Review: Animal Man Vol. 1- The Hunt

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is interesting and involves a concept that has a ton of potential. Animal Man’s status as a family man is unique and fun to see. The writing and visuals create a lot of horror that, in turn, creates a number of intense moments.

Cons: Though not a con to all, this book will definitely be too dark for some.

Overall: This book is about two things, a loving family’s reaction to the world of superheroes and a terrifying dip into a world of horror. Both concepts are incredibly entertaining and are only just being established, meaning there is still plenty of room to grow here. The actual story itself is also great and, when paired with the artwork, excels at building suspense and interest. Anyone looking for a unique superhero story, with a twist of horror, should pick this volume up.

Story

In an earlier review, we discussed a “top contender for one of the best pieces of horror to come out of DC’s New 52 relaunch.” Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt is, without a doubt, the other top contender.

In this volume, Jeff Lemire tells a terrifying story about the forces of death hunting down an innocent family. The book is filled with hideous monsters, creepy concepts, and tons of moments that are simply packed with suspense. Meanwhile, the events happening here are constantly contributing to a larger narrative that is sure to pay off down the road. This volume is not for the faint of heart but, if you like horror and deep concepts, this is a wonderful read.

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The book starts out by introducing everyone to Buddy Baker, a family man who occasionally uses his superpowers to help out his local police force. He isn’t a full-time hero and seems to take his role as a father more seriously than most anything else. This, on its own, is a fresh concept. Most comics do not focus on characters with any sort of established personal life, so it is nice to see how the world of DC Comics affects a realistic family.

It doesn’t take long though for this small stakes hero to get wrapped up into a much larger drama. Animal Man and his daughter, Maxine, come into direct conflict with “the Rot”, which is essentially some sort of collective consciousness consisting only of death. They become embroiled in this conflict because they share a connection to “the Red,” which is the life web that connects all animal life on Earth. These are deep concepts that have plenty of potential for exploration in the future and are already proving themselves to be interesting.

While all of this is fun and compelling, the real highlight of The Hunt is the way horror is utilized. The entire story is filled with monstrous beings set on killing all life, which is a scary enough concept to begin with. However, Lemire takes this further and has the Rot physically inhabit the bodies of people they kill. It is a grotesque spectacle that is sure to elicit the chills that fans of horror enjoy.

These chilling creatures don’t just exist for a few simple scares though, as they also provide the perfect fuel for tense situations. For example, in one scene, Animal Man’s wife and son go on a car ride with a monster because they believe him to be a friendly police officer. The entire time they are with the monster is nerve-racking, since you never know if or when he will decide to kill them. Situations like this amplify horror and use it to create all sorts of tension.

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Art

In a book about beings made from rot and bizarre animal powers, visuals are incredibly important. Travel Foreman uses a minimalist style to beautifully and effectively convey these concepts. His depictions of the Baker family look nice and feel like something readers can connect to. Meanwhile, the horrifying monsters, that also inhabit this book, clash with its otherwise peaceful nature and add additional creepiness from the contrast alone. Foreman’s visuals are downright disgusting at times, yet this is exactly what the story calls for, making his work perfect for telling Animal Man’s tale of survival.

Continuity

Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt starts the Animal Man New 52 series. This series uses elements from previous Animal Man comics to establish a premise but does not reference specific stories. A cursory knowledge of Animal Man’s past will be helpful in reading this volume but is not necessary.

The story here continues in Animal Man Vol. 2: Animal vs. Man (Review).