Genre Fare, Neither Dark nor Forbidden

A gothic horror romance starring Deadman? Think about it. A match made in Nanda Parbat, right? Shockingly, no. Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love mostly focuses around Berenice, a woman who is sensitive to, and can observe, ghosts, with Deadman underwhelmingly being used as a plot contrivance. Writer Sarah Vaughn provides a standard offering to the genre: murder, lost love,
unrecounted love (inexplicably gay love at that; a plot element tacked on seemingly to satisfy a quota and never explored or explained), and the unsurprising return of a dastardly villain steeped in the dark arts.

As for the art? Lan Medina showcases slick, detailed visuals that, when paired with digital painter Jose Villarrubia, transcends the typical graphic novel medium, look more akin to storybook art than superhero. Berenice is rendered as a normal, standard woman that definitely, and refreshingly, stands in contrast to the super-human existence of Boston Brand.

The art also contrasts against the staggering commonness of the story itself. Vaughn and Medina work together to produce a few genuinely creepy moments, but those are quickly forgotten and generally dulled down by a slow-moving plot complete with meaningless internal dialogue that would certainly have Frank Miller screaming at the walls of his studio in frustration. If anything, Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love shows that nothing is scarier than longing looks at an antique store.
Right.

Thanks to DC Comics and NetGalley for the ghost of a chance to read the advanced collector’s edition. This is a genre ripe for the taking in the magical DCU; it just needs to be properly grabbed.

As Always,
theJOE