Strange Adventures #214

Strange Adventures #214 (On Sale: July 23, 1968) has a very nice Deadman cover by Neal Adams.

"To Haunt a Killer" is by Robert Kanigher and Neal Adams. Deadman has run out of leads to track down the Hook. He regrets the loss of his life and takes over the body of Phil, a man attending the circus. Deadman enjoys an evening with Phil's fiance Ruth, but he eventually comes to realize that taking another man's life is wrong. He leaves Phil's body, only to discover too late that the man is a professional killer.

After Phil murders Fred Ames, Deadman follows Phil and meets the boss who hired him. Deadman then takes control of Phil again and forces him to break his engagement to Ruth. He must then act to save her life. However, Phil's boss double-crosses the killer and tries to have him killed too. Deadman saves Phil's life, but makes him a hero in the process.

Deadman wants to see justice served, so he takes control of Fred Ames's father and disguises himself as Fred. He then haunts the killer and forces him to confess. As Phil is taken into police custody, another killer disguised as a cop murders him and escapes. Reprinted in Deadman #6.

Take a look at Neal Adams' original cover for this issue. I have no idea why they would turn this one down. What too dynamic for ya (found this by the way on Robby Reed's excellent Dial B for BLOG site)?

Edited by Dick Giordano.