Review by Andy Williams

The Gods of Olympus are dead and the last dregs of the pantheon are fighting over the final vestiges of divinity. The titular “Deadface” belongs to Bacchus (also known as Dionysus), the Greco-Roman god of wine and revelry as after 4,000 years he possesses a face that’s not only “lived in” but “died in”. As the subtitle states, “Immortality Isn’t Forever” after all, and the years are taking their toll.

Bacchus spends his time engaged in an eternal pub crawl, drinking unfeasible amounts of wine and reminiscing about the good old days of classical mythology. He crosses paths once again with his ancient nemesis Theseus, son of Poseidon, and their age old enmity initiates a pursuit to the jungles of Central America. The Eyeball Kid also enters the fray, a chaotic being with the power of Zeus searching for the secret of immortality.

Writer and artist Eddie Campbell has no trouble crafting jolly tales from the days of yore, managing to put an entertainingly modern spin on them. His signature scratchy artwork is simultaneously sparse and detailed, complicated in its simplicity. Campbell’s mundane approach to these bombastic myths (a style honed on his autobiographical Alec comics) grounds them, making them relatable for a modern audience.

Ed Hillyer arrives midway through on art duties, extensively retooling everything with a firmer line, as the story shifts focus from Bacchus to the trials and tribulations of Theseus and The Eyeball Kid. The abrupt change, with our titular protagonist abandoning his quest for vengeance and set adrift off the coast of Mexico, leaves a large hole in the ongoing narrative. Campbell would follow Bacchus’ travels elsewhere, but Immortality Isn’t Forever undeniably suffers from his absence.

Campbell obviously enjoys retelling these classic myths in all their gory glory and, as thrilling as they are to read, they fail to cohere into a proper narrative here as Bacchus disappears entirely from the latter half and Theseus’ story ends without a proper resolution. A promising start and an entertaining read, but with an unsatisfying conclusion that ultimately goes nowhere. Disappointing, especially given the wonderful cover painting.

When reissuing his backlist himself, Campbell would split this content over two volumes of Bacchus, beginning with one with the same title.