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Animal Man (2011)
Animal Man, Volume 3: Rotworld - The Red Kingdom
The world has fallen to the Rot!
Animal Man, a.k.a. Buddy Baker and Swamp Thing form an uneasy alliance as they find that after facing down the undead forces of Anton Arcane that the world has fallen deep into a decrepit future where the world is consumed into a withering land of decay. The two heroes travel the decimated planet, scrounging up misfit crimefighters, whose appearances and histories have been changed by this new hell-scape. Will Animal Man and Swamp Thing be able to stop the forces of the Rot and change the world back to what it was?
New York Times best-selling authors Scott Snyder (Batman) and Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) team-up to conclude a story that began with the New 52.
Collecting: Animal Man 12-17, Swamp Thing 12, 17-18
Animal Man, a.k.a. Buddy Baker and Swamp Thing form an uneasy alliance as they find that after facing down the undead forces of Anton Arcane that the world has fallen deep into a decrepit future where the world is consumed into a withering land of decay. The two heroes travel the decimated planet, scrounging up misfit crimefighters, whose appearances and histories have been changed by this new hell-scape. Will Animal Man and Swamp Thing be able to stop the forces of the Rot and change the world back to what it was?
New York Times best-selling authors Scott Snyder (Batman) and Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) team-up to conclude a story that began with the New 52.
Collecting: Animal Man 12-17, Swamp Thing 12, 17-18
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2013
12 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,409 books3,879 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
October 3, 2014
Well, at least Animal Man's side of the Rotworld crossover was easier for me to read than Swamp Thing's.
But I didn't really like either one, so that's still not saying much. At least volume 3 was better than (my opinion) Animal Man, Vol. 2: Animal vs. Man. And by better I just mean that I was a bit more engaged in the story.
The tone of this was simply too depressing for me.
Although in all fairness, the cover says that it's a strange 'dark' fantasy book.
And I am so sorry guys, but I just hatehatehate the art. I've tried to get past it. I really have. But I never want to lay eyes on this again. It just...
Ugh! Blech!
I know some people has some problems with the time-travel/alternate history part of the story, but that stuff didn't really bother me. I thought it was cool to see who all they were going to kill off before they pulled the old switcheroo.
And no. That's not a spoiler.
Every single member of the DC universe gets turned in a zombie. If you really think that's going to last...you're a dumbass.
Don't comment on my thread.
I mean it.
The ending?
But I didn't really like either one, so that's still not saying much. At least volume 3 was better than (my opinion) Animal Man, Vol. 2: Animal vs. Man. And by better I just mean that I was a bit more engaged in the story.
The tone of this was simply too depressing for me.
Although in all fairness, the cover says that it's a strange 'dark' fantasy book.
And I am so sorry guys, but I just hatehatehate the art. I've tried to get past it. I really have. But I never want to lay eyes on this again. It just...
Ugh! Blech!
I know some people has some problems with the time-travel/alternate history part of the story, but that stuff didn't really bother me. I thought it was cool to see who all they were going to kill off before they pulled the old switcheroo.
And no. That's not a spoiler.
Every single member of the DC universe gets turned in a zombie. If you really think that's going to last...you're a dumbass.
Don't comment on my thread.
I mean it.
The ending?
March 23, 2022
Animal Man, Swamp Thing, a DC book written by Jeff Lemire. There was no way I was not going to like this.
But I did not love it.
I think Buddy Baker is meant more for a minimalistic superhero story, and this was an epic, with Swamp Thing and other DC crossovers, this was an EVENT.
And it was cool, don’t get me wrong, a calamitous showdown with the parliament of the Rot, and there’s the red and the green and they had to SAVE THE WORLD.
But this is Buddy. He’s a family guy, he’s approachable and fun. Yes, he’s a superhero and he’s got weird powers, but what makes this such a great story, especially as written by Lemire, is his humanity.
I did like the ending.
So lots of action, lots of stuff under the big tent, and leaving this story arc, I think we’re back on the right track.
But I did not love it.
I think Buddy Baker is meant more for a minimalistic superhero story, and this was an epic, with Swamp Thing and other DC crossovers, this was an EVENT.
And it was cool, don’t get me wrong, a calamitous showdown with the parliament of the Rot, and there’s the red and the green and they had to SAVE THE WORLD.
But this is Buddy. He’s a family guy, he’s approachable and fun. Yes, he’s a superhero and he’s got weird powers, but what makes this such a great story, especially as written by Lemire, is his humanity.
I did like the ending.
So lots of action, lots of stuff under the big tent, and leaving this story arc, I think we’re back on the right track.
March 15, 2015
***Green Theme Buddy Read with the Shallows...The Green is more Swampy's territory, but it's part of the trifecta with the Red and the Rot, and they're all here...so ya. Plus Swamp Thing. Oh and a Green Lantern shows up, plus Green Arrow has a panel.***
Well...that was...terrible. Dark and depressing, I won't be surprised if Buddy Baker becomes a raging alcoholic pill popper. Rot world was a crossover on the Dark-horror edge of the DCU spectrum....Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Constantine, Black Orchid, and so forth. There's also lots of heroes who appear and get turned into zombies by the Rot...Buddy should have learned the best way to predict the future of your wife is to look at her mother...and they are both enormo-cunts. Like somehow it's his fault that their daughter has powers? ThE real problem is that they spend more time chewing him out than listening to him or curing that crime against follicles that is Cliff...
The talking cat makes me think of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Swampy is more interesting because his life partner isn't a fucking cunt. Also, when did she start looking like a librarian? I think they ugged her up on purpose. The art is also terrible. By the end everyone is just a mess of lines and smudges and blechy colours. Not pleasant to look at, way too many thought and speech bubbles and internal monologues.
Oh and to top it all off, even in a book he doesn't appear in, Batman saves the world and the day. Yup. Also, the Justice League manage to be useless twats as well. I did enjoy Frankenstein showing up...I like a lot that New 52 has a mandate for Frank to be in 33% of everything.
This was also just dumb. I think I went onto autopilot about halfway through the book.
I won't be rushing to volume 4.
Disappointing for sure. I also hate super kids. What do u think is going to happen if you have kids with a superhero dude? Idiots. Also, who brings there mother in law on a road trip and doesn't leave her in Wichita? Dummy.
Just not worth it. Lots of DCU grit. But not at all pleasant. No point other than depressing me. Yay.
Well...that was...terrible. Dark and depressing, I won't be surprised if Buddy Baker becomes a raging alcoholic pill popper. Rot world was a crossover on the Dark-horror edge of the DCU spectrum....Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Constantine, Black Orchid, and so forth. There's also lots of heroes who appear and get turned into zombies by the Rot...Buddy should have learned the best way to predict the future of your wife is to look at her mother...and they are both enormo-cunts. Like somehow it's his fault that their daughter has powers? ThE real problem is that they spend more time chewing him out than listening to him or curing that crime against follicles that is Cliff...
The talking cat makes me think of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Swampy is more interesting because his life partner isn't a fucking cunt. Also, when did she start looking like a librarian? I think they ugged her up on purpose. The art is also terrible. By the end everyone is just a mess of lines and smudges and blechy colours. Not pleasant to look at, way too many thought and speech bubbles and internal monologues.
Oh and to top it all off, even in a book he doesn't appear in, Batman saves the world and the day. Yup. Also, the Justice League manage to be useless twats as well. I did enjoy Frankenstein showing up...I like a lot that New 52 has a mandate for Frank to be in 33% of everything.
This was also just dumb. I think I went onto autopilot about halfway through the book.
I won't be rushing to volume 4.
Disappointing for sure. I also hate super kids. What do u think is going to happen if you have kids with a superhero dude? Idiots. Also, who brings there mother in law on a road trip and doesn't leave her in Wichita? Dummy.
Just not worth it. Lots of DCU grit. But not at all pleasant. No point other than depressing me. Yay.
January 10, 2017
Finally, the first volume I actually loved.
Listen, I get it, crossovers can be annoying. This one worked though, for me anyway, and you know why? It's self contained, and works well even if you just read this volume.
So together Animal Man and Swamp Thing go into the Rotworld. They get lost below and come out a year later with the entire world overrun by the Rot. This is a very interesting world just because most heroes we know are not filled with Rot. From Flash to Superman, watching our favorite heroes zombiefied is super fun.
The ending is heartbreaking and the very last issue is REALLY good and I hope volume 4-5 deal with the fallout well. The art isn't nearly as chaotic or crazy and the end result makes for a lot of great storytelling if done right. This is top notch horror superhero stuff. Let's do it!
Listen, I get it, crossovers can be annoying. This one worked though, for me anyway, and you know why? It's self contained, and works well even if you just read this volume.
So together Animal Man and Swamp Thing go into the Rotworld. They get lost below and come out a year later with the entire world overrun by the Rot. This is a very interesting world just because most heroes we know are not filled with Rot. From Flash to Superman, watching our favorite heroes zombiefied is super fun.
The ending is heartbreaking and the very last issue is REALLY good and I hope volume 4-5 deal with the fallout well. The art isn't nearly as chaotic or crazy and the end result makes for a lot of great storytelling if done right. This is top notch horror superhero stuff. Let's do it!
February 3, 2026
The crossover between Animal Man and Swamp Thing turns out to be partial, with each series continuing on its own path over several issues until the end.
In any case, the outcome of this gripping arc proves to be deeply dramatic for the Baker family, and Buddy ends the adventure at his lowest point.
Lemire was able to capture Buddy after Morrison's memorable run in the 90s and once again elevate a character who was rather obscure to the general public.
Steve Pugh handles most of the arc, and I love his work. Timothy Green does a good job in support with a different style, but Andy Belanger's issue is a disgrace.
In any case, the outcome of this gripping arc proves to be deeply dramatic for the Baker family, and Buddy ends the adventure at his lowest point.
Lemire was able to capture Buddy after Morrison's memorable run in the 90s and once again elevate a character who was rather obscure to the general public.
Steve Pugh handles most of the arc, and I love his work. Timothy Green does a good job in support with a different style, but Andy Belanger's issue is a disgrace.
December 12, 2014
This was a pretty solid collection of the Rotworld event from the animal kingdom side of the story.
I really enjoyed the artwork and some of the horrific imagery that was used to tell the story; in fact, the artwork has been fairly consistent throughout the entire Lemire run of Animal Man. I felt the stakes were placed very high for our hero even though the conflict wasn't fully realized. Sadly, it all felt too familiar and formulaic. There were some good opportunities to really break away from comic book cliches with this story; but, sadly, it's the exact same good-vs-evil story that we always get with crossover events.
Lemire spent a lot of time in the first volume building an interesting and detailed world for Animal Man. I think the decision to cross it over with the Swamp Thing universe really placed limits on where Lemire could have taken the story. In the end, the Rotworld event was shallow, surface material that left me longing for the Animal Man from issues 1-6. I hope, now that the event is over, there can be a return to what Lemire had taken such care in creating when the New 52 began.
Still, it was a solid read, but not mind-blowing.
3.5/5
I really enjoyed the artwork and some of the horrific imagery that was used to tell the story; in fact, the artwork has been fairly consistent throughout the entire Lemire run of Animal Man. I felt the stakes were placed very high for our hero even though the conflict wasn't fully realized. Sadly, it all felt too familiar and formulaic. There were some good opportunities to really break away from comic book cliches with this story; but, sadly, it's the exact same good-vs-evil story that we always get with crossover events.
Lemire spent a lot of time in the first volume building an interesting and detailed world for Animal Man. I think the decision to cross it over with the Swamp Thing universe really placed limits on where Lemire could have taken the story. In the end, the Rotworld event was shallow, surface material that left me longing for the Animal Man from issues 1-6. I hope, now that the event is over, there can be a return to what Lemire had taken such care in creating when the New 52 began.
Still, it was a solid read, but not mind-blowing.
3.5/5
July 19, 2018
I will spare you the spoilers, but the arc begins strong and has real stakes and consequences at its end. The cross-over between Swampthing and Animal Man makes logical sense and fits the re-working of the metaphysics in the New 52. However, Lemire seems to lose the thread in the middle about what makes Animal Man different from other comics: it was not just the metaphysics of the Green, the Red, and the Rot. A metaphysics that frankly feels a little lifted from 1990s White Wolf games. Animal Man, in Morrison's original run and in Lemire's New 52, is mostly about the effects of being a cosmic entity and superhero on a regular family. Lemire's writing is most developed and interesting when dealing with family dynamics and humanizing relationships within comics. This book started a trend that I have seen increasingly in Lemire's superhero comics whether he is working for Valiant, DC, or Marvel--they are becoming more and more like standard superhero comics. In Animal Man, that absolutely does not really work. Having two cosmic avatars travel a hellscape collecting misfit superheroes to fight hordes of unpersons loses interest fast, and the tropes about the father-daughter dynamic are also tired here. What was interesting in the first two volumes is clearly beginning to lose steam. Also some of Synder's influence is felt here and not in a positive way: I have liked Synder's work on Batman in all three continuities he was worked on it on, but Animal Man is awkward fit for him and this moves this book even more into the elements of comics where Animal Man simply doesn't shine as a concept. Pugh and Paquette's art is solid, but house-style and most efficient. While in other comic properties, I would rate this a little higher, I expect more from Lemire, Synder, and Animal Man.
October 14, 2013
Well this was... bad.
Just when I was beginning to think Lemire could do no wrong, it appears that I was incorrect. With everything at your disposal, with Buddy Baker, one of the most powerful cape in the DCU, this is what you give me? A time travel story?
See, the problem I have with time travel stories is that at the end of the day they are absolutely worthless. There are no repercussions for the characters involved, because, inevitably, those repercussions are erased by the writer during the climax of the story. So anything that happens isn't worth a damn in the end. That's exactly what we got here with volume 3 and the end of Rotworld- a whole bunch of nothing.
Was it cool to see the future world? Yeah, for a minute it was. Novelty wore off fairly quickly and then it became tiresome. Instead of having Buddy and Alec fight Arcane in the regular continuity, we see a battle in the future that never really takes place because of that lazy plot device called time travel. Gimme a break, Lemire, and gimme something real.
Aside from the time travel trash, the entire thing ends in the most anticlimactic way possible. A very serious letdown from what began as the crown jewel of the Nu52.
Pugh does some serviceable work on the art side, but every other artist who worked on this volume (and there were a handful) was just godawful. Remedial art.
Writing: D
Art: D
Just when I was beginning to think Lemire could do no wrong, it appears that I was incorrect. With everything at your disposal, with Buddy Baker, one of the most powerful cape in the DCU, this is what you give me? A time travel story?
See, the problem I have with time travel stories is that at the end of the day they are absolutely worthless. There are no repercussions for the characters involved, because, inevitably, those repercussions are erased by the writer during the climax of the story. So anything that happens isn't worth a damn in the end. That's exactly what we got here with volume 3 and the end of Rotworld- a whole bunch of nothing.
Was it cool to see the future world? Yeah, for a minute it was. Novelty wore off fairly quickly and then it became tiresome. Instead of having Buddy and Alec fight Arcane in the regular continuity, we see a battle in the future that never really takes place because of that lazy plot device called time travel. Gimme a break, Lemire, and gimme something real.
Aside from the time travel trash, the entire thing ends in the most anticlimactic way possible. A very serious letdown from what began as the crown jewel of the Nu52.
Pugh does some serviceable work on the art side, but every other artist who worked on this volume (and there were a handful) was just godawful. Remedial art.
Writing: D
Art: D
October 15, 2013
So here's this comic's problem: nothing happens of note for 8 full issues out of this 10-issue collection. That's the fault of the whole Rotworld crossover which is a big obstacle dropped straight in the way of the comic's storyline. Swamp Thing and Animal Man go to an alternate future and do lots of pointless fighting and then they return from an alternate future ... and only then does the storyline actually continue.
That's a pity, because there's plenty to like in this volume: Lemire's writing continues to be strong; the meeting between the Swamp Thing and Animal Man is epic and interesting; and the last two issues are much more interesting.
But the rest? It should have been a couple of issues, tops.
That's a pity, because there's plenty to like in this volume: Lemire's writing continues to be strong; the meeting between the Swamp Thing and Animal Man is epic and interesting; and the last two issues are much more interesting.
But the rest? It should have been a couple of issues, tops.
January 31, 2017
Well well, this was very amusable, entertaining, but still not really what I was hoping for..
The story was brought very well, but the contents didn't completely sat right with me -
Okay, first time I did a spoiler I guess :D
Feels good :p
Nevertheless I had fun reading this, seeing all the rotten heroes give their all ..
The story was brought very well, but the contents didn't completely sat right with me -
Okay, first time I did a spoiler I guess :D
Feels good :p
Nevertheless I had fun reading this, seeing all the rotten heroes give their all ..
April 30, 2015
Glad they were able to stop the Rot. Hope Buddy will be able to be okay without his powers. RIP Cliff. The Rot is disgusting.
June 12, 2019
4.5 Stars
I have to say this was pretty impressive. We got cool post apocalyptic storyline mixed in with a suspenseful "real world" storyline. There were several new versions of DC characters involved, Swamp Thing plays a major part, and there's a major death as well. There's also a huge character change near the end. Even though there was a bit of deus ex machina going on, it worked in the context of this story. This was probably the best Animal Man story I've read, although I know some Grant Morrison fans may differ. Overall a very strong volume, and it also makes the reader really want to know what happens next. I realize that's the point of serial fiction, but honestly, half the time there's not a sense of true urgency to see what happens next, but this time that's not true.
I have to say this was pretty impressive. We got cool post apocalyptic storyline mixed in with a suspenseful "real world" storyline. There were several new versions of DC characters involved, Swamp Thing plays a major part, and there's a major death as well. There's also a huge character change near the end. Even though there was a bit of deus ex machina going on, it worked in the context of this story. This was probably the best Animal Man story I've read, although I know some Grant Morrison fans may differ. Overall a very strong volume, and it also makes the reader really want to know what happens next. I realize that's the point of serial fiction, but honestly, half the time there's not a sense of true urgency to see what happens next, but this time that's not true.
July 21, 2023
Some really amusing fight scenes toward the climax of the book, which is very hard to accomplish in this medium. Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder write great together. This was my favorite volume so far.
April 19, 2014
Reprints Animal Man (2) #12-19 and Swamp Thing (5) #12 and #17 (October 2012-June 2013). Animal Man and Swamp Thing take their battle directly to the Rot. Unfortunately, Swamp Thing and Animal Man discover they’ve walked into a trap and that Arcane has won. Now, the world is under the Rot’s control and Animal Man finds himself in a desperate attempt to reunite with Swamp Thing and stop Arcane. If Animal Man can succeed in freeing the world, his life could still be changed forever!
Written by Jeff Lemire with help by Scott Snyder, Animal Man 3: Rotworld—The Red Kingdom is the New 52 relaunch of the Animal Man series. Following Animal Man 2: Animal vs. Man, Animal Man 3: Rotworld—The Red Kingdom is a tie-in with Swamp Thing 3: Rotworld—The Green Kingdom and wraps up the Rot storyline.
The Rot was a good idea to give Animal Man some punch when the series kicked off with the New 52. The concepts of the different worlds Red, Green, Gray, Black, and others tied in with the whole spectrum of the Green Lanterns and added some direction to series. I liked this as it started, but it did carry on a bit too long.
Fortunately, the series did not end everything quickly and anticlimactic. This volume shows a real battle (on two fronts if you read Swamp Thing) and the ending fight was a good conclusion. The series has a bittersweet coda much like Swamp Thing in that everything didn’t turn out well. The death of Cliff (and his nasty mullet) echoes Grant Morrison’s run which killed Animal Man’s whole family…which leads to a quest to resurrect Cliff in the final issues of the series.
The art for the series is pretty traditional comic book art which is a bit of a disappointment from the early days of this series. Travel Foreman provided a really unique view of Animal Man and I wish he had stuck with the book to keep it moving. I tried to imagine how he would have portrayed this volume and found myself wishing he had done the art (though it wouldn’t have mixed well with Swamp Thing’s art).
Animal Man is a good book that got a bit too bogged down in the story. It is kind of like how X-Files needed to mix in an occasional monster-of-the-week to make the story alien mythos stories less oppressive. I do think they did a good job wrapping up the Rot story, but wish Animal Man was allowed to have some fun. Animal Man 3: Rotworld—The Red Kingdom was followed by Animal Man 4: Splinter Species.
Written by Jeff Lemire with help by Scott Snyder, Animal Man 3: Rotworld—The Red Kingdom is the New 52 relaunch of the Animal Man series. Following Animal Man 2: Animal vs. Man, Animal Man 3: Rotworld—The Red Kingdom is a tie-in with Swamp Thing 3: Rotworld—The Green Kingdom and wraps up the Rot storyline.
The Rot was a good idea to give Animal Man some punch when the series kicked off with the New 52. The concepts of the different worlds Red, Green, Gray, Black, and others tied in with the whole spectrum of the Green Lanterns and added some direction to series. I liked this as it started, but it did carry on a bit too long.
Fortunately, the series did not end everything quickly and anticlimactic. This volume shows a real battle (on two fronts if you read Swamp Thing) and the ending fight was a good conclusion. The series has a bittersweet coda much like Swamp Thing in that everything didn’t turn out well. The death of Cliff (and his nasty mullet) echoes Grant Morrison’s run which killed Animal Man’s whole family…which leads to a quest to resurrect Cliff in the final issues of the series.
The art for the series is pretty traditional comic book art which is a bit of a disappointment from the early days of this series. Travel Foreman provided a really unique view of Animal Man and I wish he had stuck with the book to keep it moving. I tried to imagine how he would have portrayed this volume and found myself wishing he had done the art (though it wouldn’t have mixed well with Swamp Thing’s art).
Animal Man is a good book that got a bit too bogged down in the story. It is kind of like how X-Files needed to mix in an occasional monster-of-the-week to make the story alien mythos stories less oppressive. I do think they did a good job wrapping up the Rot story, but wish Animal Man was allowed to have some fun. Animal Man 3: Rotworld—The Red Kingdom was followed by Animal Man 4: Splinter Species.
July 11, 2018
The most enjoyable Animal Man volume so far, mostly due to the fact that this story rips Buddy Baker away from his unbearable family and sets him off on a solo quest to save the world and return to them. That doesn't mean it's good, but it's definitely the most readable of them all.
Unfortunately, the story just isn't all that fresh or thrilling. As I mentioned in my review of Swamp Thing Deluxe Edition, which this directly crosses over with, the third act of this story of Animal Man & Swamp Thing vs. The Rot rockets them into a post-apocalyptic future where The Rot has won, which we of course know cannot be the final outcome of this battle, so inherently the stakes are nonexistent. We're just waiting for several issues for them to figure out a way to solve it, and there aren't enough surprises or twists along the way to keep things interesting.
Also, I've mentioned before how corny I find Jeff Lemire's penchant for having his characters give other people nicknames, and this is out in full force in this book. The goat warrior dude from volume 2 makes a repeat appearance, for example, and never stops calling Buddy Baker "Butter Baker, Blondie Man." It's so annoying, I started just mentally fast-forwarding through all of goatman's dialogue. Like, I know that goat thing can speak English. Why does he think his name is Butter? Why Blondie Man? It's forced quirk and it's aggravating.
Anyway, as I said, the one thing this dystopia does for the reader is pull Buddy away from his horribly-established wife and mother-in-law who only exist to get in his way and nag at him. Unfortunately, this reprieve is short-lived. Eventually, Buddy makes it back to the present (of course), and there they are again, and now they're EVEN WORSE. The trope of having an overprotective wife/mother constantly undermine her super-powered husband/daughter/whatever is just so old fashioned and borderline sexist. "Women just won't let us BE!!!" I truly cannot stand these characters.
So, this is another one I can't recommend, and at this point I think I may be done with Animal Man. I gave it 3 volumes and a full story arc, and I just find it too frustrating to continue. RIP Buddy Baker and family. You were annoying.
Unfortunately, the story just isn't all that fresh or thrilling. As I mentioned in my review of Swamp Thing Deluxe Edition, which this directly crosses over with, the third act of this story of Animal Man & Swamp Thing vs. The Rot rockets them into a post-apocalyptic future where The Rot has won, which we of course know cannot be the final outcome of this battle, so inherently the stakes are nonexistent. We're just waiting for several issues for them to figure out a way to solve it, and there aren't enough surprises or twists along the way to keep things interesting.
Also, I've mentioned before how corny I find Jeff Lemire's penchant for having his characters give other people nicknames, and this is out in full force in this book. The goat warrior dude from volume 2 makes a repeat appearance, for example, and never stops calling Buddy Baker "Butter Baker, Blondie Man." It's so annoying, I started just mentally fast-forwarding through all of goatman's dialogue. Like, I know that goat thing can speak English. Why does he think his name is Butter? Why Blondie Man? It's forced quirk and it's aggravating.
Anyway, as I said, the one thing this dystopia does for the reader is pull Buddy away from his horribly-established wife and mother-in-law who only exist to get in his way and nag at him. Unfortunately, this reprieve is short-lived. Eventually, Buddy makes it back to the present (of course), and there they are again, and now they're EVEN WORSE. The trope of having an overprotective wife/mother constantly undermine her super-powered husband/daughter/whatever is just so old fashioned and borderline sexist. "Women just won't let us BE!!!" I truly cannot stand these characters.
So, this is another one I can't recommend, and at this point I think I may be done with Animal Man. I gave it 3 volumes and a full story arc, and I just find it too frustrating to continue. RIP Buddy Baker and family. You were annoying.
June 13, 2013
Jeff Lemire hasn't ended his recent story arcs well, he does begin them well though.
I don't know where the fault lies on this one, Lemire or Snyder, but DC's events are a serious drain on any sort of core narrative that might have existed in the individual series. Take Gail Simone's Batgirl for example:
-groundwork is provided for sociopathic brother plot.
-informed of Joker's-Return-Batman-Event.
-Joker is now the lead villain.
-brother plot exists in the background when it is suddenly rushed into and then speedily wrapped up (while the Joker-event is resolved in a separate series).
This type of storytelling (where one storyteller tells the other storytellers what they have to tell) makes for average-y to below average-y books. The reason the first volumes of the New 52 were so successful is because they avoided these superfluous and largely uninteresting connections. It would be a whole 'nother thing if this interweaving actually benefited each series. Unfortunately it usually only benefits one book, a book which happened to be good without everything else having to tie-in anyway. As the New 52 chugs along it brings back all of the things that it shrugged off and only to its detriment.
Sadly, all of these detriments attach to Animal Man Vol. 3. The Rot is ending the world and only Animal Man and Swamp Thing can save it (spoilers – they do!). This book has none of the charm, fun or originality contained in the first volume (the series has also suffered since the loss of artist Travel Foreman). Animal Man Vol. 3 no longer does anything new or interesting – just like most of the other New 52 books that have to align with larger, usually world-ending, events.
After the lackluster conclusion of Sweet Tooth (see here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ) I won't be reading a Lemire book again until I can read the ending first and make sure it's done well.
I don't know where the fault lies on this one, Lemire or Snyder, but DC's events are a serious drain on any sort of core narrative that might have existed in the individual series. Take Gail Simone's Batgirl for example:
-groundwork is provided for sociopathic brother plot.
-informed of Joker's-Return-Batman-Event.
-Joker is now the lead villain.
-brother plot exists in the background when it is suddenly rushed into and then speedily wrapped up (while the Joker-event is resolved in a separate series).
This type of storytelling (where one storyteller tells the other storytellers what they have to tell) makes for average-y to below average-y books. The reason the first volumes of the New 52 were so successful is because they avoided these superfluous and largely uninteresting connections. It would be a whole 'nother thing if this interweaving actually benefited each series. Unfortunately it usually only benefits one book, a book which happened to be good without everything else having to tie-in anyway. As the New 52 chugs along it brings back all of the things that it shrugged off and only to its detriment.
Sadly, all of these detriments attach to Animal Man Vol. 3. The Rot is ending the world and only Animal Man and Swamp Thing can save it (spoilers – they do!). This book has none of the charm, fun or originality contained in the first volume (the series has also suffered since the loss of artist Travel Foreman). Animal Man Vol. 3 no longer does anything new or interesting – just like most of the other New 52 books that have to align with larger, usually world-ending, events.
After the lackluster conclusion of Sweet Tooth (see here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ) I won't be reading a Lemire book again until I can read the ending first and make sure it's done well.
May 4, 2015
Since this book was a crossover with both Swamp Thing and Animal Man I thought I would save time and just write a review for the story as a whole.
To put it simply, I loved this story arc. It was dark, emotional, well scripted and full of action. Snyder's run of Swamp thing has made this title one of my favourites of the N52. And this team up with Jeff Lemire made the conclusion end with one hell of a bang. In both the Red and Green books in the Rotworld title share issues, but we also get to see what happens to each of them as they have their own separate encounters on their journey. We start the book as Buddy (Animal Man) and Alec (Swamp Thing) enter the rot, which happens to be a trap by Anton Arcane and they are thrusted one year into the future. A future of where the rot has taken over the world, along with most of its heroes. I loved seeing all the characters of the DC universe come together in this twisted future, whether they were dead or alive. I would have to say Frankenstein was one of my favourite cameo in this, and I haven't even read his series yet, which I am going to delve into next.
The art changes throughout the issues, some are noticeably different, but as a whole it didn't take away from the story. The differences between the rot, the red and the green were done beautifully, giving the reader a real feel for the story. This tale was woven together amazingly with great twists and turns, but I'm a huge fan of both Lemire and Snyder so of course this was going to be a hit with me. The way they ended both of these books was phenomenal, with both relief and heartache. Very bittersweet way to end it all, but I think that's also what made it feel so real.
If your going to read either of these titles make sure you pick up the corresponding books as well so you can get a complete experience of the story arc. To put it simply, this is simply a damn good read!
To put it simply, I loved this story arc. It was dark, emotional, well scripted and full of action. Snyder's run of Swamp thing has made this title one of my favourites of the N52. And this team up with Jeff Lemire made the conclusion end with one hell of a bang. In both the Red and Green books in the Rotworld title share issues, but we also get to see what happens to each of them as they have their own separate encounters on their journey. We start the book as Buddy (Animal Man) and Alec (Swamp Thing) enter the rot, which happens to be a trap by Anton Arcane and they are thrusted one year into the future. A future of where the rot has taken over the world, along with most of its heroes. I loved seeing all the characters of the DC universe come together in this twisted future, whether they were dead or alive. I would have to say Frankenstein was one of my favourite cameo in this, and I haven't even read his series yet, which I am going to delve into next.
The art changes throughout the issues, some are noticeably different, but as a whole it didn't take away from the story. The differences between the rot, the red and the green were done beautifully, giving the reader a real feel for the story. This tale was woven together amazingly with great twists and turns, but I'm a huge fan of both Lemire and Snyder so of course this was going to be a hit with me. The way they ended both of these books was phenomenal, with both relief and heartache. Very bittersweet way to end it all, but I think that's also what made it feel so real.
If your going to read either of these titles make sure you pick up the corresponding books as well so you can get a complete experience of the story arc. To put it simply, this is simply a damn good read!
October 18, 2013
Well, the current run of Animal Man had been unfolding as a horror story, and while that's a broad departure from the existential but surprisingly normal Buddy Baker I first fell for, I have to admit that, in this new capacity, it was pretty intense and gave me weird dreams. Creepy and visceral and cosmic — something worth reading.
But this volume?
It kind of goes off the deep end of pure, ridiculous comic pulp, which can best be summed up by three words:
I could not stop laughing. There's no way to take that kind of thing seriously. Don't get me wrong; it's pretty entertaining, and there's clearly a time and place for that sort of story arc. But that time and place is not in the climax of what had, up until that point, been a solid, character-driven horror story with minimal plotholes and a refreshing lack of applied phlebotinum.
Immediately following this bizarre, extended tone shift, the story rushes back to its core: good ol' Animal Man trying to be a good ol' family man.
...Followed immediately by a gut-wrenching funeral scene that was so well done and so deeply felt I may have squeezed out a few tears. This, if nothing else, made the slog to the end worthwhile.
While I'd like to continue following this series and am curious about what comes next, I have to admit that this clusterfuck pulp parade has deeply shaken my confidence in the current Animal Man title. We'll see.
But this volume?
It kind of goes off the deep end of pure, ridiculous comic pulp, which can best be summed up by three words:
I could not stop laughing. There's no way to take that kind of thing seriously. Don't get me wrong; it's pretty entertaining, and there's clearly a time and place for that sort of story arc. But that time and place is not in the climax of what had, up until that point, been a solid, character-driven horror story with minimal plotholes and a refreshing lack of applied phlebotinum.
Immediately following this bizarre, extended tone shift, the story rushes back to its core: good ol' Animal Man trying to be a good ol' family man.
...Followed immediately by a gut-wrenching funeral scene that was so well done and so deeply felt I may have squeezed out a few tears. This, if nothing else, made the slog to the end worthwhile.
While I'd like to continue following this series and am curious about what comes next, I have to admit that this clusterfuck pulp parade has deeply shaken my confidence in the current Animal Man title. We'll see.
April 2, 2014
Now this is a crossover - only two books merging, and they are similar in tone, with characters that have always been related to each other (Animal Man and Swamp Thing), although lots of other characters show up in some form or another. A Massive dystopian world in the near future, where the rot has overwhelmed the red and the green, leaving only a few heroes struggling to survive. The story is epic, so even though you know from the beginning that everything is going to be fixed (there's no way they would let some of the events that happen here become real continuity), it means the stakes are high; anyone can die at any moment. And they make use of that for a couple of surprises. There's also a B story, detailing how the world got to where it is, and ends up having real ramifications that aren't reset. This was a very strong volume, and is especially recommended for Vertigo fans; it has that feel more than the New 52. Jeff Lemire is one of the best writers at DC right now, and this book shows why.
May 22, 2025
#12 Have we had an artist change. The art seems much better.
#13 - 16 Following the journey to fight Anton Arcane and free Maxine (Buddy’s daughter). Red ‘team’ is Constantine, Steel, Beast Boy and a few others. They’ve teamed up with Frankenstein and his patchwork army.
Much better than previous AM issues.
#17 - 18 So the Parliament of Decay has time travelling powers. Why? What does that have to do with the rot. It doesn’t make sense as a power. It feels like the writers wrote themselves into a corner and didn’t know how to escape.
Also why was Cliff’s death necessary?
#19 Cliff's funeral. Buddy goes mad and loses his connection to The Red.
#13 - 16 Following the journey to fight Anton Arcane and free Maxine (Buddy’s daughter). Red ‘team’ is Constantine, Steel, Beast Boy and a few others. They’ve teamed up with Frankenstein and his patchwork army.
Much better than previous AM issues.
#17 - 18 So the Parliament of Decay has time travelling powers. Why? What does that have to do with the rot. It doesn’t make sense as a power. It feels like the writers wrote themselves into a corner and didn’t know how to escape.
Also why was Cliff’s death necessary?
#19 Cliff's funeral. Buddy goes mad and loses his connection to The Red.
July 5, 2015
Great finale for this story and an ending I didn't see coming. Another great writing from Lemire. Excellent art and nice tie with Swamp Thing.
November 8, 2019
Najwięcej dla serii Animal Man zrobił chyba Grant Morrison, ale Lemire plasuje się tuż za nim, bowiem sprawnie kreuje nam bohatera z dość ludzką twarzą, z własnymi rozterkami co do posiadanej rodziny. Nie inaczej jest tutaj, bowiem w wyniku niefortunnego zagrania jakim było wejście wraz z Swamp Thingiem do domeny zgnilizny, Buddy de facto traci rodzinę, bowiem po powrocie na Ziemię okazuje się, że mimo że nie było ich godzinę, to czas na planecie biegł inaczej. Ziemia jest pustkowiem, opanowanym przez truchło, będące pod batogiem samego Antona Arcane'a.
Mimo, że nasz bohater chwilowo został oddzielony od Swamp Thinga to ma kilku pomocników, na czele z Black Orchid, Beast Boyem i samym Constantine'm. Reszta bohaterów została zamieniona w żywe trupy. Baker odwiedza ostatni wolny bastion Czerwieni i rusza, aby odzyskać córkę. W tym celu zahaczy o Metropolis, jak i Central City. Widok obu zdewastowanych miast jest przygnębiający, ale Czerwoni mogą liczyć na pomoc niespodziewanego sojusznika... Frankensteina. Motywacja Animal Mana jest bardziej osobista niż Aleca Hollanda. Obok ratowania świata Baker chce po prostu odnaleźć córkę, dzięki czemu szybciej utożsamiłem się z herosem.
Historia podobnie jak w równoległej serii z Potworem z Bagien, prowadzona jest dwutorowo. Widzimy czasy aktualne, gdzie toczy się bitwa o resztki ludzkości, jednocześnie dane nam jest poznać losy rodziny Buddy'iego w czasie gdy ten zniknął. Jego córka, kreowana na klucz do zwycięstwa jest tutaj nieco zmarginalizowana. Mamy tu też łączony zeszyt finalnej batalii z Arcane'm i osobistą tragedię Animal Mana, przez co końcówka jest bardzo depresyjna. Ma też nieco odmienny styl graficzny, co akurat mi się nie podobało, bo ze względu na różnorodność rysowników, całość nie miała tej spójności w obrazie.
Nie mniej przygody Animal Mana podobały mi się ciut bardziej niż te które zaprezentowano w Swamp Thingu i dlatego dam mu o oczko wyżej. Finał z jednej strony daje satysfakcję, a z drugiej nieco zasmuca. Tym bardziej, że Baker w pewnym momencie zostaje zostawiony sam sobie, bo jego "zwierzchnicy" pokazują drugą, obłudną twarz, pozostawiając go bez pomocy. (już nie wspominając o pewnym kłamstwie, które wyszło na jaw podczas finału. Ciekaw jestem jak to się dalej potoczy.)
Mimo, że nasz bohater chwilowo został oddzielony od Swamp Thinga to ma kilku pomocników, na czele z Black Orchid, Beast Boyem i samym Constantine'm. Reszta bohaterów została zamieniona w żywe trupy. Baker odwiedza ostatni wolny bastion Czerwieni i rusza, aby odzyskać córkę. W tym celu zahaczy o Metropolis, jak i Central City. Widok obu zdewastowanych miast jest przygnębiający, ale Czerwoni mogą liczyć na pomoc niespodziewanego sojusznika... Frankensteina. Motywacja Animal Mana jest bardziej osobista niż Aleca Hollanda. Obok ratowania świata Baker chce po prostu odnaleźć córkę, dzięki czemu szybciej utożsamiłem się z herosem.
Historia podobnie jak w równoległej serii z Potworem z Bagien, prowadzona jest dwutorowo. Widzimy czasy aktualne, gdzie toczy się bitwa o resztki ludzkości, jednocześnie dane nam jest poznać losy rodziny Buddy'iego w czasie gdy ten zniknął. Jego córka, kreowana na klucz do zwycięstwa jest tutaj nieco zmarginalizowana. Mamy tu też łączony zeszyt finalnej batalii z Arcane'm i osobistą tragedię Animal Mana, przez co końcówka jest bardzo depresyjna. Ma też nieco odmienny styl graficzny, co akurat mi się nie podobało, bo ze względu na różnorodność rysowników, całość nie miała tej spójności w obrazie.
Nie mniej przygody Animal Mana podobały mi się ciut bardziej niż te które zaprezentowano w Swamp Thingu i dlatego dam mu o oczko wyżej. Finał z jednej strony daje satysfakcję, a z drugiej nieco zasmuca. Tym bardziej, że Baker w pewnym momencie zostaje zostawiony sam sobie, bo jego "zwierzchnicy" pokazują drugą, obłudną twarz, pozostawiając go bez pomocy. (już nie wspominając o pewnym kłamstwie, które wyszło na jaw podczas finału. Ciekaw jestem jak to się dalej potoczy.)
September 3, 2024
Rotworld is the conclusion to the war of the Rot against the Green and Red. Cliff is currently injured and requires help, Animal Man seeks out Swamp Thing, believing he is the key in the war against the Rot. The duo team up to face Arcane, the avatar of the Rot, only to be led into a timeslip where they get separated and witness a world where the Rot takes over everything. As allies and enemies are transformed into a Rot Squad, Animal Man and Swamp race to undue Arcane's actions before he escapes again.
While Volume 2 felt a little slower paced, Rotworld tries to balance out the action and pacing of the finale. This is a full on crossover with Swamp Thing and a bit of Justice League Dark, featuring a lot of characters coming and going. However, because there is much going on, the similar slow pace from the previous work shows and it feels, at times, to drag on too long in my view. The ending implies that while the war is over, the casualties and scars are still remaining, keeping my interest. But the overly long finale really drags a bit much to go through. But it seems like a new saga for Animal Man is about to begin.
While Volume 2 felt a little slower paced, Rotworld tries to balance out the action and pacing of the finale. This is a full on crossover with Swamp Thing and a bit of Justice League Dark, featuring a lot of characters coming and going. However, because there is much going on, the similar slow pace from the previous work shows and it feels, at times, to drag on too long in my view. The ending implies that while the war is over, the casualties and scars are still remaining, keeping my interest. But the overly long finale really drags a bit much to go through. But it seems like a new saga for Animal Man is about to begin.
September 7, 2019
Final battles are epic and usually pretty satisfying, but the alternate future of Rotworld is a depressing story arc that combined Animal Man's personal journey to save his family and Swamp Thing's quest to save the woman he loves. Both of these heroes failed at the start of this volume and were forced to fight an uphill battle to reclaim the world they loss. Unfortunately, this book only contains Swamp Thing's satisfying conclusion and leaves Buddy's reunion with his family to the following volume. It's a weird choice since the cover says Animal Man on it, but I'll just have to read it next. Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder have created an interesting epic that expands these characters' mythology and is a lot of fun to read. Steve Pugh's art in this volume is more photo-realistic, and Lovern Kindzierski's coloring is much better than previous issues' matted textures. Not sure I'll read any more of this series after this arc, but Lemire's work is always inventive and entertaining.
June 1, 2021
**I've read WAAAAY more than I've had time to review, so... knee-jerk reactions!**
- When I started this book waaaaaay back in January, I accidentally flipped ahead and saw that Animal Man's son Cliff was killed. That hit me pretty hard, and I decided I didn't want to read it. So it sat on my shelf for ages, being ignored, but this weekend, I finally read it. It was heartbreaking, but also perfectly captured a family facing grief. Very well-written.
- Rotworld--if you want a horror story where all your favorite heroes are either killed or rot-zombies, then you will be sucked in from moment one. This isn't usually my style of book, but I must have been a creepy mode, because it delivered high stakes in this what-if scenario that Animal Man was, thankfully, able to keep from happening. A little deus ex machina, but... how else are we going to see the Rot win without completely upending the entire canon?
- When I started this book waaaaaay back in January, I accidentally flipped ahead and saw that Animal Man's son Cliff was killed. That hit me pretty hard, and I decided I didn't want to read it. So it sat on my shelf for ages, being ignored, but this weekend, I finally read it. It was heartbreaking, but also perfectly captured a family facing grief. Very well-written.
- Rotworld--if you want a horror story where all your favorite heroes are either killed or rot-zombies, then you will be sucked in from moment one. This isn't usually my style of book, but I must have been a creepy mode, because it delivered high stakes in this what-if scenario that Animal Man was, thankfully, able to keep from happening. A little deus ex machina, but... how else are we going to see the Rot win without completely upending the entire canon?
June 25, 2019
I was enjoying this run, but not loving it, even though many dudes in my comic book group state this is the best title in all New 52. I was going to return this volume to the library and complete the run after reading some more pressing titles. Something told me to go ahead and read this and not return it, and I am glad I did because I really liked it. Although the story continues to have this supernatural element of the green, the red, the rot, that isn't really my thing in superhero comics, this volume contains a much more tangible plot and villain than the previous two. I also loved the surprise that any DC character could pop up at anytime, and that many heroes have been turned into villains due to the effects of the rot. Spoiler sentence- Flash's cameo is chilling! The fact that Scott Snyder is involved in a few of these issues I am sure plays into why I liked them more too!
April 16, 2023
5/10
What a disappointment. This series was off to such a great start, and looked like it was going to be something unique and different compared to other mainstream comic series. And, for a while, it was. But here it just becomes a run of the mill action comic book that just has more gore than usual. Now I don't mind Animal Man *appearing* in other series' alongside these other characters in similar situations, but having this be the plot in his own series feels like a total waste of potential, and it doesn't fit with the tone a character like Buddy Baker should have in a standalone series. If this were kept at a smaller scale like it was at the beginning, this run by Jeff Lemire would've entered in the hall of all-time great comic book runs, sitting besides the likes of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. As is..........well, I just hope the next two volumes can bring us back to basics.
What a disappointment. This series was off to such a great start, and looked like it was going to be something unique and different compared to other mainstream comic series. And, for a while, it was. But here it just becomes a run of the mill action comic book that just has more gore than usual. Now I don't mind Animal Man *appearing* in other series' alongside these other characters in similar situations, but having this be the plot in his own series feels like a total waste of potential, and it doesn't fit with the tone a character like Buddy Baker should have in a standalone series. If this were kept at a smaller scale like it was at the beginning, this run by Jeff Lemire would've entered in the hall of all-time great comic book runs, sitting besides the likes of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. As is..........well, I just hope the next two volumes can bring us back to basics.
May 31, 2017
The better half of the rotworld crossover! Animal man is really starting to grow on me after this. He contrasts with your usual characters like superman in one way: when the world is falling all around him, he's not making a corny pitch about saving humanity; he doesn't care. He just wants to save his family. For someone with animal powers, that a very human response. Well done to Jeff on the writing. This is a crossover that works. Only reason I wouldn't give this a full 5 stars is the art. It fits with the weirdness that is an animal man story, but it's just too unique really for me to get into. Anyways 4.5/5
August 22, 2017
Wersja wydarzeń z Rotworlda opowiadana przez Animal Mana wypadła lepiej, ponieważ tutaj można się w końcu przejąć losem bardzo ludzkich bohaterów. Buddy jest świetnym głównym charakterem. Przede wszystkim zależy mu na rodzinie i bardzo trudno jest mu się odłączyć od nich chociaż na chwilę wśród wszystkich niebezpieczeństw. A już w ogóle nie ma serca obarczać małej Maxine swoimi obowiązkami i mocą.
December 19, 2017
A culmination of the first trilogy of volumes, this 10 chapter epic finale (including 2 chapters of Swamp Thing book that are tied to the story) is a very well done horror/adventure trip to the darker parts of the DCU during the New52. Everyone at risk, and with the whole world lost, this one is a very different "animal" than anything done until that point in this era of DC. Higly recommended for horror/action/superhero fans.
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