From DC Comics, Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman, Steve Pugh, and Jeff Huet.

Animal Man was one of the few New DC titles I had no interest in.  And I admit, the classic runs of the character have thus far missed my collection.  But after numerous raves about the book I took a chance.  Verdict?  Its as good as it is fucked up.

Animal Man is trying to save his family from the plague of death and pestilence known as the Rot.  He gets his ass handed to him, the comic becomes very creepy and twisted for a few until help from an unexpected place arrives.  Animal Man’s daughter Maxine has similar powers.  Instead of being able to take the natural skills and talents of any animal and apply them to her own body like her father, Maxine can control those animals and use them to her means.  In this issue those means are coming out of the wood to devour the Rot and destroy it.

In most comics this would be the end of the story.  Not in something as envelope pushing as Animal Man though.  The animals ate the Rot, and thus they got the Rot, and anything that eats bites or nibbles on those animals will also get the Rot.  By destroying the Rot it has only been made stronger.  The Rot will spread across the world, and Animal Man knows the only thing in the universe that can help him stop this threat.  The Swamp Thing.

Well it looks like I’m buying both Swamp Thing and Animal Man now.

Its a brilliant comic.  One of the most unpredictable things I have ever read in my life.  Violent yet brilliant at the same time.  From the talking mystical cat (which I’m sure would make more sense if I had read from the beginning) to the family dynamics.  Its a fine line to write about a family who has two generations of super powers and also keep it normal at the same time.  Its surprising to see this as one of the New 52 and not in the Vertigo line.  The art is both classic super hero and original.  The writing is more about the mind than the muscles.

If you cant pick up the previous issues there is only one more issue to wait for before the inevitable 6 issue graphic novel collection.