Review: Justice League United - The Infinitus Saga

With the galaxy in turmoil as a result of the menace known as Infinitus, the Legion of Super-Heroes travel 100 years into the past in order to prevent him from ever coming into being. There’s just one thing standing in their way – the newly formed Justice League led by Martian Manhunter. He and his teammates are unwilling to accept that an innocent life should be snuffed out due to the possibility of it turning evil later on. Thus begins a battle of wills between the Martian hero and the Legion’s Brainiac 5.

Justice League United Volume 2: The Infinitus Saga collects Justice League United #6-10, Justice League United Annual #1, Justice League United: Futures End #1 and Justice League: Futures End #1. It is written by Jeff Lemire, with art by Jay Leisten and Neil Edwards.

As a whole Justice League United has all the right components to be a successful book. It’s colourful, action-packed, and full of punchy dialogue. It also has arguably the most creative line-up for a Justice League splinter team Post-Flashpoint. From DC Comics’ beloved archer Green Arrow to the new heroine on the block Equinox, the roster is really unique. Of course, it certainly helps that writer Jeff Lemire develops tangible relationships between the characters. Animal Man and Stargirl act like siblings, while the latter forms a father-daughter type of bond with Martian Manhunter. There’s also a slight banter that exists between Green Arrow and Animal Man (unsurprising given the fact that Lemire has written both of their solo series).

The scale of The Infinitus Saga is grand enough to give this book a sense of gravitas. In other words, the events feel like they have substance and consequences. The Justice League aren’t just saving a city or even Earth, they’re saving the universe and the future. I can really appreciate this as too many comics these days get caught up in trying to be trendy or cute or funny to really give its protagonists a conflict that highlights their importance as heroes. Here, our protagonists duke it out on Earth and in space, as they battle against the Legion, Byth and (eventually) Infinitus. The conflict is very real and the stakes are high.

Where The Infinitus Saga falters is in its massive over-sized cast, which is largely due to the presence of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Now, I’m actually a fan of the Legion and think that as a whole they’re a fascinating section of the DC Universe. However, there are so many of them that Lemire himself has to write in jokes to acknowledge this. Their presence in the narrative clutters the flow and distracts from the main characters, which is a shame since the protagonists are truly worthy of further development. My biggest issue, and this is not directly solely at Lemire but at Legion stories in general, is that the Legion of Super-Heroes all too often seem like an amorphous blob of colourful heroes who are defined exclusively by their powers.  Because there are so many of them, there’s literally no way of distinguishing their personalities and developing them equally or even in a hierarchy. In The Infinitus Saga, Brainiac 5 is clearly the star. He’s the most fleshed out member of his team and has a distinct personality. Dream Girl and Wildfire are also given opportunities to shine. Other characters have moments (particularly showing off their powers), but this book will leave those unfamiliar with the Legion lost when it comes to understanding who these characters are.

At its core, Justice League United: The Infinitus Saga is a great sci fi adventure featuring a team-up between a rookie team of fan-favourites and the Legion of Super-Heroes. There’s tons of great action and funny dialogue to keep any reader engaged. This collection has its shortcomings, but it has heart. I can appreciate what Lemire was doing with this book, especially since it captures the optimism, spirit and overall do-right attitude necessary for any incarnation of the Justice League. It’s a solid effort that’s worth a read.

RATING: B

Review: Animal Man by Jeff Lemire

When DC Comics announced its controversial New 52 initiative back in 2011, Canadian writer Jeff Lemire was tasked with helming a new Animal Man series. This book would become one of the most unique offerings from the company at that time, whose everyman hero and family-centric drama proved to be an engaging read. For 29 issues (and a 0 issue), Lemire crafted an encompassing epic that followed the personal struggles of Animal Man as he dealt with the Earthly invasion of the Rot and the machinations of Brother Blood.

Having previously read Grant Morrison’s Animal Man run from the ‘80s, I had become indoctrinated to the character via a metafictional and self-aware narrative that sought to analyze the medium of comic books. While Lemire does give the occasional nod to Morrison’s work, he takes a different tact here. One which I feel is more organic and more relatable. From the onset, we meet Buddy Baker on the upswing. His adventures as Animal Man have earned him some notoriety and he’s recently become an actor via a critically-acclaimed Indie film called Tights. Then he discovers that his daughter Maxine has superhuman abilities and is able to commune with the animal world. This leads to the bombshell that Buddy is in fact an agent of the Red, an otherworldly place that links all animal life together, and that Maxine is to be an omnipotent avatar for the Red. If that weren’t enough, Buddy must also protect Maxine and the Red from the monstrous invaders known as the Rot. Then, he must fend off Brother Blood when he makes a play for control of the Red.

I’m a big fan of Jeff Lemire. His Green Arrow run was flawless and his Justice League Dark tenure was impressive, so it’s no surprise to me that I enjoyed Animal Man as thoroughly as I did. With the help of artist Travel Foreman, Lemire crafts this truly unique and distinctive world for Animal Man to operate in. Where his Green Arrow run was grounded, Animal Man features a Guillermo Del Toro-style aesthetic and tone. It’s dark, gritty, horrific, quirky and fantastical. However, it is also deeply rooted in relationships and the importance of family. The Baker family is the nucleus of Lemire’s run, which further extends to Maxine’s feline guardian Socks and the humanoid goat Shepherd.

The cast is complex and relatable. Each member of the Baker family feels real, like we know each one of them in our real lives. From the phone-addicted Cliff to the spunky Maxine, these characters are lovable in their own way. The titular hero in particular is remarkably easy to root for and the reader no doubt finds him or herself relating to him. He’s a flawed hero who makes mistakes, but is constantly looking out for his family. That said, the show is constantly and consistently stolen by Socks and Shepherd. These two are a hoot, especially Socks as this avatar-turned-cat acts as the Luna to Maxine’s Sailor Moon. On the flipside, there are some characters that aren’t the most likeable – specifically Buddy’s wife Ellen. Though it’s not difficult to understand where she’s coming from, she comes across as naïve and wholly ignorant of the reality of her daughter possessing powers. Though she eventually comes around, her actions lead to some painful moments for Buddy and for feelings of alienation from Maxine.

The action unfolds chapter by chapter as an epic that continues to build on the preceding events. Much like Brian Azzarello’s run on Wonder Woman, Animal Man is best read in its entirety. The Rotworld saga that occurs during the mid-point of the series is imaginative and offers a rather interesting alternate future for our world, where the Rot has overtaken the Red and the Green. The action is top-notch and the visuals alone are breathtakingly distinct. Lemire even uses the storyline as an opportunity to bring in Black Orchid, Constantine and Frankenstein, all characters he’d been writing in Justice League Dark and Frakenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. The aftermath of this arc is gut-wrenching and emotional, as it deals with the loss of a major character. Things simmer as our titular hero struggles with this loss, but he’s then thrust into the closing conflict against Brother Blood. The decision to bring in a classic Teen Titans villain, reinvent his motivations and redesign his look is nothing short of brilliant.

Along with Lemire’s run on Green Arrow, Animal Man is a must-read. It is an engrossing series that creates a unique world around its characters. It’s also cohesive in its tone and themes, which gives the book a sense of completion when it concludes. Its characters and story are exceptionally well-written, while the art is expressive and whimsically grim. Animal Man is an accessible title as well, which makes it an easy read for newer readers to comic books.

RATING: A-

Review: Animal Man - Deus Ex Machina

When a terrible tragedy befalls his family, an angry Animal Man embarks on a journey to exact revenge on those responsible. Along the way he makes a terrifying discovery about himself – that he is a fictional character living in a comic book series.

Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina collects Animal Man issues 18-26, written by Grant Morrison.

Deus Ex Machina serves as the final bow in Grant Morrison’s tenure on Animal Man, becoming a culmination of all of the themes and concepts Morrison had touched upon in preceding issues. While it may have started out as a traditional superhero book, Animal Man abandons all pretenses and becomes the ultimate in all things Meta. As such, there’s a heck of a lot of dialogue regarding the nature of comic fiction and the complications of writing for a serial medium. This includes engaging with discussions regarding what happens to characters between panels, how large scale events affect continuity, and the reality of what happens when characters are not being used by a writer.

One of the most poignant sequences in this collection features Animal Man venturing into limbo, where he encounters comic book characters that have been discarded by their writers. It’s a humanistic approach to storytelling that gets readers to think about the medium of fiction. When a character is not currently being used by a writer, where do they go? Well, they remain in a kind of hypothetical limbo until someone deems them worthy. A similar series of events take place prior to this, where we see the many characters written out of continuity due to Crisis on Infinite Earths. There’s a sense of lamentation towards the Crisis and the loss that happens when change occurs.

The ultimate issue collected here, issue 26, features Animal Man coming face to face with his writer. Grant Morrison’s insertion into the narrative brings the series to the height of metafiction, which subsequently forces readers to confront deep, existential subjects. Life and death become the central themes within this collection, with Animal Man insisting that the fictional death of his family was unfair and Morrison countering that with the real life loss of his cat. Morrison also continues to tackle the very subject of writing. He questions the effectiveness of writing about animal activism out of the fear that it can become too preachy, much like he criticizes the gritty nature comic book fiction had taken and how the return of Animal Man’s family may seem too predictable.

As a whole, Deus Ex Machina tells us more about Grant Morrison than it does Animal Man. Our titular hero flitters about trying to put his life back together and find meaning in the loss of his family, yet he’s merely a vehicle with which Morrison drives at a series of difficult topics regarding life, death and fiction. Though this collection pushes against the conventions of fiction and acknowledges the reader explicitly, Morrison also shows he’s capable of crafting a story and smartly wrapping up an impressive comic book run. Even at his most unconventional, Morrison (perhaps unknowingly) wraps up the various loose ends present in the book, fills in all of the plot holes and ultimately nails down who Animal Man is in this Post-Crisis continuity.

RATING: B

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+

Review: Animal Man

Having retired from his work as a Hollywood stunt man, Buddy Baker devotes himself to becoming a full-time superhero. As Animal Man, Buddy must juggle his family life (which includes a disapproving wife, a rebellious preteen son and an inquisitive young daughter) along with his heroic duties. Can this D-lister make it big and prove to his family that he can make a difference in this world?

Animal Man collects the first nine issues of the series written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Chas Truog and Tom Grummett.

Originally published in 1988, Animal Man came at an interesting time in DC Comics’ publishing history. The company had recently rebooted its continuity and had begun to shift towards more creator-focused material. This included releasing titles with more mature themes, which no longer bore the Comics Code Authority stamp of approval. Grant Morrison and Animal Man were part of this new era, with the former becoming a quirky book that tackled real world family dynamics and environmental issues.

This collection begins with a multi-issue arc where Animal Man investigates a break-in at an animal research facility, thus putting him in direct conflict with a seemingly villainous B’wana Beast. Meanwhile, Ellen Baker struggles with her husband’s decision to become a superhero in between looking after their children and working as a storyboard artist. In these issues, Morrison does a superb job of establishing the cast and distinguishing their personalities in a way that feels organic. He’s most successful at making them relatable, which is aided by the fact that Buddy is quite clearly intended to be an everyman. Aside from a rather puzzling (and uncomfortable) scene wherein Ellen is accosted by a disgusting hunter in a forest, this arc is well-written and engaging. Morrison’s decision to take aim at animal testing, pivoting the theme of the series towards animal rights, is clever and unique.

The issues that follow the opening arc are one-and-done stories, which all vary in quality and memorability. There’s some very clear experimentation going on and this helps guide the title towards its eventual transition to being a Vertigo imprint. For instance, one issue sees Animal Man encountering a humanoid coyote that seemingly cannot be killed. One scene involves a pseudo-Looney Tunes sequence wherein we see the origins of this coyote and why he cannot die. It’s certainly not something you’d expect from a superhero comic, but was not wholly unusual given the level of experimentation with the genre around this time.

Action and story aren’t the focus of Animal Man. Anyone expecting pulse-pounding suspense will be sorely disappointed. Instead, the series is more firmly rooted in the exploration and development of its characters. It’s not hard to relate to Animal Man. He’s just some guy trying to raise a family while following his dreams and figuring out just who the hell he is in the process. His budding interest in championing for animal rights and his decision to commit to vegetarianism endears him personally to me, as I myself am an animal lover. While Buddy is multi-dimensional and easy to relate to, I can’t say the same of his wife. Morrison casts her exclusively as a nagging shrew, constantly dogging Buddy for his every decision. Though she certainly has valid reasons to express concern over Buddy becoming a hero and not being forthcoming with her, her entire role in the series thus far seems to be all too stereotypical. It would have been far more interesting to know what makes Ellen Baker tic and to better illustrate her parenting style, thus helping her seem more sympathetic.

Animal Man is a fascinating blast from the past. It’s a taste of the creative boom that occurred in the late-‘80s at DC Comics. Morrison does a fantastic job of presenting Animal Man to his readers and creates a truly unique comic that somehow typifies the era in which it was originally published. Similarly, Chas Truog delivers some really dynamic art as the book’s primary penciller. The style is very sparse and simple, allowing for characters to be expressive and this further makes room for some fantastically vibrant colours. Animal Man is a great title for anyone looking to delve into back issues of one of DC’s most underrated heroes. It’s also perfect for people who are fans of Grant Morrison as a writer.

RATING: B