Covering issues #51-89 (1992-1995)…
After the Tom Veitch and Steve Dillon issues, the series was written by Jamie Delano, accompanied primarily by Steve Pugh as artist. This team oversaw the title’s move to the new Vertigo imprint from #57. Brian Bolland continued to provide covers until Animal Man #64. Jerry Prosser and Fred Harper took over as the creative team for the last 10 issues of the series (#80-89).
Appearances that I consider to be fairly minor are indented. The below titles were published by DC Comics unless otherwise noted. From issue #57, Animal Man mostly appears in issues under the Vertigo imprint.
Animal Man #51
“Flesh and Blood, Part 1: Roadkill”, September 1992
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Cliff is staying with his sadistic great-uncle Dudley who introduces Cliff to alcohol. Maxine tells her grandmother (Mary Frazier) about a nightmare that involved Cliff being dissected. Buddy decides to retrieve Cliff from San Francisco, but Cliff and Dudley are about to leave on a road trip. Buddy finds his way to Dudley’s house but is then run over intentionally by Dudley in his truck.
From this issue, the cover included the text “Suggested for Mature Readers”.
Animal Man #52
“Flesh and Blood, Part 2: Homecoming”, October 1992
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
A cyclist inspects the damage caused to Dudley’s truck when it ran over Buddy, and finds a glove that still contains Buddy’s fingers, so Dudley kills him. Ellen learns about Buddy’s accident and travels to California, while Winky the triceratops (who is now the size of a cow) eats a cake baked preemptively to celebrate Cliff’s return. Buddy’s consciousness travels through a strange red place and he struggles to get back to his damaged body. Ellen is about to be shown Buddy’s corpse in the morgue when it comes alive and reaches out to her, despite all of Buddy’s internal organs having been removed. Ellen faints and Buddy’s consciousness is transferred to a mite on her head.
Animal Man #53
“Flesh and Blood, Part 3: Pondlife”, November 1992
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Ellen mourns Buddy after he is cremated. She fears that Maxine is growing distant (she claims that Buddy still exists within the animals around them) and also considers contacting the FBI to locate Cliff and Dud. Buddy, as a mite, falls from Ellen and into a pond. His consciousness is then transferred to a new animal each time it is consumed: from mite, to hydra, to fish, and dragonfly. Maxine visits the pond and recognises her father in the dragonfly, just as it is eaten by a bat. Elsewhere, on their hunting trip, Dudley tells Cliff that his family doesn’t want him and that he is Dud’s son now.
Animal Man #54
“Flesh and Blood, Part 4: Despair”, December 1992
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Dudley takes Cliff to the ghost town Despair and an abandoned film set where some horror movies were shot. Maxine is upset with her grandmother after Mary hits the bat that Buddy’s consciousness is inhabiting. The bat crawls underneath the house and is eaten by a cat, and Buddy eventually finds his way into Winky. Both Winky and Buddy grieve because of their inability to be with their families and Winky breaks out of the barn and wanders away from the farm.
Animal Man #55
“Flesh and Blood, Part 5: Heartbeats”, January 1993
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Dudley explains to Cliff that he must hunt and kill to keep death away. He takes Cliff down into an abandoned mine full of skeletons. Dudley admits to killing an old colleague and Cliff finds a number of smaller skeletons with their hearts cut out before Dudley suddenly abandons him. At the farm, Ellen remembers being a child and playing a game with Dudley, at the end of which she was forced to promise her firstborn son to him. She decides to talk to the FBI. Buddy and Winky are in the woods, with Buddy pondering the nature of the lifeweb that he feels he can move through while disembodied. He thinks about Maxine pulling the triceratops out of the lifeweb and considers whether he can travel back through the triceratops’ DNA to a shared origin and then re-evolve himself back into existence within his human body. Maxine has ventured into the woods and discovers that Winky has laid an egg before dying in a cave. The egg has something living inside it and Maxine brings the egg back to the farm.
Animal Man #56
“Flesh and Blood, Part 6: Incarnate”;”Flesh and Blood, Part 7: Metamorphosis”;”The Kannibal Kid Gets a Job”, February 1993
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh, Scot Eaton, Russell Braun [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Incarnate: Buddy emerges from the egg as a hybrid creature with the head of a Panthera, wings of a bat, and body and limbs of other animals. Some time passes and he is living in the woods eating other animals to stay alive, and avoids the farm because of Mary’s fear of him, but he feels powerful in his new body. Maxine visits him first, and then Ellen. She informs him that Dudley may have Cliff in Yosemite National Park, but she otherwise does not want to be near the new Buddy. Within the mine, Dudley retrieves Cliff who has survived for 10 days eating monkey hearts and other dead animals. Impressed, Dudley wants to partner with him and gives him a small pouch as a gift. Buddy arrives and rescues Cliff, while Dudley is carried away by an underground river, presumably drowned.
Metamorphosis: Cliff only remembers snippets of his rescue while Buddy keeps his distance so as not to frighten his son. Ellen is still upset about Buddy’s appearance but he does not know how to become human again because he was not able to find his template in the lifeweb. Maxine locates the pouch that Dud gave to Cliff and it contains two of Buddy’s fingers (found in Animal Man #52). Buddy decides that he wants to become human again to be with his family. He hibernates in a cave, ingesting the fingers and concentrating on changing forms. Ellen has a dream that Buddy returns, and she later talks to Cliff who feels jaded about the world. Ellen goes for a walk and finds Buddy, who has been reborn but is weak and struggling to get out of the cave. She takes care of him.
The Kannibal Kid Gets a Job: This is a story written and illustrated by Cliff where the Kannibal Kid lives in a post-apocalyptic world. He is attacked by dogs but is rescued by a large man who hunts dogs and sells their corpses. He offers Kannibal Kid a job as a “dog decoy”, but the Kid secretly plans to kill and eat the man.
Animal Man #57
“Wild Bunch”, March 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Buddy now lives with his family on the Frazier farm. Buddy occasionally goes into a trance and enters the lifeweb, experiencing life through the eyes of an animal elsewhere in the world. Ellen goes to New York for a few days to apply for work. Buddy has a good day shopping with the children, even though Maxine causes chaos in a pet store. Ellen is staying in Brooklyn with her friend Juliet and her partner Mike. After Ellen and Buddy talk on the phone, Mike propositions Ellen.
This is the first issue on DC’s Vertigo imprint. Two pages from this issue were previously published within Vertigo Preview #1 (Dec. 1992).
Animal Man #58
“Wildside”, April 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], John Higgins [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Buddy realises that he is unconsciously connecting to animals in a similar mental state, after sharing an experience with a bird awaiting its mate while a mink hunts nearby. In Brooklyn, Ellen fights off Mike until Juliet returns home. Juliet reveals that she fears her abusive partner and is not surprised by his attack on Ellen. Ellen leaves the house and is robbed. She approaches the police, who suspect her of being a prostitute and sexually harass her. She hits a cop but they are called away on other business before she can be punished. Ellen is too ashamed to call Buddy so follows another sex worker towards a shelter but they are picked up by police again and Ellen has drugs planted on her. Ellen is detained in prison and befriends another inmate named Jack who has been arrested for conspiracy to murder. Buddy receives a call from Juliet who explains that Ellen is no longer staying with her.
Animal Man #59
“Wild Town”, May 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Russell Braun [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Buddy attempts to track Ellen in New York but he is arrested after he sniffs a stranger in the street. Jack encourages Ellen to get out of prison by dropping her complaints against the officers and telling them about Mike’s mob connections. Mike is briefly arrested but is set free and threatens Ellen’s family. Upon further advice from Jack, Ellen visits a radical feminist group called the Sisters Without Mercy and together they hatch a plan. Ellen meets with Mike, who plans to sexually assault her, but Ellen manages to drug him. She then trades places with a transsexual prostitute named Honey. Honey and Mike have sex, with Mike bragging about crimes he and his associates have committed, and the whole event is secretly videotaped. When Mike recovers, the feminists blackmail him into leaving Ellen and her family alone.
Animal Man #60
“Wildlife”, June 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Russell Braun [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Buddy is being transported a psychiatric facility after acting violently in his sleep. He uses the abilities of a skunk and snake to escape custody and fly back to the farm, where Ellen has also returned. Mary begins to warm to her son-in-law and gives him a new costume she has made, but it is too large for him.
Animal Man #61
“Part One: Seasickness”, July 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
The Bakers are travelling to Malecite Bay for a seaside vacation. On the way, they stop in a rest area and Buddy becomes overwhelmed by misanthropic thoughts. He attacks some nearby barbecuers, while other animals attack Cliff and Maxine. The feeling subsides and the Bakers arrive at their destination the day after a fisherman has been killed by lobsters. Local resident Annie Cassidy feels anger about the state of the environment and is concerned about the future for her daughter Lucy, but Annie feels calmer when she takes refuge in a tumulus. While Cliff and Lucy hang out, the other Bakers take a boat into the ocean but they are attacked by aggressive dolphins.
Animal Man #62
“Part Two: Flotsam”, August 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
After initially joining the dolphins, Buddy saves his family using the power of a shrimp, while Cliff and Lucy are attacked by rabbits. Cliff later notices an artwork that Annie has made that depicts humans being attacked by animals with a large being in the sky. The Bakers learn that animal attacks have been happening around the country. The next night, they have dinner with the Cassidys. Annie becomes drunk and pessimistic about the world again. The guests learn that Annie’s husband has been jailed for 10 years after attempting to blow up a power plant, and Lucy has contracted leukemia from the plant. Afterwards, Ellen talks to Buddy about the night’s events and suspects that Annie is somehow responsible for the animal attacks.
Vertigo Jam (1993) #1
“Talking Turkey”, August 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Scot Eaton [p], Glenn Fabry [c]
Feeling restless, Buddy goes for a walk and considers that he needs to be proactive in helping the world. He speaks to a turkey who believes that humans have doomed themselves because of the way they live. Buddy still holds hope that humanity will turn itself around before it self-destructs.
Animal Man #63
“Part Three: Leviathan”, September 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Brian Bolland [c]
Buddy goes for a walk along the beach and is drawn into the ocean. After the party, Annie is full of rage and despair and retreats to the tumulus again. The weather becomes wild and Lucy seeks refuge with the Baker family. They all travel to the tumulus, though Cliff stays outside because of his recent negative experience in caves. They find Annie in a trance and Maxine explains that Annie’s feelings have stirred up an enormous sea creature who has inspired other animals to rage against humanity. Meanwhile, Buddy swims underwater until he comes across an underwater city and the giant creature (the Leviathan), then rides a tsunami back to the shore where he saves Cliff from the waves The others convince Annie to calm down and grieve for the planet and Lucy’s situation rather than feeling such intense anger. This calms the ocean, and its inhabitants, down but the town is still destroyed. The next day, the Cassidys are invited to stay on the Frazier farm.
Animal Man #64
“Breath of God”, October 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Will Simpson [p], Dan Brereton [c]
Mary worries about her family now that she is closely connected to their lives, but goes for a walk and is comforted by the wind. Buddy speaks with Annie, explaining that he sees the farm as a sort of ark for misfits. Ellen is working when she is called into Maxine and Cliff’s school, where the principal accuses the children of being maladjusted due to Ellen being a single parent (the school and government are unaware of Buddy’s resurrection). Angered, Ellen pulls them out of school. Cliff later explains that they got in trouble because he was protecting Maxine from bullies after she brought a dead raccoon back to life.
Animal Man #65
“Perfumed Garden”, November 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Will Simpson [p], Randy Duburke [c]
Ellen and Buddy are in the woods when Ellen says she wants to experience what the lifeweb feels like, feeling somewhat jealous of Annie’s connection to animals. Instead, they have sex. Elsewhere, Lucy asks Cliff to have sex but he is not ready yet. Serene and Myra from Sisters Without Mercy arrive at the farm to stay and are greeted by Maxine. Everyone senses a strange smell. After returning to the house, Buddy speaks with Mary. Mary believes that the scent has come from God, who she met as a child and is now present at the farm. She describes God as being a tall, furry creature, and this being then appears behind Buddy.
Animal Man #66
“Communion”, December 1993. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Tom Taggart [c]
Ellen talks to Annie, explaining that she was jealous of her and had sex with Buddy in an attempt to get in closer contact with the lifeweb, only to find the wild sex unsatisfying, ugly and frantic. Annie explains that she has no interest in sex after her daughter’s illness, and thinks that the natural world is reducing humanity’s desire and ability to reproduce. Mary recounts her experience of meeting and being comforted by the creature (the God) as a child, and insists that Buddy follows it. Buddy is led for a few days until he comes across a group of the creatures who he calls the Silent Walkers. The Walkers have always lived in harmony with the world and leave no trace of existing, watching on as civilisations rise and fall. They leave the site and Buddy is left with the knowledge of an alternative way of living in the world. He returns home to Ellen and she is shocked to see he has vertical pupils like a cat.
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‘The Children’s Crusade’ Crossover The first attempt at a Vertigo crossover, this consisted of five Annuals: Black Orchid (1993) Annual #1; Animal Man (1988) Annual #1; Swamp Thing Annual #7; Doom Patrol (1987) Annual #2; and Arcana: The Books of Magic (1994) Annual #1. The series was bookended by two Children’s Crusade comics. In 2015, a trade paperback collected the two Children’s Crusade issues and added a new middle chapter. Issues in which Maxine or Animal Man appear are listed below, in reading order. Children’s Crusade (1993) #1 Animal Man Annual #1 Free Country: A Tale of the Children’s Crusade TPB Swamp Thing Annual #7 Children’s Crusade (1993) #2 |
The Golden Age (1993) #4
“We Had It All”, 1994
James Robinson [w], Paul Smith [p]
After several retired superheroes learn that Senator Tex Thompson has the brain of Nazi scientist Ultra-Humanite, and Dan “the Dyna-Mite” Dunbar has Hitler’s, they discuss what to do with this information. Thompson, now with the support of the President, calls on costumed heroes to publicly pledge allegiance to their country. The heroes convince Hourman to join Thompson’s state-sponsored superhero team in order to expose Thompson during the ceremony. At the event, however, Joan Dale (Miss America) reveals Thompson’s secret first and is killed by Robotman, and a fight breaks out between Thompson’s allies (who don’t believe the revelations) and his opponents. Thompson tries to flee but is stopped by Manhunter and the two fight until Thompson falls to his death, while Lance Gallant refuses to become Captain Triumph and dies killing Robotman. Meanwhile, the other heroes fight Dunbar, who is eventually impaled to death on Starman’s broken rod by Libby (Liberty Belle).
Animal Man, in his original costume, can be partially seen on the final page with other heroes representing the Silver Age of comics.
Animal Man #67
“Mysterious Ways”, January 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Tom Taggart [c]
Maxine has regressed to behaving like a toddler and the doctors attribute this to being buried in the rabbit warren. Since his encounter with the Silent Walkers, Buddy’s body transforms whenever he accesses the lifeweb. Cliff visits everyone on the farm but they have all forgotten his birthday. Cliff rides into town to buy diapers for Maxine and is hit by Deputy Sheriff Dan Patterson’s car. The deputy’s wife, Evelyn, is a healer and restores Cliff back to health, and Cliff suggests that she may be able to help Maxine.
Animal Man #68
“Mysterious Ways, Part 2”, February 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Tom Taggart [c]
While Cliff is out, everyone on the farm remembers his 15th birthday and prepares a party for him, though Lucy is unwell. Cliff arrives with Dan and Evelyn Patterson and they are invited in for dinner. Dan is called away to pursue an old lady who has stolen petrol, while Evelyn asks for everyone’s help in channelling a spiritual power to heal Maxine and Lucy. After the ritual, Evelyn is weakened, Lucy has her health restored, but Maxine is unable to be healed. At the same time, Dan is shot and killed by the old woman he is pursuing. Evelyn is immediately conscious of the incident involving her husband and understands that it is a sacrifice as part of the healing ritual. After she receives a call from the Sheriff confirming Dan’s death, she decides to stay on the Frazier farm.
Animal Man #69
“Cold, Cold, Cold…”, March 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], George Pratt [c]
Ellen feels guilty for letting Maxine walk out of the house during a snowstorm, but she still believes that the child pulled from the rabbit warren was not really her daughter. Cliff and Buddy go into the storm to look for Maxine, while Myra decides to leave the farm, believing that she has brought misfortune on her friends as punishment for killing her abusive husband. Cliff and Buddy find Maxine near the rabbit hole, frozen to death.
Animal Man #70
“A Strange And Reckless Freedom”, April 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], George Pratt [c]
Maxine is buried near the warren. Ellen decides to leave the farm and live with some of the Sisters Without Mercy women in Oregon while she thinks about her actions. Buddy speaks with Annie who tries to analyse how he is feeling and they have sex. Buddy has a realisation about what to do next. Lucy overhears everything and reproaches her mother. Cliff is alone near Maxine’s grave when Maxine digs her way out of the rabbit hole and addresses him.
Animal Man #71
“The Sermon On The Monument”, May 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Russell Braun [p], Michael Uman [c]
Buddy, blaming the government for Maxine’s death, rejects his humanity and is transformed into a beast. He perches on top of the Washington Monument and calls forth birds, rats and insects to threaten the city and civilisation. Unbeknownst to Buddy, Maxine is now safe on the farm after sensing Buddy’s anguish and leaving Free Country to return home. A news reporter interviews Buddy, who threatens the city, but Cliff calls him during the live broadcast to tell him that Maxine is alive. From the Sisters Without Mercy building, Ellen watches the news and also learns of Maxine’s condition. Buddy decides to return to the farm but is shot by government agents, lead by Ray Dillinger.
Animal Man #72
“Last Supper”, June 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Mark Chiarello [c]
The lawyer Sarah Wise, a friend of Ellen’s from Sisters Without Mercy, is able to get Buddy out of prison. Reporters swarm the Frazier farm and want to speak to Buddy and to Maxine, who they believe has risen from the dead. Ellen decides to continue to live away from the farm, while Buddy remains in his beast appearance and admits to having sex with Annie. Buddy, egged on by Annie, decides to start a religion around the Red, with Maxine as the religion’s Messiah.
Animal Man #73
“Children And Animals”, July 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Mark Chiarello [c]
Buddy and Maxine appear on a talk show titled ‘Make Your Case’ to promote their Life-Power Church of Maxine, as Ellen and Sarah watch the show from a motel room. On the show, Buddy tries to explain the concept of the Red to the audience and the host, Ernesto. Buddy believes that he and Maxine were chosen by the Red to remind humans that they are part of the animal kingdom and live within a fragile ecosystem, and that humans are a danger to their own existence. To make his point, Buddy forces the audience to feel the power of the Red, which incites fear. Maxine calms down her father and argues that humans are not destructive by nature, but are taught bad behaviours. She argues that it is through children that the relationship between humans and other living creatures can be improved.
Animal Man #74
“Better Red Than Dead!”, August 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Russell Braun, Fred Harper [p], Michael Uman [c]
The song ‘Better Red Than Dead’ about the Life-Power Church of Maxine becomes a popular youth anthem for the band Year Zero. Many people around the country experience dreams about the Red, and hundreds of teens are inspired to converge on the Frazier farm, which has been renamed Arkadia. Among them is a boy named Tod (also referred to as Locust) who has torched his father’s car before leaving home, and a girl who calls herself Turtle. Buddy, Annie, Cliff and Lucy attend a Year Zero concert while Mary and Evelyn try to feed their new guests, and Maxine gives some followers the ability to experience life though an owl. In a bar, Tod’s father complains about his son and, armed with a shotgun, plans to travel to Vermont to retrieve him.
Animal Man #75
“Red Plague”, September 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], John Van Fleet [c]
Ellen stays on a farm with Selene and Myra, where the domesticated animals now refuse to cooperate. Cliff writes a letter to Ellen in the form of a Kannibal Kid comic. It explains that, after being harassed by the locals, the Life-Power Church decided to travel westward across America, gathering more human and non-human animal followers. After their vehicle crashes, they continue to travel in a broken-down car pulled by dogs. As they pass through each town, the animals cause destruction and the troupe is referred to as the Red Plague. Across the country, their supporters commit acts of sabotage, while corporations and farmers oppose the Church. Tod’s father continues to follow the group, while Ray Dillinger (as Manta Ray) has infiltrated the Church as an undercover agent and meets Turtle and Locust.
Animal Man #76
“Quarantine Zone”, October 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], John Van Fleet [c]
In another letter to Ellen, Cliff informs her that the Red Plague is travelling towards Montana where Year Zero have purchased some land, but the group is encountering threats by the group American Guns for God. The Church is stopped at the Nebraska border where the police insist that all animals and humans must be inspected by health authorities. The group decides to camp while Buddy and some of the animals plan a diversion elsewhere. Ellen continues to consider joining up with the group. Tod’s father Jack continues to track his son after an eventful journey. Ray is awaiting instructions from her controllers and considers killing Maxine. Ray decides to leave the camp but is set upon by some local vigilantes who think she is with the Church. They try to rape her, but she is rescued by Jack. He then asks Ray to take him to the Church leaders.
Animal Man #77
“Thicker Than Water”, November 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Peter Snejbjerg [p], Miran Kim [c]
Annie speaks to Buddy, questioning the direction of the Church while concealing that she is pregnant. Jack arrives at the camp and tries to take his son away, but Tod refuses to go. Buddy arrives and is shot in the beak, and then Cliff is shot in the leg. The animals threaten to kill Jack but Tod stops them, and Maxine suggests they both come to Montana. Ray helps to remove the bullet from Cliff but insists that he go to hospital, while Annie and Buddy argue that this is inconsistent with the Church’s rejection of civilisation. Cliff decides to continue to Montana with the group. Back at the Frazier farm, Evelyn senses that something is wrong and she and Mary decide to travel to Montana. Ellen and Sarah also decide to meet up with the rest of the Bakers.
Animal Man #78
“Scarlet Fever”, December 1994. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Peter Kuper [c]
Two weeks after being shot, Cliff is sick with a fever so Buddy flies Cliff to the Promised Land in Montana where he asks Evelyn to heal his son. Mary speaks to Bear Paw of Year Zero, who are planning a welcome celebration for the pilgrims. Ellen and Sarah have also arrived in Montana but Buddy ignores Ellen out of guilt for allowing Cliff to be hurt. Buddy misses his human relationships and struggles with his conflicting identities and sense of purpose. Ray has been assigned the task of killing Buddy via an engineered rabies virus that will cause him to go mad. She stealthily infects him using a dart, but Buddy was already aware of her presence and thanks Ray for furthering the cause of his Church.
Animal Man #79
“Promised Land”, January 1995. Vertigo.
Jamie Delano [w], Steve Pugh [p], Peter Kuper [c]
Ray continues to travel with the Church, now led by Annie, as they arrive at the Promised Land. Ellen is upset that Buddy hasn’t met with her, but Annie explains Buddy’s terminal condition and reveals that she is pregnant by Buddy. The celebration begins and the atmosphere makes the partygoers feel wild and sexual. Buddy speaks to the crowd through Maxine and announces that he is going to sacrifice himself to the Red. He then appears and lets himself be torn apart by animals, while some of the crowd (including Ray and Jack) are involved in an orgy and are sprayed with his blood. After these events, a calm pervades the Promised Land and Ellen and Annie meet to grieve Buddy.
Animal Man #80
“Homecoming”, February 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Buddy finds himself in his childhood home, which appears as it did when he was 8 years old. He speaks with his dog (Mr. Cow) and his mother, who explains that he has another chance at life but must learn what the Red is trying to teach him. Buddy keeps experiencing great pain and visions, including one of a metallic spider, before reappearing in the house. Eventually, he connects with the Lifeweb and gains some understanding. He plays with Mr. Cow one final time before going to bed, and his “mother” explains that he will begin a new adventure when he awakens.
Two pages from this issue were previously published within Vertigo Rave #1 (Fall 1994).
Animal Man #81
“Wild Type Part One: Shaman’s Return”, March 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
At a safari theme park in California, a metallic spider emerges out of a UFO and kills a giraffe. At the Promised Land, the Church have established a TV station. Maxine’s program attempts to reassure the population about the “Red Dreaming” that they are experiencing each night. A program hosted by scientist Dr. Ananda Varma investigates how the Red Dreaming is changing society: from people’s relationships with animals, the emergent youth movement, and an increase in UFO sightings and cattle mutilations. Ellen and Sarah attend a town meeting lead by Annie where Selene argues that the Church should focus on creating a matriarchal society instead of television shows. The meeting is interrupted by a protest by a religious group called Humanity First, and there is a scuffle with their priest. Maxine hopes that Buddy will return and reaches out to him in her dreams. She dreams of his body being ripped apart, and she is asked to take his parts to the World Tree. At the Tree, more creatures chew Buddy down to his bones before Anansa, the Spider Queen, appears and spins a cocoon around him. Anansa says she will resurrect Buddy if Maxine finds homes for her babies. Back at the Promised Land camp, Buddy descends from a UFO.
Animal Man #82
“Wild Type Part Two: Weekend Safari”, April 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Buddy dreams of being with a troop of baboons. He awakens at the Promised Land, surrounded by his supporters, and with long, grey hair. He reunites with his family and is shown around the camp, meeting with Dr. Varma and Richard Keel, the director of the television station. Buddy recounts his recent experiences to Varma who notes that this sounds like a shamanic journey between imaginal realms, and Varma believes that Buddy has somehow allowed others to also access these realms (via the nightly Red Dreaming). Varma also postulates that, when humans access an imaginal realm, something from that realm enters the human world, which explains the recent sightings of UFOs. Their discussion is interrupted by Humanity First who believe that the Church is responsible for crippling a child who jumped out a window after having a Red Dream. Buddy heals the child but is then hit in the head with a rock. While unconscious, he again dreams of the baboons, who are having a confrontation with some hunters. When Buddy awakens, he rushes off to help the humans but the baboons have already killed them. He feels complicit in the violence.
Animal Man #83
“Wild Type Part Three: Calling Wolfe!”, May 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Footage of the killing is shown on the television program ‘Calling Wolfe!’, hosted by Gordon Wolfe. The baboons are apprehended and set to go on trial. In a bar, Carl (a keeper at the safari park where the incident occurred) and his friend discuss discovering the video and selling it to Wolfe. They decide to break into the facility holding the alpha baboon and kill him, but Buddy is alerted and stops them, resisting the urge to bite the assailants. The Bakers travel to the trial, and the alpha baboon is represented by Sarah. Sarah argues that the baboons were practicing self defence after the hunters accessed an off-limits area, then Buddy makes everyone in the courtroom experience the Red and understand the greater “natural law” that the baboons live by. That night, Carl and his friend successfully kill the baboons while Buddy can only witness this through his dream. Buddy later leans that the pair confessed to the killings but could not be charged with any serious crime.
Animal Man #84
“Bedtime Story”, June 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Buddy puts Maxine to bed, then meets with Annie who tells him she is pregnant but the pregnancy feels strange. That night, Maxine is abducted by grey aliens who take her onto a spacecraft and implant something inside her. She feels safe around a large alien who leads her to a room full of floating foetuses and sickly grey aliens. Maxine learns that Annie’s child will be like Maxine and Buddy, only stronger. Anansa appears, flanked by Men In Black, and she kills the large alien before imprisoning Maxine and taking her place on Earth.
Animal Man #85
“Anima Mundi Part One: The Ant Mystic”, July 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Varma tells Maxine about ants that become infected with a parasite that makes them desire to be ingested by sheep. Buddy notices that there is something different about Maxine. Varma and Buddy meet a man named Phester who shows them a hologram of an old man who wants to meet with Buddy. The camp is also visited by Men In Black looking for the old man. Buddy and Varma travel by bus to Phester’s commune in California. Phester has been inspired by Varma’s writings to create a virtual reality program (named V.I.T.R.I.O.L) to access an imaginal realm, which is where Phester originally encountered the old man. Varma secretly calls Ray to tell her of these events, before he and Buddy use V.I.T.R.I.O.L to enter the old man’s world.
Animal Man #86
“Anima Mundi Part Two: The Little Idea That Could”, August 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry, Hannibal King [c]
The Man leads Varma and Buddy through the imaginal world, which appears to be a hollow in the centre of the Earth. He shows them eyeless blue creatures that have created a hive. The Man explains that this area, named Pandemonium, is a world within the imaginal realm that reflects what is happening in the realm of Matter. Anansa appears, having been able to gain entry to this world by subduing the realm’s protectors, the grey aliens. Anansa infects an eyeless creature, who then infects other creatures it interacts with, thus giving her control over this Kingdom of Imagination. She names Varma as the gateway to the Second Kingdom (Matter) before rendering him and the Man unconscious. Anansa then claims that Buddy is the gateway to the Third Kingdom (Spirit) and reveals she has Maxine’s soul imprisoned. Anansa further explains that the creatures of the Pandemonium represented the telecommunications systems in the world of the Matter, and that she wants to spread ideas through susceptible humans. Buddy is skinned and this skin (his Ego) is consumed by Anansa’s spider babies (her Furies) before they travel into other worlds. Anansa allows Buddy to visit Maxine and he suddenly finds himself in the world of one of Maxine’s children’s books. He is reunited with Maxine in a high tower and they are asked to help the Black Queen.
Animal Man #87
“Anima Mundi, Part 3: The Hidden Stone”, September 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
The Black Queen explains that a World Soul, shaped by the energies of the Three Kingdoms, will soon be born. She encourages Buddy to shed his physical form entirely and he then travels into the stream of energies to witness the growth of the World Soul. He understands that the womb carrying the World Soul is polluted and his followers must find a way to purify it in preparation for its birth. Finally, the Black Queen gives him the gift of Enlightenment. Buddy and Maxine try to leave the imaginal realm but instead meet the old man (now appearing as the King in Yellow) in the city of Carcosa. Buddy helps fight off an attack by Anansa’s Furies on the city. Buddy is then called back to the world of Matter but Maxine must stay in the Third Kingdom until released by Anansa. Buddy awakens back in California as Phester unplugs him from V.I.T.R.I.O.L. Buddy recounts his interpretation of what happened, believing he now holds the key to understanding everything, and vows to save Maxine.
Animal Man #88
“Birth Pains”, October 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Two months after returning from California, Varma is dying – his degenerative condition having progressed rapidly after his experience with V.I.T.R.I.O.L. Buddy is drinking heavily and prone to anger, expressing hostility to “Maxine”. He visits Annie, who is nearing the end of her pregnancy, and connects with their baby through the Red. Next he visits Varma on his deathbed, who understands why he is considered the “gateway” to the Kingdom of Matter. Years ago, he had designed a virus that would attempt to rewire the human brain, but it also spread through the mind. He believes that Anansa is the manifestation of that virus and has developed its own consciousness. The collective human consciousness is about to undergo a major transformation and gain self-awareness with the birth of the World Soul, but Anansa wants to take control of this. Before dying, Varma tells Buddy to kill Anansa. Elsewhere, Annie’s contractions begin but she is immediately kidnapped by grey aliens. A UFO appears outside and Anansa tells Buddy that she is leaving Maxine’s body. Maxine’s soul briefly returns to her body before she passes out.
Animal Man #89
“Birth Pains Part Two”, November 1995. Vertigo.
Jerry Prosser [w], Fred Harper [p], Rick Berry [c]
Onboard the spacecraft, Annie is approached by Anansa, who anticipates receiving and wearing the newborn’s body. Meanwhile, Buddy enters the Red and is reunited with Mr. Cow. Anansa appears and tries to kill Buddy but he finally understands that he, the Soul of the World and the Body of God are all made of the same substance, and that he is all of them. He destroys Anansa after thanking her for bringing the three Kingdoms together. Mr. Cow says that Buddy also now understands the lesson the Red was trying to teach him – that divinity is within himself. Buddy arrives on the spacecraft in time to see the birth of his child. He takes the new child to the hospital and it awakens Maxine out of her coma.
This is the final appearance of many of Animal Man’s supporting cast, including Annie and her newborn child.
[w] denotes writer, [p] denotes penciller, but I have included both penciller and inker if both are credited equally as artists. [c] denotes cover artist when it is a main series or Animal Man appears on the cover.
Wild Planet 