Tag Archives: deadman: dark mansion of forbidden love

GLAAD Media Award Nominees Have Been Announced

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The GLAAD Media Awards nominees have been announced, which includes a category for comic books. The awards “recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and the issues that affect their lives.”

The awards tend to recognize “mainstream” representation, so you’ll rarely see indie comics on the list.

Below are the nominees for comics, and comic related other media. You can find the full list at their site.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women from Annapurna Pictures was nominated for “Outstanding Film – Wide Release.” The film is a loose history of the creation of Wonder Woman.

Wynonna Earp, which is based on a comic series, was nominated for “Outstanding Drama Series.”

Legion‘s episode “Chapter 8” was nominated for “Outstanding Individual Episode (in a series without a regular LGBTQ character).”

For comics, the nominees are:

America, by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, Ming Doyle, Stacey Lee, Ramon Villalobos, Walden Wong, Jen Bartel, Annie Wu, Aud Koch, Flaviano, Joe Rivera, Paolo Rivera, José Villarrubia, Jordan Gibson, Tamra Bonvillain, Brittany Peer, Rachelle Rosenberg, Travis Lanham (Marvel Comics)

The Backstagers, by James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh, Walter Baiamonte, Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios)

Batwoman, by Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV, Steve Epting, Jeromy N. Cox, Stephanie Hans, Renato Arlem, Adriano Honorato Lucas, Fernando Blanco, John Rauch, Deron Bennett (DC Comics)

Black Panther: World of Wakanda, by Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Yona Harvey, Rembert Browne, Alitha E. Martinez, Manny Mederos, Joe Bennett, Afua Richardson, Roberto Poggi, Tamra Bonvillain, Rachelle Rosenberg, Virtual Calligraphy, Joe Sabino (Marvel Comics)

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love, by Sarah Vaughn, Lan Medina, Phillip Hester, José Villarrubia, Janice Chiang (DC Comics)

Goldie Vance, by Hope Larson, Jackie Ball, Brittney Williams, Noah Hayes, Sarah Stern, Jim Campbell (BOOM! Studios)

Iceman, by Sina Grace, Alessandro Vitti, Ibraim Roberson, Edgar Salazar, Edgar E. Tadeo, Robert Gill, Rachelle Rosenberg, Joe Sabino (Marvel Comics)

Lumberjanes, by Kat Leyh, Shannon Watters, Carolyn Nowak, Ayme Sotuyo, Maarta Laiho, Aubrey Aiese (BOOM! Studios)

Quantum Teens are Go, by Magdalene Visaggio, Eryk Donovan, Claudia Aguirre, Zakk Saam (Black Mask Studios)

The Woods, by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas, Ed Dukeshire (BOOM! Studios)

DC Weekly Graphic Novel Review: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Deadman, and Doom Patrol

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It’s Wednesday which means new comic book day with new releases hitting shelves, both physical and digital, all across the world. We’ve got one more volume from DC Comics featuring Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Deadman, and Doom Patrol!

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 Bottled Light collecting issues 8-13 by Robert Venditti, Ethan Van Sciver, Ed Benes, and Rafael Sandoval.

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love collecting all three issues by Sarah Vaughn, Lan Medina, and Jose Villarrubia.

Doom Patrol Vol. 1: Brick by Brick collecting issues 1-6 by Gerard Way and Nick Derington.

Find out what the trades have in store and whether you should grab yourself a copy. You can find both in comic stores May 31 and bookstores June 6.

Get your copy now. To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 Bottled Light
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

Doom Patrol Vol. 1: Brick by Brick
Amazon/Kindle/comiXology or TFAW

 

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site.

Preview: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

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Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

(W) Sarah Vaughn (A) Lan Medina, Phil Hester (CA) Stephanie Hans
In Shops: May 31, 2017
SRP: $16.99

Trapped inside an old gothic mansion, Deadman must battle the forces of darkness alongside Berenice, a young woman with a complicated love life who is gifted-or cursed-with the ability to communicate with the dead. Romance, mystery, and evil await in this new title collecting the acclaimed prestige format miniseries!

Around the Tubes

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god-country-2-2nd-printingIt’s new comic book day tomorrow! What are folks looking forward to? What do you plan on getting? Sound off in the comments below!

While you await tomorrow, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.

Around the Tubes

The Beat – Ezra Claytan Daniels is the 3rd Annual Dwayne McDuffie Awards for Diversity in Comics Winner – Congrats!

Marketplace.org – In Africa, locally produced comic books are starting to catch on – Would you like to see us cover more African comics?

The Comichron – January 2017 comics sales estimates online; overships visible in charts (without affecting much) – For those that like a dive into the data.

ICv2 – Cryptozoic Doubles Down on DC – Some pretty cool games coming down the road!

 

Around the Tubes Reviews

Talking Comics – Belfry

Talking Comics – Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love

Talking Comics – God Country #2

Preview: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3

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Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3

(W) Sarah Vaughn (A) Lan Medina, Phil Hester (CA) Stephanie Hans
RATED T
In Shops: Feb 08, 2017
SRP: $5.99

Will Deadman escape the dark magic of the mansion? Will Berenice accept Nathan’s proposal? Will Sam reveal their true feelings for Berenice? Will the shocking nature of Adelia’s murder be revealed? Answers to all these questions and more-in the stunning finale to this epic gothic romance!

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Review: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3

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deadman3coverDeadman: Dark Mansion of Love concludes in twisting, turning Gothic fashion, and one of these twists is in this first page as it’s revealed that Adelia is the dark, malevolent spirit that has been haunting Glencourt. But, like the previous issues, Deadman #3 isn’t just creepy libraries, spooky spirits, and gorgeously designed architecture from Lan Medina and Phil Hester. Writer Sarah Vaughn continues to dig into the budding relationship between our protagonist Sarah and her friend Sam along with the strained one between her and her boyfriend Nathan. There is plenty of blood magic, candles, secret passages, and even an explosion, but Deadman is really about finding someone who you don’t have to hide your true self from.

The romance between Berenice and Sam is definitely one of my favorite queer romances in comics. And Vaughn also makes their connection an essential part of Deadman’s plot as Berenice can see the dead while the dead don’t have an effect on Sam. But even though they have awkward moments while Berenice is chatting with Deadman and Adelia, Sam wholeheartedly believes in these apparitions and teams up with her to get to the bottom of the mystery. Vaughn indulges Gothic tropes and adds a touch of defanged vampire mythos with the reveal that the Nathan is a murderous immortal and Adelia’s ex husband, whose lifeforce is tied to the house. She doesn’t give him an overcomplicated backstory making him a man, who isn’t afraid to literally sacrifice woman he supposedly loves to make him live forever. Nathan forces Adelia to sustain his life just like he is controlling over Berenice and doesn’t want her going into his study or spending more time with Sam. This isn’t love, but abuse and tyranny, and thankfully there’s a spooky revolution in Deadman #3.

And Deadman doesn’t get left behind in the comic that bears his name and is downright heroic in a genre that is more about running away from creepy things than facing down the abyss. His possession abilities are key in defeating both Nathan and Glencourt, and Medina and Villarrubia show this by having a red outline around Nathan’s body. Deadman is in the eye of the hurricane letting Adelia do the ghostly equivalent of whaling on him before finally releasing himself while Nathan collapses as a clump of blood and meat fulfilling the gore quotient of the Gothic genre. And his ending is the most typical superhero thing ever (He flies away to save someone else in need.), but it comes off as original because for most of the series, Vaughn and Medina have trapped him in Glencourt. Deadman did save the day, but in the weirdest haunted house/bodily possession way.

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I really enjoy the way Medina draws and Jose Villarrubia colors Adelia as she switches from ghostly maiden to dark spirit of vengeance. The being is starkly inked and is just an amorphous blob of power that is hungry and can’t be contained just like Nathan suffers from headaches even though he’s immortal. On the other hand, Villarrubia uses cool colors that flow like Adelia’s dress and spin around when she is finally freed from the house like a young girl at a ball. It’s glorious to see these wide open spaces and beautiful sky and fields after being cooped up in the house (A gorgeous one, however.) for 40+ pages, and Vaughn and Medina give her a poetic moment before she fades away peacefully. This epilogue is a well-earned bit of relaxation after the full-page spreads and jagged panels of fire, destruction, and hairbreadth escapes.

Speaking of those things and the series in general, Deadman Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love is an example of how you can re-tool classic literary genres and still make them relevant in the present. Deadman has all the escapes, murderous intrigue, twist, and setting/atmosphere overload (Kudos to Medina, Hester, and Villarrubia yet again.)  of a great Gothic yarn, but it stars a bisexual Asian woman and a non-binary black person and gives their relationship great nuance. Vaughn and Medina let queer people of color be the heroes of a genre that is pretty lily white in both the genre defining novels by Ann Radcliffe and Matthew Lewis and recent films like Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak while crafting a slow burn romance that is filled with honest words, smouldering glances, and soft touches wreathed in copious shadow.

Deadman Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3 is an exciting and satisfying ending to a wonderful Gothic romance with exquisite set design from Lan Medina, Phil Hester, and Jose Villarrubia. Each moment that Sarah Vaughn writes featuring Berenice and Sam will give you those happy, goosebump chills that you get when you see two humans that are perfectly matched for each other.

Story: Sarah Vaughn Art: Lan Medina with Phil Hester Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Early Preview: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3

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Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3

Written by: Sarah Vaughn
Art by: Lan Medina
Cover by: Stephanie Hans

Will Deadman escape the dark magic of the mansion? Will Berenice accept Nathan’s proposal? Will Sam reveal their true feelings for Berenice? Will the shocking nature of Adelia’s murder be revealed? Answers to all these questions and more—in the stunning finale to this epic gothic romance!

dmdmfl_cv3

Preview: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2

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Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2

(W) Sarah Vaughn (A) Lan Medina (CA) Stephanie Hans
In Shops: Dec 07, 2016
SRP: $5.99

The bimonthly miniseries continues! After Deadman and Adelia’s sudden disappearance, Berenice begins to unlock the mysteries of Glencourt Manor. With evil lurking around every corner, Berenice longs to confide in her boyfriend Nathan about what she has discovered, but she fears what he may think of her…instead, Berenice finds a sympathetic ear in Sam, who shows Berenice what it means to be a true friend.

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Review: Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2

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deadman_2Deadman: Dark Mansion of Love #2 begins nice and slow with Deadman and Adelia, a ghost who haunts Glencourt Mansion, getting to know each other and even musing on the philosophical nature of death and the fact that they are trapped in the house. But Sarah Vaughn’s plot ends in utter chaos and darkness as she turns the haunted house genre on its head. In Deadman #2, the ghosts are trapped, and the humans are free… for now. But Vaughn, artist Lan Medina, and colorist Jose Villarubia don’t lose sight of the character relationships that make this more than just a Gothic romance as protagonist Berenice struggles with her relationship to her boyfriend Nathan and her possible romance with Sam while Deadman and Adelia bond beautifully in the story’s first half.

Medina’s art in Deadman #2 is both lush and haunting depending on the color that Villarubia decides to use, but his design for Adelia is always freaky. She is a woman, who was probably murdered by her new husband and forced to live in the place where she died, and something gives me the chills about her. Adelia is like a ghost from Crimson Peak while Deadman is more friendly and charming despite the fact that he possesses other people’s bodies and has huge existential crises about what comes after death. They are both Berenice’s secret as she and Nathan grow apart while he spends all his time writing his book instead of with her.  On the surface, he gives off a workaholic vibe, but Medina adds some Gothic touches to him by having his workspace be a locked study. And in the Gothic tradition when something is locked, you don’t want to open it.

One thing that I have really enjoyed about Deadman as a series so far is how, dare I say it, normal Berenice acts in response to the spectres and horrors surrounding her. She acts like an intelligent human being with a head on her shoulders instead of like some kind of pearls clutching Gothic heroine or a Final Girl. Instead of exploring Glencourt willy-nilly, she goes into town to research the house, Adelia, and Adelia’s husband, who she deduces murdered her. But even in the library stacks, she still has a poet’s side and talks about old history books and records are basically a series of tragedies. Also, out in town, she reconciles with deadmaninteriorSam and almost thinks about kissing them as Medina and Villarrubia’s art goes from the idyllic small English town to the shadow filled beauty of the opening pages. Somehow, Sam and Berenice are caught up in this tragic romance, and this is true physically as well once the shadows return at the end of the issue. Vaughn and Medina even foreshadow this on the first page she appears as the stack of old letters she is going through kind of resembles a magical circle like she’s having a seance.

It’s kind of depressing that she is spending more time with words written by dead people (Plus ghosts.) than her real, flesh and blood partner. She can’t even confide in him about the fact she can see Deadman and Adelia. Berenice and Nathan’s relationship lacks the rush of romance of hers with Sam and Deadman’s with Adelia so his marriage proposal falls hollow at the end. However, the effect of putting a ring on her hand triggers some insane dark magic and ensures that the closing issue of this miniseries will be its most Gothic yet with the interplay of helpful spirits (Deadman), vengeful and sympathetic spirits (Adelia), mortals, and scary spirits.

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden #2 is a suitably haunting follow-up to its flawless first issue, and Lan Medina and Jose Villarrubia give Deadman and Adelia some real chemistry in the first half with their play of red, black, and ghostly white in the dark environs of Glencourt Mansion. Splitting the book between Deadman and Berenice’s narration continues to be a clever device from Sarah Vaughn as both characters do some soul searching. Deadman #2 is filled with thoughtfulness and reflection on love, death, and tragedy that erupts into a full-out horror comic by the time you turn the final page.

Story: Sarah Vaughn Art: Lan Medina with Phil Hester Colors: Jose Villarrubia
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Graphic Policy’s Top Comic Picks this Week!

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motorcrush01_coveraWednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!

We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.

Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.

Logan

Top Pick: The Wicked + The Divine #24 (Image Comics) – Last month’s experimentalism was pretty fun and it was nice to finally see Kevin Wada do some interiors, but it will be nice to see Jamie McKelvie’s take on the brave new world for the Pantheon now that Ananke is out of the way.Motor Crush #1 (Image)- The creative team of the always fun and adorable Batgirl reunites on a creator owned title. It will be exciting to see Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr with full creative freedom in this new Image release. Plus biker gangs are cool.

Motor Crush #1 (Image Comics) – The creative team of the always fun and adorable Batgirl reunites on a creator owned title. It will be exciting to see Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr with full creative freedom in this new Image release. Plus biker gangs are cool.

Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #2 (DC Comics) – I can’t wait to be drawn into the wonderful Gothic world and web of relationships in Deadman #2. Plus queer love triangles are all too rare in mainstream comics.

Midnighter and Apollo #3 (DC Comics) – Midnighter fighting demons to save Apollo is the kind of romance-driven ultraviolence that I’ve come to expect from Steve Orlando’s work on the character. I’ve really been enjoying Fernando Blanco’s panel layouts too.

Conan Omnibus Vol. 1 (Dark Horse) – One of my favorite writers (Kurt Busiek) on one of fantasy fiction’s most iconic characters.  I wasn’t reading comics when his original run came out, but can’t pass up this 472 page feast of blood, guts, swords, and sorcery.

 

Alex

Top Pick: Voracious: Feeding Time #1 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – I’ve already read the Kickstarter  reward pdf, but this week marks the first chance those who didn’t back the project get to read the comic, and I’m excited for you. The entire series has been phenomenal up until this point, and I can’t wait for you to read this comic.

Faith #6 (Valiant) – This is one of the most entertaining comics from any publisher right now, and on any other week this would be the comic that’s on top my list to read first, but this is also the week that the second Voracious miniseries begins. That being said, I fucking love Faith.

Ninjak #22 (Valiant) – A standalone story is something we’re seeing less and less in comics these days, so that’s one reason I’m looking forward to this issue of Ninjak. The other is that this will likely be the calm before the storm, and I’m curious to see what Matt Kindt has in store for us here.

Superman #12 (DC Comics) – Superman versus Frankenstein? Hell yeah!

The Unworthy Thor #2 (Marvel) – I must admit, I do enjoy a good redemption story, and the first issue was great. My only reservation on the series as a whole is that I hope Odinson doesn’t get his old hammer back.

 

Joe

Moon Knight #9 (Marvel) – Wow this comic is crazy. Literally. What is going on with Marc? I mean Jake? I mean… you get the idea. With each comic this series gets more and more confusing, but I am a big Lemire fan and trust his storytelling. This book is at its best when you’re not questioning it. Sit back and enjoy the trippy Egyptian ride.

The Unworthy Thor #2 (Marvel) – Odinson and Beta Ray Bill space road trip! When we last saw these two in the first issue, Odinson is given Bill’s hammer and told there is another Mjölnir out there. Also, where the heck is Asgard?!

The Wicked + The Divine #24 (Image Comics) – While I think the magazine of Pantheon was a cool idea, I am glad we will get back to the fantastic story. I feel like it has been forever since we got a regular issue and it has been too long considering what happened!

Midnighter and Apollo #3 (DC Comics) – This is a great series. Basically you get a version of Batman and Superman with the twist that they are together romantically. Their relationship is not cliche, and is believable and I love these characters. The only downside is for now this is only a miniseries that runs six issues.

Batman #12 (DC Comics) – The twist with Catwoman in the last issue has me excited to see where the fourth part of “I Am Suicide” goes. Unless he is toying with them, Batman may have just been outsmarted, at least for a moment. I love this version of Catwoman so far.

 

Brett

Top Pick: Motor Crush #1 (Image Comics) – The creative team of Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr alone is reason enough to get this comic. Seriously that’s all I need to see and I’m in to check out the series.

Atoll #1 (Creative Mind Energy) – This comic has had some issues with publishers and I’ve been waiting for it to finally hit shelves and folks to check it out. It feels right at home with torture porn horror in many ways, but unlike those types of films this story had me sucked in wanting to see what happens next. Writer Tim Daniel and artist Ricardo Drumond nail it with this first issue and I can’t wait to read the next.

Invisible Republic #13 (Image Comics) – The series followed a journalist seeking the truth about an uprising and this second story arc is more about the fallout concerning all of that as we get a better look at Earth and its relationship with the rest of humanity’s reach. In today’s political climate this sereis feels more relevant than ever.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #1 (Marvel) – The break out character is getting her own series!

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye: Revolution #1 (IDW Publishing) – Revolution is winding down and we’re getting a better sense of how it all fits together.

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