Writer: Steve Vance Artists: M.D. Bright (p), Rich Burchett (i)
Publisher: DC Comics
Plot: As Neron & Caldera head off to visit the grave of Superman, we see Deadman is able to use his powers to free himself from his soul cage, and he quickly follows the departed villains. Meanwhile, we see Caldera was tricked by Neron into believing that he could control Superman's body, and when Caldera discovers he can't, he finds his soul is consumed by Neron. Back with Deadman, we see him turn up at the battle where Coast City was destroyed, and Superman made his return from the dead. Knowing from past experience that a hero will die in this battle, we see Deadman is able to alter the battle so that Hal Jordan is spared a death blow from Mongul. However, while Hal Jordan lives to fight another day, we see Deadman is visited by Neron who then shows Deadman that by sparing Hal's life, he has allowed Hal to move on to commit great evils in an effort to restore Coast City. Deadman is then stripped of this knowledge, until it really plays out, and Hal becomes a mass murderer/fallen hero.
Comments: When I first read the preview copy for this miniseries, this issue stood out, as out of all the tragic events that Deadman was going to visit, the destruction of Coast City was the one where no hero fought their final battle, though it did mark the beginning of the end for Hal Jordan. This issue does make good use of the tragedy itself though, as we discover that Deadman actually saved Hal Jordan's life during this conflict, and that by doing so Deadman is partly responsible for Hal's later actions. This issue also contains a rather surprising development, in that the character who looked to be the lead villain is suddenly done away with, and while seeing Deadman take on Neron in the final chapter is a good deal more exciting, one does have to wonder why a good chunk of last issue was devoted to Caldera's back-story, if he was going to be done away with in such a quick manner. I'm guessing Caldera will play a role in Neron's defeat.
My one big problem with this miniseries is that by setting these stories where the events are already set in stone, Deadman's allowed to have almost no impact on the story, thus rendering him an observer, rather than an active participant. Oh sure he's allowed to make minor contributions such as placing Steel's hammer where Hal Jordan could readily lay his hands on it, but given this is his miniseries, one would hope that Deadman could add more to the battle than a glorified prop-boy. Now I understand that Steve Vance has to keep the outcomes the same, for the sake of continuity, but I don't see why he couldn't be allowed a bit more leeway in how the story reached its final outcome, as while I enjoyed the explanations for why he couldn't control the Joker & Doomsday, it's getting a bit much when Deadman's one power is rendered useless every time he tries to use it on a primary player in the battle.
M.D. Bright is a welcome guest-artist, and personally I think he delivers the strongest chapter of the miniseries, as his work is nicely detailed, and he does a great job delivering the big impact moments, such as the shot where Deadman arrives over Engine City, or the climactic encounter between Hal Jordan & Mongul. One area where the art does falter a bit though is the glimpse that Neron gives Deadman of Hal's future, as the gravity of Hal's downfall isn't nearly a dramatic as it needed to be. I mean I'm not a die-hard Hal Jordan fan, but I do know that any story which is still being discussed eight years after the fact deserves a more impressive detailing.
Still, in the end this issue is a good looking effort, and while M.D. Bright has delivered stronger work in the past, I think part of the problem rests in Rick Burchett's somewhat rough inking style, which while it gives the art some needed weight, tends to make it look a bit sketchy.
Final Word: An enjoyable enough issue that for the most part makes good use of the tragedy it centers around, and while Deadman's role in the events is still almost nonexistent, by having this battle not playing host to the death of a hero, Steve Vance is allowed to have Deadman act & succeed at saving the life of a hero. Sure his contribution is minor, and I personally wish that Deadman was allowed to be more of an impact in these battles, but I give Steve Vance marks for doing what he can within the confines of the story. There's also some clever touches such as the way Deadman escapes from his soul cage, and Deadman's attempt to aid the soul of the slain Eradicator. The final page is also draws upon Hal Jordan's downfall quite well.
