Comments on: Comic Book Legends Revealed #226

By: David Hauck

David Hauck — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:48:57 +0000

Kirby’s DIRECTOR (p.17)sure looks a lot like Comedian Don Rickles. “Whadda Ya want Deadman, A Cookie?” “We ALL have hooks for hands, ya Hookey-Puck!”

I was never a fan of Kirby’s as his style was too odd for me, but as I’ve grown older, I appreciate it more and it reminds me of Picasso (who I also didn’t care for for years but now love). Carmine Infantino reminds me of Dali, but I still do not care for his comic art. Anyone’s else art reminds them of a fine artist?

By: Polite Dissent » Tuesday PSA: Amazing Spider-Man #96-98

Polite Dissent » Tuesday PSA: Amazing Spider-Man #96-98 — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:02:47 +0000

[...] was much more explicit than the previous story). According to Brian Cronin’s always excellent Comic Book Legends Revealed series, Strange Adventures #205 was likely the first comic to mention [...]

By: Comic Book Legends Revealed #226

Comic Book Legends Revealed #226 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:42:05 +0000

[...] here to read [...]

By: Mart

Mart — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:44:13 +0000

ThatGL/GA cover never fails to amuse, it’s Hal’s audition for Superdickery: ‘Haha Ollie, you’re not so big, Speedy’s a JUNKIE!’

By: DexX

DexX — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:05:23 +0000

I really hate to be such a nitpicker, but it is a pet peeve:

“Kirby was a trooper” should be “Kirby was a trouper.”

The article is interesting as always. Must reading on Fridays.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:23:34 +0000

Jawa, that’s basically the setup they use for Red Tornado. It was a major aspect to Brad Meltzer’s recent run on JLA.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:04:32 +0000

So what was the storyline about that he had two hooks?

By: Blair

Blair — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:32:50 +0000

The Deadman Vertigo reshuffle of a few years ago sucked big fat ones.Other than that Deadman rocks and mighty fine article!!

By: Jeff Albertson

Jeff Albertson — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:09:15 +0000

Sijo, yes, in a couple of stories appearing in World’s Finest, Deadman winds up with the body of Bruce Wayne’s previously unknown brother, Thomas Jr.. World’s Finest 223 and 227.

By: deron

deron — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:07:27 +0000

On the subject of covers — what is going on on the cover of Strange Avengers 205? Brant is leaping at the audience while the mysterious assassin shoots him in the nuts? A female dwarf stands on the back of an elephant that is already in the stands? A strongman gazing idly at the roof of the tent?

And while we’re at it, in the Kirby pages: is Deadman trying to cop a feel on the medium (2nd panel on page 15)? And no one should question Rob Liefeld’s penchant for uselessly big guns after seeing what the Manager aims at Deadman, especially given its barrel size:bullet size ratio.

By: GC

GC — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:44:31 +0000

Is the pen killing a Deadman thing? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure that Bullseye have done that before.

By: Jawa

Jawa — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:30:22 +0000

I actually really like the idea of Deadman inhabiting an android body. I think that’s something DC should bring back.

By: Chris Smith

Chris Smith — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:26:45 +0000

Heres a link to the ‘Feeling For You’ video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLA1M7BKdGM&feature=related

The pen execution rocks…

By: Frank Rook

Frank Rook — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:03:04 +0000

I always hated that cover to “Forever People” #9. The proportion and logistics of how that frankenstein’s arms and heads fit into the compartment he’s being lowered from, are just way off.

By: PB210

PB210 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:46:10 +0000

I find it interesting that they seemed to try to keep the paranormal in the Deadman stories restricted to largely just Deadman’s powers, hence his vying with narcotics dealers as opposed to, for example, sorcerers.

By: Ted

Ted — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:53:45 +0000

Haven’t you heard that comics are all about “theme”–Deadman and the Hook = Cain and Abel or Captain Ahab and the whale–and not plot points? How dare you criticize something that Harold Bloom probably would include in the canon of Western literature?

What’s your point, that Deadman isn’t about vengence? Or is the fact that Deadman worked in a circus or that his first enemies were drug dealers actually what Deadman about? I’m suprised that you haven’t complained that the Hook having his hook change hands means that the plot isn’t “fully realised”.

By: random surfer

random surfer — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:05:52 +0000

Reading about Deadman and the Comics Code Authority reminds me of earlier columns about Code restrictions on the depictions of the undead. I take it Deadman is either not considered “undead” enough for the Code censors or the restrictions had been changed by that point. Maybe there is some bizarre, obscure section of the Comics Code that allows the depictions of the undead as long as they say drugs are bad?

I’d imagine Deadman would be a G-G-G-G-GHOST!, ergo he wouldn’t count as being “undead.”

By: Ethan Shuster

Ethan Shuster — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:34:16 +0000

Some may find it a sign of unoriginality, but regarding Deadman returning to comics later, I’ve always kind of admired how both DC and Marvel (maybe any others, too) rarely forget or throw out a character. They’re always willing to revisit them and give them another shot. Hell, half of DC’s Silver Age is based on the trend!

By: Sijo

Sijo — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 03:22:07 +0000

Nice Legends this week, Brian. I’ve never cared much about Deadman, but these facts were very interesting. I saw many of the early Deadman stories when they first came out, but never saw his actual origin, so thanks for that. The Neal Adams art was a big draw.

The problem Deadman has as a character is that he cannot interact with people except by possessing somebody, and thus can have no life of his own or a recurrent cast. Unless he finds a body to “wear” regularly- I heard he actually used the comatose body of Bruce Wayne’s long-lost older brother (???) as a host for a while. Any truth to that?

And btw, at the time Kirby was writing the Forever People, one of his characters was Dr. Bedlam, who was also a spirit who manifested through his androids. So using a robot to allow Deadman to interact directly for that story must have made sense to him.

By: Crusader k

Crusader k — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:11:19 +0000

Wait…the Kirby story postulates that the Hook killed by the Sensei wasn’t Deadman’s actual murderer. That there was some kinda conspiracy involving the “Board of Directors” or somesuch. Was the Kirby story intended to overturn the conclusion in the Adams story? Give the character…ahem…new life? Was this discrepancy ever resolved by DC or has it been forgotten? This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything mentioned as anyone other than the Hook being Boston’s murderer.

And…isnt it about time DC reprints Apara/Garcia-Lopez’ Deadman stories from Adventure and his miniseries from the 80′s? That was some seriously beautiful stuff. The story involving Abraham Gold and his drug dealing son – that was actually continued into DC Comics presents with Superman was the best!