The Deadman #1 Review: An Interesting Take on Mortality, Death, & In-Between

I just read The Deadman #1 that came out today. It’s a pretty interesting take on mortality, death and in-between (earth?) — different from a lot of the other books I’m reading right now.

The Deadman comic cover A. Features a close up on the Deadman's face. His face contains images of many ghosts. The background contains faces of what appears to be demons.

The Setup

I think the concept plays on that fascination with mortality and death — much like Dead Like Me, the more comical Reaper show, or even (Neil Gaiman’s) Sandman’s sister, Death. There’s a focus on how people died, catching ghosts in life situations, and the mysterious figure who facilitates that passing (sometimes intervening, sometimes correcting things in the spiritual realm). I’m not sure if this is a feeling other’s share, but I’m drawn to (and here for) these micro mortality stories.

The Deadman floating in a new read suit getting the name "The Deadman"
A pink glowing demon in the Deadman.
The Deadman surprised by the action of a pink glowing demon.
The Deadman walking into the neighborhood preferred by those sort of like him trapped in their version of purgatory. "Robertsville Find Your Forever Home! est. 1967"on the sign.

The Cool (and Interesting) Parts

  • It’s got some wittiness and fourth-wall breaking (think Deadpool, with less one liners).
  • We follow Boston Brand as he ‘interacts’ with various individuals, seeing their thoughts, feelings, and where things are headed.
  • The ominous birthday storyline eventually ties in nicely and keeps you intrigued as we basically go around visiting um… people?
  • There’s a bit of a “wow” moment with a conflict/antagonist setup that seems like it’ll drive things for a while.
  • Some intriguing formulas and calculations about life and loss, plus a bunch of weird rules and little jokes.
  • Next issue already teases a triple team-up with Batman and “that bendy guy” (Plastic Man). The end ‘ad’ for this has a fun old-school throwback feel also teasing the Bibliophile.
A tease for the next issue of The Deadman, "the Grave and the Bold". Featuring Boston Brand, Batman, Plastic Man. Also, teasing Bibliofile.

Final Verdict

It’s interesting and has some cool concepts, especially the way it explores death and the afterlife (amongst other things). I love the minor character mortality micro stories. As a whole, I’m not head-over-heels in love with it yet, but I’m curious to see where it goes and what the team-up brings next.

What did you think?

Did you pick up The Deadman #1 yet? What was your favorite part — the fourth-wall breaking stuff, the death/ghost moments, or the teaser for next issue? Tag me on X!

Originally posted as a thread on X — check out the original conversation here:

Read the original X thread →
Six comic covers for The Deadman #1. Covers A, B by Frank Cho, C by Tula Latay, D by Hayden Sherman, E foil by Martin Morazzo, and G 1:25 by Mike Choi

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