What do you think?
Rate this book
Deadman: Love After Death #1-2
Deadman by Kelley Jones: The Complete Collection
DEADMAN BY KELLEY JONES: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION showcases classic stories featuring the DC horror icon Deadman, written by Mike Baron (THE FLASH) and illustrated by the acclaimed artist Kelley Jones (BATMAN, THE SANDMAN).
He has gone from supernatural hero to insane spirit of evil. In this collection, Deadman faces a slew of malicious spirits and the damned humans attacked by these paranormal entities. He must save the souls of murdered carnival freaks trapped in the abandoned remnants of a defunct circus train, rescue kidnapped children and battle a tide of demons. Great power lies within Deadman, but it can only be unlocked if he faces the secrets within himself--secrets that have driven him mad. Can he save the souls of the living and the dead when he cannot save himself?
This collects the DEADMAN ACTION COMICS WEEKLY serial "Grave Doings," as well as DEADMAN: LOVE AFTER DEATH and DEADMAN: EXORCISM.
He has gone from supernatural hero to insane spirit of evil. In this collection, Deadman faces a slew of malicious spirits and the damned humans attacked by these paranormal entities. He must save the souls of murdered carnival freaks trapped in the abandoned remnants of a defunct circus train, rescue kidnapped children and battle a tide of demons. Great power lies within Deadman, but it can only be unlocked if he faces the secrets within himself--secrets that have driven him mad. Can he save the souls of the living and the dead when he cannot save himself?
This collects the DEADMAN ACTION COMICS WEEKLY serial "Grave Doings," as well as DEADMAN: LOVE AFTER DEATH and DEADMAN: EXORCISM.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2017
13 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 21, 2026
This was my first experience reading an entire work dedicated to Deadman. I'm pretty impressed with the many unique aspects of this character and the way that Baron pulled off not only some great storytelling, but also really let us into the character by showing how the pain, loneliness and doubts over his own free will, motivate and make him quite compelling. I found that knowing he was damaged goods really helped me feel empathy and when he mentally goes off the rails, I was more than a little worried.
The first part of this work really showcased his loneliness and glee at finding a person to love after a decade of solitude or secondhand interactions through possession. The weirdness of the tale I think worked well, and Kelley's amazing art really helped nail the vibe. I was kept on the edge of my seat, no so much by the villain, but by the subtle hints that both the Baron and Kelley were able to drop and keep us wondering how things were going to work out emotionally for our tragic hero.
Then Deadman goes crazy from grief and a decade of near solitude.
The second part of the book is pretty far-out and has some rather spicy moments. I doubt that this book would get published today due to language triggers, but narratively it made sense. I liked the idea that Deadman is his own worst enemy but everybody suffers and only therapy will stop him tearing a rift into hell and letting thousands of demons into the world.
And I thought I had problems!
This story was less successful for me, but holy crap do Deadman and his ghastly rivals look scary! I thought the idea was strong, but the execution to be just so-so. I felt that the whole seeking help, finding help, talk therapy bit to be too fast and as a result was cheapened. A whole book with dead man on the couch would probably be great though!
Baron did manage to tie up their run with a nice "ends are also beginnings" so I'm hoping that writers who have come since have picked up the threads of this very original and interesting character.
The first part of this work really showcased his loneliness and glee at finding a person to love after a decade of solitude or secondhand interactions through possession. The weirdness of the tale I think worked well, and Kelley's amazing art really helped nail the vibe. I was kept on the edge of my seat, no so much by the villain, but by the subtle hints that both the Baron and Kelley were able to drop and keep us wondering how things were going to work out emotionally for our tragic hero.
Then Deadman goes crazy from grief and a decade of near solitude.
The second part of the book is pretty far-out and has some rather spicy moments. I doubt that this book would get published today due to language triggers, but narratively it made sense. I liked the idea that Deadman is his own worst enemy but everybody suffers and only therapy will stop him tearing a rift into hell and letting thousands of demons into the world.
And I thought I had problems!
This story was less successful for me, but holy crap do Deadman and his ghastly rivals look scary! I thought the idea was strong, but the execution to be just so-so. I felt that the whole seeking help, finding help, talk therapy bit to be too fast and as a result was cheapened. A whole book with dead man on the couch would probably be great though!
Baron did manage to tie up their run with a nice "ends are also beginnings" so I'm hoping that writers who have come since have picked up the threads of this very original and interesting character.
Read
November 19, 2020Grabbed on a whim from a Hallowe'en Comixology sale – but back when this came out DC was on fire in the sense of churning out hit after hit, as against now when they're on fire in the same sense as the house in the 'this is fine' meme, so for the most part it didn't disappoint. Anyone who's read any amount of DC supernatural stuff will have bumped into Boston Brand, aka Deadman – the ghost of a circus acrobat, blessed/cursed with the ability to help others by briefly possessing the living. Quantum Leap, in other words, except first, and not so desperately whitebread. Which said, often, Brand in his circus outfit can end up looking like just another superhero, albeit a pale and insubstantial one. Not so here, where Jones really goes to town on making everything look angular and spooky, but then still manages to make Brand look way more angular and spooky than the rest. Actual horror in comics, as against stories about vampires and critters, isn't always easy to pull off, but Jones manages it largely by making everything look very deliberately wrong, even before the nastiness starts. And in places it can get very nasty, though for the first two stories, Grave Doings and Love After Death, it's never in a way that feels leering. Mostly in terms of the villains, obviously, though of course the ability to possess others, even if divinely conferred, will always come with certain ethical issues. Accordingly, Brand is no straightforward hero here, but even when we can't applaud his actions, they're understandable – all the more so now we've all had a few months' taste of that sense of being shut away from life which he's experienced for a decade. That's part of what makes this work so well: it's very hard to give Deadman a personal stake in an Earthbound story, as against one wandering off into mystical realms. But here, whether it's finding himself trapped after trying to inhabit a zombie, or thinking he might have found love with another ghost if they can only find a way to really touch, he's a player, not just a helper. Much of which, of course, must be down to writer Mike Baron, and it's curious to see a writer's name given such secondary billing on a '[Character] By [Creator]' collection – especially when the exigencies of fill-ins &c mean there is one brief installment of the first story here with no Jones contribution. But while the writing is smart, inventive, generally solid, it's definitely the fascinating, horrid art that's the selling point here.
But then there's the third story, Exorcism. Where the art has taken a further step away from the representational, into something like Kevin O'Neill tipping over into John Hicklenton. And the story is just...horrible. Not in any particularly insightful or interesting way, simply an unpleasant one. Brand has been driven mad by his experiences in Love After Death, and is now killing his hosts, or using them to go on gay-bashing sprees. A bunch of other ghosts pop up, including a centurion, because the haunted church at the story's heart is built on Roman ruins, despite being in Vermont. The Phantom Stranger guests, and even by his standards his power levels are all over the place as immediate plot convenience requires. It is, in short, an ugly clusterfuck, albeit (if only in visual terms) a fascinating sort of ugly.
The first 170 pages, though? Brilliant.
But then there's the third story, Exorcism. Where the art has taken a further step away from the representational, into something like Kevin O'Neill tipping over into John Hicklenton. And the story is just...horrible. Not in any particularly insightful or interesting way, simply an unpleasant one. Brand has been driven mad by his experiences in Love After Death, and is now killing his hosts, or using them to go on gay-bashing sprees. A bunch of other ghosts pop up, including a centurion, because the haunted church at the story's heart is built on Roman ruins, despite being in Vermont. The Phantom Stranger guests, and even by his standards his power levels are all over the place as immediate plot convenience requires. It is, in short, an ugly clusterfuck, albeit (if only in visual terms) a fascinating sort of ugly.
The first 170 pages, though? Brilliant.
April 4, 2018
The writing was terrible, though it improved slightly over the course of the book. The art was the most interesting part of the book, even though there was an occasional disconnect between the images and the dialogue/plot point.
October 3, 2017
The fourth star is entirely for the expressionist contortions of Jones's Egon Schiele-esque Deadman. It's a character with such interesting potential, but the stories only kind of dip their toe into it, getting distracted by a whole bunch of other pop-psychological, quasi-misogynistic crap along the way. It's entertaining enough, and the art is serviceable throughout, but the depiction of Deadman himself is on a whole other level - I'd like to see him drawn this way in a story that lives up to the strangeness of his design.
August 17, 2025
It's all about Kelley Jones.
If you like his tortured style with its random anatomy and proportions, its deep shades of black and its gothic shadows, then you'll love this book in all its glory.
The storyline is sometimes shaky in its construction and a bit stretched in the "Exorcism" section but generally holds up well with a bit of gothic, a lot of macabre, a bit of horror, a pint of sexy and even a pinch of offbeat humour with the psychiatrist in "Exorcism".
If you don't like Jones, skip it, it's definitely not for you.
If you like his tortured style with its random anatomy and proportions, its deep shades of black and its gothic shadows, then you'll love this book in all its glory.
The storyline is sometimes shaky in its construction and a bit stretched in the "Exorcism" section but generally holds up well with a bit of gothic, a lot of macabre, a bit of horror, a pint of sexy and even a pinch of offbeat humour with the psychiatrist in "Exorcism".
If you don't like Jones, skip it, it's definitely not for you.
February 24, 2019
Eh... the art started to grow on me. The stories were just ok but the last one seemed to go on forever.
March 4, 2022
This ran a little hot and cold, but was good overall. First up is the Deadman serial from Action Comics Weekly back in 1988 that I didn't even know about until this volume. It wasn't bad, and we got to see some Kelley Jones artwork before it really evolved, although you could see signs of his later art.
Then we have Love After Death, which to me was the high point of the volume. Some of the better artwork, if not the best, I've seen from Kelley Jones.
We wrap it up with Exorcism, which wasn't bad but I didn't enjoy as much as the previous works included.
I would say this volume is essential Deadman material, so if you're a fan of the character this is something you should read.
Then we have Love After Death, which to me was the high point of the volume. Some of the better artwork, if not the best, I've seen from Kelley Jones.
We wrap it up with Exorcism, which wasn't bad but I didn't enjoy as much as the previous works included.
I would say this volume is essential Deadman material, so if you're a fan of the character this is something you should read.
October 18, 2023
(This review is largely in praise of the first volume collected in this trade, "Deadman: Love After Death" and less about the second volume "Deadman: Exorcism", which this reviewer would not give five stars to.)
A triumph of supernatural comics, and a tragically beautiful example of the Gothic Romance genre. Mike Baron truly grasps particular elements of the character Deadman - his tragedy, his loneliness, his vulnerability - and turns him into more than a classic superhero archetype. His interpretation ascends the character into the status occupied by other sympathetic ghouls and ghosts from across different medias (The Phantom of the Opera, the Gilman, Dr. Jekyll, and maybe most ironically, DC's own Swamp Thing). His work deserves to be discussed in the same breath as the likes of Alan Moore and Mike Mignola. The story itself lays bare the bones of a perfect story for the genre: Lonely eternal ghost finds solace in another beautiful ghost who uses him to move on from Earth and he goes mad with grief and perpetual solitude. While still managing to be eerie and paranormal, it is incredibly real and relatable for those who have ever felt used by a loved one, and the depression that so often follows which makes one feel like an entirely different person.
All of this said doesn't even begin to cover the elevation the story and writing is given by the absolutely stunning and horrifying art of Kelley Jones exhibited here in possibly his greatest work. An element that really aids the reader in seeing Baron's vision for his interpretation of the character is Jones special style for Deadman, making him look like something he never has before - a monster. He is skeletal and sinewy, bones protrude and stretch out his aerialist costume and his skin looks tight against his non-existent bones. Reading this back-to-back with the three-issue story in "Batman", The Deadman Connection, you see what Jones was attempting to achieve visually. His Deadman is deteriorating slowly. He has been a ghost for so long that his form is shifting to something that reflects the barrage of negative emotions he's experiencing on a daily basis. And with each turn of a page he looks worse and worse. It's subtle at first, and the reader might not notice it right away, but by the end of "Exorcism #2", he looks so much worse than he did at the beginning of "Love After Death #1". But a fault many artists like Kelley Jones exhibit is one he narrowly avoids. Their style of art normally lends itself into difficult to interpret comic panels, and one can become very confused as to where they are in the story. This is not the case with Jones. At no point would someone be disoriented by his art, even at its most obtuse. His illustrations truly take you on a "journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination".
Overall, Baron and Jones works with Deadman are exactly what a lover of the Gothic Romance genre should be reading. Perfect for the Halloween season, but no time is a bad time to pick this up. Near perfection at its best, and a hauntingly jolting tale at its worst. Truly one of the best uses of the character in his long and complicated history.
A triumph of supernatural comics, and a tragically beautiful example of the Gothic Romance genre. Mike Baron truly grasps particular elements of the character Deadman - his tragedy, his loneliness, his vulnerability - and turns him into more than a classic superhero archetype. His interpretation ascends the character into the status occupied by other sympathetic ghouls and ghosts from across different medias (The Phantom of the Opera, the Gilman, Dr. Jekyll, and maybe most ironically, DC's own Swamp Thing). His work deserves to be discussed in the same breath as the likes of Alan Moore and Mike Mignola. The story itself lays bare the bones of a perfect story for the genre: Lonely eternal ghost finds solace in another beautiful ghost who uses him to move on from Earth and he goes mad with grief and perpetual solitude. While still managing to be eerie and paranormal, it is incredibly real and relatable for those who have ever felt used by a loved one, and the depression that so often follows which makes one feel like an entirely different person.
All of this said doesn't even begin to cover the elevation the story and writing is given by the absolutely stunning and horrifying art of Kelley Jones exhibited here in possibly his greatest work. An element that really aids the reader in seeing Baron's vision for his interpretation of the character is Jones special style for Deadman, making him look like something he never has before - a monster. He is skeletal and sinewy, bones protrude and stretch out his aerialist costume and his skin looks tight against his non-existent bones. Reading this back-to-back with the three-issue story in "Batman", The Deadman Connection, you see what Jones was attempting to achieve visually. His Deadman is deteriorating slowly. He has been a ghost for so long that his form is shifting to something that reflects the barrage of negative emotions he's experiencing on a daily basis. And with each turn of a page he looks worse and worse. It's subtle at first, and the reader might not notice it right away, but by the end of "Exorcism #2", he looks so much worse than he did at the beginning of "Love After Death #1". But a fault many artists like Kelley Jones exhibit is one he narrowly avoids. Their style of art normally lends itself into difficult to interpret comic panels, and one can become very confused as to where they are in the story. This is not the case with Jones. At no point would someone be disoriented by his art, even at its most obtuse. His illustrations truly take you on a "journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination".
Overall, Baron and Jones works with Deadman are exactly what a lover of the Gothic Romance genre should be reading. Perfect for the Halloween season, but no time is a bad time to pick this up. Near perfection at its best, and a hauntingly jolting tale at its worst. Truly one of the best uses of the character in his long and complicated history.
January 7, 2018
I love Kelly Jones artwork. very reminiscent of the late, great Bernie Wrightson. I find the story a little uneven. but I've always liked deadman.
October 2, 2017
Deadman is a supernatural hero in the DC Universe, which by its own standard, not really an interesting character. What made it stayed on was how he was written - a some what spirit named Boston Brand, a circus aerialist was shot to dead and was turn into a spirit by a Goddess Rama Kushna as a spirit to right wrongs. This is a complete collection of Deadman with featured art by Kelly Jones and written by Mike Baron.
I have been fascinated by the character and since it was drawn by Kelly Jones, he has this touch of horror that translates the art very well in the form of Deadman. As there are only three stories inside, they are connected one another that really shows Deadman as it is in the supernatural world in the DC Universe. For what's it worth, I love the art and the three chapters are fine. But to much of its own, Deadman isn't a character that many people will love. For me, its a good read, nothing more.
January 20, 2026
The stand out of these 3 stories by Mike Baron and Kelley Jones was Life after Death. Deadman comes across a circus full of cursed, dead, circus folk and falls for a ghost acrobat. Jones's art is perfect for Deadman. His Boston Brand looks so cool. The first story, Grave Doings was originally serialized in Action Comics when that was an anthology. It's not bad. The last story is crazy. Boston has went off the deep end after the events of Life After Death. He's beating up gays and dropping ethnic slurs and doesn't remember any of it. Then some ancient ghosts show up along with the Phantom Stranger and it gets more out of control. It's an odd story and I can't stand how much of a bigot Deadman is. It feels completely out of character and I don't think Baron worked hard enough to resolve it at the end.
June 27, 2021
it was good but there was language in it that i didnt think was appropriate and i feel may have added to what kept this character from being more popular. Some language was indicative of the time period that was written though, so ...
March 20, 2022
I loved this! The contortionist design for deadman is perfect as he floats through these paranormal experiences. It looks amazing- the stories are interesting. I bought this one after finishing it at the library, please check this out!
October 9, 2024
Super good read.
I miss when comics were this good. Uncensored and unfiltered art, like it should be. A classic to behold. We hardly see this type of writing and art style anymore. Glad I can always hop on a time machine and read back issues like this. Glad I read it.
I miss when comics were this good. Uncensored and unfiltered art, like it should be. A classic to behold. We hardly see this type of writing and art style anymore. Glad I can always hop on a time machine and read back issues like this. Glad I read it.
October 13, 2017
A pretty solid read if you're in the mood for some nineties-vintage Vertigo horror.
November 1, 2020
The print and paper quality leaves something to be desired, but for $25, it’s a great value and a decent collection of the very good and long out-of-print Baron/Jones DEADMAN trilogy.
July 10, 2023
At last I realize how much Jones owes to Bernie Wrightson.
December 15, 2025
It really is just all about the art here.
December 29, 2025
Crazy stuff ... four star ratings do not equal endorsement
July 27, 2024
After struggling through two previous Deadman volumes, this is what I was waiting for. Both of these early 1990s stories are immediately notable for Kelley Jones stunning artwork. His vision of Deadman as a grotesque, exaggerated, distorted figure, all bones and sinew and deterioration is stunning. It's also perfect for these stories.
Writer Mike Baron drags Boston Brand's ghost into a much more modern, complex era of storytelling than anything Deadman has previously experienced. Of the two tales, 'Love After Death' is clearly the best. It's a brilliant, tragic, visceral Gothic romance. 'Exorcism' is a grotesque, over-the-top horror story with some wildly overblown characters/creatures that doesn't work as well but still adds layers of tragedy, self-hatred and darkness to Deadman that simply weren't there before.
I'm reading a lot of Deadman this year and so far, this is the defining volume for the character.
Writer Mike Baron drags Boston Brand's ghost into a much more modern, complex era of storytelling than anything Deadman has previously experienced. Of the two tales, 'Love After Death' is clearly the best. It's a brilliant, tragic, visceral Gothic romance. 'Exorcism' is a grotesque, over-the-top horror story with some wildly overblown characters/creatures that doesn't work as well but still adds layers of tragedy, self-hatred and darkness to Deadman that simply weren't there before.
I'm reading a lot of Deadman this year and so far, this is the defining volume for the character.
April 17, 2020
Art is almost great (some panels noticeably drop in quality with literally bad perspective and ugly proportions for previously attractively visualized characters).
This book feels like one of those from the days gone by. You, before they figured out a lot about storytelling that makes stories entertaining and good. Characters don't really have motivations - they just do things while narrating those things themselves. There's nudity for the sake of nudity.
Overall the book is a drag to through with zero personality to any of the characters, no momentum to any action and no reason (even in this ghostly world of weirdness) to any choices.
Skip this one.
This book feels like one of those from the days gone by. You, before they figured out a lot about storytelling that makes stories entertaining and good. Characters don't really have motivations - they just do things while narrating those things themselves. There's nudity for the sake of nudity.
Overall the book is a drag to through with zero personality to any of the characters, no momentum to any action and no reason (even in this ghostly world of weirdness) to any choices.
Skip this one.
October 29, 2024
It's okay. I have no idea what was happening on the last page of the first story but, oh well. And, Jones' artwork on the main character is too distorted. I know what he's attempting and he did get better at it through the years but here it just comes off as lacking structure. And, what the heck did Brand do to his brother? They never tell us.
March 20, 2015
I had one of these story-arcs as a kid. It great to have 'em collected. Deadman has always been one of my favourite characters and Kelly Jones a favourite artist. The mix makes for great horror stories. Gotta love a ghost with schizophrenia!
June 4, 2019
Kelley Jones’ artwork is so perfect for this depiction of Deadman, and the intro really sets the stage for the start of DC comics superhero going a bit dark. I always enjoyed Jones’ Batman too, although he scared the heck out of me when I was younger. Cool book!
November 23, 2016
The writing, especially the first story, is a bit meh but its worth checking out for the artwork.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews