THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: DEADBOY DETECTIVES #3
"The Secret of Immortality, Part Three"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Bryan Talbot
Inks: Steve Leialoha & Jamison
Colors: Daniel Vozzo
Letters: Willie Schubert
Editor: Will Dennis
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
There's an interesting conflict in tone in this story. The title characters' innocence and sense of adventure spills over on every page, making for a fun read. However, the cruelty and horror of the villain they've inadvertently sided with looms over the book as well, maintaining a more mature tone that's par for the course for DC's Vertigo imprint.
In preparation for the hunt for a killer that's responsible for the disappearances of several London street youths, the Marquis de Marquez trains would-be detectives Charles and Edwin in the use of their innate ghostly abilities. They help the Marquis track down his prey, who turns out to be the immortal Hob Gadling, a pleasant fellow who's no killer.
As I was reading this issue, I kept thinking that Charles and Edwin were being surprisingly thick-headed, completely oblivious to the true threat. Brubaker obviously anticipated such a concern, though, and offers up a satisfying explanation for the ease with which the Marquis manipulated the boys. The final issue promises to be a lot of fun, as the main characters will finally have a chance to redeem themselves.
Talbot's art strikes me as being even stronger here than it was in the previous two issues. His vision of Charles's and Edwin's astral projections really appealed to me somehow. I was put in mind of playful versions of Edvard Munch's The Scream. Talbot and Leialoha capture the darkness of the Marquis's world and intentions, but they also convey the joy and youthful nature of Charles and Edwin wonderfully.
I was a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's Sandman, and though I was pleased to see familiar characters like Charles, Edwin, Mad Hettie and Hob return, it is Brubaker's take on the first two of those characters and their innocence that really made this a strong read. This is the best use of these characters since their debut in Sandman #25 years ago, and it proves there's plenty of future potential in them as well.
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