Comic book legend Neal Adams writes and draws upon his vast experience with the new issue of Deadman.
Issue 3 of the new six-issue miniseries begins with the front cover, of course. Adams continues to be a top cover artist, and this one is no exception. Look for hidden text messages in some of the illustrated content of the cover, which includes Deadman, the Spectre, and The Demon.
What’s the plot? Well, to try to summarize it in an ‘elevator pitch’, let’s just say the Deadman is trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of his death. In visiting his family and inhabiting the bodies of several people, he finds out some shocking information.
The writing is typical of Adams; irreverent, and a bit scattered, but overall cohesive and plot driven. Amusingly, Adams seems to have become fond of the word “arse”, as several characters utter this unusual expression, seemingly without prompting. Funny stuff. Lots of drama, action, fights, and fascinating cinematic points of view.
The supporting characters Spectre, Demon and Phantom Stranger, more than just “team up” material, actually do contribute to the story. It’s fun to see Adams drawing these DC characters again, even though their appearances sometimes verge on being cameos.
The drawings are excellent for the most part, and Adams as a colorist is quite skilled, something of a feather in the cap of this 76-year-old comic veteran. The line quality is becoming more sketchy, and there is an occasional rough spot, but his art remains well crafted.
This issue leads along to issue 4 of course, and Adams fans will especially want to pick up a copy!
DC Comics Deadman #3 $3.99 for 24 pages of content. Rated T for Teens.
Newsdesk 
Brian Isaacs - Executive Editor / Publisher