Story: Jeff Lemire
Pencils & Cover: Travel Foreman
Cover: Travel Foreman
Publisher: DC Comics
Pages: 21 pages
ISBN: 761941304960
Rating: *****1/2

Synopsis: Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter starts to manifest her own dangerous powers?

Review: This re-launch of ANIMAL MAN starts off with a magazine interview with Buddy Baker, “the poster boy for the young left-wing hipster crowd”. In the interview we learn that Buddy, aka Animal Man, has taken a break from being a full time superhero to pursue a carrier in acting and animal rights activism. In the interview he comes off as a well-rounded, socially conscious citizen. In the pages that follow the interview we see Buddy has settled down from the life of a super hero and that he is now a family man. For those not familiar with the series, Animal Man’s super power comes from his ability to harness the animal energy of near by animals. For instance, if an ant is near by, Animal Man can channel the strength of an ant. It’s a superpower that can come in handy in tight situations.

The story has some interesting turns in this re-launch first issue that will leave readers wanting more. ANIMAL MAN presents a realistic take on the life of a superhero and is a nice change of pace from the other action packed, epic titles in the DC Universe. I was impressed so I'm recommending ANIMAL MAN #1 to all fans of fantastic realism.

Publisher's Official Site: www.dccomics.com