This was Morrison's first big work for DC and damn did they come out swinging. Many of the usual Morrison tropes are not only present but are immediately welcome. They restyle Buddy Baker as a animal rights activist, vegetarian, and most importantly, a family man. The book exudes an underdog vibe that really makes it entirely easy to sympathize with Buddy and I think that's why this take on the character has stood up for over 30 years now.

The initial four issues of the comic play it relatively straight forward and the story really begins to blossom with #5, The Coyote Gospel. It's a masterpiece of an issue that functions as both a thematic appetizer of what's to come and a metanarrative on the nature of comics, their creators and creations in general. As we watch the tragedy of Crafty the Coyote unfold, it's hard not to think about the nature of creation. Why would a creator would permit such tragedies to occur? Why all this suffering and cruelty? What's the point? The explicit Christian homages, particularly on the last page, really hammer those questions home and provide a narrative guide for the next 21 issues. It really is genius.

The final few issues of the collection almost feel like a safer draft of Morrison's Doom Patrol. #7 in particular features that magical Doom Patrol combo of funny, weird, and tragic, featuring a Golden Aged villain at the end of his rope. Morrison has always been one of the best at mining DC history and this entire collection is a perfect example of why.