DC Nation’s ‘Deadman’ Is The Cutest Dead Man You’ll Ever See [Video]

Debuting Saturday morning on Cartoon Network's DC Nation block, "Deadman" is the latest superhero short from Warner Bros. Animation. Based on the character created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino, the Deadman short comes courtesy of cartoonist C.H. Greenblatt, probably best known to ComicsAlliance readers as the creator of Chowder and to animation buffs as a storyboard artist for SpongeBob Squarepants. Also known as Boston Brand, Deadman is given voice by actor Matt Jones (Breaking Bad's Badger, Beware The Batman's Humpty Dumpty).

Like most of the best acclaimed DC Nation shorts, Greenblatt's "Deadman" sets aside the character's traditional aesthetic (defined primarily by the realistic, illustrative style of Neal Adams and the extreme, horrific vision of Kelley Jones) in favor of a radical visual reimagining that still retains the major tenets of the late circus performer Boston Brand. To wit, he still possesses the bodies of the living in pursuit of various missions -- in this case, apparently saving a bird falling out of the sky. But here Deadman is extremely cute; with a big 'ol Charlie Brown head, Jack Skellington eyes and a Casper-esque "ghost tail" in place of his gymnast physique. Also there is euphoric dance music, which is decidedly unexpected.