Written by Paul Jenkins
Illustrated by Bernard ChangIt’s the start of a new series spotlighting some of the DC Universes’s most exciting super heroes! First up is Deadman, straight from the pages of BRIGHTEST DAY, 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 go straight to Hell!
Deadman is a character that has been in the spotlight more in the past year than at any time since his short-lived 2002 series: a prominent role in Brightest Day, a potential new show on the CW, a new girlfriend in Dove, a place on the Justice League Dark lineup, and now the first arc in DC Universe Presents an anthology series shining a light on some of the lesser-known characters in DC’s stable. Clearly, DC sees a lot of potential in this character, and they are pushing hard to make sure that comics fans care about Deadman in 2011.
So, does the first issue of DC Universe Presents present a character that warrants a further look? Or is this a case of a creator-favorite character floundering in their own title? Find out after the jump.
Many of the New 52 books have suffered from retelling an origin that we all knew to begin with, or tried to simplify characters to a point where all of the interesting parts of their origin have been excised to make room for collars and new love interests. Paul Jenkins doesn’t do that with Deadman; in fact, he may have written the most accessible book of the New 52 so far.
The origin of Deadman is fairly simple — Boston Brand, circus performer, is shot by an assassin while performing, and now has the ability/responsibility (given to him by goddess Rama) to inhabit people’s bodies and help them through their lives. Last week, I compared Resurrection Man to Quantum Leap; that comparison is even more apt here. Jenkins re-tells this origin using imagery that makes a lot of sense: Deadman, who represents Boston’s life, stands on one end of a plank, fulcrum in the middle, and Boston Brand, a perfect embodiment of what his life could be, stands on the other. Deadman must help others and, in doing so, walk closer to the center of the plank, where he will meet both his ideal self and equilibrium, and he will be free of his responsibility.
One of the joys of Deadman stories are seeing the different people he jumps in and out of, and this issue does not disappoint in that department: a veteran, a priest, an artist, and a fellow daredevil are just a few of the lives we witness for a panel or two. Bernard Chang does a great job of making each character show a lot of depth; it could be very easy to draw all these minor characters as simply background players in the story, but Chang doesn’t do that.
Chang also manages to lay out an interesting art scheme, stretching the limits of his panels and directing eyes on all of these pages. In the origin re-telling, a vertical line of panels shows Brand’s hands going from clenched around a trapeze to slipping off; this is a detail that is easily assumed, but Chang shows it off to the side of the main action. Also well laid out is a scene where Brand keeps hopping from person to person in order to get the attention of an old circus co-worker, Madame Rose. The artwork makes it clear who Brand is possessing (due to the red outline), but the art puts you in the shoes of Rose as she runs, spins, and generally tries to avoid Brand. Her confusion jumps off the page and is palpable, and this minor scene becomes a memorable one due to its superb craftsmanship.
Continued belowMy only real criticism of Chang’s artwork is that Boston Brand out of costume doesn’t really resemble the Boston Brand that readers got to know through Brightest Day — a Brand that already looked sufficiently young (and therefore not needing to be de-aged). Despite that, Chang still shines in both the mundane scenes of people living ordinary lives, and the mystic settings where Deadman and Rama share words.
It is that balance between the mundane and the mystical that makes Deadman such a compelling character, and one DC is smartly banking on. Some of the more mythological or mystical characters like Zatanna, The Spectre, or hell, even Wonder Woman for that matter, can all tend to be not quite relatable enough. A few pages in, and you know who Brand is, you can understand why he does what he does, and you start to put yourself in his shoes. That is what makes the most effective comic characters; we love Spider-man because we’ve all been the teenagers getting picked on; we love Superman because we love to imagine his limitless power; Green Lantern is appealing because his imagination and willpower sets his limits, not society or genetics. Jenkins understands that Brand is not Clark Kent; he’s kind of a jerk and is working through that. He is let loose enough to make us appreciate his attitude, without rooting against him for being a jerk.
I am very much in favor for anthology series like DC Universe Presents. It gives creators a chance to try a character out before committing to an ongoing series, and it gives a convenient place for fans to go to get self-contained stories about more minor characters. I think this is one of the smartest titles DC announced for this relaunch, and they have put two strong creators on its first arc (and a fantastic cover artist in Ryan Sook — seriously DC, keep the talent level this high and you will see good results). However, if you are not attracted to the Deadman character, 5 issues may feel like a long time to wait for a new storyline. Hopefully, people will see the benefits to creators having enough time to tell quality stories and this can become a book that people collect arc by arc, and hopefully readers respond to this style of storytelling, because there are benefits, both financially and artistically, to a title like this.
Plus, where else might I get a Blue Devil arc?
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
