Deadman: Back in the 1960s, Deadman was a sort of a counter-culture anti-hero of sorts. He was not a happy guy. He was a former acrobat who had been murdered. He was Dead, and but his Spirit was in part looking to avenge his death, and to protect innocent people. Deadman could jump into the bodies of living people and take over, and he was definitely a strange superhero. D.C. Direct has issued a couple of versions of Deadman. This one is the traditional version from the 1960s-1980s. There is another version that looks like a skeleton which is a re-booted version of this character.
Art Design: Nice blister card with a couple of illustrations of The Demon and Spectre and a whole gallery of other superhero action figures on the back of the card.
Headsculpt: Is a good sculpt of the Deadman character. The head and chest area are white and glow in the dark. The photo of Deadman on the top corner accurately reflects the skin tone of the white skin and the red suit. With the light turned down a bit, the Glow-in-the-Dark paint gives him a luminous color. The head turns around on the cut joint.
Body Sculpt: The body is sculpted to give Deadman the look of a wiry acrobat. However, if you look at his midsection, he has a lot more than a six-pack. Deadman has so many muscles sculpted into his belly that it looks amateurish. Not even the most striated bodybuilders on earth have ever had 24 stomach muscles! But the silly over-muscularization would have been fine if Deadman could at least pose like an acrobat.
Body Articulation: Very anemic articulation. The legs can barely bend at the knees (see the photo). The hips were made at an odd angle and keep the thighs from having a full range of motion. The ankles have perfect range, though. The right hand came off at the elbow when I tried to pose it. Luckily, it is one of those very soft plastic joints and I was able to slide it back on. The left arm hardly moves at all. The shoulders have the full range of motion.
Overall: The figure brings no gear and the clothes are molded on. The sculpt is nice, and the Glow-in-the-Dark feature appeals to the kid in everyone. However, the lack of articulation and flimsy construction is a drawback. The retail price is $14.99, though it is usually available for slightly less from most online dealers.
Grade: D
