Summary

• Animal Man was transformed from obscurity to a vital character by Grant Morrison in their unique and philosophical take on the comic.
• Morrison seamlessly blended animal rights issues with metaphysical storytelling, creating a captivating and thought-provoking series.
• From addressing white saviorism to breaking the fourth wall, Animal Man under Morrison's guidance became a groundbreaking and iconic comic book character.

At the time of its publication, there was no other comic in America quite like Animal Man. Prior to Morrison, Animal Man had been just another obscure character languishing in limbo. Initially seeing Animal Man as a vehicle to explore animal rights issues, Morrison eventually took the character in a metaphysical direction, raising profound questions about the nature of reality and existence.

After making a name for themselves in the British comics' scene, Grant Morrison entered the mainstream with Animal Man in 1988. Over the course of 26 issues, and one story in Secret Origins, Morrison not only rescued Animal Man from obscurity, but ensured the character would remain vital to future generations. Most of Morrison’s Animal Man output were single, self-contained stories that still nevertheless told one larger saga. There were a few multi-issue arcs, and for the purpose of this list, they are counted as one story. Here are all 19 Grant Morrison Animal Man stories, ranked.

Animal Man was created by writer David Wood and artist Carmine Infantino

19 Not Even Company Mandated Crossovers Slowed Grant Morrison Down

“Birds of Prey,” appearing in Animal Man #6 by Grant Morrison, Chas Troug and Doug Hazelwood

Every year in the late 1980s, DC held a major crossover event that impacted the entire line, and Animal Man was no exception. Issue six ties into the publisher’s mega Invasion event, which saw a confederation of alien races, including the Thanagarians, invade Earth. Morrison and their collaborators ran with the premise, introducing the “art martyrs” of Thanagar, who used death and chaos in their works. Morrison added not only a new and demented layer to the militant and warlike Thanagarians, but to the entire Invasion event as well.

18 The Red Mask Showed Animal Man’s Human Side

“The Death of the Red Mask,” appearing in Animal Man #7 by Grant Morrison, Chas Troug and Doug Hazelwood

Tangentially related to the Invasion crossover event, “The Death of the Red Mask” was one of the best demonstrations of the book’s humanity. The writers of comics’ “British Invasion,” of which Morrison was part of, humanized heroes and villains in new and exciting ways. Morrison created a “new” Golden Age villain in The Red Mask, only to kill him off in the same issue. While the world around them burns, Animal Man attempts to talk Red Mask out of suicide. Animal Man departs, thinking he has made a breakthrough, only for the Mask to turn around and actually do it.

Listen, if you've got five seconds to spare, I'll tell you the story of my life. Heh! The secret origin of the Red Mask

17 Animal Man Was More Than Just a Champion For Human Beings

“Fox on the Run,” appearing in Animal Man #10 by Grant Morrison, Chas Troug and Mark McKenna

Although Grant Morrison eventually took Animal Man in a meta-textual direction, they initially used it to explore animal rights. These two seemingly contradictory concerns collide in the story “Fox on the Run.” Animal Man travels to Britain where he disrupts a fox hunt by saving the animal. Although fox hunts of the such depicted in Animal Man #10 do not happen in America, they are a very big concern for European animal rights advocates. Not content to merely create another animal rights story, Morrison begins seeding bits and pieces of the meta-direction the book will soon head in.

16 The Time Commander Gave Animal Man a Change of Pace–If Only Briefly

“The Clockwork Crimes of the Time Commander,” appearing in Animal Man #16 by Grant Morrison, Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood

For the first part of Grant Morrison’s tenure on Animal Man, the character was a member of the European branch of the Justice League, and this issue shows why he belonged there, despite whatever his impostor syndrome might have told him. Animal Man and his Justice League colleagues team up to stop the Silver Age villain, the Time Commander, from committing crimes against the timestream. The issue ends with Animal Man and his wife enjoying dinner in Paris. While they are enjoying themselves, a mysterious man who has been stalking Animal Man in previous issues watches.

15 Animal Man Would Not Hesitate to Break the Law–If It Helped Save a Life

“Consequences,” appearing in Animal Man #17, by Grant Morrison, Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood

By the time “Consequences” was published, Morrison was seriously ramping up the meta-textual elements that would culminate in the book’s final arc. However, they paused for a bit to tell another animal-rights story. Animal Man assists a group of animal rights advocates to spring caged monkeys from laboratories. Animal Man and his friends are successful, but in the aftermath, a first responder is seriously hurt. From there, Animal Man confronts a right-wing bully commentator on live television, only to look bad in the process. This story was a commentary on not only animal rights, but the nature of heroes and the law.

14 Animal Man’s Past and Future Collide in “Spooks.”

“Spooks,” appearing in Animal Man #14, by Grant Morrison, Tom Grummett and Steve Montano

At roughly the halfway point in their Animal Man run, Grant Morrison had already set up a number of intriguing storylines, some that would not bear fruit for several more issues. They also set up another one in “Spooks.” A mysterious phantom begins stalking of Animal Man’s family. Every time Animal Man attempts to chase the ghost, it disappears. Morrison themselves makes an appearance in this issue, albeit in the dreams of Doctor Highwater, one of the book’s recurring characters. Between the phantom and Morrison, the pieces were slowly moving into place.

13 On Land or On Sea, Animal Man Defends All Animals

“The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” appearing in Animal Man #15 by Grant Morrison, Chas Troug and Doug Hazelwood.

Dolphin hunting is an unfortunate reality, and Morrison tackles the issue head on in “The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” Once again setting aside the meta-textual concerns for an issue, Morrison educates readers on the topic in a non-preachy and non-didactic way. Animal Man regularly meets the heroes of the DC Universe during Morrison’s run, and in this issue, is paired up with Dolphin, an occasional ally of Aquaman. Animal Man, by his own ission, broke a number of international laws–but he really did not care, as the dolphins were safe.

12 Grant Morrison Addressed an Issue Surrounding One of DC’s Goofiest Characters

“Hour of the Beast,” appearing in Animal Man #13, by Grant Morrison, Chas Troug and Doug Hazelwood

The B’Wana Beast, a goofy character from the Silver Age, was recast as a ing character early in Morrison’s Animal Man run. B’Wana Beast has the power to meld two animals together. It is not a particularly useful power, but Morrison and their collaborators made the best of it. However, in “Hour of the Beast,” Morrison addresses the character’s problematic nature. B’Wana Beast is a White man who considers himself a champion of the African continent, raising issues of white saviorism, and Morrison meets this head-on, creating a new B’Wana Beast by issue’s end.

11 Grant Morrison Gave Animal Man’s Origin New and Mind-Bending Layers

“The Myth of Creation,” appearing in Secret Origins #39 by Grant Morrison, Tom Grummett and Doug Hazelwood

DC’s late-1980s Secret Origins title retold character origins in the wake of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and when it came time for Animal Man to get this treatment, Morrison obliged. They gave a new spin on the character’s first appearance in Strange Adventures #180 by tying it into the major, meta-textual story they were developing in Animal Man's own title. Morrison made an already nutty origin story even more so, and cleverly incorporated the Secret Origins story into the first part of issue ten, “Fox on the Run.”

10 Grant Morrison Used Animal Man to Make an Old Flash Villain Cool

“Mirror Movies,” appearing in Animal Man #8 by Grant Morrison, Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood.

This masterpiece, from early in Morrison’s run, reintroduced the Mirror Master, a Silver Age Flash villain. Working as an assassin for parties unknown, Mirror Master tried to kill Animal Man, but as seen later in the run, developed second thoughts about it, even becoming something of an ally to the hero. Morrison made the new Mirror Master Scottish, and gave him a vague moral code. This version of the Mirror Master proved popular with fans, and has made many more appearances in the DC Universe, including in the pages of The Flash.