The 7th episode of this series delivered a long standing wish of mine, the animated version of Kamandi. For those not in the know, Kamandi was a sci-fi series created for DC by Jack Kirby in the 70′s after he cut ties with Marvel Comics. The comic was without a doubt the maddest creation readers had ever witnessed from the King of Comics. In a post-apocalyptic world, the last boy on Earth struggled to survive with all manner of walking, talking animals on his trail. It remains my favorite Kirby creation to this day and so it brought a manly tear to my eye to see the concept animated, even if only as a pre-credit sequence.
What a great opener!
Of course the main story concerned the character of Deadman struggling with his place in the cosmos. A character first introduced by my personal hero in the world of comics, Arnold Drake (also creator of the Doom Patrol), Deadman was a murder circus acrobat trying to solve his own murder in the guise of a ghost. Viewers may recognize Deadman from his brief appearance in the Justice league cartoon. A rough around the edges reg’lar guy talking character… I always get a laugh out of Deadman. The very idea that an ‘average guy’ dies and becomes an agent of Rama Kushna who must is absolutely amazing.
The character we are introduced in the Brave and the Bold cartoon is at the very beginning of his afterlife existence, however. A confused spirit, Deadman meets Batman after the caped crusader is buried alive by the Gentleman Ghost (making his second appearance in this series). Using a Tibetan meditation technique, Batman is able to leave his body and search for help to unearth him in the scant two hours before his coffin runs out of oxygen. Batman finds his rival hero Green Arrow and the team up becomes a four-way event. This episode was lots of fun (again) and had a lot to offer. Written by J.M. DeMetteis, the plot was noticeably thoughtful and introspective without being dull. The inclusion of four heroes at once didn’t even cause the program to become crowded, much to my surprise.
In short, another great cartoon.
Next week, Blue Beetle and Blue Beetle.
