Animal Man: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"When I was young...when I was young I had an imaginary friend called Foxy. He lived in a vast underground kingdom. A utopia ruled over by peaceful and intelligent foxes. I used to signal him. My parents bought me a torch so I could signal him. [[Separated by a Common Language|Not a flashlight. We call them torches over here.]] I used to stand at the top of Angus Oval and shine my torch out towards the hills. Foxy always signaled back. That was more than twenty years ago. I've come to send a signal out into the dark. It seemed like the only thing worth doing. Are you there? Can you see me? Foxy, I came back. I didn't forget. I came back. ... The line of the hills stays dark."''|[[Grant Morrison]]}}

[[Alliterative Name|Buddy Baker]], also known as Animal Man, was one of many [[Superhero|Super Heroes]] created during [[Silver Age|the 1960s]]. He first appeared in ''Strange Adventures'' #180 (September, 1965). Created by writers France Herron and Dave Wood, and artist Carmine Infantino. The new character was about as fun and exciting as wet cardboard. He could take the abilities of any animal who was nearby and was granted this power by yellow aliens. He mainly used it to be a [[Flying Brick]], though.

[[Alliterative Name|Buddy Baker]], also known as '''Animal Man''', was one of many [[Superhero|Super Heroes]] created during [[Silver Age|the 1960s]]. He first appeared in ''Strange Adventures'' #180 (September, 1965). Created by writers France Herron and Dave Wood, and artist Carmine Infantino. The new character was about as fun and exciting as wet cardboard. He could take the abilities of any animal who was nearby and was granted this power by yellow aliens. He mainly used it to be a [[Flying Brick]], though.

Until 1988, when [[Grant Morrison]] was given the chance to write Buddy's new series. Then, Buddy became more than just your generic superhero: he started caring about animals, fighting for animal rights. There was also the drama of his family, who fully knew he was a superhero and tried to support it. And ''then'' things took a turn for the weird...

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Morrison left after issue #26, and the series continued for another sixty-odd issues, eventually coming under the [[Vertigo Comics|Vertigo]] imprint - but Morrison remains the defining run on the title. Animal Man continues to make appearances across [[The DC Universe]], including a starring role in ''[[52]]'' (co-written by Morrison).

In September of 2011 Animal Man was one of the characters receiving a series as part of the line wide [[New 52]] relaunch. The new series is written by Jeff Lemire with art from Travel Foreman, and will deal with Buddy and his family on the road trying to discover the origin of Buddy's powers as Maxine develops her own. At the same time, however, they're being hunted by the Hunters Three.

In September 2011 Animal Man was one of the characters receiving a series as part of the line wide [[New 52]] relaunch. The new series is written by Jeff Lemire with art from Travel Foreman, and will deal with Buddy and his family on the road trying to discover the origin of Buddy's powers as Maxine develops her own. At the same time, however, they're being hunted by the Hunters Three.

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** Of course, this, like many other events in the comic, is meant as a meta-commentary on the [[Dark Age]] of comics that had started a year or so after [[Crisis on Infinite Earths]].

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: At one point, during a peyote trip, {{spoiler|[http://www.asitecalledfred.com/comics101/images/2003/oct15/icanseeyou.jpg Buddy actually ''sees the reader''.]}}

** Happens again during ''52'', ~~when -- poisoned~~ and on the threshold of ~~death -- he~~ looks straight up out of the panel and tells Starfire and [[Adam Strange]] that the readers are "out there, cheering them on".

** Happens again during ''52'', when—poisoned and on the threshold of death—he looks straight up out of the panel and tells Starfire and [[Adam Strange]] that the readers are "out there, cheering them on".

* [[Broken Aesop]]: Buddy, enraged at a fisherman, drops him into the sea. He's {{spoiler|rescued by a dolphin, meaning that even though he killed many of them, they'll still save him for some reason}}.

** It does so because "Our way is different". That ''was'' the Aesop.

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** Though he claims to be doing it to get his money, he ''does'' say [[Even Evil Has Standards|he would never take such a job himself.]]

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: After Buddy's {{spoiler|wife and children are killed}}.

* [[Heroic Dolphin~~|Heroic Dolphins~~]]: One story features Animal Man saving dolphins from murderous Scandinavian townsfolk who kill them for fun. At the end, one of the dolphins saves an evil townsperson from drowning.

* [[Heroic Dolphin]]s: One story features Animal Man saving dolphins from murderous Scandinavian townsfolk who kill them for fun. At the end, one of the dolphins saves an evil townsperson from drowning.

* [[How Do I Shot Web?]]: Almost every arc involves Buddy learning something new about the way his powers work and/or struggling to control them.

* [[Justice League of America]]: Well, technically, Buddy joins [[West Coast Team|Justice League Europe]].

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[[Category:Animal Title Index]]

[[Category:Animal Man]]

[[Category:Character]]]

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