The Deadman #3 Preview

 

Boston Brand may have died. Still, he has never been busier. As the Deadman, he has dedicated his afterlife to helping souls transition to whatever comes next. Sometimes, Boston can intervene, and give the dying another shot at life. But most of the time, he eases the soul onto their next journey on the great wheel of Samsara. 

Unfortunately, Jesse "Flyeater" Hollern won't get that chance. After he crashed his Harley, a four-armed demon devoured Jesse's soul. Boston must act promptly to prevent the imbalance between the forces of life and anti-life from threatening all life on Earth. But how will Boston fare in the Underworld? And how many people will Professor M abduct and kill in Boston's absence?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

The Deadman #3 Preview

Writer: W. Maxwell Prince

Artist & Cover Artist: Martin Morazzo

Variant Cover Artists: Christian Ward, Alex Eckman-Lawn & Tyler Boss

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: August 5, 2026

 

 

The Deadman in Hell! Or…

 

 

The third edition of this morbid disquisition concerning the attrition/detrition of the human condition, which, in the weekly tradition, boasts a four-color exhibition on some printer’s emission. Here, by order of an anonymous optician, watch closely this vision of our titular apparition (armed, you’ll remember, with fresh erudition) try and survive—by another’s volition—a dire and dangerous mission through the hissin’, Stygian conditions of putrid and pockmarked Perdition—a kind of new rendition (depicted as a living, breathing country-sized conniption), which is rich in its list of sick compositions: e.g., reason’s egregious abolition; a pyrotechnic passel of pernicious seditions; hideous, bulging buck-toothed dentition; admittedly ambitious demonic deglutition…of gargoyles and ghouls in decomposition…not to mention an array of impossible physical positions that a physician might consider the work of magicians. So please accept our contrition for this rude imposition, our addled transmission this ungodly, offset-press parturition—one that we wish some brave obstetrician would bring to fruition its quick decommission.

 

 

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 The Deadman #2. 

For how this series started, see my review of The Deadman #1. 

The Deadman #2 Preview

 

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 gives 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?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

The Deadman #2 Preview

Writer: W Maxwell Prince

Artist & Cover Artist: Martin Morazzo

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

Glow In The Dark Variant Cover Artist: Stevan Subić

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US

Release Date: July 1, 2026

 

The Deadman comes to Gotham!

 

Our eschatological escapades continue in this definitive depiction of DC’s Deadest Do-Gooder! An unknown species of demon has eaten the heaven-bound soul of a highway cyclist…compromising the sanctity of Earth’s Spiritual Math…and threatening the fragile glue that holds everything together! At the behest of goddess Rama Kushna, Boston Brand—a.k.a. the Deadman—has finally donned his brand-new super-suit…which is perfect, it turns out, for his latest spectral assignment: a sleuthy sojourn to the city where sin never sleeps: Gotham!

 

 

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 The Deadman #1.

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

 

Dandelion Trade Paperback Review

 

Writer: Sabir Pirzada

Artists: Martin Morazzo, Vanesa Del Rey, Eric Koda, Roy Allan Martinez, Gegé Schall, Thomas Campi, Adrian Rivero, Juha Veltti & Marquis Rogers

Colorists: Juha Veltti, Jacob Phillips & Lee Loughridge

Letterers: Aditya Bidikar & Taylor Esposito

Dandelion Concept Artist: Corwin Herse Woo

Pin-Up Artist: David Mack

Cover Artist: Tula Lotay

Back Cover Artist: Mark S. Brunner

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $16.99

Release Date: June 19, 2024

 

Life forces Reggie and his wife to abandon life on land. Experimental surgery can't help Amy walk again. Still, hospital bills leave them bankrupt. So Reggie and Amy scrounge up enough money for a radical new scheme. They will become Exiles from Earth and join the growing Lighter Than Air community. How will Reggie and Amy enjoy life among the clouds? And how did this movement begin? Let's pack our clothes, leap into Dandelion TP, and find out!

 

Story

In Sabir Pirzada’s story, Jen Nakamuto dreams of living above the land. She investigates the capabilities of solar energy, lightweight materials, and wind-harnessing technology. An ever-growing Human population scrambles constantly for their patch of land and often loses it due to global warming, political upheaval, and economic factors. Why not build airborne homes and float among the clouds?

 

In Dandelion TP, Jen imagines floating docking stations where these drifting homes can gather and form global communities. Unlike land-based cities, people can move and take their homes with them. Dandelion owners can enjoy the comfort of their homes while traveling anywhere at a moment's notice. Thanks to advancements in automation, machines perform most manual labor. Why not use drones to bring food and remove waste?

 

As with any dream, the rich and influential find ways to coopt Jen's dream. Once people like Reggie and Amy take to the skies, they can never return. Governments harness Jen's social movement to reduce problems like illegal immigration and homelessness. Instead of squeezing low-income earners into overcrowded housing and subsidizing their food, the poor and displaced enjoy five-bedroom homes, free utilities, and drone-delivered meals.

 

People like Reggie may regret the circumstances that forced them to become Exiles. Like Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley, Dandelion TP tackles technological and societal evolution. Some who take to the sky will stage protests and attack those who forced them to abandon life on land. Still, that doesn’t stop people like Reggie and Amy from enjoying better lives in the clouds.

 

Art

A community of artists descends on Sabir Pirzada’s story to show how people live on land and in the air. Martin Morazzo, Vanesa Del Rey, Eric Koda, Roy Allan Martinez, Gegé Schall, Thomas Campi, Adrian Rivero, Juha Veltti, and Marquis Rogers portray these floating homes, overcrowded cities, and talented revolutionaries. An out-of-shape salesperson forces Reggie to give up the possession he most cherishes for the woman he loves. Yet the wasteland where they take to the skies later thrives with life that defies their expectations and provides healing.

 

Juha Veltti, Jacob Phillips, and Lee Loughridge fill the myriad stories in Dandelion TP with a lavish spectrum of color. Purple-suited Clown Killers rain red upon greedy executives. Yellow and green enhance a protest on an island that sparks a violent response. Red and green suffuse one man's efforts to preserve traditional agricultural methods and uphold a family legacy. After two women meet in a purple and green skybar, they chart the limits of their Dandelions among the blue clouds. Perhaps the most heartwarming story is told in soft blues and features a person garbed in red and white.

 

Aditya Bidikar and Taylor Esposito's white letters enhance the birth of Jen Nakamuto's dream. Uppercase black letters fill orange and lavender narrative boxes as two women race through the starry night. Lowercase white lettering on black accompanies glimpses of Jen and diagrams of dandelions. An octopus and a bird speak white words into black dialogue balloons. Enlarged and colorful lettering helps us hear a familiar holiday cry. Sound effects amplify gunfire and malfunctioning drones, and green letters overlay a 3D graphic display as pirates sail their wooden ship into a sunken city in Dandelion TP. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When a restauranteur uses her bargaining skills to convince investors to fund her dream, she sparks a revolution in Human history. Jen Nakamuto’s dream becomes a springboard for stories exploring how Humanity’s move to Lighter Than Air Living changes life on Earth and charts the Poor’s path to freedom. The poems, podcast excerpts, conference transcripts, and stories in the Dandelion TP remind us how we resist change, create legends, and transform dreams into reality.

 

Rating 10/10

 

This review originally appeared on Comic Book Dispatch.

From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1 Review

 

Writer: Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum

Artist: Ryan Browne

Colorist: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Nate Piekos

Cover Artists: Scott Hepburn & Ian Herring; Ryan Browne; Martín Morazzo; Dan Hipp; David Mack

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 10, 2024

 

Shiteater is a local at The Lower Lair. After working all day at Burger Bite, he enjoys chatting with the bartender and relaxing with a stiff drink. But Gridiron Ghoul doesn't want the lowlife bug infesting his favorite hangout. Can Shiteater appease or befriend the bully? Or will he have to find another hangout to unwind every evening? Let's spread our wings, fly into From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, and find out!

 

Story

The Entomologist’s giant bugs wreaked havoc on society. But he also created people-sized ones. The villain sent swarms of bugs to pummel or incapacitate his enemies before he swooped in for the kill. The authorities honored the Entomologist’s exploits with a stay in their finest secure facilities. But they didn’t touch Shiteater because he didn’t threaten anyone.

 

Gridiron Ghoul disapproves of Shiteater, but the anthropomorphic fly has friends. His cat-loving landlady tends to his wounds and makes him dinner. A fellow employee at the Burger Bite shares her troubles with him. Another shares his record collection with his bug buddy. And then there's Goliath, the giant beetle who resides at Twilight City Zoo. Goliath wishes Shiteater would join him there. But who knows how the zookeepers would react to an unwanted guest? Besides, Shiteater wants to make a meaningful contribution to society.

 

 

 

Shiteater can trust some of his friends. Others value him only for how he can help them. A coworker employs him for a side gig but disrespects him. His boss yells at him, overworks and underpays him, and insists he is a disposable commodity. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, Shiteater clings to his dreams. He wants to use his unique talents and abilities to achieve his destiny. But first, he must discover what that is.

 

Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt, and Jordan Blum's story speaks to anyone who has ever felt undermined or sidelined. The Entomologist created Shiteater in a lab. Left to fend for himself, he doesn't fit in anywhere. People like Gridiron Ghoul remember his past and refuse to see him any other way. Stained by his association with the Entomologist, Shiteater is a magnet for disdain. Yet one night, Shiteater has a brainwave. He’ll have to learn new skills and find some willing helpers to accomplish it. But as the old saying goes, A Bug’s Perfect Life is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

 

Hey, who says insects don't sweat?

 

 

Art

Shiteater climbs atop the thick hardcover book on the barstool in his leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The bartender smiles at him while a masked hero advertises a candy bar on the flatscreen TV. But Gridiron Ghoul, dressed in his football helmet and jersey, doesn’t believe the big-eyed bug belongs beneath the fairy lights and superhero masks adorning the bar. A backhander sends Shiteater tumbling through the air.

 

Shiteater trudges past a crashed flying saucer, not glancing at the fleeing aliens as he enters the boarding house next to the nude ghoul-y bar. While a cat on the floor looks up at him, most sprawl atop stair rails, a Black & White tube TV and cable decoder box, furniture, and his landlady’s head. Later, The Fly sits in the back of a coworker's van with his cheeseburger from Burger Bite. He vomits digestive juices and slurps up his meal. 

 

 

 

Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein lavish a loaded palette of bright and appealing colors on Browne’s art in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The air turns pink as Shiteater’s swarm attacks one of the Entomologist’s enemies. A magenta scorpion towers over the street while Shiteater’s former green-clad boss rides between its eyes. Shiteater's enormous orange eyes turn pink as he rides atop the racing purple van easier than the fake insect on the roof of Switek and Zito’s Bug Van. Orange, purple, pink, green, and blue surround the stage as Richie imagines playing drums in a punk band.

 

Nate Piekos fills white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with large uppercase black and colored letters. Sound effects like an orange Swat, a green Ralf and Snort, and a tan Vrooom enliven action scenes and dramatic moments. Descriptions fill the air, commenting on stacks of money, Gridiron Ghoul’s dental care, and Shiteater’s self-image. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, street advertisements comment on the quality of the products and services offered, and the villain’s secret lairs are always carefully marked. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

A lab-grown fly, stripped of his wings, vows to better himself while navigating the sticky social web of users, abusers, and double-dealing friends in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1.

 

Rating 10/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.