Review: Resurrection Man Vol. 1- Dead Again

Quick Summary

Pros: The concept behind the series is unique and generates some action. The book’s mystery is compelling from beginning to end.

Cons: The narrative experiences a large and unexplained shift that creates inconsistencies in the reading experience. The artwork is far too sexualized and comes across as sexist.

Overall: There is some potential in this series but problems in this volume prevent it from being as good as it could have been. At its core, this collection has a solid concept and an interesting mystery, which should be enough to generate plenty of interest. However, the storytelling is inconsistent and the artwork is far too sexualized, to the point where it takes away from the overall narrative. Those looking for a comic with a unique concept can find it here but those looking for an all-around good story might want to look elsewhere.

Story

Resurrection Man Vol. 1: Dead Again, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, starts a series with a unique concept but an unclear sense of direction. The titular Resurrection Man is interesting on his own and his quest for answers gives the volume a compelling mystery. However, the overall narrative changes direction and pace a couple times, often without any sort of explanation. These conflicting elements create a collection with a mediocre quality level. If the next volume is good, it might cover for some of the mistakes made here, however, if the next volume continues to be mediocre, this series might not be worth it.

(spoilers start here)

Dead Again starts out with a unique concept that drives forward large parts of the volume. The main character, Mitch Shelley, has the ability to come back from the dead with a different superpower each time he is killed. He also wakes with a vague sense of purpose that powers his enigmatic mission. For some reason, this has put him at odds with a number of natural and supernatural forces, leading to plenty of thrilling fight scenes. Seeing this unique concept play out is one of the most entertaining aspects of the book, especially toward the beginning.

The other entertaining aspects of the book can be found in Mitch’s quest to uncover his own past, of which he has no memory. This search for answers provides occasionally shifts in tone that divert the book’s focus from action to mystery. This search also is one of the book’s most consistently interesting features and is what kept me interested during some of the book’s more boring moments.

Dead Again‘s biggest troubles start around chapter five, when the narrative experiences a sudden and dramatic shift. Before this point, the story was focused on Mitch searching for truth while being opposed by two government agents and one angel from Heaven. After this point, Mitch’s search for truth is still a central story element but his opposition essentially disappears. Instead, his threats become smaller, more local, and are completely dealt with by the conclusion of the chapter. The pace and structure of the story are so different that it feels like an entirely new comic, and makes for a jarring transition.

This shift wouldn’t be as bad is it wasn’t for the lack of explanation regarding what is going on. Right as the narrative changes, Mitch’s sudden arrival in Arkham is never explained, despite the fact that it involved a random teleportation across the country. After this, the lack of involvement from the government agents and angel is never addressed. The reader is left in limbo as to whether these characters have completely departed the series or will be returning at some point in the future. The frustration caused from all this trouble is a big negative for the volume as a whole.

(spoilers end here)

Art

The artwork in Dead Again is alright for the most part. Fernando Dagnino’s pencils and inks look good and characters are designed with solid levels of creativity. In addition, panels are laid out well and are structured in a way that makes the story easy to follow.

However, the artwork is also sexualized to ridiculous levels. Nearly every one of the book’s main female characters are dressed in extremely provocative and outlandish outfits, even when it does not make sense for them to be dressed in such a way. Then, these already sexualized outfits become even more so as the characters are put in positions that emphasize their bodies or simply have their clothes ripped and shredded off. In contrast, the worst thing that happens to the male lead’s clothes is that his sleeves get ripped off. The sexism present in this book’s art took me out of the reading experience and definitely hurts this volume overall.

Continuity

Resurrection Man Vol. 1: Dead Again starts the Resurrection Man series.

The story started here continues in Resurrection Man Vol. 2: A Matter of Death and Life (Review).