SPOILERS AHEAD
Initial Thoughts
The Deadman #2 sees Boston Brand go to Gotham City and “team up’ with Batman and Plastic Man, as he tries to find out who, or what, is out here eating souls. Writer W. Maxwell Prince, artist Martin Morazzo, and colorist Chris O’Halloran (and a quick shout-out to Good Old Neon for lettering) continue to build this world of Deadman by bringing in elements from other parts of the DC universe, old and new. Batman, Plastic Man, Zur-En-Arrh, Mr. Boom (kinda), and even Bibliophile —yes, THAT Bibliophile — all make an appearance in this issue. Bringing all of these elements together makes The Deadman #2 one of the quirkiest, yet consistent series so far after 2 issues.
This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite current series. DC and their magic/occult lore have always been such a fun and under-explored aspect of their universe that it feels super refreshing to have a story set in it. The skit/ADHD-style storytelling by W. Maxwell Prince has been very intriguing and fun for me. The structure of the story reminds me of Mad Magazine; the difference is that all of this fits into a bigger narrative, and it's a hack to give exposition in a fun way. The Deadman #2 is a must-read for all DC fans.
A Great Reintroduction to Boston Brand
While small, we did get a glimpse at all the plates Boston Brand has to spin at once as the custodian of souls. Deadman has to deal with souls who might be leaving too early, souls who might not be transitioning perfectly, and also whatever problems are happening on the living plain. This perspective of a C-tier hero is a great way to build up their importance, and it makes them so much more important than just the “Dead guy who takes over bodies.” Boston’s mission is much more important than what we could ever imagine, and I think that is the best thing that The Deadman #2 did.
Two themes stood out to me in The Deadman #2, and I think they were the book's highlights. First, the Hinduism/Buddhism lessons were clearly broken down, which helped me stay focused on the details. Not only do we learn about those religions and practices, but we also see the impact of Brand’s work, which makes it that much more important.
The other was the pacing and formatting of the story so far. The Deadman flow and humor remind me of a Family Guy episode—in a good way. The cutaway gags give us context and exposition without dragging out the story or filling the page with unnecessary dialogue. Writing like this is why I think The Deadman is a great book for all DC fans.
The Demon is Creeping in
The big baddy for The Deadman has been presented perfectly, in my opinion. So far, we’ve only been given glimpses of them, which have felt almost like cameos. Not fully presenting them yet has felt very cinematic, and it leaves us to draw our own conclusions about who they are. As readers, we know the plot is thickening while our hero is still searching for answers. This makes us feel helpless as the Demon continues to run roughshod over the living plain. That alone gives us something to sink our teeth into as we keep trying to figure out who he is and why he is trying to bring imbalance to the soul realm. It still seems like we are very far off from Deadman and “The Demon” facing off, as Prince seems to be building the tension before that happens.
Not the main conflict, but I absolutely loved Zur-En-Arrh's cameo in this book. Boston's description of controlling a human vessel and what he had to deal with while trying to control Batman is like day and night. This kind of creativity is why this book is so good. Of course, Batman has a defense mechanism for his psyche. He's a crazy person. But a resourceful one.
Art and Lettering So Good, So Far
The art by Martin Morazzo and the coloring by Chris O’Halloran fit so perfectly with Prince’s vision. The art is dynamic and feels very fluid, and every character looks alive. What I mean by that is, look at any character in every panel, and they look like they are always in movement. Never static, the world of W. Maxwell Prince is perfectly brought to life by Morazzo and O’Halloran. The colors chosen by O’Halloran perfectly encapsulate the mood of the scene and the pacing of the story. Take a peek at the scene where our yet-to-be-named demon badguy takes over the library. Tension and elements of horror are drawn and colored perfectly to let us know that it's not going to go well for Aiko Kahan.
A special shoutout to letterist Good Old Neon, who was able to change his lettering when the issue transitioned to the “Bibliophile” section. Neon’ lettering transitioning to a Golden Age lettering font, I thought, was genius. It really stood out to me, and even I had to think and search up to see if the Bibliophile was an actual Golden Age villain. He's not. Fantastic work by all three artists in bringing to life a Golden Age section that made me question what I was reading. Kudos to everyone on the team for that, for transporting us into this mesmerizing world.
Final Verdict
The Deadman #2 blended elements of comedy, horror, and Batman to make a fun, engaging read. The use of humor and Family Guy-style cutaways to add to the exposition, without beating us over the head with unnecessary dialogue, makes the second chapter of this series a good one. The horror elements make our yet-to-be-identified bad guy even more menacing and interesting. The Deadman #2 is a great jumping-on point for anyone who has ever wanted to get into DC’s magic/supernatural world, as it successfully integrates other DC characters. It makes it more fun and easier to digest for a new reader.
The art styling from Marin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran fits perfectly with the world that writer W. Maxwell Prince is trying to create, as it feels so unhinged and otherworldly. Everyone’s interpretation of the afterlife from this creative team is so weird and wonderful. It blends some elements of what westerners believe with HEAVY influences from Hinduism and Buddhism. For me, that is so interesting to get a lesson in Sociology while reading a good comic book. Ultimately, The Deadman #2 does a fantastic job in keeping us interested in the series, while only giving us a few glimpses into the main villain.