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Deadman is featured in this Saturday's episode of Justice League Unlimited. I can't recall if he ever appeared in JLU before, but he was in the Batman animated series. What's cool about this episode is that you get to see Nanda Parabat and Rama Kushna.
In the first Deadman series by Neal Adams, Boston Brand was a trapeze artist, shot by an assassin during a performance. Boston discovers that he is ghost, able to possess the bodies of living people. Taking a cue from the popular 60s TV show The Fugitive, Boston travels throughout the world searching for his killer. When that issue is resolved, he travels to a place called Nanda Parabat-a paradise that transforms the most hardened criminals into good people, as long as they stay within Parabat's boundries. Rama Kushna is a god like being who allows Boston's spirit to roam free, seeking justice, restoring balance, even after his original mission of vengeance ended. In the pictures above, you see how Neal Adams tried to present Rama, with this ever changing air of psychedelic mystery. How do you perceive a God? In Adams' presentation, Boston's perception is constantly changing.
The JLU episode "Dead Reckoning" perfectly captures the relationship between Deadman and Rama. What I love about it is that Deadman doesn't take any shit from Rama, nor does he kiss her butt. What the hell, Boston is dead and he's got nothing to lose. The animation tries to convey that psychedelic sense that Neal Adams drew in Strange Adventures.
The writers of this episode changed Nanda Parabat. Rather than a paradise, it's the home of a martial arts master who trained Batman. I suppose this change was made for time considerations-it's easier to explain a bunch of kung fu guys living in an isolated area. Parabat is attacked by Luthor and Grodd's Legion of Doom, who seek a mystical orb that is located within the palace.
It's a pretty good episode. All the Deadman stuff is great, but you are going to laugh when Grodd's master plan is revealed. Gorilla City is in this episode, so if you love talking apes, or if you thought all those Art Adams DCU gorilla covers where the greatest thing since Wonder Woman's thong, this episode is for you. Batman is forced to commit a pretty shocking act. The ending has a key development to the rest of the series. Nuff said.
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