Today in Comics History, September 27: This story does not start today, but it'll get there, and everything in it revolves around September 27.

cover of Animal Man (1988 series) #14 (DC, August 1989), pencils and inks by Brian Bolland, letters by Todd Klein



It actually starts on a July day, when Animal Man's daughter meets a dark-garbed version of him in the back yard. But Buddy Baker is actually at the airport!

To quote the late great singer/songwriter and founding member of Justice League Detroit, "What's going on?"



from Animal Man #14; script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Tom Grummett, inks by Steve Montano, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by John Costanza
Also: Buddy's son Cliff plays havoc with the forces of the universe: i.e., he uses a Ouija board.



Buddy's wife Ellen is alarmed to find the calendar has changed to September. And after Buddy gets home, what's this written in the rain on the window? DARN YOU CONSTANTINE STOP SNOOPIN' AROUND ya spooky jerk



A few issues later: it actually is September 27, and a mysterious (and deadly!) stranger comes to call.


from Animal Man #18 (DC, December 1989), script by Morrison, pencils by Charles Truog, inks by Doug Hazlewood, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by John Costanza
DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR ELLEN!

Meanwhile, Buddy is showing zero respect for the Fourth Wall.



from Animal Man #19 (DC, January 1990), same credits as #18
I shall spare you the full-page shot of Buddy finding the bloody bodies of his family that follows this. But it ain't pretty. THIS HAPPENED TODAY, September 27.


So, your family has been murdered. Whatcha gonna do? Well, if you live in the DC Universe, you mourn, put on a dark version of your costume, and then go get a time machine.

It'll solve everything! And, it's the law.


from Animal Man #21 (DC, March 1990), same credits as #18
Now, I think you know where Buddy/Grant Morrison/we're goin' with this. Buddy gets a time machine (say, easy!) and goes back to that same July day we started with in #14.

Brian Bolland pulled a 180 on us!


cover of Animal Man #22 (DC, April 1990), same credits as #14
But in one of those incontrovertible rules of time travel in the DCU (darn! Those're always happenin'), he's mostly physically insubstantial and can't interact directly with his family. He tries to leave clues — the clues we've already seen — but they're ignored.



from Animal Man (1988 series) #22 (DC, April 1990), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Paris Cullins, inks by Steve Montano, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by John Costanza
After that failure, things don't go well for Animal Man. He wanders aimlessly through the Land of Forgotten DC Characters, but I gotta tell ya, there's one character in here I'll never forget. Can you spot that character?


from Animal Man (1988 series) #24 (DC, June 1990), script by Grant Morrison, pencils by Chas Truog, inks by Doug Hazlewood, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by John Costanza
ANSWER:


Then he meets this person. I tell you, these DC Universe new characters are getting weirder and weirder all the time.


from Animal Man (1988 series) #25 (DC, July 1990), inks by Mark Farmer; other credits same as #24
After pontificating at him, Grant Morrison returns Buddy Baker to his family, safe and sound and happily ever after! Deus ex morrisona for the win, everybody!



from Animal Man #26 (DC, August 1990), credits same as #25
And no one ever saw the mysterious Grant Morrison, ever again.


...until they died in in the pages of Suicide Squad. But at least that didn't happen on September 27, today...in comics history.


from Suicide Squad (1987 series) #58 (October 1991), script by John Ostrander and Kim Yale, pencils by Geof Isherwood, inks by Robert Campanella, colors by Tom McCraw, letters by Todd Klein