Jeff Lemire to write 'Animal Man' for DC

Jeff Lemire is to shoulder writing duties on DC's Animal Man relaunch, it has been reported.

According to Bleeding Cool, the award-winning Canadian cartoonist's tenure on the title begins with issue #1 in September.

Lemire is best known for creating the Vertigo series Sweet Tooth. Last year, he signed an exclusivity contract with DC, and has since worked on a 'Brightest Day' one-shot featuring the Atom and the ongoing Superboy series.

DC recently announced that its entire line will relaunch in September, a move which will see 52 first issues arrive in stores. The revamped titles include Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's Justice League, a slate of Green Lantern titles, and various other flagship comics.

Created by writer Dave Wood and artist Carmine Infantino in 1965, Animal Man first appeared in Strange Adventures #180. The character was later revamped for a mature audience in the 1980s and featured in a series under DC's Vertigo imprint.

More recently, the character featured in the 'Blackest Night' event and played a part in its aftermath.

Animal Man #1 arrives in stores in September.

> Read our 2010 interview with Jeff Lemire