Gothic romance takes on new life in “Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” #1. Read on for our review but be warned, there are some minor spoilers within this review.
Written by Sarah Vaughn
Illustrated by Lan Medina and Jose Villarubia
Trapped inside an old gothic mansion, Deadman must battle the forces of darkness alongside Berenice, a young woman with a complicated love life who is gifted – or cursed – with the ability to communicate with the dead. Romance, mystery, and evil await in the new, bimonthly miniseries DEADMAN: DARK MANSION OF FORBIDDEN LOVE, by Sarah Vaughn (Alex + Ada) and Lan Medina (FABLES)!
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, horror and romance titles were a dime a dozen in comic books. As decades went on, these books lost popularity and DC became known more for their superhero titles. In the last couple of years, thanks to the increase of women reading comics and titles like “Fresh Romance” finding success, romance as a genre has been resurrected. “Dead: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” #1 is a throwback to an older time in DC’s history. It takes the title of an old series but loses a lot of those old sensibilities. Sarah Vaughn, Lan Medina and Jose Villarubia bring gothic romance to the present day in a gorgeous first issue.
“Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” focuses on a young woman named Berenice. Berenice is accompanied by her friend Sam to the enormous (but old) home that her boyfriend Nathan has inherited to stay as he writes his book. When Berenice arrives to the home, we’re shown that she is more than meets the eye. She can see ghosts and can communicate with them as if they are flesh and bone. One of these ghosts she meets is Deadman, who seems to be trapped in this home. Only Berenice can see him or talk to him and together they team up to investigate a hidden mystery.
Sarah Vaughn is probably best known for being the writer and co-creator of “Alex + Ada”, one of last year’s very best series and one of the best romance comic books in the last decade. So this obviously makes her the perfect fit to write a story like this. “Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” #1 is seemingly inspired by a lot of classic, gothic romance but it feels much more updated, which is something that recent films (like Crimson Peak) suffer from. The lead is a mixed race woman who doesn’t identify as straight and she’s possibly in love with Sam, a non binary person of color. I mention this not to give out a trophy for diversity but to point out how easy this should be to do. I love the inclusiveness but this is the place that Vaughn’s dialogue kind of feels off. There’s an actual explanation that feels a little clunky but a necessary correction for Deadman to understand.
The rest of the script flows really nicely with flashbacks being eased into in a way that makes sense with the rest of the plot. Vaughn has a lot space to work with (this is 40+ pages) and she doesn’t waste any of it. Deadman gets a nice introduction, as does Berenice but Nathan feels like a blank slate. I don’t entirely believe him amd Berenice as a couple but there is still time to build that up. I like Berenice as a lead, as she’s complicated and likable. She also doesn’t feel like a damsel in distress, which is another reason this debut feels like something truly different in the genre.
“Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love” #1 is very easily one of my favorite concepts of the year and this concept can live and die by the visual element. Gothic romance is very much defined by a look and from the very first page, I was sold. Medina’s art is full of wistful glances, heavy dramatic overtones and a sense of actual terror as Berenice gets acquainted with the spirit of the home. Medina’s work has this beautiful softness to it in regards to the characters. Berenice and Sam have this beautiful softness to them and the tension between them is something almost tangible. The amount of emotion and connectivity between the characters adds to the sense of romance that this story wants to capture. Medina draws this book with Deadman being secondary but this isn’t a problem. Deadman is meant to feel out of place and I think by doing this, the gothic romance elements are played up more.
One of the most interesting things going on with this issue is the setting. It’s completely impossible to pin down what time this takes place. There modern elements but then there are things that aren’t very 2016 like the fashion and the vehicles. This doesn’t hinder Medina’s work but instead allows him to get fully engrossed in the story. The house this story takes place in is constructed like something out of every “Jane Eyre” adaptation or a classic Vincent Price horror movie. It’s gorgeous and this is really where colorist Jose Villarubia really shines. His palette for the backgrounds and ghostly elements are the right kind of dark. The home captures this solemn energy and Deadman once again stands out in such an interesting sense. What doesn’t completely work about the coloring are the human characters themselves. They come off a bit too bright and stand out in a strange way to where they almost don’t feel like they belong in certain scenes.
Final Verdict:8.5 – A strong debut that feels like what it’s paying homage to, but also takes steps to be more.
