ACW #611 – Deadman

Action Comics Weekly #611 (Deadman)
“Will the Real Devil Please Stand Up?”
Writer – Mike Baron
Pencils – Dan Jurgens
Inks – Tony DeZuniga
Letters – Steve Haynie
Colors – Liz Berube
Editor – Barbara Kesel

Hey, check it out… our editor, Barbara Randall is now being credited as Barbara Kesel.


Mozel Tov!


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We open with D.B. Cooper/Satan holding a Ken Doll-sized Stan Kriptman, proclaiming himself to be the one, true “Lord of the Flies”.  Deadman (as a Grunt) demands he show himself in his true form… to which, Satan replies that, at this point in time, D.B. Cooper is his true form.  We also get confirmation that the real D.B. never made it to Hell… so, perhaps he still walks among us?

After a little prodding, Satan expells the demon, Yakin from Stan Kriptman’s body… then punishes the lesser-devil by sending him back to Hell to… oversee the lawyers.  Wonk wonnnkkkk.

Kriptman, now back at full size, gets all up in Satan’s face.  He proclaims that he is both from Missouri, and an Atheist.  I… uh… okay?  “Yeah Satan, my favorite color is blue, and I like frozen yogurt!”.  I mean, what?

Stan then demands that D.B. Cooper prove that he’s really Satan… and so…

This scene actually prompts Stan to suffer a stroke!  Deadman vacates the body of “Grunt” Jones, so he can attend to the fallen Director… and catches up with Satan, who informs him that a “usurper” approaches.

A man rushes into the room looking for Director Kriptman to report an emergency.  Major Kasaba takes point, and is directed to the Deep Space Early Warning System… where a flying object has been picked up.  Turns out… it’s that spacecraft that bursted from the Mayan Temple like a hundred weeks ago!  And check this out, on board is… our old friend, Talaoc!

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These days, we talk a lot about stories overstaying their welcome… generally using terms like “decompressed” or “written for the trade”.  Here, we have a Deadman arc that, if you ask me, has been played out for several chapters at this point, though… it doesn’t come across as decompressed.  It’s just dull, and glacially slow.


Let’s look at our big reveal… Talaoc’s back!  Whoo-hoo?  Does anyone care?  I mean, I appreciate the story coming full-circle, but… this really didn’t do anything for me.  I didn’t get excited to see him… my heart didn’t skip a beat… it was just like “Oh, it’s Talaoc.”


This arc probably should have been an eight-parter like the first Blackhawk feature… this third-third of the story, I dunno guys… the fatigue is real.  I really don’t have anything else to say.  I look forward to this one being in our rear-view.


Tomorrow: Vic Six rides the Hog… all the way down!