So up to this point, I think I’ve been fairly clear about how I feel about Lemire and Foreman’s Animal Man. It happens to be probably my favourite of the New52, along with Wonder Woman and Swamp Thing. Well, for #3, Lemire and Foreman brought their game faces. And by faces, I mean creepy things with no faces at all.

<SPOILERS—Sorry, but the reveal in this issue is crucial, so if you care, stop reading>

What I’m referring to are the Totems, the former avatars of the Red - many without faces -through whom Buddy actually got his powers (slight retcon) and that Maxine, not Buddy, is the true next Avatar of the Red. Up until this issue, everyone had a basic consensus that Animal and Red equaled Swamp Thing and the Green; to see that put on its head is just fantastic. 

And aside from the reveal, I feel like so much more happened in general. While Maxine and Buddy are in the Red, two of the Three Hunters go after them there, and Buddy seems to get an extra power set of looking similar to whatever animal he takes the powers of—whether this is because they are in the Red or not is left to be seen. Back on the home front, Cliff and Ellen are similarly attacked and are now on the run. This looks like a set up for multiple parallel storylines between the two parts of the Baker family for a little while, giving Lemire some extra leg-room for a more literary approach, perhaps. 

Now, no review of this issue should go without mentioning the level of creepy that is elevating with every issue. While Animal Man is certainly earning its place as part of the ‘Dark’ family of DC books, it certainly isn’t the creepiest book that came out that week. With only one fairly calm death and almost comical body-snatching (re: ala Egger from Men in Black), its creepy factor is coming from Foreman’s fantastically surreal art. And intestine tentacles.

As for Travel Foreman, I have no idea how this guy is going to top himself. The sheer amount of non-violent viscera in this book is staggering, to the point that it is abstract in its portrayal - in truth, it’s some weird shit. Couple that with great Hunter and Totem models, and you have the space for some eventually-iconic interpretations of things in the DCU. And the lovely colourist, Lovern Kindzierski, gives the ability for the human brain to even begin to comprehend what Foreman is putting down. I mean that in the nicest, most effusive way possible.

TL;DR

Friggin amazing, as usual. 

WK

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