Covering the second series (2011-2014) and Animal Man’s Justice League United appearances…
The events of 2011’s Flashpoint brought some Vertigo characters (including Animal Man) back into the regular DC Universe, though Buddy had rarely appeared in any Vertigo branded issues since the end of the first Animal Man series in the mid-1990s. Flashpoint also allowed DC to reset the numbering and continuity of all of its ongoing titles and characters with a relaunch titled The New 52. The second Animal Man series was one of the titles in the first wave. Jeff Lemire wrote the entire run, with Travel Foreman or Steve Pugh illustrating most of the issues. The first major arc was the ‘Rotworld’ crossover, which ran through issues #12-18 of both the Animal Man and Swamp Thing series.
Following the end of Animal Man, Buddy joined Justice League United, based in Canada. Lemire wrote the first 10 issues of that series before Jeff Parker took over, accompanied by several regular illustrators.
Appearances that I consider to be fairly minor are indented. The below titles were published by DC Comics unless otherwise noted.
Animal Man #1
“The Hunt, Part One: Warning From The Red”, November 2011
Jeff Lemire [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #2
“The Hunt, Part Two: Maps”, December 2011
Jeff Lemire [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #3
“The Hunt, Part Three: Totems”, January 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #4
“The Hunt, Part Four: The Rot”, February 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #5
“The Hunt, Conclusion: Food Chain”, March 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Travel Foreman [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League Dark (2011) #5
“In The Dark, Finale: There Was A Crooked Man”, March 2012
Peter Milligan [w], Mikel Janin [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man appears in one panel.
Animal Man #6
“Tights”, April 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], John Paul Leon [p], Travel Foreman [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #7
“Animal vs. Man, Part One”, May 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Travel Foreman [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #8
“Animal vs. Man, Part Two”, June 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Travel Foreman [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #9
“Extinction Is Forever, Part One: The Bone Orchard”, July 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Travel Foreman [c]
Summary coming soon.
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (2011) #9
“Animal Tracks”, July 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Alberto Ponticelli [p]
Summary coming soon.
Buddy only appears in one panel but the plot concerns the Baker family.
Animal Man Annual #1
“Endless Rot”, July 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Timothy Green II [p], Travel Foreman [c]
Socks tells Maxine about another time the Avatars of the Green and Red joined forces to fight the Rot. In 1894, the Rot poisoned crops and livestock at Stone Lake, Manitoba. A group of Mounties and farmers, including Jacob Mullin, decide to investigate some nearby woods for a solution. While camping, Jacob begins bleeding from the eyes and one of the Mounties becomes infected and attacks the group. Jacob, the lone survivor, is recognised by the Rot as the Avatar of the Red, before Swamp Thing intercedes and saves him. Swampy takes Jacob to his home and explains that he was once Jack Crow but was killed by the Rot and became an elemental. Jacob has a vision of the future devastated by the Rot, and receives a warning from Buddy Baker. Jacob rushes home to find that the Rot has infected most of the town, but finds his son Henry among a few survivors. Swampy and Jacob kill many of the infected, as well as a pair of powerful Rotlings named the Hunters Two.
Justice League Dark (2011) #10
“The Black Room, Part 2”, August 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Mikel Janin [p]
Constantine and his associates travel to the House of Mystery with a map to the Books of Magic. Constantine opens the map, unwittingly setting off a trap set by Felix Faust. The Demons Three are unleashed and bring the map to Faust, who is confined at A.R.G.U.S headquarters. Meanwhile Madame Xanadu has an apocalyptic vision and sees the Justice League Dark and others lying dead in a pile. In her vision, she is attacked by Constantine who demands that she prevent him from accessing the Books of Magic.
Buddy appears dead in a panel in Xanadu’s vision.
Animal Man #10
“Extinction Is Forever, Part Two: Warriors of the Redlands”, August 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Travel Foreman [c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #11
“Extinction Is Forever, Conclusion: Animal Man vs. Animal Man”, September 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Alberto Ponticelli [p], Steve Pugh [c]
Summary coming soon.
Swamp Thing (2011) #11
“Family Reunion”, September 2012
Scott Snyder [w], Marco Rudy [p], [c]
Anton Arcane and his Un-Men kidnap Abby. Though Arcane attempts to kill Swamp Thing while he is unconscious in the swamp, Alec is pulled into the Green by the young Parliament of Trees and saved. Swampy and Abby fight Arcane, but he escapes through a portal into the Rot. Abby looks into the portal and sees a future where cities have been destroyed and heroes killed. Buddy Baker (Animal Man) and his family arrive and explain that they must enter the portal.
Animal Man #12
“Rotworld: Prologue Part One”, October 2012
Scott Snyder, Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p, c], Nathan Fairbairn, Yanick Paquette [c]
Cliff Baker lies injured in a motel after being attacked by the Hunters Three, while the rest of Baker family try to find Swamp Thing. They find Swampy and Abby by a portal into the Rot, and explain that Maxine is the new Avatar of the Red. Buddy and Swampy decide to enter the portal and attack the Rot to save Cliff. Meanwhile, Mary Baker finds that Cliff has disappeared from the motel room.
Front cover joins with Swamp Thing #12.
Swamp Thing (2011) #12
“Rotworld Prologue: Part 2”, October 2012
Scott Snyder, Jeff Lemire [w], Marco Rudy [p], Steve Pugh, Nathan Fairbairn, Yanick Paquette [c]
Swamp Thing and Animal Man explore the Rot, while Abby and the Bakers are attacked by Rotlings until Abby seals the portal closed. Arcane severs the vine that tethers Swamp Thing to the outside world, and explains that the resurrection of the Holland-Swamp Thing has allowed his resurrection too. Abby decides to attack the Parliament of Decay, while Swampy and Buddy find themselves one year into the future in a world destroyed by the Rot.
Front cover joins with Animal Man #12.
Animal Man #0
“Red Birth”, November 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #13
“Rotworld: The Red Kingdom, Part One”, December 2012
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #14
“Rotworld: The Red Kingdom, Part Two”, January 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League Dark (2011) #14
“Enter the House of Mystery…”, January 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Graham Nolan [p]
At Nanda Parbat, Steve Trevor reports that Nick Necro, Felix Faust and Doctor Mist have been apprehended, but Constantine still wants to locate Zatanna and Tim Hunter, who were teleported away by the Books of Magic. Dr. John Peril is brought in to assist. Peril proposes to recreate the energy signature of Timothy Hunter to activate the books and find out where the heroes were transported, but he will need the help of the villainous Doctor Mist. Deadman agrees to possess Mist to keep him under control. Later, Constantine and Xanadu are approached by the Spectre who warns them of a coming war, as Pandora watches on. Nearby, Amethyst, Black Orchid and Frankenstein decide to explore the House of Mystery. In one room they are attacked by skeletons, and in another they are attacked by bug people. As they are trying to find a way out, Black Orchid discovers a room that contains Constantine’s files on the superhero community, including a file about her.
Buddy’s image only appears amongst Constantine’s files in the House of Mystery, but some of Constantine’s notes reference the Rot and other events from the Animal Man series.
Animal Man #15
“Rotworld: The Red Kingdom, Part Three”, February 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Timothy Green II [p], Steve Pugh [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #16
“Rotworld: The Red Kingdom, Part Four”, March 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Timothy Green II [p], Steve Pugh [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #17
“Rotworld: War Of The Rot Part One””, April 2013
Jeff Lemire, Scott Snyder [w], Timothy Green II [p], Steve Pugh [p, c], Yanick Paquette [c]
Animal Man and his allies (which include Black Orchid, Beast Boy, Medphyll, Frankenstein and Steel) arrive at Arcane’s castle where they believe Maxine is imprisoned. They fight various Rotlings and infected heroes, aided by Shepherd and an army from The Red, but Medphyll is killed and Frankenstein becomes the new Green Lantern. On the other side of the castle, Swamp Thing (who wears Bane’s venom delivery system to supply him with bio-restorative formula) defeats an infected Superman using the power of the Sun. Swampy wants to use the Bat-Bot as a cloud seeder by detonating it in the sky, but he is weakened when his formula delivery system is damaged. Arcane appears and unleashes a hideously deformed Maxine and a number of monstrous, brainless Abby clones to attack the heroes.
Front cover joins with Swamp Thing #17.
Swamp Thing (2011) #17
“Rotworld: War Of The Rot Part Two”, April 2013
Jeff Lemire, Scott Snyder [w], Andy Belanger [p], Steve Pugh, Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn [c]
Buddy kills the evil Maxine, and Steel is killed after launching the Bat-Bot. Arcane attempts to disable the Bat-Bot mid-flight, but Swamp Thing carries the robot higher into the sky while Animal Man drains Beast Boy’s power in order to fight Arcane. The Bat-Bot explodes, killing many of the Rotlings, but Arcane escapes into his castle and through a portal into the past. The Parliament of Decay, unhappy with what Arcane has done to the world, help Swampy and Buddy by reopening the portal so that they can pursue Arcane.
Front cover joins with Animal Man #17.
Animal Man #18
“Rotworld: The Red Kingdom, Epilogue”, May 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Jae Lee [c]
Buddy Baker journeys back to the present to prevent the Rot from taking over the world. He tracks his family to a barn where the surviving Hunters Three and William Arcane are attempting to coerce Maxine into joining with the Rot. Buddy stops them just in time, but William is knocked unconscious by the Hunters Three before Maxine manages to suck the Rot out of their bodies and return them to their original human states. Just when the Bakers believe the Rot has been defeated, William awakens and, with his final act, attacks Buddy. Cliff Baker intervenes just in time and is fatally stabbed.
Animal Man #19
“The Funeral”, June 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Howard Porter [c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #20
“Tights Part Two”, July 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], John Paul Leon, Timothy Green II [p], Jae Lee [c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #21
“Splinter Species”, August 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh, Francis Portella [p], Jae Lee [c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League Dark (2011) #21
“Horror City Conclusion: Die Die Die My Darling!”, August 2013
Jeff Lemire, Ray Fawkes [w], Mikel Janin, Vicente Cifuentes [p]
Madame Xanadu sees a vision of the future where she kisses Deadman and Doctor Destiny destroys them. In the present, Destiny explains that the Cult gave him a powerful ruby. Deadman frees Swamp Thing and then takes possession of the House itself, while Swamp Thing captures Destiny. Xanadu kills her son and takes his ruby.
Buddy appears dead on one panel in Xanadu’s vision of the future.
Animal Man #22
“Splinter Species Part Two”, September 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh, Francis Portella [p], Jae Lee [c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man Annual #2
“One Last Flight”, September 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #23
“Splinter Species Conclusion”, October 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Steve Pugh [p], Francis Portella [p, c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League Dark (2011) #23
“Trinity War Part 5 of 6”, October 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Mikel Janin [p]
Various superheroes fight each other for Pandora’s Box, which corrupts whomever touches it. Constantine and Zatanna escape with the Box and are transported to Greece, finding Madame Xanadu in a nearby underground bunker just as Batman and others arrive. The Outsider (Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3) appears and reveals that the Box is actually a doorway. Meanwhile, a weakened Superman and members of the Justice League escape the rubble of the destroyed A.R.G.U.S headquarters.
Animal Man appears in one panel when Shazam seizes Pandora’s Box and causes a magical disturbance throughout the world.
Animal Man #24
“Hollywood Babylon Part 1 of 2”, December 2013
Jeff Lemire [w], Rafael Albuquerque [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #25
“Hollywood Babylon Part 2 of 2”, January 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Rafael Albuquerque [p]
Summary coming soon.
Swamp Thing (2011) #26
“Victor: Spoiled”, February 2014
Charles Soule [w], Jesus Saiz [p]
As a retired Avatar in the Green, Swamp Thing has access to Woodrue’s thoughts and memories. Several years earlier, Woodrue sought to become the Green’s Avatar and travels to the Parliament of Trees. They do not converse with him then, but later seek his help in retrieving Alec Holland from Europe (Annual #1), for which he is rewarded with the power to alter seeds. Woodrue then sought help from various magicians to become more powerful. In the present day, and with the combined knowledge of all previous Avatars at his disposal, Woodrue attacks Capucine and Animal Man in an attempt to prove himself to the Green. Animal Man tries to reason with Woodrue, explaining that he is not the Avatar of the Red. Woodrue attempts to kill every animal in the vicinity to weaken Animal Man, but Animal Man defeats Woodrue by dropping him from a great height. Woodrue then travels to Peru and destroys a large sawmill.
Animal Man #26
“Godseed”, February 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Cully Hamner [p], Rafael Albuquerque [c]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #27
“Evolve or Die! Part One”, March 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Rafael Albuquerque [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #28
“Evolve or Die! Part Two”, April 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Rafael Albuquerque [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man #29
“…Goodnight, Animal Man”, May 2014
Jeff Lemire [w, p, c], Travel Foreman [p, c]
Buddy Baker makes an agreement with Shepherd and Socks to continue to be Earth’s avatar of the Red, as long as Maxine is no longer involved. Shepherd and Socks become the new totems of the Red. Buddy returns home and Maxine tells him a bedtime story that recounts the events of the Animal Man series.
Superboy (2011) #30
“Forget The Past”, June 2014
Aaron Kuder [w], Jorge Jimenez Moreno [p]
Summary coming soon.
Buddy appears to be dead in one panel.
Justice League United (2014) #0
“Justice League Canada Part 1 of 5”, June 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Mike McKone [p]
Summary coming soon.
|
‘Futures End’ crossover The world of ‘Futures End’ is set soon after a global war has taken place, and the planet is filled with a large number of refugees from Earth-2. A Batman (Terry McGinnis) from the distant future travels back in time to prevent Brother Eye from taking over the world. Futures End (2014) #2 Justice League United – Futures End (2015) #1 Futures End (2014) #28 Futures End (2014) #31 |
Justice League United (2014) #1
“Justice League Canada Part 2 of 5”, July 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Mike McKone [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #2
“Justice League Canada Part 3 of 5”, August 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Mike McKone [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #3
“Justice League Canada Part 4 of 5”, September 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Mike McKone [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #4
“Justice League Canada Conclusion”, October 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Mike McKone [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #5
“The Midayo and the Whitago”, December 2014
Jeff Lemire [w], Timothy Green II [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) Annual #1
“The Infinitus Saga Part 1 of 5”, January 2015
Jeff Lemire [w], Neil Edwards [p], Andrew Robinson [c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #6
“The Infinitus Saga Part 2 of 5”, January 2015
Jeff Lemire [w], Neil Edwards [p], Andrew Robinson [c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #7
“The Infinitus Saga Part 3 of 5”, February 2015
Jeff Lemire [w], Neil Edwards [p]
Summary coming soon.
Secret Origins (2014) #8
“Animal Man” (pp. 10-20), February 2015
Jeff Lemire, Duffy Boudreau [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Shepherd and Socks explain Animal Man’s origin. Their story recounts Buddy Baker’s selection as temporary avatar of the Red, his battles against the Rot and Brother Blood, the death of his son, and his joining the Justice League United.
Justice League United (2014) #8
“The Infinitus Saga Part 4 of 6”, March 2015
Jeff Lemire [w], Neil Edwards [p]
Summary coming soon.
The issue name suggests that the story shifted from being a 5-part to 6-part arc.
Justice League United (2014) #9
“The Infinitus Saga Part 5 of 6”, April 2015
Jeff Lemire [w], Neil Edwards [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #10
“The Infinitus Saga Conclusion”, May 2015
Jeff Lemire [w], Neil Edwards [p], Andrew Robinson [c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League (2011) #40
“Darkseid War Prologue”, June 2015
Geoff Johns [w], Phil Jimenez [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man appears on a double page splash with many other heroes, attacking the Anti-Monitor during the Crisis.
Convergence (2015) #6
“Team Work”, July 2015
Jeff King, Scott Lobdell [w], Ed Benes, Eduardo Pansica [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man appears on a couple of panels with Justice League United.
Convergence (2015) #7
“Showdown”, August 2015
Jeff King, Scott Lobdell [w], Aaron Lopresti [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man appears on a panel with Justice League United, and then again at the end floating unconscious in space.
Justice League United (2014) #11
“The Island of No Return”, September 2015
Jeff Parker [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Adam Strange is trapped in the Zeta beam where he gives instructions to the Justice League United on how to defeat Breakers, which are anomalies that distort reality. The JLU recruit Mera, Swamp Thing, Poison Ivy and Jason Blood and, accompanied by Equinox, these heroes travel to a living island in Lake Erie in the shape of a large pyramid. When Jason Blood (now as Etrigan) attacks the creature, the team are cut off from the world and Swamp Thing is absorbed into the pyramid.
Justice League United (2014) #12
“The Island of No Return Pt 2”, October 2015
Jeff Parker [w], Travel Foreman [p]
Ivy communicates with the trapped Swamp Thing with the help of Equinox. Swampy explains that the island is consuming methane from under the lake and it soon begins rising into the air. Mera creates a protective shield while Etrigan destroys the creature with fire. The team reunites after the explosion with the exception of Swamp Thing, though Ivy senses that he is still alive. Upset, Ivy leaves with the intent of resurrecting Swampy. Meanwhile the JLU begin recruiting heroes (including Steel, Robotman, and Batgirl) for the next mission.
Justice League United (2014) #13
“War Zone”, November 2015
Jeff Parker [w], Paul Pelletier [p]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #14
“War Zone 2: Weird War”, December 2015
Jeff Parker [w], Paul Pelletier [p]
Summary coming soon.
Titans Hunt (2015) #1
“Chapter One: The Brave And The Bold”, December 2015
Dan Abnett [w], Paulo Siqueira, Geraldo Borges [p]
Summary coming soon.
Buddy appears at an awards ceremony.
Justice League United (2014) #15
“War Zone 3: Our Army At War”, January 2016
Jeff Parker [w], Paul Pelletier [p], [c]
Summary coming soon.
Justice League United (2014) #16
“House of Secrets”, February 2016
Jeff Parker [w], Travel Foreman [p], Travel Foreman, Hi-Fi [c]
Summary coming soon.
Action Comics (2011) #48
“Savage Dawn: Assault”, March 2016
Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder [w], Aaron Kuder, Rafa Sandoval [p]
Summary coming soon.
Animal Man appears with Justice League Dark in a few panels.
Action Comics (2011) #50
“Resurrection”, May 2016
Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder [w], Aaron Kuder, David Messina, Javi Fernandez, Bruno Redondo, Vicente Cifuentes [p]
Summary coming soon.
Buddy appears on one panel.
DC Super Hero Girls: Finals Crisis GN
July 2016
Shea Fontana [w], Yancey Labat [p]
Summary coming soon.
DC Super Hero Girls: Hits and Myths GN
November 2016
Shea Fontana [w], Yancey Labat [p]
Summary coming soon.
[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.
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