Resurrection Man, Vol. 1: Dead Again

Part of DC’s “New 52!” this so-so revival of an interesting character from the late ’90s crams a lot into a small package. Every time Mitch Shelly is killed, he returns to life with a different superpower and the compulsion to use that power for good, but has trouble completing that purpose—let alone sitting down to figure out why he’s been so blessed/cursed. Instead, he’s pursued by the glamorous but airheaded Body Double, a pair of murderous sociopaths who want to capture him, and by Suriel, Special Angel Taskforce, who wants to send his soul on to the afterlife. Dagnino’s art is an impressively amped-up version of Neal Adams’s realistic style, and the script by Abnett and Lanning is full of intriguing hints and unrealized potential. So far, however, the central character hasn’t quite come (back) to life. (Sept.)