On top of all this, the book ends on a fantastic cliffhanger. Not the kind that frustrates due to a lack of payoff, but the good kind, the kind that excites at story possibilities to come. Lemire and Foreman had big, big shoes to fill on this one, but they seem to fit just about perfectly. Read Full Review

Jeff Lemire, the writer of the book, has something great going on. I think he is best known for his works on Sweet Tooth and Atom. His first tale with Animal Man is dark and moody but it also shows some common family issues. Read Full Review

It isn't often that you read a comic where you chuckle at the hero's wife, empathise for the gun man threatening a load of sick kids and freaked out by a little girl. So Animal Man is a superhero comic putting family drama and characterisation before the action. Add to that the startling horror undertones and the fantastic art and you have a very unique beast indeed. Read Full Review

With these "Dark" titles, DC wanted to bring some new flavors to the selection of mainstream comics, and if this series is any indication, they have a good chance of succeeding. It makes me very happy to think you can see a title like this side-by-side with The Avengers and Batman. Read Full Review

The central theme of this issue " and a defining characteristic for this interpretation of Animal Man " is compassion. Buddy Baker is compassion given form. He cares for the crazed individual who puts sick children at risk because he sees sickness in him as well, not malevolence. Buddy's a symbol of compassion for animals. He's all about caring for others, but he's still presented as a regular guy. He's not sainted, and he doesn't sacrifice who he is or his other roles to exercise that compassion. Perhaps the point of the opening story will be about sacrifice, or about a challenge in which compassion has no place. I don't know, but I can't wait to find out. Read Full Review

Animal Man is shaping up to be another one of my favorite series. With this title being more of a horror book rather than a superhero book, it feels like a great change of pace. The art in this book is gruesome. The creatures from The Rot are some of the nastiest things I have ever seen. The only complaint that I have is that Foreman's lines can be very thin at times and this in turn leaves a lot of negative spacing on the page. That is being very nit picky to say the least. Lemire's storytelling is at it's best and with issue #9 releasing in May, I am very excited to see where it goes. A crossover is going to begin with Animal Man and Swamp Thing and I can't wait to see these two in action together. All in all, this is a great read, even if you are new to comics or a seasoned veteran. I give this a 9/10 Read Full Review

I'm not entirely sure what all is in store for Buddy Baker and his costumed antics, but I'm on board for the long haul here, as Animal Man #1 impresses the heck out of me. Read Full Review

Of all the New 52 comics I read this week, Animal Man #1 was perhaps the biggest surprise. Sure, as soon as I heard Lemire was onboard back in June, I added it to my list of comics to buy, but after that I largely forgot about this comic. Amidst my hype for other books, I might have taken this one for granted. It ended up being the fourth comic I got round to reading yesterday, after Action Comics, Swamp Thing and Stormwatch. But it topped Stormwatch. It even topped Action Comics. In fact, Id rank Animal Man #1 as one of the best comics to come out of DCs relaunch yet, second only to the astounding Swamp Thing #1. It would seem that the Dark is the place to be in the new DCU. Read Full Review

Animal Man #1 is a great start to this series. It's really that simple. The art might not be to everybody's taste, but the story should make up for that. Lemire and Foreman have provided a great introduction to Animal Man for new readers, while also giving long-time fans something fresh to be excited about. Read Full Review

So thanks for the recommendation, Schatz, as this was a really good comic, and not what I was expecting at all. Give it a look. Read Full Review

Animal Man has a bit of a rough first issue since it's trying to cover a whole lot of ground for a fairly complicated character that has been buffeted around the DC Universe in many ways over the years. It covers a lot just from the first page with the interview and that's a critical piece. Jeff Lemire has things pretty tightly done here with the script and manages to capture a good flavor when it comes to the Baker family household. Read Full Review

Overall, the Rotworld story was pretty satisfying, though the ending seemed a bit rushed. The problem I see it is that with this conclusion, we get a reset in a way of both series. The next issue will be a perfect jumping on point for new readers. We'll see though, if these last 6 months has really paid off, for those of us there from the beginning. Read Full Review

There's certainly a talented and twisted imagination at work here, and if the creepy stuff is your thing, you'll probably enjoy Animal Man #1. It's never really been mine, but your mileage may vary. Read Full Review

The art might be uneven in "Animal Man" #1, but the script is dynamite. Lemire's been a rising star at DC Comics lately, and the "Animal Man" re-launch shows that their trust is not misplaced. (Now can we just get the old outfit back? I always liked it much more than the blue and white number.) Read Full Review

I have to admit a slight disappointment that the character's goofy costume (bright orange and blue tights complete with jacket and goggles) didn't survive the reboot, but other than that I have few complaints. Those looking for a typical hero comic may want to try something else, but if you want a little horror mixed in with an atypical hero saving the day I'd suggest giving Animal Man a shot. Worth a look. Read Full Review

I think fans of Lemire will enjoy the book. I'm not sure if Animal Man fans will enjoy it though as it seems the hardcore ones had high hopes for the book and I'm not sure this is what they were looking for. For the horror element I will be back for another issue. If you were looking for a super hero drama I think you only got half of it. Proceed with caution on this one. Read Full Review