The Last Days of Animal Man #1 (of 6) (DC – Conway / Batusta / Meikis)
Is Buddy Baker losing it all? Everyman hero Buddy Baker has fought hard for our world, and for his family. But by the year 2024, the Earth has seen better days: The heroes are growing tired, the villains have grown nastier and Buddy’s own hometown of San Diego has struggled for years to recover from a cataclysmic typhoon. His children have grown and his marriage has gotten colder… and now, as San Diego faces the most vicious Super-Villain it’s seen in years, his powers are starting to fail him! Without his powers, without his family – who is Buddy Baker? Can he still be a husband? Can he still be a father? Can he still be Animal Man? And more importantly, can he even survive the bloodthirsty plan his arch-rival’s progeny has in store for him?
Overall, a pretty good read. But I would say only interesting if you are an Animal Man fan, either from the old series (before it got uber-bizarre) or from 52. Jerry Conway makes a welcomed return to comics here. Conway has been writing classics since the early 70’s and then made his way to become a highly sought after TV screenwriter (Law and Order). Here, he flexs his comic muscles again creating a story that both has action in the issue, plus sets the overriding story arc. I don’t want to give too much away here, but this series will provide a view into an alternate future DCU and the reader gets to follow a possible “what could happen” between Animal Man and Starfire.
issue grade: B
