49 Years Ago Today, DC Introduced Deadman, and His Return Proves This Ghost Hero Never Left

DC is filled to the brim with all kinds of iconic and underrated characters. Every hero is unique or eclectic in their own way, bringing a special brand of crazy to the superhero game. After all, the genre is populated by people who wear bat cowls or can fly, all dedicating themselves to making the world a better place in the coolest way possible. Superheroes come in all shapes, sizes, and forms, but nothing can stop them from helping others. Not even death is enough to keep a good hero down, as they’ve returned from the grave often enough. However, one very special DC hero specializes in saving the day while still on the opposite side of the pale.

That acrobatic apparition is none other than Boston Brand, better known as Deadman. The undead savior debuted on August 29, 1967, in Strange Adventures #205, meaning he first haunted the page forty-nine years ago today. Boston is one of DC’s most underrated yet present characters, jumping between the spotlight and near-oblivion like only a true acrobat could. Yet, even though he doesn’t hog center stage very often, he has an absolutely wild career, and it’s only getting bigger and better than ever with his brand-new series, which has been extended. So, today, let’s celebrate the living Deadman himself.

A Murdered Man Given a Second Chance

Boston was a famous circus performer, but his story truly began after he was murdered at the start of one of his performances. Instead of his spirit moving on, he was chosen by the Hindu goddess Rama Kushna. He was gifted the power to possess the living, and the mission to find his murderer. Boston tried to throw himself into the case right away, but he stumbled upon corruption at the circus he devoted his life to, and couldn’t help but bring the criminals to justice and save his home. Boston’s adventures would largely continue in that regard, with him always taking the time to help the living with their problems while he endlessly pursued his killer.

While alive, Boston put on a tough-guy act, pretending like nothing bothered him, but in reality, he cared deeply for the people around him, and it’s that care that drove his spirit. Over time, his heroic actions and mystery-solving new profession would bring him into contact with DC’s other heroes and detective, namely Batman. He would even become Rama Kushna’s favored champion, fighting to protect life in a way he wouldn’t have appreciated until he died. Deadman is such a fantastic hero because he’s a man who deeply regrets what he’s lost, and so fights so hard to preserve it for others.

Boston loves people, but he can never interact with them unless he’s possessing someone else. He can only experience life when he’s leeching it off of someone else, which leaves him in a truly tragic position that would be enough to break most people. Instead, Boston accepts his reality and works hard to help others reach a peace that he’ll never know. Envy and regret constantly batter him, but he also overcomes them and does the right thing, perfectly mixing horror, tragedy, and hope into a truly special character who we are lucky to have had for almost fifty years.

A Ghost Who Haunts DC’s Biggest Stories

Deadman isn’t anywhere near an A-list hero like Batman or Wonder Woman, but he’s far from forgettable. In fact, he’s in a truly unique position of being a character that’s generally niche, but plays massively important roles in multiple massive events. For starters, he was essential to the Blackest Night event, discovering how Nekron was possessing the corpses he turned into Black Lanterns. Boston was the main character of its immediate follow-up, Brightest Day, where the Entity of Life chose him as the pure soul required to foster life and restore the White Lantern. More recently, he was the main hero leading the fight to wake up the world in Knight Terrors.

Deadman’s most recent adventures are currently being scribed in The Deadman. This imaginative, gorgeous series reimagined the dead aerialist as a supernatural custodian, handling affairs of the dead and dying, ensuring that the journey to the afterlife continued on as it should. It’s a beautiful meditation on life and death, painting a wonderful, hopeful picture of life after death without ever skimping out on the bittersweetness of the nature of the world. Best of all, this limited series was extended from six issues to twelve, meaning that there’s twice as much story for us to enjoy.

Overall, Deadman is a wonderful character who is steeped in tragedy that he refuses to let break him. He lost the most precious thing he ever had, but has kept haunting DC’s stories, intent on preserving it in everyone else. Here’s to another five decades of the incredible Deadman!

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