The Deadman #2 Review

 

The Deadman #2 Review

Writer: W Maxwell Prince

Artist: Martín Morazzo

Colorist: Chris O’Halloran

Letterer: Good Old Neon

Editors: Chris Rosa & Paul Kaminski

Cover Artist: Martín Morazzo

Variant Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo, Mark Spears, Alex Eckman-Lawn & Stevan Subić

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

While the patients in the Outer Gotham Rural Hospital ride the morphine drip, Boston Brand rides through their memories. Sure, he's a voyeur. But he likes people. He'll give a villain a pass into Heaven if someone loved them. And as Boston assists souls in transition, he sometimes performs a miracle to give the dying a second chance at life.

 

But while Boston Brand reveres life as an Outfit Changing Spectral Super-Entity, others feed off it. They devour souls of the newly dead and relish the taste of living flesh. Can Rama Kushna empower Boston Brand to defeat more than light bulbs? And why have demons invaded Gotham? Let’s leap into The Deadman #2 and see!

 

Story

Rama Kushna may reprimand Boston for never being on time, but she enjoys a childlike love of the world around her. Only the world around her isn't just Earth, but the wheel of Samsara on which our souls generate Karma. Yet just as Darkseid threatened to turn Earth into Apokolips, and a plague spirit threatened to wipe out musicians in the Magical Realm, Rama Kushna believes that spirit-eating demons threaten the balance between life and anti-life. So, she sends Boston Brand to Gotham to help identify the demon that chomped Jesse "Flyeater” Hollern’s spirit-head after his road accident.

 

While Rama Kushna believes Batman can help Boston Brand identify the demon, Batman also conducts a supernatural investigation in The Deadman #2. Aided by Plastic Man, Batman seeks to prevent Lazarus Rising from smuggling capsules of resin from Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits into Blackgate Penitentiary. Yet Boston seems reluctant to leave his tiny suburb of Robertsville. Lorna still lives there. And like him, she

mourns the life they might have had.

 

As W Maxwell Prince shares Boston and Batman's investigations, Rama Kushna and Plastic Man address the reader. While they reveal the crimes that threaten Humanity, Boston, charged with caring for people's souls, seems reluctant to play his role in this cosmic struggle. But then, Boston reveres life. By slipping inside people, he can share their joys and sorrows. And as Boston Brand leaves his comfortable home in Robertsville, he will confront people who treat the living like dirt in The Deadman #2.

 

Art

Martín Morazzo opens with a series of one-page introductions. An intricate gold frame introduces Rama Kushna’s spiritual teachings and her instructions to Boston Brand. Plastic Man’s body elongates around panels as he shares his investigation with Batman. The title page sandwiches Boston's relationship with the woman he lost between panels of himself and the friend he found. Then, a banner headlines the Bibliophile’s cautionary tale. As the action gets underway, Batman and Plastic Man tackle mummies at the Gotham Wharf. And while contorting himself more than Lorna’s sorrow twists her soul, Plastic Man forms his body into a coffin, and one fist into a pyramid.

 

As Rama Kushna and Boston Brand set the Samsara-ending stakes, Chris O’Halloran casts this nighttime world of The Deadman #2 in blue. Batman wears a brighter blue as Boston’s white face also takes on a blue hue. Red links Plastic Man with Boston, two heroes with ignoble pasts. Bobby, trapped in his spirit form, wears yellow clothes. While a light green fills the Blackgate Penitentiary, richer shades define Batman. And as Rama Kushna wears an indigo dress, the king of the soul devourers wears an indigo sweater. Yet when Mr M confronts his next victim, orange fills his eyes, and his glasses capture a nearby yellow light as he casts a sapphire shadow.

 

As W Maxwell Prince packs his story with dialogue and Boston’s thoughts, Good Old Neon fills boxes with black lowercase letters. The letters showcase a wide range of sizes and fonts. Batman and Plastic Man introduce their investigation with blue and red boxes. While letters in black boxes locate the reader on the physical plane, a spiky balloon highlights Batman’s search for answers. Yet colorful sound effects and screeching force Boston to rethink his strategy as he undertakes his own search for the truth. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Even though Boston Brand knows people can change, he tends to regard people in static terms. As he slips into people to experience their minds and souls, he finds them more complex than he imagined. Yet while Boston seeks help identifying Jesse “Flyeater” Hollern’s spirit-killer, the abduction of Gotham’s brightest stars continues in The Deadman #2.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my preview of The Deadman #2. 

 

For what happened last time, see my review of The Deadman #1.

For the creators' last series, see my review of Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #1. 

 

 

Emperor Aquaman #19 Preview

 

Arthur Curry loves his wife and daughter. Yet, his mother-in-law plots his doom. After their time apart, Mera wishes her husband could spend more time with her. Yet Arthur is always away. And when he spends a little time at home, he is secretive. Arthur won't even tell her why he's building his cosmic lighthouses. He claims he's thinking of her safety. Yet Mera recognizes that Arthur has changed.

After participating in the Omega Tournament, Arthur knows that's not the end of Darkseid's plans to conquer reality. But as he uses the Alpha energy Superman shared with him, a friend reminds him that relying on such power is dangerous. How will Mera's mother attack Atlantis next? And does Arthur Curry pose an even greater threat to his family and nation that the Crimson Queen Lolanna?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Emperor Aquaman #19 Preview

Writer: Jeremy Adams

Artist: Paolo Villanelli

Cover Artist: John Timms

Variant Cover Artists: Ariel Diaz & Rahzzah

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (card stock)

Release Date: July 8, 2026

 

 

A Galactic Storm Gathers!

 

 

With Lolanna recruiting the enemies of Aquaman for a nefarious purpose, Mera gathers a force of her own to try and stop her. The Lady of the Lake, Lori Lemaris, and Mera jump into action to track down the enemies of Atlantis before it’s too late!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Emperor Aquaman #18.

For what happened before that, see my preview of Emperor Aquaman #17.

For even before that, see my review of Emperor Aquaman #16.

For how Arthur Curry embarked on his new, interstellar mission, see my preview of Emperor Aquaman #15. 

 

  

The Fury of Firestorm #4 Preview

 

While leading the Department of Metahuman Affairs, Dr Martin Stein proposed the Firestorm Project. Yet as he sought to transform his personal tragedy into a means of protecting his country, Martin broke the rules. Worse, he deceived Ronnie Raymond, his fragile student, who was desperate to prove that he was worthy of being loved and respected.

When Ronnie discovered his professor's betrayal, he tried going it alone. But the Firestorm Matrix required two people to operate it. And in Martin Stein's absence, the Matrix started calling the shots. After battling the Justice League, Firestorm is leaving Bedford, Colorado behind. Where will the metahuman without a human consciousness venture next? And can anyone help Ronnie retake command of Firestorm?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

The Fury of Firestorm #4 Preview

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist & Cover Artist: Rafael De Latorre

Variant Cover Artists: Guillem March, Rahzzah & Ethan Young

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Age Rating: 13+

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (card stock)

Release Date: July 8, 2026

 

 

The End of Firestorm?!

A DC Next Level Series

 

 

Lorraine has tracked down Dr Martin Stein, but what she learns in the process could mean the end of Firestorm and Ronnie Raymond!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of The Fury of Firestorm #3. 

For what happened before that, see my review of The Fury of Firestorm #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of The Fury of Firestorm #1. 

 

Marvel’s Venom: The First 40 Years Review

 

Marvel’s Venom: The First 40 Years Review

Writer: Natalie Club

Editors: Jonathan Wilkins, Jake Devine, David Leach, Phoebe Hedges, Louis Yamani, Ibraheem Kazi & Holly Smith

Designers: Dan Bura, David Colderly, & Matt Bookman

Publisher: Titan Comics

Hardcover Price: $24.99

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

If anyone didn't know Venom before his recent movie trilogy, they do now. But the alien symbiote first arrived on the big screen in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Sam Raimi's film drew inspiration from Marvel Comics’ history, where Peter Parker first dons the symbiote suit. But that's far from the full story.

 

In the 1980s, Peter's new black suit featured in one of the most iconic crossovers in Marvel history. But who conceived Peter Parker's new look? And how did Spider-Man's black suit become the Venom we know, love, and fear today? Let’s leap into Marvel’s Venom: The First 40 Years and see!

 

Story

Readers first saw Peter Parker don his new black suit in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man in May 1984. Because the Secret Wars crossover arrived later, Spider-Man fans had to wait half a year to learn how Peter got it. Still, this new suit worked in tune with Peter’s thoughts and generated its own web fluid. Then Peter learned it was a sentient alien symbiote. Fusing with the extraterrestrial enhanced his crimefighting abilities. Yet, Peter discovered that their goals didn’t align.

 

Marvel’s Venom: The First 40 Years charts how Peter’s black suit forged its own path in comics. Like an unrequited lover, the suit kept returning, and hoping that this time, Peter would bond with it forever. When that didn’t happen, the black suit took on a life of its own. It gave itself a name in Amazing Spider-Man #300 and found someone more attuned to its views on justice. Others have joined with Venom from time to time. Still, it was Eddie Brock who would become the symbiote's longest-serving partner. Yet no matter who fused with Venom, one thing became clear. Like Norman Osborn's recent attempt to assume the mantle of Spider-Man, Venom didn’t color inside Peter’s carefully observed lines.

 

Spider-Man may have rejected Venom. Still, others viewed his symbiote suit as an opportunity. Natalie Club shows how companies like the Life Foundation and Alchemax sought to create new symbiotes. The US government also found uses for Venom's spectacular abilities. Eddie Brock's family fell under Venom's spell. Flash Thompson, Peter Parker's High School nemesis, turned Venom into an interstellar force for good. And when Venom spawned Carnage, more Humans bonded with the red alien suit, including Norman Osborn and his family.

  

Art & Design

While Natalie Club divides her story by decades, Dan Bura, David Colderly, and Matt Bookman introduce each period with a two-page spread featuring art representative of the era. The designers differentiate each decade by the color of the vertical column on every other page. They intersperse the text with comic panels and shrunken pages, while the opposite page features enlarged cover or interior art. Then, they intersperse the essays with more two-page spreads.

 

While Marvel’s Venom: The First 40 Years charts the evolution of the alien symbiote, it also showcases the rise of the character’s popularity. The 1990s and the 2010s boast the most pages, while the 1980s and 2000s are shorter. As each era nears its end, a list of Milestones accompanies some final insights into the period. But as the character of Venom evolves, so does the artwork. From four-color hand-drawn artwork to sophisticated computer-painted creations, the book showcases the art that drew fans to Venom and Carnage.

 

Lettering & Physical Copy

As small lowercase black text on white pages charts out Venom's journey, white letters in the colored columns identify the issue each piece of art derives from and the artists who created it. The giant titles of each essay are the same color as the side columns and the era milestones. Natalie Club’s coverage of each era grows more extensive as Venom’s legacy grows, and the symbiote’s stories take on an increasingly epic scope.

 

Marvel's Venom: The First 40 Years is 0.5 inches thick. Yet, the larger size, quality cover, and glossy pages give the beautiful book a hefty feel. And despite only being 128 pages, the book is a valuable resource for collectors and readers alike. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a physical review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

While Venom has found its way into every corner of the Marvel universe, the symbiote has participated in crossover events. From its first appearance as Peter Parker's apparel in Amazing Spider-Man to its starring role in King In Black, Venom has risen through the ranks to become a heavyweight champion of the modern Marvel universe. Marvel's Venom: The First 40 Years doesn't cover recent events such as Venom War and All-New Venom. Yet, the book shows how Venom, influenced by its Human host, occasionally knocked on the door of heroism, even if it never quite stepped inside.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To look inside see my preview of Marvel's Venom: The First 40 Years. 

Blade Runner Tokyo Nexus: To Lose is to Win #3 Cover Preview

 

COVER A: KIT WALLIS

 

Mead and Stix have worked together for a long time. Yet ever since Sayo asked them to find her sister Miyuki, Mead and Stix have been moving in different directions. Now, while Madame Nomura commissions Mead to investigate her daughters' deaths, Stix protects the Cheshire scientists who killed his fellow Replicants to eliminate Tyrell's programmed lifespan. 

Leaving Tokyo behind, the Blade Runner from Los Angeles searches for answers in a villain ruled by a modern-day feudal lord. As she searches for the experimental Aurora program, Rumiko seeks to learn how Miyuki and Sayo's brother produced a Replicant assassin with a copy of Stix's consciousness. Yet no matter what they do, or where they go, Alura casts her shadow over all of them.

Can Rumiko shut down the Aurora program before more copies of Stix begin killing people? And will Mead's investigation prevent the Cheshire scientists from extending Stix's life?

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

BLADE RUNNER TOKYO NEXUS TO LOSE IS TO WIN #3

Writer: Nancy A. Collins

Artist: Mariano Taibo

Publisher: Titan Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages (Full Color)

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 1, 2026 

 

"The Blade Runner Franchise has truly found a second life on the printed page."

--IGN 

 

 

Blade Runner Rumiko's search for the Aurora tech stolen by Stix and Mead during their failed Kalathia mission has brought her to Omiya, where on the snow lined Shiwa Shrine Road, she finds herself facing off against its deadly guardian in a samurai duel to the death. Meanwhile back in Tokyo, Mead has discovered what killed Miyuki Nomura and its implications threaten to expose a conspiracy at the heart of the ruling Yakuzi family.

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

COVER B: ANDY BELANGER

 

 

COVER C: PIOTR KOWALSKI

COVER D: KIT WALLIS - VIRGIN VARIANT

 Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Blade Runner Tokyo Nexus: To Lose is to Win #2. 

 

For what happened before that, see my review of Blade Runner Tokyo Nexus: To Lose is to Win #1.

 

For how this series began, see my review of Blade Runner Tokyo Nexus: Die In Peace. 

 

Supergirl #15 Preview

 

When Zora, aka Black Flame, went on the warpath, Kara Zor-El risked everything to warn Lesla-Lar. And when Kara didn't return from the miniature city of Kandor, Conner Kent and Lena Luthor ventured inside without knowing if they could escape. While Zora gave Conner a beating, Lena and Lesla helped Kara reclaim her Supergirl status. And Zora unintentially helped Lesla become Luminary once again. 

Can Kara and Lesla free Kandor from Zora's tyranny? And can Kara and her friends breathe life into the recently rediscovered Argo City?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Supergirl #15 Preview

Writer: Sophie Campbell

Artist & Cover Artist: Sophie Campbell

Variant Cover Artists: Kris Anka, Rahzzah & Karl Kerschl

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (card stock)

Release Date: July 8, 2026

 

 

Supergirl Vs Black Flame!

Reign of the Superboys!

 

 

As Supergirl starts to gain the upper hand, Black Flame spots an opportunity to escape Kandor and bring the fight to Earth. Powered by the yellow sun, this Kandorian rebel could be unstoppable. It’s now up to Supergirl to rein her in before the entire planet ends up in danger!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time see my review of Supergirl #14.

For what happened before that, see my preview of Supergirl #13.

 

For how Kara became a cyborg, see my review of Supergirl #12.

 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Supergirl #11. 

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 Review

 

Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 Review

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Cover Artist: Javier Rodríguez

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Variant Cover Artists: Andrew Robinson, Werther Dell’Edera & Seba Fiumara

Editors: Sabrina Futch & Katie Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $5.99 US/$5.99 US Card Stock

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

It took John a long time to accept the Green Martian in his life. Doing so helped him prevent Middleton from descending into chaos. But when he told his wife what happened, the truth tore his family apart. The Green Martian wants to help John turn his life around. But the Blue Martian reminds John of all the bad things he's endured. Everywhere he goes, tragedy follows. What's the point of going on?

 

Yet as John falls, Bridget rises. Instead of pushing John away, she runs to find him. But is it too late for John and Bridget? And if the couple cannot reunite, will the Blue Martian unleash his Despair-O-Vision on everyone in Middleton? Let's leap into Absolute Martian Manhunter #12 and see!

 

Story

The Blue Martian has told John the story of his life. Unable to refute his companion’s views on his past, John collapses under the weight of his memories, failures, and revelations. The world has always been against him. John has ruined everything he has touched. Still, the Blue Martian has shown him who is really to blame.

 

While John faces the inevitable result of ignoring the difficult aspects of his life, Bridget realizes she can no longer conform to others' standards to find happiness and fulfillment. As she attempts to comfort John, Bridget discovers the truth of his assertions. But in Absolute Martian Manhunter #12, Bridge confronts not one figment of her husband’s imagination, but two.

 

The Blue and Green Martians each play a role in helping the couple assess their lives. Despite living under the same roof and enduring similar struggles, they have been worlds apart. Now, as they review key moments from John’s life, the couple also studies Bridget's past to understand why she eventually shut John out of her life with Tyler.

 

While Deniz Camp focuses on John and Bridget's struggles, he delves into the difficulties we all face. As John and Bridget confront the truth of their existence, they must determine what led to their current impasse. The couple must also decide if they can remake their lives and save their son in Absolute Martian Manhunter #12.

 

Art

John stands before an open casket, surrounded by regularly spaced pews, on a checkerboard of black and white square tiles. The couple's life together may be nearing its end. Yet, other people, oblivious to their struggles, lose themselves in revelry. As much as she loves John, he threatens how Bridget perceives the world around her. So, as she cradles him like she would a child, Bridget imagines ending his suffering.

 

As Javier Rodríguez lavishes a palette of bright colors on Absolute Martian Manhunter #12, white suffuses John. Locked in his mind, the green light streaming through the stained-glass windows turns the Blue Martian indigo. While Bridget wears a violet jacket, the Blue Martian plucks the knife from her mind. Its handle changes from green to indigo as he presses it into her hand. The white energy arcing from John's eyes mirrors the cracks tearing through the ground and sky. Yet amid the couple's struggles, violet and blue uphold Agent Lowe’s world.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places uppercase black letters in cream dialogue balloons and boxes. Lowercase letters suggest lowered voices, while enlarged uppercase words deform balloons. White letters appear in dark backgrounds, while sound effects accompany a child’s wailing and reality fragmenting. Yet giant colorful words appear when a red beam of light erupts from a character’s head. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

We each stand in the center of our universe. But when the Green Martian showed John another way to perceive reality, he upset the order of creation. The Blue Martian has done his best to put John back in his box. But as Bridget gains a more complete understanding of the universe, the White Martian reaches the endgame of its Crisis of Absolute Worlds in Absolute Martian Manhunter #12.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For a look inside see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #12.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #11.

For what happened before that, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter #10. 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Absolute Martian Manhunter #7.

For the first story arc of this Eisner nominated series, see my review of Absolute Martian Manhunter: Martian Vision Vol 1. 

 

 

Remembering Katharine Trowbridge (Carroll)

 

 

Here's an announcement from our friends at Titan:

 

 

Titan Publishing Group's 

Katharine Trowbridge (Carroll)

dies at 68

 

 

Katharine Trowbridge (known professionally as Katharine T. Carroll), US Publicity Director for Titan Publishing Group, died Sunday, June 28. She was 68.

Trowbridge, who worked with Titan Publishing Group across Titan Books, Titan Comics, and Hard Case Crime for nearly two decades, was a force of nature at the helm of the company’s publicity in the US, bringing a career of media expertise to her work across a changing landscape, while championing authors with support and guidance. She was dearly beloved by her colleagues within Titan and around the world.

Trowbridge began her publicity career with Time Inc. in 1980, spending a decade working across campaigns with Time, Life, People, Entertainment Weekly and more, before launching her own publicity consultation company - KTCommunications - in 1990, where she worked with a range of magazines, authors, and publishing companies.

She began working with Titan Publishing as the US Publicity Director in 2008 and was instrumental to the company’s significant growth and presence throughout the US over the last 18 years, working closely with the Hard Case Crime imprint after it was acquired in 2011. She was the native New Yorker heart of Titan Entertainment’s New York Comic Con booth over the years and brought her warm, lively personality to interactions with countless fans and readers.

In recent years, Trowbridge spearheaded new investments in touring authors around the US and was fundamental in connecting US journalists and booksellers with key Titan successes such as Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis - Titan’s first-ever US original fiction title to hit the New York Times bestseller list.

“We are devastated by the loss of Katharine,” said Titan Entertainment Group co-owners Nick Landau and Vivian Cheung. “She had the warmest of personalities and cared deeply for all her authors as well as her colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic. She glowed whenever she discussed any aspect of publishing and had a phenomenal knowledge of all facets of publishing. Her contribution to Titan enabled us to grow far faster in the US than we ever thought possible. We will miss her dearly.”

Titan Books Editorial Director Laura Price added, “Katharine was an absolute delight. A consummate professional, she coupled charm and grace with an infectious sense of humour. She will be missed terribly.”

Trowbridge is survived by her three children, Sarah, Emily, and James Carroll; her two grandchildren, Madelyn and Rowan Moore; her mother, Marty Trowbridge; and her two siblings, Stephen and Mary Trowbridge.

 

Condolences to Katherine's relatives, friends, the Titan family, and everyone whose lives she touched in the comic community. 

 

Green Lantern Corps #18 Preview

 

Everyone had their expectations of Guy Gardner. And it didn't help that they worshiped him as the Allsight. So when the Manhunters devastated his team, abducted Aya's body, and used her improved design to stage a takeover of the emotional spectrum, Guy felt like it was all his fault. Reeling emotionally, and struggling to respond to the crisis, his life went sideways as he fell into a black hole. But instead of finding all the matter gravity would suck inside, instead Guy Gardner confronted himself. 

Now he's back on Oa. Time has rewound. Can the Green Lantern Corps prevent Oa's sun from going supernova? And will Guy Gardner demonstrate the qualities that drew the emotional entities to him in the first place?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 

 

Green Lantern Corps #18 Preview

Writer: Morgan Hampton

Artist & Cover Artist: Fernando Pasarín & Oclair Albert

Variant Cover Artists: Jorge Fornés & Rian Gonzales

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (card stock)

Release Date: July 8, 2026

 

 

The Manhunters Attack!

 

 

Powered up from his time in the Emotional Expanse, Guy Gardner and leaders from the other Corps work to fast-track Corps Leader Jessica Cruz’s plan to unify all emotion as the rest of the Lanterns hold off an armada of super-advanced Manhunters in Aya bodies on their way to Oa!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Green Lantern Corps #17. 

For what happened before that, see my review of Green Lantern Corps #16.