Animal Man: The Hunt (Collected)

{{DC Database:Comic Template
 * Title              = Animal Man (Collections)
 * Image              = Animal Man - The Hunt.jpg
 * Volume             = 2
 * Issue              = 1
 * Month              = 2
 * Year               = 2012


 * Executive Editor   = Dan DiDio
 * CoverArtist1       = Travel Foreman


 * Editor1_1          = Joey Cavalieri
 * Editor1_2          = Kate Stewart
 * Editor2_1          = Joey Cavalieri
 * Editor2_2          = Kate Stewart
 * Editor3_1          = Joey Cavalieri
 * Editor3_2          = Kate Stewart
 * Editor4_1          = Joey Cavalieri
 * Editor4_2          = Kate Stewart
 * Editor5_1          = Joey Cavalieri
 * Editor5_2          = Kate Stewart
 * Editor6_1          = Joey Cavalieri
 * Editor6_2          = Kate Stewart


 * Writer1_1          = Jeff Lemire
 * Writer2_1          = Jeff Lemire
 * Writer3_1          = Jeff Lemire
 * Writer4_1          = Jeff Lemire
 * Writer5_1          = Jeff Lemire
 * Writer6_1          = Jeff Lemire


 * Penciler1_1        = Travel Foreman
 * Penciler1_2        = Dan Green
 * Penciler2_1        = Travel Foreman
 * Penciler3_1        = Travel Foreman
 * Penciler4_1        = Travel Foreman
 * Penciler5_1        = Travel Foreman
 * Penciler6_1        = John Paul Leon
 * Penciler6_2        = Travel Foreman


 * Inker1_1           = Travel Foreman
 * Inker1_2           = Dan Green
 * Inker2_1           = Travel Foreman
 * Inker3_1           = Travel Foreman
 * Inker4_1           = Travel Foreman
 * Inker5_1           = Jeff Huet
 * Inker5_2           = Steve Pugh
 * Inker6_1           = Jeff Huet
 * Inker6_2           = John Paul Leon


 * Colourist1_1       = Lovern Kindzierski
 * Colourist2_1       = Lovern Kindzierski
 * Colourist3_1       = Lovern Kindzierski
 * Colourist4_1       = Lovern Kindzierski
 * Colourist5_1       = Lovern Kindzierski
 * Colourist6_1       = Lovern Kindzierski


 * Letterer1_1        = Jared K. Fletcher
 * Letterer2_1        = Jared K. Fletcher
 * Letterer3_1        = Jared K. Fletcher
 * Letterer4_1        = Jared K. Fletcher
 * Letterer5_1        = Jared K. Fletcher
 * Letterer6_1        = Jared K. Fletcher


 * PreviousIssue      =
 * NextIssue          =


 * Quotation          =
 * Speaker            =


 * StoryTitle1        = "The Hunt, Part One: Warning from the Red"
 * StoryTitle2        = "The Hunt, Part Two: Maps"
 * StoryTitle3        = "The Hunt, Part Three: Totems"
 * StoryTitle4        = "The Hunt, Part Four: The Rot"
 * StoryTitle5        = "The Hunt, Conclusion: Food Chain"
 * StoryTitle6        = "Tights"

Maxine appears, hoping to get her father's attention, but he brushes her off. In response, she screams loudly for attention, and once she has it, she reveals her plan that the family needs to get a dog. Sadly, Buddy has to let her down, because owning a pet of any kind would affect his powers to the extent that he would have difficulty using any animal ability that came from a different animal than the pet. Under her breath, Ellen notes that Buddy hasn't used his powers much in a while, and that he seemed happier when he was still playing superhero.
 * Synopsis1          = Buddy Baker pores over the recent issue of The Believer for which he gave an interview regarding his recent return to acting in an indie film. He worries aloud to his wife Ellen that he might have come off as arrogant, but she is distracted by the need to make dinner before their children Maxine and Cliff get in. Once he gets her attention, Ellen seems a little more concerned about when and whether he'll get paid for the film appearance.

As a disappointed Maxine returns to her room, Cliff pushes past her and tells his dad about a newscast he saw about a gunman holding an entire children's cancer ward at the local hospital hostage. Reluctantly, Buddy decides to do something about it, despite Ellen's complaints that dinner is ready. In fact, Buddy loves being Animal Man. The feeling of flying and the action is just too much fun to give up.

Buddy reunites with Detective Krenshaw, who is in charge of dealing with the situation. He fills Animal Man in on the fact that the gunman, Lyle Edwin, lost his daughter to cancer in that ward three weeks ago, and is now demanding to have his daughter back. Buddy thinks of his own children, and sympathizes. He demands to be allowed to go in alone and handle the situation.

Buddy tries talking Lyle down, but the man becomes agitated and fires his gun. Quickly, Buddy uses the thick skin of a rhinoceros to deflect the bullets, and then charges the gunman with the strength of an elephant, the reflexes of a fly, the speed of a cheetah, and the bark of a dog. After knocking Lyle Edwin down with one punch, the man regrets his actions. As Buddy leaves, he asks that Lyle be given some help for his depression. However, Detective Krenshaw is horrified by the fact that after using his powers, Buddy is now bleeding heavily from his eyes.

A doctor examines him, but finds no wounds, so Buddy returns home to his family. Ultimately, he realizes that he would do almost anything for his kids, and his wife is the one person who grounds him to who he is, even with all of the changes in his life. Ellen and the children have already gone to sleep when he gets home, so he uses his power to assume the napping capabilities of a cat and falls right to sleep.

However, he suffers a terrifying nightmare in which his son Cliff is disembowelled, claiming that Maxine did it to him. Buddy then confronts three monsters who claim to represent "The Rot in The Red" and that they - the Hunters Three - are the true fathers of his child. Buddy awakens to hear Ellen calling him from outside of the house. When he gets outside, he finds Maxine sitting surrounded by the animated corpses of several small animals. She apologizes, saying that she had only wanted a pet of her own.


 * Synopsis2          = Buddy Baker and his wife Ellen discover their daughter Maxine playing with the reanimated corpses of several local pets. She tells them that she had heard them calling out from a certain place. When he asks which place she means, she points to his chest, and he is surprised to discover that his body is covered with an elaborate red tattoo which resembles veins. "The Red place," she responds.

In their kitchen, surrounded by mischievous dead animals, Buddy determines that the design on his chest is more or less permanent. Maxine reassures him that it will come off once he enters The Red. She shows him that the design forms a map to a special tree, and if they enter it, they will be able to enter The Red instead of merely being touched by it, however, she warns that if they don't get there soon, someone evil will get there and kill the tree. If the tree dies, everything dies.

Outside, Ellen is alerted by the screams of her son Cliff, who has been caught trying to fill in the pets' graves by their neighbour Mr. Duffy. Angrily, Buddy marches out with a threatening shout, but when Mr. Duffy sees the design on Buddy's body and the dead animals in tow, he becomes even more aggitated, calling them freaks.

In retaliation, Maxine uses her abilities to turn Mr. Duffy's hand into a bird's talon. The man squirms in horror as Buddy sees to him. Ellen begs Maxine to change the hand back, warning that it is never good to step over that line, and alter a human's body. Reluctantly, Maxine changes the hand back, and Mr. Duffy runs away.

Ellen is quite broken up about the revelation that her daughter has such destructive and terrifying power. Buddy reassures her, and decides that it would be best if he goes along with what Maxine said about the map and the tree - and if Ellen and Cliff stayed at home in the meantime. Ellen is reticent to see Buddy and Maxine leave together, but in the end, she must allow it.

At the nearby San Diego Zoo, three zookeepers notice that something strange is happening to the animals. When they discover that the hippos appear to be pregnant without any males around to mate with, they stare in horror as the animals' distended bellies undulate and grow larger. All they can think to do is run.

Buddy and Maxine travel across California from their home in San Diego to Los Angeles and beyond. Buddy senses that what he has known as the morphogenetic field or lifeweb is perhaps something more than just energy, and he worries about Maxine's powers, which seem to be greater than his own. Following the map on Buddy's chest and the directions of local wildlife, they soon find their way to the tree. Placing their hands on the tree's roots, they are sucked into The Red.

Back at the zoo, the hippos appear to have given birth to the grotesque Hunters Three that Buddy had dreamt about the night before. They assume the forms of the three zookeepers, and set their sights on Buddy and Maxine; preparing for the hunt.


 * Synopsis3          = Travelling through The Red, Buddy Baker and his daughter Maxine eventually find themselves face to face with a group of massive animal men who call themselves the Totems.

Meanwhile, the creatures known as the Hunters Three stand outside of Buddy's home in San Diego. They are aware that his wife Ellen is still inside, but when they realize that Buddy and Maxine have gone into The Red, they decide to split up. Two of them enter The Red to prevent the avatar from connecting with the Totems, while the third decides to capture Ellen, noting that because she gave birth to one avatar of The Red, she may be able to produce another.

The Totems welcome Buddy, having been expecting him. Maxine explains that this is The Red, and these are all of the old Animal Men. She knows this because she comes in her dreams all the time. The Totems explain that Maxine is one of them, but Buddy is not one of them. They are all of the former avatars of The Red, but Buddy is not, and never has been an avatar of The Red. Buddy's destiny has always been to father and protect the next avatar of The Red: Maxine. They explain that Buddy's memories of having been given his powers by yellow aliens is simply a narrative that the provided which he could more easily comprehend. They gave him the identity of Animal Man so that he could occupy and train until Maxine was ready for the coming war between The Red and The Rot.

In the Baker household, Cliff Baker becomes frustrated as he tries to play his video game while the reanimated corpses of local pets play around on the couch. Meanwhile, Ellen can't concentrate on her illustration work because she's too worried about her husband and daughter. Reluctantly, she decides to try out Cliff's game, but she's interrupted from that by a ring at her doorbell. When she answers it, she is horrified to see one of the Hunters Three, its horrifying dead tissue bursting out of its once human host's form.

Buddy is bothered by the Totems' words, reminding them that she is only four years old, and isn't ready to fight in any wars. The Totems respond that she has no choice. Both The Red and The Green must prepare for the fight against The Rot. Suddenly, the Totems are alerted to the arrival of the Hunters.

Ellen grabs Cliff and they escape through the garage into their car. The Hunter chases them from the front door, and as they pull out, the creature slams hard against their windshield. As they drive on, Ellen expresses mock regret that she married a superhero.

Buddy swears to protect Maxine, and feeling more powerful there in the heart of The Red, he valiantly defends her. She begs the Totems to help him, but they respond that it is only she who can help him.

From a diner down the highway, Ellen makes a call to Detective Krenshaw begging for help. He tells her to stay put, and heads off in her direction.

While Buddy keeps fighting the Hunters, Maxine warns that Ellen and Cliff are in danger. The Hunters taunt them, readily admitting that they are planning to devour Buddy's wife and son. Buddy is still no match for them, and one of them gets a bite out of his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Detective Krenshaw gets out of his car only to come face to face with the third Hunter, who takes possession of his body. Hiding within Krenshaw's body, the Hunter joins Ellen in the diner, and promises that everything will be okay.


 * Synopsis4          = After encountering the Hunters Three at her home in San Diego, Ellen Baker packs her son Cliff into the car and has their acquaintance Detective Krenshaw drive them both to Sacramento where her mother keeps a farm. However, Ellen is not aware that one of the hunters has assumed Krenshaw's form, and that the real detective has been stuffed into the trunk.

Meanwhile, in The Red, Ellen's husband Buddy is fighting with the other two hunters. Unfortunately, he is plainly outmatched. The totems of the Parliament of Limbs appeal to his daughter Maxine, who they know to be the next Avatar of the Red, to make a stand and save her father. Reluctantly, she approaches the attackers, and with her mind on protecting Buddy, she uses the power of the Red to blast away the hunters. The totems admit that despite the hunters' apparent disappearance, they are not defeated. Buddy, meanwhile has been very gravely injured.

Arriving in

Sacramento at the farmhouse of Ellen's mother Mary, the third hunter struggles to maintain his form, knowing that he must feed soon. Ellen goes inside to greet her mother, leaving Cliff outside with the hunter. When Cliff realizes that there's someone locked in the trunk, the hunter grabs him.

Again, the totems call on Maxine to use her abilities to heal her father. She is incredulous, as she is only four years old, and knows nothing about biology. Even so, she leans over her father's wound, and feeling that it is much like clay, she moulds her father's flesh back together and he is healed.

Recovered, Buddy demands to know what purpose the Hunters might have with a little girl, regardless of her apparent power. Using fleshy tendrils, the totems pass on information directly into the pairs bodies. The Hunters Three were once human Avatars of the Red, just as Maxine is meant to be. They protected the lifeweb from threats, and when their time had ended, they were to take their place among the totems in the Parliament of Limbs. However, a corrupting force led the three of them astray to a deeper, darker place: The Rot.

For the first time, the hunters have an opportunity to lay claim to a living Avatar, as they are all dead. If they were to take control of her, nothing would hold the Rot at bay, and it would spread throughout the lifeweb. It is Buddy's task to protect Maxine at all cost. While he cannot himself become an Avatar, it is his duty to protect the next Avatar as her father and as an agent of the Red. The totems reveal that Buddy will not be alone in his efforts against the Rot, as there are other forms of life outside the Red. Alec Holland can help, though he may not yet realize his role. Additionally, a totem - a cat - decides to accompany Buddy and Maxine, despite the cost of being unable to return to the Parliament of Limbs.

Back at the farmhouse, Ellen vents to her mother about the chaos she has faced recently, with her husband's powers acting up, and Maxine apparently developing her own at such a young age. Mary blames Buddy, naturally, arguing that he has brought this chaos down on his family by choosing to become a superhero. Ellen admits that despite having warned that if his heroics brought any strangeness home with him, it would have to stop, she loves him, and can't put her foot down. Suddenly, Ellen looks out the window, and realizes that Cliff has gone missing.

In the woods nearby, the hunter drags the unconscious body of Detective Krenshaw and Cliff to the edge of a lake. He demands that Cliff draw his father and sister out, so that he can gain control of an Avatar. Krenshaw wakes up and tries to escape, but the hunter notices and grabs him by the neck, preparing to feed. Ellen hears Krenshaw's screams and grabs a rifle from the shed, heading out to save her son.

Meanwhile, Buddy, Maxine, and the cat fly back to their home in San Diego, confused to find their front door and garage open. Maxine asks the cat its name. Though it was originally called "Socks" in its past life, it prefers the name it gained in the Red: Ignatius. Naturally, Maxine prefers Socks. Buddy and Socks realize that the Hunters Three were at the house, and when they head inside, they find the place torn apart, and no sign of Ellen of Cliff.

Ellen rushes through the woods, and arrives at the lake's edge in time to see Cliff cowering behind a rock as the hunter devours Krenshaw's body.


 * Synopsis5          = In the woods beyond her mother's farm, Ellen Baker struggles to prevent the third hunter of The Rot from devouring her son Cliff by blasting it with a shotgun. Unfortunately, the creature simply regenerates its limbs and closes its wounds, approaching her.

Meanwhile, Buddy Baker, his daughter Maxine, and their feline guide from The Red - Socks the cat - fly over the California coast, toward Mary Frazier's farm. That is the place that he and Ellen had agreed on meeting if anything ever went wrong. Socks, however, is wary of this choice. It ought to be Buddy's priority to protect Maxine, and as such, he should keep her as far from the third hunter as possible. The cat reminds that Buddy and his family are expendable, only Maxine is not. Buddy comments that if Maxine feels like dropping the cat at any time, he would not have a problem with it.

When they arrive on the farm, Mary warns of the danger that Buddy's wife and son are in, and leaving Maxine with her grandmother - against Socks' protests - he rushes off to their rescue. Meanwhile, the hunter is beginning to probe Ellen's facial orifices with it's tentacle like tongue, to her immense disgust. Fortunately, Cliff grabs a hold of the shotgun, and blasts its head away, freeing her. When the monster turns on the boy, Buddy appears, and slams its head into the ground. Realizing that the hunter is very strong, Buddy commands his wife and son to run back to the farm, leaving the monster to him.

The creature is more powerful than Buddy, though, and it grabs him up, forcing itself on him. It fills his skin with rot, giving him a vision of what the world will be like when his daughter becomes a totem for The Rot. In the vision, a spider-like Maxine traps him in a web, and begins peeling off his face with her monstrous teeth. The hunter releases him from the vision, and taunts him. Sadly, Buddy begs for them to leave his young daughter alone, promising to do anything. The creature is amused, but Maxine is so much more than human.

Back on the farm, Maxine is desperate to help her father. Ellen warns that it is not safe for her to go face the hunter, and demands that they stay where they are. Instead, Maxine gets down on the ground, and begins spreading an impulse among the lifeforms beneath the dirt.

Meanwhile, Buddy realizes that he is unable to access the lifeweb to use his powers just as the hunter decides it is done toying with him. Suddenly, though, all of the animals of the forest burst forth from the trees and attack the hunter, biting and clawing at it. Though Buddy is safe enough, the hunter mocks him, revealing that by allowing itself to be eaten by these creatures, the Rot spreads into them, and through them, it will spread across the world.

Terrified, Buddy runs back to the farm with the rotting animals hot on his heels. Maxine and Socks realize that she made a mistake; she was tricked by the Rot, and now it has found its way into the Red. Buddy appears from the woods and grabbing his family in his arms, he shoves them into Mary's RV, and they try to outrace the animals with the knowledge that this infection will spread until it covers the whole world.

Buddy tries to assure Maxine that it wasn't her fault, but Socks explains that they have past the point of no return. Only the Swamp Thing can save them now.


 * Synopsis6          = Chas Grant was once The Red Thunder. Now he is an alcoholic whose wife Paige and son Jamie have left him and moved in with another, richer man named Dave. Chas shows up unannounced at Dave's home, demanding to see his son. Graciously, Dave allows Chas to wait for Paige to get out of the shower.

When she appears, she comments that he has failed to pay child support for a year, and she hasn't seen or heard from him in a month and a half. As such, she is not inclined to let him take Jamie out. It doesn't help that Chas smells of booze. He tries to persuade her by informing her that he has a job interview lined up with a security company who was impressed by his days as the Red Thunder. Paige responds that he needs to let his days of super-heroism go. Sadly, he asks to at least see his son before he goes.

Chas finds Jamie playing video games and the boy asks where he's been. Chas lies that he's been busy, and Jamie picks up on the insincerity. Chas suggests that he might be able to return to action as a super-hero, and the idea seems to excite his son. Chas suddenly remembers a gift he had brought, a Red Thunder action figure; one of the last in existence. Jamie isn't all that interested, though, and he excuses himself as having to get ready for school. Sadly, Chas leaves his family alone.

At his job interview, Chas realizes that his past as a costumed vigilante does not fill the qualification for having previous experience in law enforcement that the job requires. Depressed, he goes to a bar, and has to stop drinking when he realizes that he can't afford to pay for another.

Returning home, Chas notices a photo on his fridge of Jamie dressed as The Red Thunder, and he considers what he said to his son earlier. He gets out his old costume and lays it out on the bed. After some consideration, he decides to put it on.

Somewhere in the city, some thugs begin to hassle the proprietor of a magazine stand. Suddenly, Chas appears in full costume, and commands them to back off. At first the thugs are amused, but then they are annoyed. Before he realizes it, the thugs smash a bottle over his head, sending him to his knees. They then kick and beat him into unconsciousness.

He wakes in the hospital, where the doctor comments that his costume had to be thrown out. Paige and Jamie visit, obviously concerned for him. When Chas tries to interest his son by explaining that he was trying to get back to being the Red Thunder, the boy begins crying. Jamie begs his father to give up his super-heroism, and stay alive. Sadly, Chas responds that without the costume, he's nothing.

Suddenly, the battery on Cliff Baker's phone dies out, and he is forced to stop watching Tights, the movie in which his father Buddy starred. Ellen Baker wonders what they're doing in the RV, and where they are going. She wonders why they can't simply go home and call the police. Buddy responds that the police would certainly ask questions about Det. Krenshaw, who was killed by the Hunters Three. Not to mention that the hunters are still out there.

Socks the Cat interjects that they still need to find Alec Holland, a being of great power who also faces The Rot. With any luck, he will be able to help them protect Maxine - the intended Avatar of The Red. Exasperated by the whole scenario, Ellen buries her face in her hands. Buddy responds that whatever they plan to do, they should probably do it soon.

Up ahead on the road, a dead dog's corpse is infected by the Rot.

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations: Items: Vehicles:
 * Appearing1         =
 * {{a|Buddy Baker}}
 * {{a|Ellen Baker}}
 * {{a|Maxine Baker}}
 * {{a|Cliff Baker}}
 * {{a|The Hunters Three}} {{green|1st appearance; dream}}
 * {{a|Lyle Edwin}} {{only}}
 * {{a|Detective Krenshaw}}
 * {{a|Pandora}} {{cameo}}
 * {{a|San Diego}}

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations:
 * Appearing2         =
 * {{a|Buddy Baker}}
 * {{a|Cliff Baker}}
 * {{a|Ellen Baker}}
 * {{a|Maxine Baker}}
 * {{a|The Hunters Three}}
 * Mr. Duffy
 * Reg
 * {{a|California}}
 * {{a|San Diego}}
 * San Diego Zoo
 * {{a|Los Angeles}}

Concepts: Items: Vehicles:
 * {{a|The Red}}

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations: Concepts: Items: Vehicles:
 * Appearing3         =
 * {{a|Animal Man}}
 * {{a|Cliff Baker}}
 * {{a|Ellen Baker}}
 * {{a|Maxine Baker}}
 * {{a|Parliament of Limbs}} {{1st}}
 * {{a|The Hunters Three}}
 * {{a|Detective Krenshaw}}
 * {{a|San Diego}}
 * {{a|The Red}}

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters:
 * Appearing4         =
 * {{a|Animal Man}}
 * {{a|Cliff Baker}}
 * {{a|Ellen Baker}}
 * {{a|Maxine Baker}}
 * {{a|Parliament of Limbs}}
 * {{a|Ignatius}}

Villains: Other Characters: Locations:
 * {{a|The Hunters Three}}
 * Alec Holland {{mentioned}}
 * {{a|Detective Krenshaw}} {{Dies}}
 * {{a|Mary Frazier}}
 * {{a|California}}
 * {{a|San Diego}}
 * {{a|Sacramento}}

Concepts: Items: Vehicles:
 * {{a|The Red}}
 * {{a|The Rot}}

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations:
 * Appearing5         =
 * {{a|Animal Man}}
 * {{a|Maxine Baker}}
 * {{a|Cliff Baker}}
 * {{a|Ellen Baker}}
 * {{a|Socks}}
 * {{a|The Hunters Three}}
 * Alec Holland {{Mentioned}}
 * {{a|Detective Krenshaw}} {{Corpse}}
 * {{a|Mary Frazier}}
 * {{a|California}}
 * {{a|Sacramento}}

Concepts: Items: Vehicles:
 * {{a|The Red}}
 * {{a|The Rot}}

Featured Characters: Supporting Characters: Villains: Other Characters: Locations: Items: Vehicles:
 * Appearing6         =
 * {{a|Buddy Baker}} {{green|as Chas Grant, The Red Thunder}}
 * {{a|Cliff Baker}}
 * {{a|Ellen Baker}}
 * {{a|Socks}}
 * {{a|Maxine Baker}}
 * The Rot {{BTS}}
 * Alec Holland {{Mentioned}}
 * Dave {{Fictional}}
 * Jamie {{Fictional}}
 * Paige {{Fictional}}
 * {{a|California}}
 * {{a|Gotham City}} {{TV}}


 * Notes              =
 * This trade paperback collects the following issues of Animal Man (Volume 2):
 * Animal Man (Volume 2) #1
 * Animal Man (Volume 2) #2
 * Animal Man (Volume 2) #3
 * Animal Man (Volume 2) #4
 * Animal Man (Volume 2) #5
 * Animal Man (Volume 2) #6


 * Trivia             =
 * Recommended        =


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