Jeff Lemire is penning two of the DCnU New 52: Animal Man and Frankenstein. Before this I was a little familiar with Lemire's Sweet Tooth, but not his older works. So far, hands down, Lemire is my favorite writer among the list that makes up DC's new titles. Before discussing the story, let me mention Travel Foreman's art. In the first issue (9/7), he shares the spotlight with Dan Green, but receives sole billing for the followup (10/5). The art is great and provides a feel to the book that wouldn't have been achieved without it, but it takes some getting used to. In fact, in September I recall complaining about the same style that I was praising in October.
At least in this first arc, Animal Man is a horror story. Buddy Baker, a.k.a. Animal Man, is a costumed hero with the ability to borrow powers from the animal world. The readers of the New 52 enter Buddy's life during a slump, where he has left most of his superhero days behind him and is less well known now as an actor and activist. Slipping back into the role of the hero, Animal Man is beset by a deeply unsettling experience that spreads to the world around him. While the first issue sets up the coming of the Red, the second sees Buddy and his daughter Maxine preparing to travel to it.
Lemire fills the path of Buddy and Maxine with a sense of dread, danger, and impending disaster. The art that I at first disdained maintains the feel of the story with an air of surreality. If you are looking for a horror story containing a depth of story and characterization, then Animal Man appears to be a good match.
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