Buddy Baker returns to the realm of the Red to restore balance and save his daughter, Maxine.
POSITIVES:
Animal Man finds himself in the claws of the final living totem. With a newfound respect and understanding of the intergalactic web of the Red, Buddy uses his new abilities to put an end to the madness once and for all. Though Animal Man #26 felt out of place,readers will be pleased to see Buddy back on Earth and fighting for not only his family, but also the world of the living as well. With the end in sight for Animal Man, stones are beginning to turn as the story begins to wrap up.
“Evolve or Die” begins in this issue and will end in the next. The slogan of Animal Man is finally addressed in the series as Buddy Baker learns to adapt in order to face off against the Red’s enemies. Lemire found a strange way to bring about a new spin on Buddy’s powers with the previous issue, but it seems as though it’s been redacted this month. The story is coming up to its exhilarating climax, and Lemire has orchestrated a truly memorable experience.
The Baker family has struggled this past year, but acceptance is finally beginning to rear its head. Buddy and Ellen have finally come to terms with the death of their son, and Maxine is beginning to make similar strides. Despite the horrors Animal Man faces, at the heart of the story lies a wounded family that is trying to love one another, and Lemire’s vision of this is being realized.
Rafael Albuquerque shows his best work on Animal Man yet with this month’s release. Not only does Albuquerque expand on the style that makes his artwork shine on the comic stands, but he introduces a new flair in Animal Man #27 that hasn’t been used seen since he was added to the book. One of Buddy’s newer abilities involved not only drawing strength from an animal, but also changing his appearance to reflect that. Although Albuquerque chose not to express this in the previous issues, he does so this month and the results are captivating. Seeing Buddy evolve into a hulking space beast is incredibly gratifying. Brother Blood is closing in on Maxine and unfortunately, we will have to wait another month to see the exciting conclusion.
NEGATIVES:
Ellen Baker is taken into custody by the police. There may not have been much she could’ve done to stop Brother Blood or find her daughter, but throwing her in jail doesn’t really make sense. There are a few pages devoted to this, and unfortunately, they damage the pacing of the book. There are so many incredible action sequences in Animal Man #27, and taking a pause to see how Ellen is doing completely pulls the reader out of the story.
VERDICT: 
5/5
As Lemire heads into the finale of Animal Man, the story has become ruthless and thrilling from panel to panel. Lemire is bringing things to a full circle and there are no signs (so far) that the ending will not deliver. Rafael Albuquerque expands on his techniques in drawing Animal Man and it gets better with every release. Animal Man #27 is a wild ride that readers will enjoy from start to finish.
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