Review: Animal Man - Origin of the Species

When the heroine Vixen is stalked by an invisible foe, she seeks out Animal Man for help in identifying this mysterious villain. This leads them on an adventure to Africa, where Animal Man learns the true origins and nature of his powers.

Animal Man: Origin of the Species collects issues 10-17 of Animal Man and Secret Origins #39, written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Chaz Truog and Tom Grummett.

Origin of the Species is notable for its shifting of Animal Man from a traditional superhero title to a self-aware piece of metafiction. Its opening arc is a classic team-up tale featuring the titular hero partnering with Vixen in order to stop an outlandish villain in his quest for power. In the process, Morrison tells and re-tells Animal Man’s origins. He draws attention to the then-recent Crisis on Infinite Earths, exploring the complications of an event that rebooted a large chunk of DC Comics’ continuity. This helps pivot the series towards self-awareness, emphasizing the fact that readers are reading a piece of comic book fiction.

There’s plenty to like about this collection, particularly due to the socially-conscious tone Morrison gives the book. In issue 13, Animal Man helps the former B’wana Beast seek out his successor. This leads them to South Africa, where apartheid has created unrest and has fostered an intense racism amongst its citizens. This issue is a scathing assessment of the mistreatment of Black South Africans while apartheid was in effect, which subsequently cycles into the creation of the character of Freedom Beast (the slightly less offensive successor of B’wana Beast). Issue 15 is especially heavy. Animal Man, in yet another team-up, partners with Dolphin in order to stop the annual dolphin hunt off the coast of the Faroe Islands. It’s an affecting read that shows how monstrous humans can be in their destruction of the natural world and is difficult to get through due to the sheer violence inflicted upon the dolphins in the story. A couple issues later, we see Animal Man struggling with the extreme behaviour exhibited by the animal rights activists he’s chosen to ally himself with. It shows the flipside of activism, particularly the way in which people can turn from heroes to extremists. There’s a fine line and Morrison smartly acknowledges this.

I applaud Morrison for his ability to tackle of a lot of different themes and for his desire to tell stories that were, at that time, atypical to the superhero genre. As a whole, Origin of the Species seems inconsistent. This is due to the fact that Morrison primarily sticks to single issue storytelling, which means he often plays fast and loose with what he wants to address at any given time. However, this is also the book’s greatest strength. It’s a breezy read and it never extends a plot longer than it needs to be. At the same time, it’s also smart and interacts with topics that are still relevant today. As a side note, I’m also appreciative of the shift in Ellen Baker’s character. Previously, I’d criticized Morrison for portraying her as a shrew. In this collection, she’s far more multi-dimensional and we’re given a greater glimpse into her role as a working mother and wife. Overall, Origin of the Species proved to be an impressive read and an excellent example of the storytelling potential of the late 1980s.

RATING: B+