The first thing that I noticed about this second issue of The Last Days Of Animal Man was a blurb on the front cover that promised a Green Lantern guest appearance. Whilst I wearily suspected that a Hal Jordan cameo had been worked into the story in order to give the book a minor sales boost, the reality is far more pleasing, as Gerry Conway introduces another new character to his future-set tale in the form of a giant flying whale Green Lantern who greets Animal Man with the pleasing soubriquet "friend of my friends."

It’s an unexpected, slightly surreal moment, but one that proves that the creative spirit that we saw in Conway’s first issue is still very much in evidence here. The creator takes full advantage of the freedom that’s offered by the out-of-continuity setting of his story, particularly when it comes to the final splash page, which introduces several new characters (as well as some old favorites) whom I look forward to seeing interact with Animal Man next issue.

Having said that, there’s a certain hit-or-miss quality to the book’s original creations. Just as Conway’s new villain from issue #1, Bloodrage, was a slightly embarrassing 1990s-esque 'extreme’ character who didn’t seem to fit smoothly into Animal Man’s world, the new villainess introduced in this issue, Prismatik, is equally underwhelming. Not only is her origin story told in a clunky monologue that dumps several pages of exposition into the middle of the story (effectively bringing any sense of forward momentum to a halt), but her motivations simply don’t add up. Whilst her connection to the Mirror Master makes for a nice throwback to Animal Man’s earlier adventures, her reasons for attacking the hero are non-existent. I can buy the idea that she would harbor a grudge towards her parents, but I simply can’t invest in her antagonism towards Buddy Baker. Why would a victim of perceived child abuse go out of her way to attack one of her parent’s enemies? Hopefully, Conway will shed more light on this next issue, because at the moment, it’s a nagging concern.

Despite these weaknesses, the core story is still a strong one. I’m enjoying seeing Conway use Animal Man’s failing powers as a metaphor for some fairly complex middle-aged feelings of inadequacy and redundancy. It may even be that the slightly incongruous nature of Conway’s new villains is intentional, signifying that the world has changed and Buddy doesn’t fit in it the way he once did.

I’m also enjoying Chris Batista and Dave Meikis’s artwork, which is bold and confident, producing some striking individual images at the same time as it tells Conway’s story with the utmost clarity. Batista’s linework reminds me of the work of Sal Buscema, particularly when it comes to the characters’ occasionally exaggerated facial expressions.

Whilst The Last Days of Animal Man might not have the strongest hook in the world for casual readers, I’m enjoying it as an exploration of how an aging superhero might react to his changing role in the world. Conway’s apparent use of the Kübler-Ross model as a loose model for Animal Man’s emotional journey ensures that the series will continue to put Buddy Baker through the wringer as the story continues. I look forward to it.

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