Much like Swamp Thing #0, Animal Man #0 goes to great lengths to establish the dastardly ways of Anton Arcane, and succeeds. However, it also retreads much content that was inferred over the course of the series to date. We get a recap of Buddy’s strange role in relation to the Red, and a charming but ultimately fruitless summation of Buddy’s early days as Animal Man. These are moments that are well-written in the tradition of the dynamic between the members of the Baker family, but ultimately it’s nothing that is terribly necessary to witness.
That being said, Lemire does offer some great insight into the justification for the change he made to Buddy’s origin that is clever and thought-provoking, which is really the best thing that can be said about this issue. Though Lemire offers nothing particularly essential to the ongoing events of Animal Man, the ideas and thematic content he provides are interesting enough to warrant a read. It’s a bit of a leap to see Ellen so accepting of Buddy’s apparently alien-given powers, but at least their established dynamic in the previous 12 issues helps to offset that a bit.
Steve Pugh delivers some more fine work here, keeping up his usual momentum. Pugh’s ability to manage the bizarre radness of the Red alongside the quieter, more introspective moments in the Baker household remains impressive. The final scene between Buddy and Ellen in particular is great, considering that their conversation is predictable, yet Pugh is able to make you feel the impact through his stellar framing and emotional punch.
If not required reading, Animal Man #0 is still an enjoyable issue.
Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on IGN. He loves superhero pets so hard.
Source : ign[dot]com
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