Review: "Deadpool" #20

Admittedly, it's sort of difficult to write a review of Deadpool #20 after that excellent epilogue by writer Gerry Duggan himself. As he already goes into detail about the positive impact even unstable anti-heroes such as the Merc with a Mouth can have on people in need, I feel everything relevant has been said about this already. But the comic does something else as well...

As a one-shot where Deadpool takes a suicidal girl on a eventful night out to ultimately make her changer her mind, it's the comic's stripped-down nature that makes it stand out in comparison to the rather over-blown Deadpool instalments of late. Being left without any gadgets and teams to fall back on to, Duggan very impressively captures the helplessness, fragility but ultimately also humanity of both Deadpool and the unnamed girl. For the comic medium as a whole it shows that less is sometimes more, where putting our heroes in more grounded situations can ultimately lead to such great achievements as this one.

10/10

Review: "Deadpool" #19

Even if Deadpool wasn't exactly hitting its stride in the last couple of issues, these "Warda Wilson/Deadpool 2099" interludes will remind you why you actually like Deadpool. Because this one here simply doesn't have any of these things.

If, after 6 months after the last part, you don't have any clue where this actually left off, rest assured, the writers do neither. Warda Wilson and Ellie Preston were probably fighting and shouting overly-clichéd bon mots at each other, because that's pretty much all they're doing here. Geezer Deadpool is good for a couple of laughs, but becomes more and more unbearable as this drags along. 

Admittedly, some more heartfelt moments towards the comic's conclusion are smartly written and do work, but after all, these Warda Wilson interludes do nothing more than actually heighten the quality of the regular series adventures. And hey, isn't that a good thing.

4/10

Review: "Deadpool" #18

"Deadpool" #18: Less Mercs, more fun. The impact of Deadpool no longer being tied to the Mercs for Money can be felt immediately here, most simply by the fact that the series is no painful bore anymore. If you'd stopped caring about Deadpool some months ago, now's probably the time to get back into it. And if you're reading this because of Civil War II, you have my sympathy. That this get's still marketed as a tie-in is an unacceptable money grab.

7/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deadpool" #17 / "Action Comics" #962 / "Detective Comics" #939

"Deadpool" #17: To sell this as a "Civil War II" tie-in is simply ridiculous, as it has simply no connection whatsoever to Marvel's big summer event (a fact even admitted by Duggan in the comic's intro page). Apart from that? Nothing to report, just the same old Deadpool shtick. This series needs some fresh new ideas, and the Mercs for Money should stick to their own series.

5/10

"Action Comics" #962: The Doomsday storyline is over (for now), and the series closes it in solid but unspectacular fashion. Kudos to Jurgens though for gradually developing and shaping the comic's characters.

7/10

"Detective Comics" #939: Admittedly, the series started out quite slow, but by now has come full circle in terms of drama, dynamic and great action set pieces. Can't wait for the conclusion.

 8/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Green Arrow" #4 / "Deadpool v Gambit" #3 / "Deadpool" #16

"Green Arrow" #4: It's fast, light and fun, with Percy knowing not to overemphasize Oliver Queen's personal drama; and the art here is simply spectacular, as Ferreyra's makes every panel look like a small portrait. 

7/10

"Deadpool v Gambit" #3: It has one of the funniest fighting scenes you probably have read in a while, but unfortunately Acker and Blacker lose more and more control of the story they're telling, resulting in an utter narrative chaos.

5/10

"Deadpool" #16: It's campfire story time, as Solo recalls how he dressed up as Deadpool once. It's good fun, but also anybody's guess why this gets marketed as a "Civil War II" tie-in.

6/10

Review: "Deadpool" #15

The "Civil War II" part here is actually the one that manages to convince least, as the "Mercs For Money" prove that they can even be fun(nier) without their masks. 

But the highlight here definitely has to be the epic "Deadpool vs. Black Panther" fight in the Triskelion, as the two battle it out over almost half the comic. Bawdy but never embarrassing, with a surprising chemistry and dynamic, it's Wade and T'Challa in the most unlikely brawl of "Civil War II". 

7/10

Further Links:

Deadpool #14

Deadpool v Gambit #1

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #5

Keepin' It 360: "Deadpool" #14

It's the inevitable Civil War II tie-in, featuring the "Mercs for Money", which surprisingly offers a more complete package than the standalone series did in its last issues. It's still funny and fast, but not as over-the-top, with less anarchist mayhem and more clear-cut ideas. We see a different, more nuanced depiction of the Mercs, and all for the better.

7/10

Further Links:

Deadpool #12

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #5

Review: "Deadpool" #12

Although Chapter 2 of "Deadpool 2099" is thoroughly enjoyable, it has a hard time of containing its scope and characters within a coherent story, resulting in a somewhat messy and overambitious narrative. 

Old Wade Wilson is convincingly written by Duggan, while Filardi and Koblish do a great job of creating a Monster Metropolis and and overall environment that feel alive and are full of nice Deadpool Easter eggs and allusions. But it's the dynamic between Warda and her antagonist (whose unmasking might come somewhat surprising) that never really clicks and ultimately prevents the comic from being on par with a regular Deadpool entry.

6/10

Further Links:

Deadpool #11

Deadpool: The Last Days of Magic #1

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #4

Review: "Deadpool: Last Days of Magic" #1

Deadpool: Last Days of Magic, a one-shot that ties in with the current story arc in the Doctor Strange comics, does a hell of a lot of things right. First and foremost, it's not mandatory at all to have read any of the previous chapters to get right into the action. And frankly, if you're a Deadpal that is solely interested in the "Merc with a Mouth", you don't even have to read any of the upcoming Doctor Strange comics that conclude the "Last Days of Magic" story line. This one works pretty well on its own. Saying this, writer Gerry Duggan does a solid job of providing enough exposition to never make new readers feel lost, giving constant updates on what has been going on in previous chapters.

While Deadpool himself was a bit of a hit-and-miss in recent issues of the main series, he is absolutely outstanding in this one. Duggan manages to capture him at his wisecracking best while also delving into his more emotional side as he explores the friendship with Michael Hawthorne, all resulting in a in a story that is tremendously fast-paced without ever losing its edge and can effortlessly switch between hilarious absurdity and some emotionally deeper themes. 

Artist Scott Koblish shines with his playful approach to all characters, while managing to stay within the narrow range of constantly being over-the-top, but never too absurd. His larger, crowded panels make quite an impression as well, as they are able to tell a lot without unnecessarily confusing. Guru-eFX's accentuated colors have become a trademark in Deadpool comics and perfectly enhance story and pencils here, too.

Deadpool: Last Days of Magic is a superbly entertaining affair from start to finish that not just relies on one single strength to make it stand out, but masters a whole array of different topics.

9/10

Further Links:

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #4
Deadpool #11
Deadpool: Masacre #1

Comic of the Day 15/5: "Deadpool" #11

When the Deadpool/Sabretooth dynamic started to wear off in #10 last month, the fear started to creep in that writer Gerry Duggan might just not manage to drag this story across the finish line. And even though he does, the ride turns out to be a lot harder and uglier than anyone could have wished for.

The more serious and thoughtful tone here neither suits the narration nor Gerry Duggan's or artist Matteo Lolli's strengths, diminishing the otherwise prevalent satire and and in-your-face humor that usually make Deadpool comics such an enjoyable affair. The fact that Duggan has hardly any idea of how to conclude this somewhat cohesively makes for a more than fragmented narrative experience. Only when Sabretooth exits does the comic find its groove back, with a convincing Doctor Strange appearance and a finale that will make you laugh out loud (finally).

"The End, Thank Odin."

5/10

Further links:

Deadpool/Masacre #1
Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #3
Deadpool #10

Comic of the Day 11/5: "Deadpool: Masacre" #1

It didn't take too long for Marvel to re-release an English translation of their Masacre one-shot for all of us who are not exactly fluent in Spanish. And good thing they did, as the "Mexican Deadpool" is as enjoyable as his gringo counterpart. 

Rather than taking the original English script for Masacre #1, Shannon Andrews translated the Spanish version back into English, while largely maintaining the rhythm and grammar of Spanish. The result is a hilariously unique feel to the comic, as Andrews manages to walk the thin line of making it sound bad but never unintelligible. 

Seasoned Deadpool writer Gerry Duggan, this time teaming up with Brian Posehn, makes sure all of the proven Deadpool ingredients are here: over-the-top humor with brilliant one-liners, relentless bloodshed, pop culture and comic references (the Commissioner Gordon one is just hilarious), eccentric villains and Scott Adsit (Wait! Adsit is not in this one?! Heresy!). 

While most comic series would feel worn-out by this point, Deadpool continues to feel fresh with every issue. And that's because they a) have found a niche that they master and b) they never aim too high, offering pure unadulterated fun that's never too daring or complex.

Go, Deadpool (Masacre), go!

7/10