DeadMan Love After Death / Exorcism Baron and Jones.
I read the first part of this literally decades ago and it never left me. Baron's take on the character is radically different to what little I've seen of other takes on the character but the absolute star of this is most definitely Kelley Jones. His artwork takes macabre to a whole different level. I'd seen it in places in the early Sandman run and some of his Batman work. Here it is absolutely sublime and perfectly captures the bizarre and horrific world he is caught up in.
Baron weaves a couple of fascinating little tales mixing together Deadman's search for some sort of emotional connection and his struggles with his past experiences. Baron casts him as a schizophrenic, struggling with conflicting aspects of his self. Not entirely sure how necessary it was to throw that in although Deadman's behaviour is certainly off the wall throughout.
There is apparently also a run of issues in Action Comics Weekly that Baron and Kelley did. I'm seriously tempted since the graphic novel of Kelley Jones' work on the character also includes these two mini-series which I've already got. It might be worth the double dip but then again it might be better sourcing the original comics.
Anyway, this is a prime example of Vertigo at its very best. An amazing creative team let loose to take the character where they want. Sufficiently bizarre, obscene and horrific for those who like something more intellectually stimulating than the standard slash and gore so many seem to think is the sole extent of horror.
I read the first part of this literally decades ago and it never left me. Baron's take on the character is radically different to what little I've seen of other takes on the character but the absolute star of this is most definitely Kelley Jones. His artwork takes macabre to a whole different level. I'd seen it in places in the early Sandman run and some of his Batman work. Here it is absolutely sublime and perfectly captures the bizarre and horrific world he is caught up in.
Baron weaves a couple of fascinating little tales mixing together Deadman's search for some sort of emotional connection and his struggles with his past experiences. Baron casts him as a schizophrenic, struggling with conflicting aspects of his self. Not entirely sure how necessary it was to throw that in although Deadman's behaviour is certainly off the wall throughout.
There is apparently also a run of issues in Action Comics Weekly that Baron and Kelley did. I'm seriously tempted since the graphic novel of Kelley Jones' work on the character also includes these two mini-series which I've already got. It might be worth the double dip but then again it might be better sourcing the original comics.
Anyway, this is a prime example of Vertigo at its very best. An amazing creative team let loose to take the character where they want. Sufficiently bizarre, obscene and horrific for those who like something more intellectually stimulating than the standard slash and gore so many seem to think is the sole extent of horror.