RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books The Deadman #1

I wrote a review of The Deadman #1. Here is the link: https://worldcomicbookreview.com/2026/06/11/the-deadman-1-review/

It was pretty amazing. Boston Brand is still kicking around. I was always a big fan of the character. I'm going to go full Wonder Boy for a moment and post some Neal Adams pics (let's hope this works, as I'm lousy at UBB code):



[img]<img src="https://www.nealadamsstore.com/assets/images/BBpg15.jpg" alt="The Bronze Age Batman (The Brave and the Bold) Omnibus Vol 1 SIGNED"/>[/img]

You had this wise-cracking guy who was very grounded and down to earth, trying to solve the mystery of his killer from beyond the grave, gliding around and inhabiting bodies. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed Deadman stories in Adventure Comics when I was a kid.

This title is different. Boston Brand is still a smart arse. But he has a new role. He guides the dead in the moments immediately after they die. He is quite funny about it. Also, he breaks the fourth wall and chats to readers about what is going on. And he lives in a town which is filled with other ghosts, and watching how some of them exist after death is fascinating. There is a couple who are in a loop of arguing - the screaming match they had before they died in a car accident. Death is it turns out can be messy.

Anyway, I recommend the book to anyone who wants a laugh and who also wants something thoughtful about the nature of existence.

[edited to fix typos]

eh, fuck, messed up the UBB code.

Sometimes I have to edit my posts 10 times to get the image links right



I love that Neal Adams Deadman series too, Dave ( STRANGE ADVENTURES 205-216, and BRAVE AND THE BOLD 79 and 86 ), a very innovative and groundbreaking series by Adams, with beautiful mind-blowing page designs. In 1967-1969, it was way ahead of its time.

A great series where trapeze artist Boston Brand is killed during a crowded circuss performance, and a Hindu god raises him from the dead, to walk he earth and solve the mystery of his own murder. Like the Goodwin/Simonson MANHUNTER series, it gained from its brevity, being cancelled before it had a chance to become formulaic and old. In retrospect, it could be seen as a more cosmic supernatural version of he TV series "The Fugitive", that concluded about the same time in 1968.


https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-205/ ............................ .Arnold Drake story, Carmine Infantino / George Roussos art, Oct 1967
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-206/ ..............................Arnold Drake story, Neal Adams / George Roussos, Nov 1967
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-207/ ..............................Jack Miller story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Dec 1967
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-208/ ..............................Jack Miller story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Jan 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-209/ ..............................Jack Miller story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Feb 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-210/ ..............................Jack Miller story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Mar 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-211/ ..............................Jack Miller story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Apr 1968 (Jack Miller dies, his last story)

https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-212/ ..............................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, May-June 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-213/ ..............................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, July-Aug 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-214/ ..............................Robert Kanigher story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, May-June 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-215/ ..............................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, May-June 1968
https://readallcomics.com/strange-adventures-v1-216/ ..............................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, May-June 1968

https://readallcomics.com/the-brave-and-the-bold-v1-079/.........................Bob Haney story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Aug-Sept 1968
https://readallcomics.com/the-brave-and-the-bold-v1-086/.........................Bob Haney story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Oct-Nov 1969

https://readallcomics.com/aquaman-v1-050/ .............................................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, Mar-Apr 1970
https://readallcomics.com/aquaman-v1-051/ .............................................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, May-June 1970
https://readallcomics.com/aquaman-v1-052/ .............................................Neal Adams story, Neal Adams pencils and inks, July-Aug 1970

https://readallcomics.com/challengers-of-the-unknown-074/ .....................Dennis O'Neil story, Neal Adams art (7p), George Tuska art (17p), June-July 1970

https://readallcomics.com/batman-v1-232/ .................................................Dennis O'Neil story, Neal Adams / Dick Giordano, June 1971 (Deadman drawn into mountain, p 12)

https://readallcomics.com/justice-league-of-america-v1-094/ ....................Mike Friedrich story, Neal Adams art (4p), Dillin / Geilla art (18p), Nov 1971

Thanks for the fix-up!

Brand was always getting distracted by his altruistic side quests, leaving the mystery of his death to linger for years. At least at one point, he told Rama Kushna (definitely a Hindu name, but depicted by Neal Adams as a somewhat hot brunette) that he was done beimg a ghost... but changed his mind through circumstances.

I was trying to collect the full set of DC Comics Presents a few years ago (my youngest daughter loves 70s and 80s comics - she is ten and the absence of sophistication really suits her). I have about half of the series, but the only one my daughter does not like is the Superman / Deadman team up. There was a bit too much of the main Deadman plot in it, which I think she found a bit creepy.

Here's whatever issues you're missing in DC COMICS PRESENTS (97 issues total, plus annual issues 1-4) :
https://readallcomics.com/dc-comics-presents-v1-001/

That's funny, regarding her distaste for the Deadman issue, because I thought the Deadman issue (number 24) showed that Garcia-Lopez was a very compatible artist with the earlier Neal Adams run (and the Aparo issues after that).
https://readallcomics.com/dc-comics-presents-v1-024/

Aside from the early issues by Garcia-Lopez in DC PRESENTS, a number of other good issues.
About 8 or 10 issues by Jim Starlin, starting with issue 26.
Roy Thomas and Rich Buckler in 3 issues exploring the Shazam family characters.
Two Giffen issues, (52 and 81, if I recall), the first one introducing Ambush Bug., the second a Legion of Substitute Heroes issue.
And an Alan Moore, Rick Veitch Swamp Thing story (issue 85)

Among a number of other good issues.

She'd probably also enjoy Haney and Aparo's BRAVE AND THE BOLD run (roughly 97-200, plus Neal Adams issues, (79-86, and 93) and Nivk Cardy issues (91-96) before that, all written by Haney ).

I'd also recommend the long run of HOUSE OF MYSTERY 174-321.
And HOUSE OF SECRETS 81-154.
And KAMANDI 1-40 by Kirby.

.

Here also is a link to the full issue of THE DEADMAN 1 (2026), that you reviewed.
https://readallcomics.com/1-2026-42/