Deadman is one of those classic DC characters you’re always just incredibly happy to see pop up, whether he’s anchoring a title or just crashing someone else’s book. I first fell in love with Boston Brand watching the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series as a kid, and I’ve been hooked ever since. There is something so unforgettable about his striking red costume, his stark pale skin, and that spunky, high-energy personality. He is such a unique concept for the medium because he’s a superhero ghost who isn’t depressed about his situation. He is dead, but he’s out here having an absolute blast.
So when the news dropped that the Ice Cream Man and Superman: Kryptonite Spectrum creative powerhouse of W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo, and Chris O’Halloran were taking a shot at the character, I was losing my mind. This team has an eccentric, beautifully bizarre style that fits Boston like an absolute glove, and giving him a new suit and a fresh calling is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Title: The Deadman #1
Creatives: W. Maxwell Prince (Writer), Martín Morazzo (Artist), Chris O’Halloran (Colorist), Good Old Neon (Letterer)
Characters: Boston Brand (Deadman), Rama Kushna
Villain: Pink Demon
Format: Mini-Series (6 issues)
Our Rating: 9.4/10 Stars
What Happens When Earth Becomes Purgatory?
The core premise of The Deadman #1 flips the script on the afterlife in the coolest way possible by treating Earth itself as a blue-green purgatory. It’s the ultimate waiting room before souls head upstairs or down below, and I’m honestly surprised I never thought about the world that way before. It’s such a genius concept. We open up in a Gotham City hospital where Boston Brand is essentially pulling spiritual janitorial duties. Even though the madness of being a completely invisible, silent ghost would drive anyone crazy, he is just whistling through his day, talking to himself, and breaking the fourth wall in a way that feels incredibly fun.
If you are diving into this book without knowing much about Boston’s history, the team handles the recap beautifully without slowing down the story. We get the quick hits on his origin as a wisecracking circus aerialist, his senseless murder, and how the goddess Rama Kushna took over his soul to make him the Custodian of All Souls. Boston takes the gig for the simple reason that he definitely wasn’t headed to heaven, and he was willing to do anything to avoid going to hell.
Morazzo gets to flex his creative muscles with Boston’s classic power set while introducing some absolutely wild upgrades. Alongside flying, teleporting, and classic possession, Boston can now contort his ghostly body into horrific, melting shapes, and he can change his clothes at will. It looks like a total blast for Morazzo to draw, and it adds an extra layer of supernatural weirdness to his everyday routine. The plot really gets moving when Boston helps a wealthy corporate polluter find deathbed absolution. I had some mixed feelings about this guy getting a pass since he spent his life poisoning the air and water, but apparently, a heartfelt prayer from a sweet grandkid carries major weight with the Big G upstairs. Boston plays the unseen helping hand anyway, showing that he really is a superhero at heart, even if his night involves babysitting souls and checking in on his sleeping ex-girlfriend.
Why Does Deadman Take the Public Bus?
One of my absolute favorite narrative choices in this entire issue is the fact that Boston takes the city bus home. He has the cosmic power to fly, float, or literally bend space to teleport anywhere instantly, but he chooses to ride public transit just to be close to everyday people. Sitting on the bus lets him peek into their lives, witnessing their messy office fantasies or the deep, heavy anxiety of keeping a secret they know won’t be received well.
This self-imposed boundary completely grounds the story. When you have a protagonist who can technically go anywhere and do anything, forcing them to sit in traffic with humanity makes for awesome storytelling. It gives the character limits, and limits are exactly what make ghost stories work.
Chris O’Halloran makes an equally smart artistic choice by coloring the souls in this book with a vibrant yellow glow. We are all so used to seeing ghosts rendered in cold, spectral blues, but this bright yellow makes the spirits look energetic and completely full of life. Morazzo’s creature design shines even brighter when a massive, pink-skinned demon attacks. This thing looks downright gnarly with four arms, massive fans, and glowing red eyes. Boston doesn’t even blink; he shoves his entire hand right through the beast’s face, transforms his own ghostly shape, and completely owns the monster. The background art matches that energy perfectly, especially a gorgeous, skull-shaped moon partially hidden behind deep blue clouds.
The comic also doesn’t hold your hand through the zaniness, but you can feel that this book is a massive labor of love for the character and his lore. The biggest surprise for long-time fans is definitely the reinvention of Rama Kushna. Traditionally, DC writers present Rama Kushna as a massive, godly entity floating in the sky. Here, she looks like a regular teenager, though she still commands immense cosmic power and switches between her casual human demeanor and her divine nature effortlessly. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her in a cute, human-like form, and it feels incredibly fresh and welcome.
How Creative is the Lettering in This Issue?
Good Old Neon brings serious personality to the lettering, matching the book’s wild creative energy page for page. Every ghost in the issue gets a speech bubble that is ever so slightly transparent, matching their spiritual forms perfectly while keeping Boston’s main narration clean and easy to read. I also particularly liked the distinct visual styles for the cosmic grandeur of Rama Kushna’s voice, the jagged red-and-black text of that pink demon thing, and the clever graphic sequences displaying characters’ death dates and causes of death. It’s all rendered very well.
Verdict: Should you but The Deadman #1?
Overall, The Deadman #1 is a daring, intriguing debut that honors the character’s roots while pushing him into wilder territory. Between the updated costume and the stellar world-building, it’s a fantastic time to be a DC fan, and this creative team is certainly taking things to the next level.
‘The Deadman’ #1 Review: DC’s Most Vibrant Ghost Reboots the Afterlife
The Deadman #1 is a daring, intriguing debut that honors the character’s roots while pushing him into wilder territory. Between the updated costume and the stellar world-building, it’s a fantastic time to be a DC fan, and this creative team is certainly taking things to the next level.
