Deadman #6 – Neal Adams, Writer/Artist
Rating:
Ray – 3/10
Neal Adams’ bizarre fever dream into the world of Deadman concludes in Deadman #6 – or does it?
Not really, as it turns out, because Neal Adams is apparently always guaranteed a sequel. Deadman’s allies are left behind as he journeys into Nanda Parbat alone to confront the Goddess that brought him back to life, the mysterious Rama. Rama has always appeared as a majestic, mysterious figure – except here, where she looks like a generic woman colored purple. The shame about this issue is that Adams’ art is actually probably at its best in a while. He gets to draw the kind of weird, epic things that he loves to draw, such as a gorgeous two-page spread involving Rama transforming into a dragon. But as soon as it appears, it’s gone, and the issue becomes about a whiny Deadman arguing with Rama about whether she’s been keeping things from him. Given the reveals in this series about Deadman’s family, he has a point – but he sounds like an angry toddler.
Ultimately, Deadman is reunited with the witch Sinda, who claims to know his sister…for another argument about who didn’t tell who what. It’s just an extended, three-way argument that goes in circles for a good part of the issue until Deadman is extended an offer. He can be restored to life, to live the life he would have lived if he hadn’t been shot. Anyone could see this is a trap, but he agrees – and finds out that in this new reality, his brother becomes the new Ra’s Al Ghul.
Well, I suppose that makes about as much sense as the other things that Adams did with Ra’s Al Ghul? Boston is horrified and aims to set out to fix what he’s done, but when he chases after Sinda to make her undo her spell, she disappears and is replaced by…a talking rat. Yep. Because reasons. That rat then warns Deadman that their journey is just beginning, and we’re told that the story will continue in Batman: Demigods War, a just-announced project with no actual timeline.
Okay, then. Would have been nice to know that we were reading Batman: Odyssey 2.5 or something.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
“…and the issue becomes about a whiny Deadman arguing with Rama about whether she’s been keeping things from him. Given the reveals in this series about Deadman’s family, he has a point”
To be honest I kinda wish that this entire story had been kept from everyone. I guess we should have known what we’d be in for after the Batman: Odyssey minis, but I had pretty high hopes that he’d actually treat Deadman better.