, or because they want to protect their country, or just because they can. Animal Man fights because he wants to stop animal cruelty. This is a very real reason and I think that most of us love animals, so we can relate to this. Furthermore, Animal Man questions some things that we take for granted in comics, while we shouldn't, like characters being completely ignored after appearing one or two times in a story and bad guys never being trialled. To conclude my thoughts on Animal Man as a character, I think that (at least as he appears in this run, written by Grant Morrison) he is one of the most interesting superheroes and his actions really make you think about superheroes.
[There are some spoilers in this paragraph]
Another thing I wanna talk about is the way this comic deconstruct comics as an art form and it criticizes other comics and itself. After a while, some of the characters understand that they exist within a story. This leads to very interesting reactions. Animal Man with James Highwater discuss about the writer, while they refer to him as good and later on, James makes a very good point, when he explains that they overlive their Gods, because they live their stories again every time someone reads them. Animal Man later uses the knowledge that they are in a comic to defeat a bad guy, but then he argues that he's not really a bad guy, he's a character created to be bad, in order to entertain the readers and he has no real free will. I believe that that's something very interesting and very thought provoking. This story is generally very philosophical about comics. In the second to last issue, Animal Man visits the zone where the characters who don't get written any more live. This is a very interesting issue that really makes you wonder about these characters. Furthermore, the comic works great as a commentary on the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and the comics of the time in general. It criticizes a lot the change of the continuity. Grant Morrison is a huge fan of continuity and in the future when he wrote characters like Batman he tried to find a way to explain how characters like Joker change from time to time, without just ignoring it because it happened on a different continuity or something like that. In the last issue of the series, Animal Man encounters Grant Morrison himself and he asks him why he killed his family and he answers that he had to do it in order to sell more issues and make the comic more violent, therefore more realistic. With that, Grant Morrison criticizes very well the fact that comics at that time were getting very violent and "realistic" and they were loosing all the fun.
The comic is fantastically written. All the characters are very unique and interesting, the ideas introduced are mind blowing and the plot is captivating. The comic also has great narration, which makes it very enjoyable to read. It also doesn't have much action and while it's pretty dark and extremely meta, it has some great humor. Furthermore, the comic includes a lot of 4th wall breaking and Plato's philosophy. Lastly, once you reach the final issues of the comic you realize how well planed everything was almost from the start, which I find very impressive.
The artwork in the comic is really great. The artists really know how to draw animals beautifully. Something that while I didn't hate I didn't love either is the fact that most of the characters (especially the female ones) have very big eyes. That wasn't something bad, but it was sort of weird. My favorite part artistically was when Animal Man and James Highwater do drugs and they see some illusions and visions. The psychedelic artwork there is absolutely beautiful.
Overall, I really love this comic and I'd put it amongst my favorite superhero runs of all time. It's certainly not for everyone tho, because it's very philosophical and it doesn't have a lot of action, something that many people could find boring.
A shadowy figure had been walking around Buddy Baker's house, while he was in Africa. It's revealed later in the story who that was, but I don't want to spoil that part for you. Animal Man fights some people that have been killing dolphins, in order to stop this cruelty. After that his wife learns that a publisher is going to publish her book. To celebrate they go to Paris, were with JLE they encounter the obscure and very philosophical villain, Time Commander. Also, an agent is constantly following the Bakers family, but everything seems to go great for them. People start getting hurt in the process of saving animals, so Buddy wants to resign from being a superhero. The same day, when he returns to his house he finds a guy named James Highwater at the floor of his living room, being half drawn (yes, you read correctly). Together they go to Arizona and there, in the desert, they do some hallucinogenic drugs and they see some weird visions. In these visions Animal Man sees the pre-crisis on infinite earths Animal Man, who confronts him and is concerned about being written out of continuity. Animal Man then realises that he's just a character in a comic and he has a discussion with James about God (who in that case is the writer). When he returns home, after having acquired new information about his powers and his existence, he finds out that his wife and kids have been murdered.He gets extremely depressed (as everyone would in such a situation) and he decides to commit suicide, but he stops when he gets a phone call from the Mirror Master. With his help, he gets revenge for the death of his family, but that still doesn't make him feel any better. I'm gonna stop my plot synopsis here, because I don't wanna spoil the final issues of this amazing run, but I'm gonna say that the things that happen in the last issues are mind blowing!
This was an amazing run! The writing by Grant Morrison is truly remarkable. All the characters are very well written, but the most important aspect of this run is certainly the plot, the philosophical ideas it introduces and the way it criticizes and deconstructs comics.
First of all I wanna talk about Animal Man (or Buddy Baker). Animal Man is a very interesting character. He's very different that most other "mainstream" superheroes. He doesn't like fighting. When he encounters Time Commander, instead of trying to fight him like everyone else did, he just asks him to think about what he's doing. I find that extremely interesting and it makes me wonder "why aren't more superheroes that do that?" and the answer probably is "Because that's not visually exciting and it's actually sort of boring to most people". Another interesting thing about Animal Man is the reason why he's a superhero. Most superheroes do what they do to avoid dealing with trauma, or because they feel a lot of guilt, or because they want to protect their country, or just because they can. Animal Man fights because he wants to stop animal cruelty. This is a very real reason and I think that most of us love animals, so we can relate to this. Furthermore, Animal Man questions some things that we take for granted in comics, while we shouldn't, like characters being completely ignored after appearing one or two times in a story and bad guys never being trialled. To conclude my thoughts on Animal Man as a character, I think that (at least as he appears in this run, written by Grant Morrison) he is one of the most interesting superheroes and his actions really make you think about superheroes.
[There are some spoilers in this paragraph]
Another thing I wanna talk about is the way this comic deconstruct comics as an art form and it criticizes other comics and itself. After a while, some of the characters understand that they exist within a story. This leads to very interesting reactions. Animal Man with James Highwater discuss about the writer, while they refer to him as good and later on, James makes a very good point, when he explains that they overlive their Gods, because they live their stories again every time someone reads them. Animal Man later uses the knowledge that they are in a comic to defeat a bad guy, but then he argues that he's not really a bad guy, he's a character created to be bad, in order to entertain the readers and he has no real free will. I believe that that's something very interesting and very thought provoking. This story is generally very philosophical about comics. In the second to last issue, Animal Man visits the zone where the characters who don't get written any more live. This is a very interesting issue that really makes you wonder about these characters. Furthermore, the comic works great as a commentary on the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and the comics of the time in general. It criticizes a lot the change of the continuity. Grant Morrison is a huge fan of continuity and in the future when he wrote characters like Batman he tried to find a way to explain how characters like Joker change from time to time, without just ignoring it because it happened on a different continuity or something like that. In the last issue of the series, Animal Man encounters Grant Morrison himself and he asks him why he killed his family and he answers that he had to do it in order to sell more issues and make the comic more violent, therefore more realistic. With that, Grant Morrison criticizes very well the fact that comics at that time were getting very violent and "realistic" and they were loosing all the fun.
The comic is fantastically written. All the characters are very unique and interesting, the ideas introduced are mind blowing and the plot is captivating. The comic also has great narration, which makes it very enjoyable to read. It also doesn't have much action and while it's pretty dark and extremely meta, it has some great humor. Furthermore, the comic includes a lot of 4th wall breaking and Plato's philosophy. Lastly, once you reach the final issues of the comic you realize how well planed everything was almost from the start, which I find very impressive.
The artwork in the comic is really great. The artists really know how to draw animals beautifully. Something that while I didn't hate I didn't love either is the fact that most of the characters (especially the female ones) have very big eyes. That wasn't something bad, but it was sort of weird. My favorite part artistically was when Animal Man and James Highwater do drugs and they see some illusions and visions. The psychedelic artwork there is absolutely beautiful.
Overall, I really love this comic and I'd put it amongst my favorite superhero runs of all time. It's certainly not for everyone tho, because it's very philosophical and it doesn't have a lot of action, something that many people could find boring.
January 15, 2021
I've read this comic slowly over last year and the start of this year, and I've grown to like it more and more. I started reading Morrison's Animal Man because I wanted to read a comic that related to animal activism and explore the place of animals in the world, and in this sense, I was let down by this second book. It did cover that sort of topic for a while, but then it replaced it with something different, something that was surprisingly equally enjoyable.
I found a lot of similarities in this comic to Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg, a radically different and modern book about the lives of the Brontes and the imaginary world they made. What was similar are the questions they ask, about the place of the creator and the power of fiction. I want to say that Morrison's portrayal of the topic came across as pretentious, because (without spoiling anything) it did at times, but there was something loveable, clever, and self-aware about how he examined fiction's place and its limitations.
I'm disappointed I'm finished with this series. Buddy Baker "Animal Man" has become one of my favourite comic book characters. I know Jeff Lemire's does continue on the series, but those comics don't appeal to me, look too bloody and edgy. Part of me hopes Morrison will return to Buddy someday, and part of me is just happy with the way this series ended.
I found a lot of similarities in this comic to Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg, a radically different and modern book about the lives of the Brontes and the imaginary world they made. What was similar are the questions they ask, about the place of the creator and the power of fiction. I want to say that Morrison's portrayal of the topic came across as pretentious, because (without spoiling anything) it did at times, but there was something loveable, clever, and self-aware about how he examined fiction's place and its limitations.
I'm disappointed I'm finished with this series. Buddy Baker "Animal Man" has become one of my favourite comic book characters. I know Jeff Lemire's does continue on the series, but those comics don't appeal to me, look too bloody and edgy. Part of me hopes Morrison will return to Buddy someday, and part of me is just happy with the way this series ended.
October 9, 2023
This was absolutely mind blowing. After hearing so many good things about this series I was slightly disappointed with the first book, not to say I didn’t enjoy it but it definitely wasn’t one of the best comics of all time. After reading this though I can now understand why. This just kept on blowing me away with a moving and interesting story without completely overdoing the weirdness it was going for and this second book was some of the best work I’ve ever read, highly recommend!
August 2, 2022
Коли писав свої враження про перший делюкс серії коміксів «Людина-Тварина», то казав, що комікси зібрані в ній були дахозривними. Але в другому делюксі «Людина-Тварина» #14–24 після того, як дах був уже втрачений, Ґрант Моррісон узяв і розвалив чотири стіни, які залишилися. Тепер тільки емоції та розуміння, наскільки комікс може дивувати. У цій збірці Людина-Тварина дізнається про своє справжнє походження, природу реальності та сенс життя, всесвіту та всього іншого. Тут трапляються серйозні й божевільні речі. Також Моррісон робить деяку деконструкцію, використовуючи головного героя, щоби показати природу коміксів і супергероїв, які живуть у них.
Похмура постать ходила навколо будинку Бадді Бейкера, коли він перебував у Африці. Його донька розповіла це матері, яка не до кінця повірила дівчинці. Але коли Бадді повернувся додому, то він теж побачив цю таємничу постать. Не знаю чому, але Ґрант Моррісон вирішив створити досить таки містичний та похмурий випуск. Воно було незвично, адже він виділявся від попередніх. Але це рішення дало змогу зберегти інтригу цієї таємничої особистості досить довго та здивувати пізніше. Далі про цю сюжетну лінію не варто говорити, адже ця інформація точно зіпсує враження від прочитання. Але можу сказати — це випуск, який відразу додав вельми багато інтриги до основного сюжету, який тягнеться впродовж усіх випусків. І це чудово!
Тварина-Людина виявився дуже цікавим персонажем, який сильно відрізняється від більшості інших «мейнстрімових» супергероїв. Він не любить битися, а коли стикається з певними антагоністами, замість того, щоби товкти їм пику, як це робили всі інші, просто просить подумати про те, що вони роблять. Я вважаю це надзвичайно цікавим і таким, що змушує задуматися чому так усе відбувається.
Також автор піднімає питання жорсткого поводження із тваринами, яке важливе для нього в реальному житті. Тому і його герой, який має більше спільного із тваринами, ніж інші, бореться проти цього в цій серії коміксів. Кілька випусків на цю тему ми мали ще в першому делюксі, але в цьому — відбувається найбільша концентрація різних історій на цю тему, де найбільш чуттєвим і емоційним був комікс «Диявол і глибоке блакитне море» про бездумне й жорстоке вбивство дельфінів на щорічне свято, куди з’їжджалося багато людей для участі в цьому жаху. У давнину це відбувалося для того, щоби вижити, але зараз воно залишилося жорстокою традицією, якій не місце в цивілізованому світі. Це проймає дуже сильно.
У відгуку до першого тому я свідомо не згадував «мета» частину, яку сформував Ґрант Моррісон наприкінці збірки, а продовжив уже в другій частині рану. Тут іде мова про інопланетян, які опікуються долею Людини-Тварини та, які стали причиною того, чому Бадді Бейкер отримав свої надздібності та ще багато іншого. Хоча ці випуски мені не вельми заходили, але вони насправді є підводкою до чогось більшого, про що хотів поговорити автор зі своїми читачами через створену історію.
Цей ран деконструює комікси, як форму мистецтва, і він водночас критикує інші комікси та себе самого. Через деякий час деякі герої розуміють, що насправді перебувають в історії та не є живими створіннями. Це призводить до дуже цікавих реакцій із їхнього боку. Людина-Тварина та Джеймсом Гайвотером обговорюють сценариста, і хоча вони називають його спершу хорошим, то потім не розуміють, чому автори так жорстоко поводяться із їхніми життями. Та згодом доходять до досить незвичної й цікавої думки, що вони насправді переживають своїх богів (тобто творців), тому що вони живуть своїми історіями щоразу, коли хтось їх читає. Далі ми можемо побачити, що головний герой використовує знання про те, що він є в коміксі, щоби перемогти чергового антагоніста. А той натомість стверджує, що насправді він не поганий, він просто персонаж, створений для того, щоб бути поганим. Але це тільки крихти того, що нас чекає у фінальних випусках серії, адже там ми маємо розуміння персонажів самих себе чи яка їхня доля й місце в безперервності, яка існує у всесвіті DC (у Marvel звісно теж).
«Людина-тварина» Ґранта Моррісона — це багато крутих речей водночас, які просто ідеально пасують один одному. Хоча й, на перший погляд, певні історії ніяк не лягають у цілу картину. Загальна ж історія була дивною та оригінальною, а окремі номери були сповнені тонною деталей, які могли здивувати. Цей ран також служив таким собі листом до давно минулої епохи коміксів, яку майже ніхто більше не читає, і служить оцінкою того, що комікси означають для нас і для самих героїв у них.
Цей ран став одним з улюблених, який уже є бажання перечитати, щоби віднайти собі ті речі, які не вдалося зрозуміти чи побачити вперше. І цю серію обов’язково потрібно видавати українською мовою, бо з якого боку не глянь, вона вартує цього.
Похмура постать ходила навколо будинку Бадді Бейкера, коли він перебував у Африці. Його донька розповіла це матері, яка не до кінця повірила дівчинці. Але коли Бадді повернувся додому, то він теж побачив цю таємничу постать. Не знаю чому, але Ґрант Моррісон вирішив створити досить таки містичний та похмурий випуск. Воно було незвично, адже він виділявся від попередніх. Але це рішення дало змогу зберегти інтригу цієї таємничої особистості досить довго та здивувати пізніше. Далі про цю сюжетну лінію не варто говорити, адже ця інформація точно зіпсує враження від прочитання. Але можу сказати — це випуск, який відразу додав вельми багато інтриги до основного сюжету, який тягнеться впродовж усіх випусків. І це чудово!
Тварина-Людина виявився дуже цікавим персонажем, який сильно відрізняється від більшості інших «мейнстрімових» супергероїв. Він не любить битися, а коли стикається з певними антагоністами, замість того, щоби товкти їм пику, як це робили всі інші, просто просить подумати про те, що вони роблять. Я вважаю це надзвичайно цікавим і таким, що змушує задуматися чому так усе відбувається.
Також автор піднімає питання жорсткого поводження із тваринами, яке важливе для нього в реальному житті. Тому і його герой, який має більше спільного із тваринами, ніж інші, бореться проти цього в цій серії коміксів. Кілька випусків на цю тему ми мали ще в першому делюксі, але в цьому — відбувається найбільша концентрація різних історій на цю тему, де найбільш чуттєвим і емоційним був комікс «Диявол і глибоке блакитне море» про бездумне й жорстоке вбивство дельфінів на щорічне свято, куди з’їжджалося багато людей для участі в цьому жаху. У давнину це відбувалося для того, щоби вижити, але зараз воно залишилося жорстокою традицією, якій не місце в цивілізованому світі. Це проймає дуже сильно.
У відгуку до першого тому я свідомо не згадував «мета» частину, яку сформував Ґрант Моррісон наприкінці збірки, а продовжив уже в другій частині рану. Тут іде мова про інопланетян, які опікуються долею Людини-Тварини та, які стали причиною того, чому Бадді Бейкер отримав свої надздібності та ще багато іншого. Хоча ці випуски мені не вельми заходили, але вони насправді є підводкою до чогось більшого, про що хотів поговорити автор зі своїми читачами через створену історію.
Цей ран деконструює комікси, як форму мистецтва, і він водночас критикує інші комікси та себе самого. Через деякий час деякі герої розуміють, що насправді перебувають в історії та не є живими створіннями. Це призводить до дуже цікавих реакцій із їхнього боку. Людина-Тварина та Джеймсом Гайвотером обговорюють сценариста, і хоча вони називають його спершу хорошим, то потім не розуміють, чому автори так жорстоко поводяться із їхніми життями. Та згодом доходять до досить незвичної й цікавої думки, що вони насправді переживають своїх богів (тобто творців), тому що вони живуть своїми історіями щоразу, коли хтось їх читає. Далі ми можемо побачити, що головний герой використовує знання про те, що він є в коміксі, щоби перемогти чергового антагоніста. А той натомість стверджує, що насправді він не поганий, він просто персонаж, створений для того, щоб бути поганим. Але це тільки крихти того, що нас чекає у фінальних випусках серії, адже там ми маємо розуміння персонажів самих себе чи яка їхня доля й місце в безперервності, яка існує у всесвіті DC (у Marvel звісно теж).
«Людина-тварина» Ґранта Моррісона — це багато крутих речей водночас, які просто ідеально пасують один одному. Хоча й, на перший погляд, певні історії ніяк не лягають у цілу картину. Загальна ж історія була дивною та оригінальною, а окремі номери були сповнені тонною деталей, які могли здивувати. Цей ран також служив таким собі листом до давно минулої епохи коміксів, яку майже ніхто більше не читає, і служить оцінкою того, що комікси означають для нас і для самих героїв у них.
Цей ран став одним з улюблених, який уже є бажання перечитати, щоби віднайти собі ті речі, які не вдалося зрозуміти чи побачити вперше. І цю серію обов’язково потрібно видавати українською мовою, бо з якого боку не глянь, вона вартує цього.
August 4, 2024
Book Two of Grant Morrison's "Animal Man omnibus" collects Animalman #14-26.
Truly a brilliant comic. In the modern time frame comics tend to be either preachy leftist bullshit or stupid stories punctuated by some colorful fights, some alleged "deaths", and some deus ex machine to set the story fine. This most certainly is not the case with Grant Morrison's innovative story.
This volume's stories are not only original and innovative but also send a strong social message. His anti-animal cruelty message and his advocacy for environmentalism was ground breaking (similar to Alan Moore's "Swamp Thing"). The story "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is not only touching and poignant (since it's told from the dolphin's perspective) but points an accusing finger at imbeciles who wish to "preserve traditional culture" bullshit to cover for atrocious behavior such as the Faroe Islands awful butchering of dolphins (something that in the past was done for food but that was LONG ago).
But Morrison truly shines in the second part of this volume where Animal Man faces tremendous tragedy and begins to understand that he, and many of the fallen D.C. heroes of the Crisis, are characters in a story. Excellent breaking of the fourth wall and a very intelligent and trippy story. This is brilliant story telling and I wish modern writers would virtue signal less and pay attention to storytelling more.
Completely different and quite smart. A comic for those who appreciate that comics are a medium of story telling.
Truly a brilliant comic. In the modern time frame comics tend to be either preachy leftist bullshit or stupid stories punctuated by some colorful fights, some alleged "deaths", and some deus ex machine to set the story fine. This most certainly is not the case with Grant Morrison's innovative story.
This volume's stories are not only original and innovative but also send a strong social message. His anti-animal cruelty message and his advocacy for environmentalism was ground breaking (similar to Alan Moore's "Swamp Thing"). The story "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is not only touching and poignant (since it's told from the dolphin's perspective) but points an accusing finger at imbeciles who wish to "preserve traditional culture" bullshit to cover for atrocious behavior such as the Faroe Islands awful butchering of dolphins (something that in the past was done for food but that was LONG ago).
But Morrison truly shines in the second part of this volume where Animal Man faces tremendous tragedy and begins to understand that he, and many of the fallen D.C. heroes of the Crisis, are characters in a story. Excellent breaking of the fourth wall and a very intelligent and trippy story. This is brilliant story telling and I wish modern writers would virtue signal less and pay attention to storytelling more.
Completely different and quite smart. A comic for those who appreciate that comics are a medium of story telling.
July 3, 2021
This didn't really start to click for me until the very end. This gets a bit spoiler, but, I did start to like the book more once it got to around the final two issues. There really is a question of why reading about the suffering of other people is enjoyable to us as readers. Does the fact that Buddy isn't real make it better? Not for poor Buddy it doesn't. I'm usually not a big fan of breaking the 4th wall, but I thought this was a good idea. I like how Grant writes in that Buddy cares about the planet and animals because he does, but, if the next writer doesn't, neither will Buddy. Even the idea of just letting the cruelty of the world go by is so upsetting to Buddy he can't believe it. But, Grant just shrugs this off. Buddy will only care if the story says he needs to. Otherwise, it doesn't matter. It's a strange critic on Medium of story telling itself.
February 9, 2023
Grant Morrison ends their run on Animal Man with an unforgettable bang. They turn a C-list, nearly-forgotten hero into a meta-textual, relatable, and fully fleshed out character, breaking down the boundaries of the format and meaning of the comic medium. With an unparalleled love for and knowledge of superhero history, Morrison crafted a postmodern masterpiece, adding realistic grief, emotion, and philosophy into an industry that was so desperately in need of all those things.
September 26, 2022
Probably should have read Crisis on Infinite Earths before this series, but honestly no complaints. The pattern has been revealed to me that if I want to read one of the best things I’ve ever read I just need to read something else by Grant Morrison. This is no exception. It transcends anything I could’ve expected and is one of the most special series I’ve ever come across.
December 14, 2022
Throughout this series, I’ve pondered many different themes and ideas that I had assumed Grant Morrison was writing this series for. And with every idea, I was flooded with doubt for the reasons that they just didn’t seem to quite make sense because they seemed to make too much sense. Sometimes I felt stupid and sometimes I felt too smart for this series. However, in the end all was revealed and I was right. I was too stupid and I was too smart. Nothing made sense so everything made sense.
September 5, 2023
Incredible.
June 14, 2023
Maybe just the best fucking thing I've read in my pathetic life. Life changing. Breath taking. Heart breaking.
January 10, 2024
Absolutely phenomenal. Love seeing Grant Morrison finding a fun niche for this character. Consistently weird but the climax makes it all worth it.
December 13, 2020
I enjoyed the back half of this series more than the first. I thought it built well to the final reveal, but my biggest complaint with this, as with many Morrison epics, is that the main character isn't the one on the title; it's Grant Morrison himself. That's typically not as literal as it is here, but even here Morrison's voice and ideas really take over and the characters retreat into the background. The story is about him; the characters are just his mouthpieces. As such, I'm not sure whether to give him a pass on some of the lazy writing because he comments on its laziness and does it to prove a point. Is it lazy if you use it to show everyone how lazy it is? I don't know. Still, the story he wants to tell is a cool one and, even though it's not a revolutionary as it was 30 years ago, it's still a lot of fun to experience.
June 13, 2022
O Grant, you saw so much pain at a time when many only saw profit. This comic is good, but for me it’s all time. What Grant and Buddy wrestle with here hits close to home. What can one [Animal] Man do in the face of violence and destructive without being violent or destroying. This comic, man this comic, it hurts so good.
July 15, 2023
This run of Animal Man by Grant Morrison could really not be too much more impressive. I don't think that I have ever read a super hero story that has been more interesting and unique. And to be honest, I'm not sure I ever will again. That is just how special this story is. Animal Man went from a super hero that I never think about to one of my favorite super heroes ever after reading these. I'm already planning on reading more Animal Man and I am going to hope and pray that maybe we can get an Animal Man movie that does that guy justice at some point too. Which seems a little crazy since Animal Man joined PETA and doesn't eat meat, while I am a heavy meat eater and think that most of the things PETA puts out there are way over the top. But it doesn't matter. Because Animal Man has a reason why he does things. He is not just flippantly making decisions. And he comes across as super respectable because of that.
This particular book goes a little off the wall at the end. Gets a little crazy in breaking the 4th wall department. This is going to turn a lot of people off. But I personally really enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect, and a little navel gaze-y at times, but it made me appreciate Grant Morrison even more.
I think one of the reasons why Animal Man just oozes sincerity off the page is because Morrison sees a lot of himself in this particular character. Which in turn comes across through the pages in an even more impactful way.
I don't know what else to say without getting into spoiler territory. If you like unique super hero stories I highly recommend giving this 2 book volume a shot. Even if you don't end up enjoying it, I think you'll walk away impressed at what was done. A truly impressive run. I can't wait to read more Morrison at some point.
This particular book goes a little off the wall at the end. Gets a little crazy in breaking the 4th wall department. This is going to turn a lot of people off. But I personally really enjoyed it. It wasn't perfect, and a little navel gaze-y at times, but it made me appreciate Grant Morrison even more.
I think one of the reasons why Animal Man just oozes sincerity off the page is because Morrison sees a lot of himself in this particular character. Which in turn comes across through the pages in an even more impactful way.
I don't know what else to say without getting into spoiler territory. If you like unique super hero stories I highly recommend giving this 2 book volume a shot. Even if you don't end up enjoying it, I think you'll walk away impressed at what was done. A truly impressive run. I can't wait to read more Morrison at some point.
January 7, 2023
A- (issues 14-23)/C (issues 24-26). Through issue 23, this is a great comic for me. We start with some strange happenings – different characters have a sense of seeing Buddy, even though he’s nowhere near – and I love the way that this mystery is ultimately resolved. The emotional impact is incredible.
Then we get to issues 24-26, which I utterly despised. The ending is self-indulgent, unsatisfying nonsense. Morrison appears to be making two main points: (i) that comics is something that people create, and (ii) that the creators heartlessly put their characters through hell just for the sake of entertainment. The first point is thunderingly obvious. We all know that Buddy and the rest of the cast are fictional characters. No one thought this was a documentary. And the second point is pure sophistry. The characters are not real – they are just works of fiction – so no one is actually suffering. There’s no ethical dilemma here, it’s perfectly fine to inflict as much imaginary damage on a character as you want. So the meta-fictional commentary is idiotic.
Overall, I loved the set-up and could not have been more disappointed in the payoff.
Then we get to issues 24-26, which I utterly despised. The ending is self-indulgent, unsatisfying nonsense. Morrison appears to be making two main points: (i) that comics is something that people create, and (ii) that the creators heartlessly put their characters through hell just for the sake of entertainment. The first point is thunderingly obvious. We all know that Buddy and the rest of the cast are fictional characters. No one thought this was a documentary. And the second point is pure sophistry. The characters are not real – they are just works of fiction – so no one is actually suffering. There’s no ethical dilemma here, it’s perfectly fine to inflict as much imaginary damage on a character as you want. So the meta-fictional commentary is idiotic.
Overall, I loved the set-up and could not have been more disappointed in the payoff.
November 27, 2025
My predictions from the first book in this series were confirmed. This is the graphic novel medium, plain and simple. This is amongst the pantheon of comic masterpieces while still finding itself within the DC establishment, and this is what I believe makes it a comic writer the complete package. Writing an outstanding graphic novel is an achievement worthy of praise, certainly, but those masters such as Alan Moore and, exhibited here, Grant Morrison, can do that and create comics for DC that change the game both within their companies and for literature as a whole. Animal Man is not trying to be more than it is. It remains grounded in DC canon, with its metaphysical tendencies pertaining to the paneling of the comic itself and exploring Limbo, an already established DC location and common motif within other stories. Furthermore, its themes that ultimately tackle the relationship of artist and art remain enduringly relevant to the original theme of animal rights and the living dynamic, or the food chain. We need more comics like Animal Man out there. It’s a breezy and entertaining read that provides philosophical merit that is uncommon for comics.
April 26, 2023
I'm using the same review for both volume one and volume two of the deluxe editions.
Grant Morrison is one of my absolute favorite writers. Period. I love how they play with the medium of comic books and storytelling in an exploratory and clever way. In my view, Grant Morrison is the apex of post-modern.
This was my first time reading Animal Man. The story more than lives up to the reputation that precedes it. Absolutely incredible!
I had picked up the two deluxe editions early in the pandemic, before the omnibus reprint was announced. I figured I would be happy with the deluxe editions but now that I've read it, I'm going to upgrade as I now believe the story should be devoured in one piece, plus the omnibus has a better binding and better quality paper.
Grant Morrison is one of my absolute favorite writers. Period. I love how they play with the medium of comic books and storytelling in an exploratory and clever way. In my view, Grant Morrison is the apex of post-modern.
This was my first time reading Animal Man. The story more than lives up to the reputation that precedes it. Absolutely incredible!
I had picked up the two deluxe editions early in the pandemic, before the omnibus reprint was announced. I figured I would be happy with the deluxe editions but now that I've read it, I'm going to upgrade as I now believe the story should be devoured in one piece, plus the omnibus has a better binding and better quality paper.
May 18, 2021
A rare gem of a comic. I’m actually not the biggest fan of Grant Morrison, and find him to be more of a miss than a hit in terms of the type of comics I enjoy, and yet this is an undeniable masterpiece. His realistic, yet poetic way of storytelling seems to fit perfectly with the character of Animal Man. Unlike the first volume, this existential piece of art delves so deep into a tragic circumstance that it ends up breaking the fourth wall and becoming a sort of lesson on what comic books are and what we are. It’s powerful stuff. As a lifelong carnivore, this is the ONLY thing that has ever made me strongly consider vegetarianism. This is a MUST read/own for any comic book collector that takes their collection seriously.
January 15, 2021
The first volume of this collection began with a cool 4 part origin story (or rebirth of the abandoned character) and then veered into typical superhero fare that was mildly entertaining. In this volume, Morrison takes us on a 4th-wall breaking journey that holds a mirror to the whole genre. It is stupendously brilliant and ultimately flawed in ways that make it even more interesting. It has since this was originally published become standard fare in irony to wink at the camera like this but there is something meaningful and not just clever-by-half about the way Morrison peels back the comic hero strip. This is an important milestone in comic books and beautifully illustrated as well.
August 31, 2025
Grant Morrison takes the character of Animal man and completely reinvents him into a Deep Narrative driven character being used to push a bigger picture and story the first four issues of this start out as more of a traditional comic story with darker and more real world undertones but with issue 5 the coyote gospel we are shown what Morrison is going to be transforming this comic into, that being a meta commentary on the world and how we choose to glamorize violence and death in media and how we can choose to ignore the horrors of our world so easily when we don’t see them and so he forces us to see with this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2023
Holy shit talk about Meta, and talk about doing it RIGHT.
Most time Meta is done for jokes. and it works (See Gwenpool) However, this Meta talks about the dark take comics were taking in the 80s and how we used characters to almost torture them for our entertainment. It's a dark take on dark takes, but works so well as Buddy goes through the fucking ringer here in this volume. Losing everything and trying to get it back, it's done in such a way I can't help but love.
A 5 out of 5. Morrison's best work I read since WE3.
Most time Meta is done for jokes. and it works (See Gwenpool) However, this Meta talks about the dark take comics were taking in the 80s and how we used characters to almost torture them for our entertainment. It's a dark take on dark takes, but works so well as Buddy goes through the fucking ringer here in this volume. Losing everything and trying to get it back, it's done in such a way I can't help but love.
A 5 out of 5. Morrison's best work I read since WE3.
May 21, 2025
What’s tragic is that all this played out just on the cusp of all the comics it was sort of created to comment on. It was a culmination of everything the ‘80s thought it was accomplishing, the ultimate post-modern superhero story. And then the ‘90s happened. Actually, I suppose, it was Grant Morrison himself who eventually led them back into the classic sense of the medium, all the way to his later Batman, where all the old stories really had happened all along. So he went full-circle.
Anyway, essential reading.
Anyway, essential reading.
June 8, 2022
I can't believe that some of the content here was approved at DC comics! There's a whole issue about Animal Man doing peyote in the desert! It's nuts! I don't want to talk about the things that blew my mind, because spoilers, but I will say that I didn't have very high expectations after reading book one but then by the last two issues in book two I was completely blown away! Very meta and philosophical, don't expect a ton of action.
September 2, 2022
What a trip. This story went from silly and light hearted to dark and serious with a much deeper meaning. I'd heard a lot about how weird and meta this book is and now I finally get it. The ending is very deep and serves the purpose of breaking down comics as a medium.
This series shined through both the light and darker moments which makes it such a good read and it was easy to be hooked in and just fly through. This has been my favourite of Morrison's work so far.
This series shined through both the light and darker moments which makes it such a good read and it was easy to be hooked in and just fly through. This has been my favourite of Morrison's work so far.
February 19, 2023
I had problems with the stories in the first book, but Morrison really improves throughout this one. There's more depth and nuance here. It feels like a genuine reflection by Morrison on their concept of storytelling, which sounds hokey when I describe it like that. But really, it feels very genuine. There is a palpable pain behind it, you can tell Morrison feels conflicted by the very story they're writing as you read. It's still not the best, but it really gets there by the end.
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