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studaslop's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Like others have said, this isn’t an award-winning story. It’s sweet, intriguing, and predictable. Again, like others have said, I wish we could have spent some more time here and seen this story and characters developed further. I appreciate Vaughn’s inclusion of explicitly, unabashedly queer characters, if some of the themes around acceptance weren’t subtle. I also appreciate the care for Deadman as a character. Worth reading, but don’t expect to be amazed.
andreadmw's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A little predictable but a cute story. I cared about the characters
miamollekin's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
happenstance's review
3.0
3.5*
This was the October choice for our comic club, and I'll admit, I wasn't really looking forward to it - it's not my usual jam. Not even Sarah Vaughn was enough to get me excited for this.
That said, I did end up enjoying it - I like the gothic romance vibe, and I really like the artwork. I enjoyed that it was told from two perspectives, Berenice's and Boston's, and I liked that the cast was diverse and more reflective of a modern world.
However, it felt a bit bare bones and I wish there'd been - just - "more"? Berenice was the only character who felt like she had any depth; the villain felt a bit "Scooby-esque", and the romance angle left me cold - although I'd love to see it explored further, because I ship 'em, for sure. Some of the themes also felt a bit heavy-handed for me. And, if it wasn't obvious, I was completely indifferent to Boston. Like, did he even need to be a part of the story? (Okay, yes, he did, but yawn - Berenice was much more interesting. Gimme more Berenice.)
This was the October choice for our comic club, and I'll admit, I wasn't really looking forward to it - it's not my usual jam. Not even Sarah Vaughn was enough to get me excited for this.
That said, I did end up enjoying it - I like the gothic romance vibe, and I really like the artwork. I enjoyed that it was told from two perspectives, Berenice's and Boston's, and I liked that the cast was diverse and more reflective of a modern world.
However, it felt a bit bare bones and I wish there'd been - just - "more"? Berenice was the only character who felt like she had any depth; the villain felt a bit "Scooby-esque", and the romance angle left me cold - although I'd love to see it explored further, because I ship 'em, for sure. Some of the themes also felt a bit heavy-handed for me. And, if it wasn't obvious, I was completely indifferent to Boston. Like, did he even need to be a part of the story? (Okay, yes, he did, but yawn - Berenice was much more interesting. Gimme more Berenice.)
booknooknoggin's review
3.0
First off the art is amazing. Never read any Deadman solo stories but this was fun to read. Not great but I'm glad I had a chance to read it.
cbushwrite's review
4.0
This book is lovely. Other than the weird weight-loss/-gain that poor Berenice seems to go through every few pages, this graphic novel is a beautiful thing. Mystery? Check. Unnerving Gothic mansion? Check. Unashamedly queer MCs? Check. So much awesome in this book!
aprilleigh's review
3.0
Given the title and the comment from a friend that it was a little weird, I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but what I ended up with was a solid, well-imagined ghost story that I would dearly love to see developed further. Not just the character of Deadman himself, a sort of ghost superhero, but the entire story. The house definitely has history, but they only scratched at the surface of the history they implied. I want MORE!
lilyn_g's review
3.0
I went into Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love completely blind. I had never heard of the character Deadman/Boston Brand before. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by either the writer or illustrator for this book. So, yeah, completely unfamiliar with all aspects of it.
The art for Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love was simple yet effective. Very straightforwardly illustrated for the most part. It served to make Deadman himself stand out that much more. The color choices went along well with the illustration style. However, one area that gave me a lot of trouble reading Deadman was the white words on the light blue background that relayed the main female character’s internal thoughts. The white on red of Deadman’s was a bit easier. Because I read this as an epub, it was hard to find a ‘just right’ setting that enabled me to easily see the character’s internal thoughts and not have to scroll inch by inch down through the pages. It made for a somewhat uncomfortable reading experience that left me with a minor headache every time I tackled the story. A more clear font might have made a world of difference.
I liked the diverse representation in Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love. Berenice is (appears to be, at least) bi/ possibly pan-sexual, and Sam is non-binary as well as African American. I also appreciated the fact that that Berenice wasn’t your typical model-looking knockout so often found in comic books. She was actually rather plain and dressed in clothes normal women actually wear.
As for the story itself, it was interesting. Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love is sort of a superhero and gothic ghost story mashup. It takes place inside an old mansion that had been closed up for over 150 years. The story is dark with a definite air of mystery to it. The interactions between Brand and Berenice are fun. The twist with one of the other characters caught me by surprise. (It was a good thing, as some of the other elements of the book aren’t exactly subtle.)
Given the pain that I suffered through to finish Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love, I can’t say I’ll ever pick up another volume. However, fans of paranormal fantasy and superhero novels should definitely give Deadman a shot. If it wasn’t for the headache, I would have enjoyed the story a lot more than I did. It’s not the most well-written or meaningful, but it is entertaining nonetheless. And the message of acceptance is a nice one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley for review consideration.
The art for Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love was simple yet effective. Very straightforwardly illustrated for the most part. It served to make Deadman himself stand out that much more. The color choices went along well with the illustration style. However, one area that gave me a lot of trouble reading Deadman was the white words on the light blue background that relayed the main female character’s internal thoughts. The white on red of Deadman’s was a bit easier. Because I read this as an epub, it was hard to find a ‘just right’ setting that enabled me to easily see the character’s internal thoughts and not have to scroll inch by inch down through the pages. It made for a somewhat uncomfortable reading experience that left me with a minor headache every time I tackled the story. A more clear font might have made a world of difference.
I liked the diverse representation in Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love. Berenice is (appears to be, at least) bi/ possibly pan-sexual, and Sam is non-binary as well as African American. I also appreciated the fact that that Berenice wasn’t your typical model-looking knockout so often found in comic books. She was actually rather plain and dressed in clothes normal women actually wear.
As for the story itself, it was interesting. Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love is sort of a superhero and gothic ghost story mashup. It takes place inside an old mansion that had been closed up for over 150 years. The story is dark with a definite air of mystery to it. The interactions between Brand and Berenice are fun. The twist with one of the other characters caught me by surprise. (It was a good thing, as some of the other elements of the book aren’t exactly subtle.)
Given the pain that I suffered through to finish Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love, I can’t say I’ll ever pick up another volume. However, fans of paranormal fantasy and superhero novels should definitely give Deadman a shot. If it wasn’t for the headache, I would have enjoyed the story a lot more than I did. It’s not the most well-written or meaningful, but it is entertaining nonetheless. And the message of acceptance is a nice one.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from Netgalley for review consideration.