Broken Frontier

Deadman debuts in his own existential adventure.

The popularity surrounding Deadman following the end of Brightest Day has not diminished.  The ghostly trapeze artist takes center stage as the first hero to be featured in DC Universe Presents, a series that will cycle through the DC Universe’s greatest heroes as they crash, jump, tumble, and save the day in six-issue arcs.

After a brief introduction to Deadman, or the friendlier sounding Boston Brand, writer Paul Jenkins sends the dead hero on a quest to redeem his consciousness, and bring balance to his existence.  Instead of an easily written collection of single issue stories, Jenkins is concocting a mystery to surround Deadman, where the memories of those he has helped fail to leave him.  These ghosts, or “stepping stones” towards redemption continue to haunt him, regardless of his successes.  The stepping stones carry much more emotional weight than at first glance; sending Deadman on a deeper quest, to answer questions about life or reaffirmations of faith, making this arc of DC Universe Presents a more sophisticated and thoughtful story than at first glance.

Bernard Chang’s art is solid, though not atypical for a superhero comic.  One specific sequence which follows Deadman has he hops from body to body is drawn extremely well, giving the large single panel a necessary urgency and energy.  Chang’s pencils are brought to life by Blond, whose diverse and vibrant selection of colors adds texture to each and every frame.  Blond purposefully highlights red objects throughout the book, whether it be Deadman’s suit or a myriad of other set pieces.

The purpose behind the mysteriously titled DC Universe Presents is finally revealed, and surpasses expectations.  Deadman’s quest is much more than a simple hop, skip, and jump from body to body down the “yellow brick road.”  Jenkins aims to mentally test Deadman, forcing the ghostly hero to continue his growth from Brightest Day.