Written by Tanner Stein
Boston Brand looks to clean up the mess left in the DC universe in The Deadman #2. Written by W. Maxwell Prince with art by Martín Morazzo, Deadman heads to Gotham in an attempt to solve the mystery behind what spirit is attacking souls in transition to the afterlife.
The issue follows Boston Brand, aka Deadman, trying to make sense of how the beast from the end of issue #1 was able to kill a person’s atman (soul) while it was mid-transition to the afterlife. The Deadman #2 is a dense issue filled with lore on how the afterlife transition works, as well as Deadman’s place in the whole world. Rama Kushna, the deity that gave Deadman his powers, spends the first page explaining the dangers if an atman can’t properly make it to the afterlife. By immediately setting the stakes, it pushes what was once a creepy tale about ghosts and demons into a story with real threats and consequences if they don’t succeed.
Although the stakes were raised, that doesn’t take away from the silliness in the story. Through a clever narrative technique where pages are narrated from other characters’ points of view, we get to see the backstories of some other characters. The Deadman #2 features other fan-favorite characters, including Plastic Man and Batman, who both play fun parts in aiding Deadman.
Morazzo does a great job of making every character’s design fit his style. During a flashback page where we see the history of a villain called “Bibliophile,” Morazzo mixes his unique style with the old-timey look from comics back in the 1960s & 70s. Morazzo gets to put his design onto some favorites, including his own version of Jorge Jimenez’s Batman suit from the current mainline run.
The art does a perfect job of setting the tone for the issue, whether it’s a fun backstory scene told from the perspective of Plastic Man, or an intense one-on-one conversation between the creepy bad guy and a student. By setting this tone, the comic can smoothly jump from lighthearted superhero antics to bone-chilling in the matter of a page.
Boston Brand utilizes his power of possession to take over both Batman and Plastic Man to get into Blackgate prison to interrogate Bibliophine. While here, other villains pop up, and we get to see Deadman utilize his powers in a real fight. While Batman needs to be in the midst of the fight, Deadman does what he does best and helps to transition people’s atman’s into the afterlife, while making sure he saves the souls that aren’t ready to go. This fight in Blackgate gives the character some much-needed action. Up until this point in the issue, Deadman has been flying around and possessing others, but this fight gets to show readers what he really shines at: his ability to save people.
The issue ends with a perfect set-up for issue #3 while leaving the supporting heroes back in Gothman. Although this issue might’ve ended with Deadman getting one piece of information, The Deadman #2 was a great look into the character of Boston Brand, showing off how his powers work as well as Brand as a person. Chock-full of fun gags, chilling tension, and incredible action, The Deadman #2 kicks this story into high gear, while still delivering on what makes Deadman a fun and exciting character to read.
