“Live”

To look at the cover of this concluding issue of The Last Days Of Animal Man you could be forgiven for expecting a standard, generic “final story” for the character, the likes of which have become so commonplace ever since Dark Knight Returns made such a splash with its take on the end of Batman’s career. A huge, flashy super-villain battle in which our hero either triumphantly beats the odds to overcome his enemies and continue to live the superhero life until a ripe old age, perhaps, or maybe one in which he dies a heroic death in combat, saving his loved ones and his fellow heroes with one final selfless act.

As it turns out, however, neither of these predictable scenarios comes to pass. In fact, despite the setup of the previous chapter’s cliffhanger, this issue dispenses with its traditional hero versus villain setup very briskly, preferring instead to examine the character of Buddy Baker and his thoughts on his life now that his career as Animal Man has finally come to an end.

The transition from the bombastic opening action sequence to a more introspective kind of scene is handled well, playing off the cliché of one’s life flashing before one’s eyes at the moment of death in a comical way, before surprising us with an unexpected appearance from the aliens that first gifted Buddy Baker with his animal-related powers. Their discussion is unafraid to dwell on universal philosophical questions that don’t really have answers but which still might help us to make some sense of our lives,and it gives Buddy’s big moment of truth far more resonance and meaning than a more straightforward action scene would have.

Instead, the outcome of fight itself is almost treated as an afterthought with the book’s supporting cast informing the reader of how things played out after the event. I was happy to see that writer Gerry Conway clearly realizes that the core of his story hasn’t been Animal Man’s conflict with Prismatik or Bloodrage, but the way in which Buddy Baker has been reacting to a major phase of his life coming to an end. Thankfully, this issue spends a lot more time wrapping up the loose threads that relate to Buddy and his family than it does with Animal Man and his half-baked super-villains, and it feels perfectly fitting, given that the series has given far more attention to the character of Buddy as a person than it has to Animal Man as a superhero.

As with previous issues, Chris Batista’s art is excellent throughout, with bold linework, solidly defined figures, and perfectly clear storytelling. There are one or two moments in which he really shines, particularly when called on to provide minimalist layouts for Buddy’s stark conversations with the aliens, and to illustrate another guest appearance from the Green Lantern of the future (who just happens to be a Blue Whale). He’s a very competent artist with a refreshingly traditional style and he deserves to find more high-profile work as a result of his efforts here.

This issue isn’t without its faults. The method that Buddy uses to defeat his villains doesn’t make a huge amount of sense given the limitations of his powers, and there’s a slightly misguided 9-11 tribute at the end of the issue that doesn’t really seem to be trying to make any particular point and sits awkwardly on the final page as a result. Unusually for me, however, I haven’t looked at this comic a second time before reviewing it. Usually, I’ll give books at least one more pass before sitting down to review them, but with this issue I’m concerned that if I look at it again, I might notice extra flaws in the writing and artwork that might distract me from the inspiring message that Conway is trying to convey with this series.

In the end, this hasn’t been a story about the death of Animal Man the superhero or a climactic battle between good and evil. Instead, it’s been a far more universal tale of a man who has come to a crossroads in his life: a man who has suffered feelings of regret and loss of control due to having made mistakes in the past and his life having taken some unexpected turns; who has ultimately managed to pull himself together and find a purpose for himself, whilst also addressing aspects of his life that he may have neglected in the past.

For some readers, it might all seem a little cliché, but for me, the message of the book felt surprisingly heartfelt and relevant, treading a fine line between rejecting the notion of fatalism and inescapable destiny while also accepting the fact that some elements of your life are out of your control, and that it’s up to each of us to simply make the best of our situation. In stark contrast to the downbeat cover image of Animal Man’s empty costume flopping over his gravestone, and the portentous title of the mini-series, this final issue of The Last Days of Animal Man ends on a resolutely positive and optimistic note. And is all the better for it.

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