Sadly, all great things must come to an end. Animal Man, one of the true hidden gems in the DC New 52 launch, is coming to a close with issue #29. I’m going to assume it was for such non-creative reasons as sales, or DC needed to clear out room for something they felt could be more “franchise friendly.” Whatever the reason, the trials and tribulations of the Baker family have reached an abrupt halt. Thankfully, writer Jeff Lemire has been allowed to end the series on his terms and, in typical Lemire fashion, it’s not exactly a happy ending.
The battle to save The Red has ended. Finally, after twenty-eight issues, peace has come to the world of the flesh, though that peace has come at a heavy price. Everything Lemire has put Buddy Baker (Animal Man) and his family through has been an attempt to restore balance to the living universe. Swamp Thing managed it with The Green, but Baker could never quite handle it with The Red, and The Rot continued to creep back in.
I would love to say this last issue of Animal Man ties everything up with a nice bow, but that isn’t Lemire’s way. I don’t know if there are plans to continue the Buddy Baker story down the line, but Lemire leaves a lot of roads open for exploration. For instance, the fate of The Red is undecided. Having survived the onslaught, new totems are put in charge of rebuilding the realm. How they do that, or if the weakened Red can survive during the rebirth, is unknown.
Buddy’s story has an unfinished chapter as well, now that he is the avatar for The Red and has freed his daughter from the responsibility. However, Buddy has a promise to keep to the Bridgewalker, one that might get in the way of his promise to be avatar for The Red. All of those otherworldly politics are left up in the air. Finally, the Baker family. Reunited, they are still dealing with the pain of losing a son. How will that affect them going forward, and will Baker’s life as Animal Man once again get in the way? Lemire plays this last issue perfectly. There is an end to the story he wanted to tell, but enough left over to revisit the Baker’s later on.
The art for this last issue brings things full circle. Part of what made Animal Man’s initial run so striking was the art from Travel Forman. After issue #9 came Steve Pugh, who had some very big shoes to fill. Pugh did an extraordinary job through issue #23, when the reins were handed to Rafael Albuquerque for the remainder of the series. Issue #29 ends with the return of Travel Forman, as well as some very cool pencils from Lemire himself.
Animal Man was one of the strongest series in the DC arsenal. It’s a shame to see it end.
(FOR ISSUE #29 & THE ENTIRE SERIES)
