Skip to content

Please note that when you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Thanks!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks!

Deadman Reading Order (DC Comics)

  • by

Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Carmine Infantino for DC Comics in the pages of Strange Adventures #205 (October 1967), Deadman was a tough sell at first as the Comics Code Authority frightened the editor into staying away from potential horror material. After all, Deadman is a ghost.

It’s a bit more complicated than that as the late 1960s saw an interest in the mystic growing in America. Drake was interested to use the Zen movement, Hare Krishna, and things like that in a story to explore the “notion of a being that was neither living nor dead.”

The story begins when Boston Brand, a circus trapeze artist who performed under the name Deadman, is shot dead during a performance by the mysterious murderer known as the Hook. Brand didn’t really die as a Hindu god named “Rama Kushna” gave his spirit the power to possess any living being in order to find his killer.

Even if Arnold Drake left the title after two issues over creative differences, Deadman continued his search—and found the truth. After that, when Neal Adams took over the series, Deadman got a new mission: to establish a balance between Good and Evil. Nevertheless, Strange Adventures was canceled soon after.

Deadman became a recurring supporting character in the DC Universe. In the mid-1980s, he finally got a new series, but it was a short one. It also was not the last one as the character continued to appear in limited series as well as a guest star in other titles. He became part of the mystical part of the DC Universe, which led him to the Justice League Dark (during the New 52 era and beyond).

Deadman Reading Order

First, in 2020, DC Comics published an omnibus collecting Deadman’s stories from his first apparition to the mid-1980s (and a new edition was recently announced).

  • Deadman Omnibus
    Collects Strange Adventures #205-216; The Brave and the Bold #79, #86, #104 and #133; Aquaman #50-52; Challengers of the Unknown #74 and #84-87; Justice League of America #94; World’s Finest Comics #223 and #227; The Phantom Stranger #33 and #39-41; Superman Family #183; DC Super-Stars #18; DC Special Series #8; Adventure Comics #460-466; DC Comics Presents #24; Detective Comics #500; Deadman #1-4 (1986); Secret Origins #15; and covers from Deadman #1-7* (1985).

*In 1985, DC Comics published a 7-issue Deadman series that reprinted Strange Adventures #205-216 and Brave and the Bold #79 & #86.

 

If you can’t find it, those Deadman stories were also previously collected in other smaller editions.

  • Deadman Book One
    CollectsStrange Adventures #205–213.
  • Deadman Book Two
    Collects The Brave and the Bold #79 and 86; Strange Adventures #214–216; Aquaman #50–52; Challengers of the Unknown #74. Those are also available in The Deadman Collection (Strange Adventures #205–216; The Brave and the Bold #79, 86, 104; Aquaman #50–52; Challengers of the Unknown #74).
  • Deadman Book Three
    Collects The Phantom Stranger (vol. 2) #33, 39–41; The Brave and the Bold #133; Superman Family #183; World’s Finest #223, 227; DC Super-Stars #18.
  • Deadman Book Four
    Collects DC Special Series #8; Adventure Comics #459–466; DC Comics Presents #24.
  • Deadman Book Five
    Collects Deadman (vol.2) #1–4; Secret Origins #15; Challengers of the Unknown #85–87.

Deadman guest starred in the great Alan Moore’s Saga of the Swamp Thing–in Vol. 2 #49-51 that can be found in Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book Four and Book Five.

Crisis on Infinite Earths Icon Reading OrderThe famous Crisis on Infinite Earths took place around that point in time, rebooting parts of the DC Universe. Like all of the other characters of the DCU, Deadman appeared during the event (in #5, 7, 11-12).

Volume 3 of Deadman was launched in 2002, and was short. Written by Steve Vance, it only lasted 9 issues.

It is important to notice that Volume 4 is not about Deadman per se. Published by Vertigo, and partly collected in Deadman: Deadman Walking, this series is about Brandon Cayce who refused to pass on into death and was sort of resurrected.

During the Blackest Night storyline, Deadman appeared in the miniseries Blackest Night: Batman, but the must-read Deadman story of that period came after as he was one of the stars of Brightest Day.

The Post-Crisis/Modern Age era concluded with the Flashpoint event that gave us an alt-timeline story featuring Deadman.

The New 52 era began for Deadman with a starring role in the DC Universe Presents book written by Paul Jenkins. He also joined the Justice League Dark, DC Universe’s supernatural team (with Constantine, Zatanna, Madame Xanadu, Shade the Changing Man, and Mindwarp). We already covered the team in our Justice League Dark Reading Order, if you want a more detailed version.

After New 52 came Rebirth. This era gave us a couple of Deadman series and a guest appearance in a storyline in the Trinity book (with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman). And in what was technically the Universe era (but is considered part of Rebirth), Deadman rejoined briefly the Justice League Dark.

Also, Neil Adams wrote once again Deadman, giving him a small role to play in his Batman Vs. Ra’s Al Ghul miniseries.

Following the Dark Nights: Death Metal event, the Infinite Frontier era started, and Wonder Woman was swept away to the Sphere of the Gods. But when Diana lands in Asgard instead of Olympus where she belongs, an unexpected odyssey begins. Deadman helped her during a few issues (#775-779).

Deadman later reappeared in the new Justice Society of America series, relaunched following the Dark Crisis. Then, we saw him play a big part in the Knight Terrors event.

Did we forget an important issue? Did we make a mistake? Let us know in the comments!

Pin
Tags:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *