Animal Man #17
Written by Jeff Lemire & Scott Snyder
Art by Steve Pugh, Timothy Green II, & Joseph Silver
Colors by Lovern Kindzierski
Review by Adam Shaw
Spoiler FREE. Only the evil of the rot spoils.
Animal Man #17 is the first part in the Rotworld Finale; kicking off the beginning of the end with a nice jolt of violence, action, and fun. It has been a long journey, but the all the stories and characters that Lemire and Snyder have been writing in Animal Man and Swamp Thing come together here.
These events have been a long time coming and I know many of you have been waiting eagerly for the final showdown to commence. Issue #17 sees Buddy Baker and Alec Holland, along with their respective gathered forces, meeting up outside of Arcane’s stronghold. Lemire and Snyder don’t forget the minor characters they have introduced along the way. Some receive their moments to shine, while others suffer more gruesome fates. The entirety of this issue is one large action-packed battle showcasing the courage and conviction of all these gathered heroes. There are also plenty of surprises to keep you glued to the pages. I definitely did a fist pump mid-issue.
The art duties are once again split between Pugh and the team of Green and Silver. Pugh handles all the pages that focus on Buddy and his crew. Green and Silver tackle those of Swamp Thing and team. The colors of Kindzierski unite the different styles of art. With a story so full of action and various rot incarnations filling the pages things can get a little busy. The split in style help to prevent confusion, and help us know where on the battlefield we are.
The Verdict
This is a BUY. It’s an issue full of action and brave, determined characters. There are plenty of small surprises to keep fans satisfied throughout the issue. This is what we’ve been waiting for, folks. The only big downside is the issue ends on a cliffhanger. Luckily the wait only last as long as it takes you to reach for this month’s Swamp Thing.
I did have one minor gripe with a particular character/scene. I’m leaving out spoilers, but feel free to ask in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter (@KnowNothingNerd) and I’ll answer for you.
