Boston Brand, a.k.a. Deadman is a DC universe ghost figure who has made several dramatic and critical appearances in comic books. Deadman’s debut appearance in Strange Adventures, written by Arnold Drake and illustrated by Carmine Infantino, was the first reported depiction of drugs in a story permitted by the Comics Code Authority. Neal Adams’ art and Jack Miller’s writing, who took over from Infantino and Drake after the first chapter, are the most well-known aspects of the series.
In 1985, the first story, as well as all of Adams’ other works, were reprinted in a seven-issue series. Although he showed up as a supporting character in numerous comics throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as Jack Kirby’s Forever People, Deadman did not get his own series until 1986, when Andrew Helfer and José Luis Garica-López wrote and illustrated a four-issue limited series that picked up where Adams left off.
Deadman’s second major arc was featured in Action Comics Weekly from 1988 to 1989. He later appeared in the two-issue series Deadman: Love After Death, written by Mike Baron and drawn by Kelley Jones, followed by the short series Deadman: Exorcism, written and illustrated by Mike Baron and Kelley Jones in 1992. Jones’ version of the character, which was gaunt and zombie-like, would later appear in Batman comics.
In 2002, there was a nine-issue Deadman ongoing series as well as a few stand-alone issues. The character and the self-titled series have received numerous awards, including the 1967 Alley Award for Best New Strip and the 1968 Alley Award Hall of Fame.
In the Injustice animated film, Boston was stripped of his abilities, and Rama Kushna bestowed them on Dick Grayson, who had recently died. He came up with the moniker “Deadwing.” In today’s video, we will go over Deadman in great detail, as well as his genesis narrative from the comic books, so let us get started.
THE ORIGINS AND TIMELINE OF DEADMAN BOSTON IN COMIC BOOKS
The origin story of Deadman Boston Brand is well established in DC’s “Strange Adventures” volume 1 issue 205. Written by Arnold Drake and penciled by Carmine Infantino, the comic book was published on August 29, 1967, with a cover date of October 1967. The story begins with Boston Brand, a skillful circus acrobat whose skills and challenges are the ones that are keeping their circus afloat.
The banknotes will be due the next day as Boston spends his last 10 mins with Lorna before beginning his act. She asks him why isn’t he joining the ‘Ringling Brothers’ who had offered him five times of what he is getting now, to which he yells, “Circus people are like children. Sick, dangerous children! Running it is like conducting a kindergarten where every kid’s got a machine gun in his desk”.
Boston’s stunts are without safety precautions. He is shown to be a person who is not afraid of death. Every show for his circus has the possibility of being his last one. He is also a person who does not rely much on emotions and likes to be left alone. He is like a deadman, and so he bears the title with the same name. On his way to the stage, he meets the character analyst Vashnu who tells him that the all-powerful deity “Rama Kushna” is always watching him and has a gift for him to which Boston doesn’t pay much attention.
That night, as he was about to swing forty feet high without any harness or net, a shot is fired, and Deadman is seen falling from the height to his death. Lorna and his other friends watch in shock as their friend loses his life. Boston, on the contrary, is shocked to see how he is not even hurt. He shouts at Lorna and others, but he is left unheard when a voice tells him he is no longer alive. He soon learned that he was not in his physical form when he tried to catch one of professor Quigley’s mice, and his hand went through it.
The voice of Rama Kushna is heard saying, “Boston Brand- you shall have the power to walk among men until you have found the one who killed you.” Boston is perplexed as to how he could catch his murderer if he cannot grab a mouse. He shouts for Rama Kushna to answer him, but nothing happens.
He looks around and finds Tiny standing in front of his grave. He walks up to him, and as soon as he touches Tiny, he possesses his body. He soon realizes that he has the power to take over anyone’s body and decides to put it to use to find his murderer. The murderer has a steel hooked hand and rules out Heldrich, who he initially suspects.
THE TIME WHEN HE WORKED WITH BATMAN!
He’s collaborated on multiple occasions with Batman, as well as more superheroes like the Spectre and the Sentinels of Magic. In recent years, he’s been a member of the Justice League Dark. Whether alone or in collaboration with other heroes, Deadman continues to haunt the Earth, defending the innocent and attempting to balance the equilibrium of justice. Batman and Deadman first met in Gotham City, where Deadman had tracked down his assailant, and Batman assisted him in locating the culprit.
Later, Deadman was hypnotized and coerced into attacking Batman. Deadman began possessing individuals and using their bodies to fight Batman. After rescuing Deadman from hypnosis, Batman discovered that the perpetrator was Sensei, who intended to destroy Nanda Parbat. Batman and Deadman traveled there and fought the Sensei, and Deadman realized that in Nanda Parbat, he could become corporeal.
Sometime later, Deadman and the Dark Knight teamed up again to dismantle a criminal enterprise that provided criminals with new identities in order to avoid capture. Deadman fell in love with the criminal organization’s leader during the assignment and had to kill her to spare Batman’s life. Deadman also aided Batman in capturing the Boomerang Killer.
Still, after that, Deadman took control of the corpse of Batman’s missing brother, Thomas Wayne, Jr. Deadman utilized Thomas’ body to become a professional circus performer, much as he had done when alive. Still, he was finally compelled to abandon Thomas’ body in order to assist Batman and Superman in apprehending a gang of smugglers. Then, in order to preserve Batman’s life, Thomas killed himself, leaving Deadman without a body to occupy once more. Following this, Deadman collaborated with Batman on multiple occasions.
WHAT MAKES DEADMAN BOSTON SO POWERFUL
To help him find his killer and seek justice, the Hindu goddess Rama Kushna granted Boston’s ghost the ability to inhabit any living person. While he was looking for his murderer, he felt compelled to assist others. He utilized his ability to change conditions in favor of the innocent and to remedy any wrongdoing.
Boston eventually discovered the truth about his murder and learned to embrace his role as someone who intervenes in the lives of mortals. In the process, he gained quite some powers and abilities. Deadman does not have a physical body. Deadman’s appearance in the hereafter reflects how he appeared during his dying moments as a living human being. As such, he is always seen wearing a hideous white face mask and a red acrobat suit. He has the power to possess other living beings.
While doing so, he has complete control over his chosen victim and can even communicate through them. A host body endowed with a particularly tenacious spirit, on the other hand, has been known to exorcise Deadman’s presence from their form. When a Deadman abandons a host form, they usually have no awareness or recall of their deeds while possessed. Deadman can only have one human possession at a time.
A long-term connection to a single host puts Deadman in danger of irreversible binding. Other humans are unable to perceive him. Beings endowed with supernatural abilities may be able to discern Deadman’s actual form. He has the ability to pass through everything and anything. This is an automated ability over which Deadman has no control.
He has the capacity to fly between the worlds of the living and the regions of the dead, which is sometimes referred to as Spirit Travel. As a result, he can levitate, float, and soar in both realms.
When Deadman assumes a human shape, he is constrained by the physical limitations of the host body along with any special or powerful abilities. This is what makes the Deadman undefeatable. Deadman is also well-versed in many aspects of the afterlife, as well as many of the magical powers that interact with the current world.
MOVIE POSSIBILITY
After his debut in Strange Adventures in 1967, Deadman featured as a member of various teams, including the Justice League and the Justice League Dark. Deadman is one of the numerous projects currently under development at HBO Max. Given the subject matter, it is probable that J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions will produce the project, which is currently creating a Constantine series and a Zatanna feature.
Richtman would not provide any details about the project other than the fact that it is in the works. The project currently has no creative team or talent linked to it, but we sure are all ears to hear any announcement for a live-action appearance of Deadman.