Animal Man #3
“The Nature of the Beast”, November 1988
Credits:
Grant Morrison [writer]
Chas Truog [artist]
Doug Hazlewood [artist]
John Costanza [letterer]
Tatjana Wood [colorist]
Art Young [assistant editor]
Karen Berger [editor]
Brian Bolland [cover (uncredited)]
Front Matter:
Cover:
The cover depicts a helpless Animal Man confronted with an infected, pustulant chimpanzee. The name ‘Lovern’ appears etched into a cage in the bottom-right corner. This is not a scene from inside Animal Man #3, as Buddy is missing one of his jacket sleeves throughout this issue.
Inside Cover:
There is no ‘DC Checklist This Week’ section, and Jenette Kahn’s Publishorial does not mention Animal Man.
Story:
Page 1
The Beast is finally revealed as B’wana Beast. B’wana Beast had only made a handful of appearances at this point, the earliest being Showcase #66 (Jan./Feb. 1967 [pictured]) and #67 (Mar./Apr. 1967) in which his origins and powers are revealed. The character was likely an attempt to capitalise on the popularity of the Tarzan television show of the mid-1960s. B’wana Beast is the alter ego of the wealthy Mike Maxwell. After graduating from college with his friend Rupert “Ken” Kenboya (the son of a Zambesi chief), the pair travel to Africa. Their plane crashes into Mount Kilimanjaro and Ken saves Mike by dragging him into a cave. There Mike drinks from a cup and gains superhuman strength and agility due to special minerals in the local rainwater. Mike fights a mutant gorilla that had been following the pair and afterwards the gorilla presents Mike with a special helmet that allows him to telepathically communicate with animals. At that point Mike learns that the gorilla’s name is Djuba. Mike eventually becomes a ranger on a game reserve, but occasionally drinks the elixir and dons the helmet to transform into his B’wana Beast persona (as is demonstrated in Animal Man #1, page 17). B’wana is a term deriving from Swahili that means something like Master or Sir, often directed towards white people, and Showcase explains that the name was ascribed by the local people. Not long into Showcase #66, we learn that B’wana Beast can combine multiple creatures together into a chimera, which is what he has been doing throughout Animal Man so far. (In Showcase #67 we see that he can just as easily separate the animals again without harming them). Mike sets up his secret base in the caves of the Kilimanjaro, with Djuba as the protector of the helmet. Djuba also brings Mike the elixir when called upon, in a vial tied around the gorilla’s neck.
The chimpanzee’s name (as communicated to Djuba) was Roon, though the human scientists ironically named it Lucky. Ecce Animot[1] suggests that the act of naming of an animal grants the human namer dominance over the animal, and this again is comparable with Adam’s naming of the animals that he rules over in the Book of Genesis.
Job Number: G-3777 can be seen in panel 6.
Page 2
This is the title page. Chas Truog and Doug Hazlewood are both credited as “artists” in this issue (and in several future issues) rather than penciller and inker.
B’wana Beast lets out his signature cry of “Kiuiii” (previously heard in Animal Man #2, page 11) and has his bottle of elixir around his neck. I don’t believe he has been described as the White God of Kilimanjaro before, but the “Beast Who Walks” nickname also came up in Swamp Thing Annual #3 (Oct. 1987). It is reminiscent of “The Ghost Who Walks” tag used to describe The Phantom (another comic book character based in Africa), though a walking beast is less impressive than a walking ghost.
Page 3, panel 1
B’wana Beast’s telepathic connection to Djuba is here referred to as a mind bridge. It is the screams and pain of Djuba and the nearby primate test subjects that have been transmitted to B’wana Beast in the series so far.
Page 4
Animal Man uses his powers subconsciously, as a survival mechanism, until he locates an animal ability that can be useful. Another comparison to Swamp Thing can be drawn as Swampy also loses and regenerates an arm in Swamp Thing #5 (July/Aug. 1973).
Page 5
The Rat/Man started to separate in the previous issue (page 23).
Page 6
Panel 4 shows someone in a Mickey Mouse t-shirt – another cartoon reference. Though due to Buddy’s relative proximity to Disneyland, this might not be an uncommon sight.
Page 7
Ray is harassing and objectifying Ellen when his other hunter buddies arrive with Sheba. It is Ray who tosses the cat to be killed by the dogs, to the mild protests of his friend Lew.
Page 8
More misogynistic language is used (“slut”, “Damn women are all the same!”) as well as actual violence. Ray’s rhetorical question “You got a headache, huh?” paired with “You wanna watch Dynasty?” (which we know is a TV show viewed by his “woman”) suggests that Ray’s partner has previous complained about having a headache – a common excuse for not wanting to consent to sex.
Page 10
In panel 4, the blood around Ken’s head is in a star pattern, similar to the pattern around the mugger in Animal Man #1, page 11.
Ken is B’wana Beast’s friend, first appearing in Showcase #66. Ken is a police commissioner and the son of the Zambesi chief. The mask in panel 6 might belong to Mondoko, the village witch doctor, who is seen wearing a variety of masks in the Showcase issues.
As far as I can tell, the Zambesi are a fictional tribe. They may be named after the Zambezi river, though Mt. Kilimanjaro is in north-east Tanzania and about 2000 KM away from the river’s closet point in Mozambique.
Page 11
B’wana Beast rides a winged lion, similar to the winged zebra he rides in Swamp Thing Annual #3 [pictured]. A winged lion is the first of four beasts (representing four kingdoms) seen in Daniel’s vision in the biblical Book of Daniel.
Page 12
The helmet allows B’wana Beast to communicate with animals, hence his control over birds. By panel 5, B’wana Beast’s humanity has “fled” leaving only a Beast, with the implication being that an animal is unable to control its emotions or urges.
Page 13
B’wana Beast needs to replenish himself with the elixir periodically.
After learning B’wana Beast’s tragic story, the reader’s sympathies may be more aligned with the supposed “villain” of the story, who is trying to save his kidnapped friend from cruel experimentation by scientists.
Page 14
B’wana Beast’s intense emotional state combined with his telepathic connection to animals agitates the other animals in the facility, and seems to have a physical affect on at least one of the scientists.
Page 15
On this page, we see Mr. Weidemeir’s face for the first time. Maxine is concerned both with his mother and the kittens, though Morris only reacts to Ellen being in danger.
Page 17
Myers has been lying about S.T.A.R’s work on an AIDS vaccine, and the lab is instead developing a biological weapon using a mutant strain of anthrax. He also explains how they came to learn of Djuba and the Zambesi.
Page 18
In the flashback, we see Djuba with a vial of the elixir, presumably being held for Mike. In Swamp Thing Annual #3, the elixir has an adverse affect on Grodd (an intelligent, telepathic gorilla supervillain) so it may be harmful to primates and Djuba might not be tempted to drink it.
Page 19, panel 1
As the dogs eat Sheba in the foreground, Ray mentions the term “double veteran”. This horrific reference harkens back to the Vietnam War when American soldiers would consider themselves to become a “double veteran” if they had raped a Vietnamese woman before murdering her.
Page 19, panel 2
Ray starts to follow through with his threat by undoing his belt. He jokes that Animal Man is away making out with Wonder Woman. These two characters have actually worked together (in Wonder Woman #267 & #268, 1980) and, though Wonder Woman expressed some fondness for Buddy, there was no romance.
Page 20
Though Weidemeir initially pulled the gun on Ray, it was Lew who shot him. In this scene, Ellen is not rescued by Buddy (or any superhero) but by her neighbour. This hints at the conflict between Buddy’s role within his family and his job as a superhero.
Page 21
Myers seems to be expressing guilt at having endangered human lives.
Page 22
Djuba is referred to as “Princess” by B’wana Beast. Though Djuba is a male gorilla in the early Showcase appearances, Djuba is referred to as a ‘she’ throughout Animal Man, and in her previous appearance in Swamp Thing Annual #3. That Swamp Thing issue also gives “Princess” as a nickname for the first time, and plays with the suggestion that Djuba and Mike have a romantic connection [see picture].
B’wana Beast has been to San Diego Zoo before, in DC Challenge #2 (Dec. 1985).
Page 23
We can see a welt on the back of B’wana Beast’s wrist, and it is clearly discoloured in panel 2. On page 18, Dr. Myers explained that red swelling can occur where Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) has entered the body.
B’wana Beast appeals to God and Jesus as Djuba is dying. The animals in the zoo again become agitated in response to B’wana Beast’s heightened emotions.
Back Matter:
Letters:
There is once again no letters column.
References:
[1] Mahmutovic, Adnan, et al. “Ecce Animot: Or, The Animal Man That Therefore I Am.” ImageTexT: Interdisciplinary Comics Studies, vol. 8, no. 2, https://imagetextjournal.com/ecce-animot-or-the-animal-man-that-therefore-i-am/.
Wild Planet 