Animal Man felt like it lost its way somewhat during Rotworld, but in one single issue it has brought itself back to its original high quality. While this issue has none of the title's signature horror elements, it still manages to stir up powerful emotions throughout. Lemire took a risk devoting an entire issue to Tights and it paid off beautifully. Given how nearly all other DC books always play it straight with little experimentation with format, this use of metafiction is wholeheartedly welcome. Read Full Review

If crossover fatigue led you to drop “Animal Man” during the perhaps too long ‘Rotworld,' the second part of ‘Tights' is a great chance to return to the fold (I know, because I did just that). Jeff Lemire dresses up his expertise with character-driven drama in capes, while John Paul Leon delivers the quality line work his name is synonymous with, resulting in a comic that's hard to say no to even if superheroes aren't your typical thing. Read Full Review

This is essentially a filler-issue with the bulk of the story caught up in showing us Buddy's movie, but the script is paced well and the story entertaining enough that this doesn't really matter. Although we already knew the final twist (at least if you pay close attention to the interwebs) but it's a pretty intriguing direction for a series that enjoys no shortage of intriguing directions. Watch out for Animal Man this summer, there is a good chance that it will once again reign supreme as DC's premier comic book. Read Full Review

I can't help it " the movie issues of Animal Man always happen to be my favorites. Instead of drowning in mythology, Jeff Lemire writes a moving story about the intersection of being a celebrity and being a superhero. Lemire's portrait of the fall and rise and fall again of the Red Thunder is poignant, especially the hero's relationship with his son, which evokes the recent death of Buddy Baker's son Cliff. Read Full Review

This week presented a return to form for Lemire, and his story based on Buddys superhero movie proved to be an interesting juxtaposition to Buddys life off screen, and provided some strong emotional scenes with the help of guest artist John Paul Leon. Unfortunately, putting this story right after the cliff hanger from last month put a break on the suspense and prevented the issue from achieving true greatness. Read Full Review

A much simpler, cleaner sort of tale, and, not coincidentally, something of a return to form for Lemire, with strong artistic aid from Leon. Read Full Review

This issue is slower and light on the costumed punch fighting, and if not for a surprise development at the end, doesn't effect the overarching plot too much. However, it's a solid issue with some good dramatic moments that manages to tell a good looking stand alone story. Read Full Review

Compared to the previous books, the artwork was very weak. The difference between the cover art which was vibrant, and then the interior art which came off dull was significant. Much of the appeal was already lost with the story, and the artwork left little to keep you going. Read Full Review

It's not the best issue of Animal Man, and I wouldn't recommend this issue to new readers, especially since there's really no Animal Man. While the ending may prove interesting, I don't feel quite hopeful for where the story is taking us. Read Full Review

Jeff Lemire and John Paul Leon revisit Tights, Buddy's movie from issue #6 a la those Starman issues where Jacket Starman visits Ghost Starman, and it's artistically very solid because you can never go wrong with a comic drawn by John Paul Leon. At least, visually speaking. Read Full Review

Guest Artist John Paul Leons heavily shaded art is reminiscent of the Sean Phillips/Michael Lark school of noir-esque sensibilities and, as a choice of cinematography for this fake film, it works well. His lighting choices between the plasticized in front of cameras spectacle against the darker reality is a careful and strong juxtaposition, but only reinforces the simple binary of fake Hollywood and real life. His more rigid paneling reflects its filmic quality, varying only slightly on an eight-panel grid that uses a double-wide panel or two every page. The artwork is an excellent choice and serves Lemires script well. Read Full Review

If I hadn't ever read "Animal Man" #6, I suspect I would be more entranced with the end result of this comic. For readers who have been around since the beginning, though, "Animal Man" #20 feels more than a little disappointing. With the book going through so many twists and turns in the last couple of months, this comes across as a fill-in rather than an important part of the overall "Animal Man" saga. The final two pages (with art from Timothy Green II and Joseph Silver) show some promise, but right now my enthusiasm has been temporarily shot. Read Full Review