Things to do in Denver when you’re dead
What They Say:
It’s the start of a new series spotlighting some of the DC Universe’s most exciting super heroes! First up is Deadman in a five-issue epic where the body-hopping hero meets his match in a new foe who wants to make sure the souls that Deadman helps out got straight to Hell!
The Review:
DC Universe Presents is an interesting series that I hope sticks around for quite a while. This is an anthology series, not a series about a particular hero or group of heroes. The good thing is, if you don’t like a particular hero or the story being told…just wait a couple of issues until the next story/hero starts. The launch series for DCU Presents is Deadman which is scheduled to run for 5 issues. This first issue is all exposition. We learn who Boston Brand was and what he has become. We are shown why he has been given his powers and what he ultimate mission is to be. This information comes at a good pace where we aren’t overwhelmed but we don’t linger too long. The storytelling is very well written as I found myself immediately caring about the situation that is core to this book. Sure Boston is the world’s biggest jerk when he was alive, but once he has become Deadman and has been on the mission for quite a while, his character growth is rapid and creates a lot of sympathy and interest.
I think this is actually a really good first issue. It sets up a very tragic hero that has a lot of emotional weight thrown on him by the missions he must complete, “leaping” into other peoples lives to serve some purpose Sam Beckett style. The approach to the story telling and even the style of the artwork aides this emotional core by giving us a somber book. One that doesn’t try to impress by being flashy but rather focuses of telling a good story that has the ability to impact the reader. The only thing not good about this book is the first page. Sure it makes sense later but the wording of the text is very confusing and doesn’t have a good flow to them. The awkwardness is intentional but the real story starts on the second page and continues from there without a hiccup.
In Summary:
This Deadman comic is a great place to start with the legacy of Deadman. It has great accessibility and tells a poignant story that I really liked. That is probably because I’m a huge Quantum Leap fan but hey…I’m not complaining. I knew a little bit about Deadman from the end of the old DCU and this series seems to ignore those events altogether and focuses on telling this particular story. I only wish this book had come out before Hawk & Dove so that readers of that comic knew who the heck Deadman was! I also really like the concept of an anthology series. Hopefully this Deadman series plays out extremely well so that I get excited for the next story that will be unleashed!
Grade: A-
