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 21/4: "Deadpool" #10

"Deadpool" #10 is a bit of a mixed bag. The Merc with a Mouth and Sabretooth still make for an entertaining lead duo, and the underlying issue of who killed Deadpool's parents is balanced out well, never being too light or too serious in tone.

But it's hard to overlook that the comic does hardly more than advance its plot to what is the inevitable finale in the next issue. The dynamic between Deadpool and Sabretooth is strangely off, and the jokes don't click any more like they did in #9. Matteo Lolli still excels at capturing the fun and scale of the action scenes, and the comic has some outstanding comedy elements (the references to Canada are hilarious, and look out for the joke with the bird).

But ultimately, Deadpool #10 is a wasted opportunity and just prepares the ground for the story arc's conclusion in #11. 

Comic of the Day 14/4: "Deadpool" #9

This comic is fun. A lot of fun. And then some.

Even though the last couple of Deadpool comics have all been entertaining in their own way, none of them ever really clicked with me. Deadpool was either trying too hard, or took a back seat to other characters. 

Gladly, the Merc with a Mouth is back to full strength in this one. Particularly, it's the full-blown fight against Sabretooth that has it all: Gerry Duggan's spot-on dialogue and bon mots paired with flawless pacing and execution by Matteo Lolli, who gives the scenes a great sense of scope by using full page panels. It's definitely quality over quantity and one of the most hilarious comic rides of the year so far. 

But credit should also go to the depiction of Sabretooth. He's not just simply a villain, but a compelling antagonist with nuanced character traits and a moving backstory that (despite some common tropes about the freak child) gives this comic more depth than you would probably expect from Deadpool. 

This issue simply has everything you could want from a Deadpool comic, hoping there is more like this to come when #10 hits the shelves.