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Mark Waid Would Like To Write Absolute Deadman

Mark Waid would like to write Absolute Deadman... Scott Snyder you have his number #markwaid

Published Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:57:07 -0600

Article Summary

Mark Waid reveals his strong interest in writing an Absolute Deadman series for DC Comics.
He praises Deadman as a unique and iconic character with untapped potential for fresh stories.
Waid discusses what he admires in the Absolute line, spotlighting takes on Superman and Flash.
Commends creators like Joshua Williamson, Jeff Lemire, and Deniz Camp for their Absolute titles.

Talking about the Absolute line at DC Comics to John Siuntres' Word Balloon Comics Podcast, Mark Waid was asked if he would be interested in taking on an Absolute title. "I'm not sure that I would have an Absolute take on some of these characters because I'm just so invested in how I've been thinking about them for 60 years, you know. So that said, I do have an Absolute Dead Man thing that I would love to do. I don't know if anybody's doing anything with that, but I love that character. There's so much to be done with that character and, you know there's some Deadman in my future somewhere, whether it's Absolute or whether it is somewhere in the DC universe. But what a great character."

Mark Waid Would Like To Write Absolute Deadman — YouTube screencap

As Mark Waid explains, "A circus aerialist killed by an assassin randomly as a test for an assassin's organisation. How can you can you kill somebody in a circus tent and still get away? And the gods or the god Ramakrishna didn't let him move on to the next level of existence. His job was going to be able to stick around as a ghost and find his killer. And to do that, he was able to possess people, slip into their bodies, be them, uh, and move through the world that way, which is a great take. Nobody had done anything like that before. It's it's very common now, very Quantum Leapish, but that was a brand new concept in 1967. And it's a great, simple hook for a character, and I love it."

And regarding the current Absolute line, first on Joshua Williamson and Absolute Superman. "They're really eye-opening, because he's looking to me for history, and he's looking to me from my point of view, but I love what he's doing, and I love the different takes he has on the pieces of the Superman legend. And it is stuff that emotionally sticks. I mean, it's one thing to do a four issue miniseries elseworlds that may be really good, but it's not going to stick to your ribs, but the way Jason is approaching this stuff with the emotion, with the the moments he has, my god, that moment when his brainiac has a ship full of bottled cities and they're all screaming all the time like, god damn it, I wish I'd had that idea. He's so good."

So on Absolute Flash and Jeff Lemire. "We had a good conversation in San Diego last year talking about that and he's just I like what he's doing. I like the take. I like Wally. I love Wally. And I like his take on Barry. I just appreciate the fact that these don't feel like just another Elseworld story. They're all pulling in a direction. There's a coherence to it, to the whole Absolute Line. Absolute Martian Manhunter probably being my favourite of them all. Um, God, that guy Deniz Camp, hate him. Hate him with a white hot passion."

Deniz was watching and able to point, live in the comments, that Mark has impeccable taste. And yes, Scott Snyder, he also plugs your comics teaching classes…

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