Booknote: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

Sara Vaughn, Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, 2017. ISBN: 9781401268411.

Genre: comics and graphic novels
Subgenre: ghosts, superheroes, horror, gothic, romance
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley

Boston Brand, a.k.a. Deadman, has a mission to help others. He is a ghost, and the others he often helps are ghosts as well. In this story, he comes to an old mansion, only to find himself trapped in the house. He is unable to leave it. The mansion has new residents: a writer and his fiancee who can see ghosts and interact with them. Deadman and the lady must join forces to solve the mystery of the mansion and the lady ghost that haunts it. However, that ghost may be the least of their concerns as there is another evil lurking.

This comic was a pleasant discovery for  me. Deadman was not a character I was familiar with, so I went in as a new reader. This was a good tale. The story combines a bit of superhero narrative, supernatural and paranormal tale, gothic horror, and some romance. The author builds up the story and the suspense, and you stay with the story to find out what exactly is going on. What is the real threat? You will have to read to find out. The story, as I mentioned, is built up well. It has a good, strong pace, and it draws you in. As an added bonus, I found the binary character interesting, and it is a character I would like to see more down the road.

The art is very good, and it captures the suspense, horror, and gothic feel of the tale very well. In some ways, this comic feels like old classic gothic horror, and I say that as a compliment. Fans of the gothic horror genre can enjoy this one.

This is a title I would recommend for libraries with graphic novel collections. It is definitely a  good one to add to your Halloween book displays too.

4 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2017 Reading Challenges: