ANIMAL MAN

Publishers: DC COMICS / VERTIGO
Dates: 1 Sep 1988-89 Nov 1995
Issues: CLICK HERE to view issues, super-size cover images and values in 9 grades

Regular monthly title.

In the period that saw Alan Moore reinvent Swamp Thing, and Neil Gaiman do the same with The Sandman, Animal Man was reimagined by Scottish writer Grant Morrison. Morrison wrote the first 26 issues of the Animal Man comic book, published between 1988 and 1990, with art by Chas Truog and Doug Hazlewood; Brian Bolland provided the covers.

Although the series was initially conceived as a four-issue limited series, it was upgraded into an on-going series following strong sales. Consequently, Morrison developed several long-running plots, introducing mysteries, some of which were not explained until a year or two later.

Following Morrison's run, Peter Milligan wrote a 6-issue story featuring several surreal villains and heroes, exploring questions about identity and quantum physics. Tom Veitch and Steve Dillon then took over for 18 issues in which Buddy returns to his work as a movie stuntman and explores mystical totemic aspects of his powers. Jamie Delano wrote 29 issues with Steve Pugh as artist, giving the series a more horror-influenced feel with a "suggested for mature readers" label on the cover, beginning with issue #51.

After Jamie Delano's first six issues, wherein, among other things, he killed off the central character of Buddy Baker, created the "Red" (analogous to the "Green" of Swamp Thing) and resurrected Buddy as an "animal avatar", the series became one of the charter titles of DC's new mature readers Vertigo imprint with #57.

A brief run by Jerry Prosser and Fred Harper featured a re-reborn Buddy as a white-haired shamanistic figure before the series was canceled after #89 due to declining sales.

All issues were distributed in the UK. Noted for the excellent Brian Bolland covers #1-63.

The series is collected in a number of Trade Paper Back collections:

Animal Man: Animal Man (#1-9)

Animal Man: Origin of the Species (#10-17, Secret Origins #39)

Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina (#18-26)

Animal man: Born to be Wild (#27-37)

Animal Man: The Meaning of Flesh (#38-50)

Animal Man: Flesh and Blood (51-63)

Animal Man: Red Plague (#64-79)

Total value for all issues of this title listed:

Condition

PR
1.0
FR
1.5
GD
2.0
VG
4.0
FN
6.0
VF
8.0
VF/NM
9.0
NM-
9.2
NM
9.4
MINT
10.0
Issues 88 89 89 89 89 89 89 89 89
Total £ 7.50 13.60 19.20 38.75 77.55 136.00 248.00 311.00 374.00 Total title value in pounds in UK markets
Total $ 11.50 17.40 26.20 48.45 97.90 176.00 312.00 392.00 472.00 Total title value in dollars in US markets

Note: some PR issues may have no value. Selected issues in FN, VF or VF/NM may not exist in some titles.