| Comic Review | Paul Milligan |
Deadman
#1
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: John Watkiss
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
When the 747 that his brother was piloting mysteriously
crashes, pilot Brandon Cayce and everyone else onboard are
killed. Brandon then goes on a strange journey through his
past and present, with his brother Scott playing tour guide.
When Brandon realizes that his brother might be responsible
for the crash he steps back into his own dead body and goes
in search of answers that may explain why he died in the
first place.
It may take more than a few pages but once you get used to
the way the story jumps from the present to the past and
back again you may find yourself reading one heck of an
intriguing story. This is one of Bruce Jones’s better
offerings since coming to DC and makes you realize that
perhaps this is exactly the type of book he should have been
writing from the get-go. Like I said, the constant jumping
around in time and reality are a little bit confusing at
first but after a bit everything starts to make a bit more
sense and you will find yourself intrigued by the main
character, the snippets of his life that are presented and
the bizarre mystery that provides the impetus for the entire
story.
British artist John Watkiss provides the other half of the
book’s appeal. His sharp, unique style provides an
appropriately creepy vision of both the events leading up to
the plane crash and the world of the dead. The art is only
made better by Jeremy Cox’s beautiful and lush coloring. I
hope this book continues just so I can see what Watkiss will
do next.
While I found it a little odd that I got more answers from
the solicitation copy for Deadman #1 than from the comic
itself I suppose that is appropriate for the first issue of
an ongoing series. It does seem as if the book will unfold
in its own good time, providing answers and clues to the
mystery as it continues. I do remember thinking, as I was
reading this issue, that it felt more like the beginning of
a mini-series than an ongoing one but I’m sure the creators
have a plan and it’s one I’m looking forward to seeing
unravel.
Special thanks go out to Jeremy Shorr, owner of Titan Comics for allowing us to use his advance preview books for review purposes.
