Deadpool: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Into its third volume the Deadpool MAX! series continues to be one of the best things Marvel are putting onto the shelves of comic shops. But it’s for a different reason than in the first two volumes (read about those here and here). While those books succeeded by emphasising Deadpool’s comedy, something which hasn’t been done right enough during the character’s twenty-plus year history, the third succeeds by exploring Deadpool’s more tragic elements.

It was something that could have failed. The title had been set up as something funny and so that’s what people had come to expect from it. But writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn do such good exploring Deadpool’s history with Weapon X, and the stolen memories and deformed cancer patient sufferings that come with that, that you find yourself swept along.

In hindsight they were making readers care about Deadpool during their first two volumes too. But because they were doing it with humour, something you’d expect from the character and his titles anyway, it wasn’t noticeable. Also, you don’t tend to read something funny and think to yourself “yes, I am beginning to care about this character.” They’re a talented pair of writers.

There are still laughs though. Even when Deadpool finds himself fighting through North Korean concentration camps alongside deformed X-Men clone experiments he’s given wises to crack. But it’s the first two issues of the volume that are home to most of the laughs. The first is once again told as a flashback. It takes place in the seventies and sees Deaders teaming up with Iron First and Power Man to take on The White Man. Every joke you could expect with a villain who’s chosen that name is used, usually by or within earshot of Power Man. It’s gloriously silly, and a great start to the collection. It also helps to balance out the more grim surroundings of the rest of the volume.

Much was made before the arc started coming out as singles of Wolverine and Captain America’s involvement. While they’re used well and there’s a logical reason for their team-up with Deadpool they do at times feel a little surplus to requirements, like they’ve been added to the title to encourage crossover readership. Both are well written though. Cap in particular. He’s a character I don’t usually care for (which can’t just be because I’m not American) and it was nice to see him believably presented as a compassionate, caring man instead of the military genius poster boy he tends to be in various Avengers titles.

The new art of Declam Shalvey takes some getting used but it’s fine once you do. Even if you’re not keen on it it can be overlooked because the writing is so strong. Posehn and Duggan continue to be the best writers to ever work on a Deadpool title. And this title continues to be one of the greatest successes of Marvel’s NOW! initiative.

Deadpool: Soul Hunter

The second trade paperback of the current Deadpool series brings a few new things with it. Chief among them is a new artist. The distinctive, emotive work of Tony Moore is out, replaced by the work of Mike Hawthorne and, for one issue only, Scott Koblish. The deliberately oddball plot of ghostly presidents invading America is also gone, replaced by something that allows for similar japes without feeling at all repetitive. There’s also a little exploration of the lead character’s origins, something Deadpool’s mostly avoided in his twenty years of Marvel appearances.

If you’re worried that giving ‘The Merc With a Mouth’ a definitive origin story will ruin him you don’t need to worry. Writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn are as aware that humour is what makes the character work as they were in their first six issue arc. They don’t overload on revelations. It’s more just a few hints and teases as to Deadpool having a past beyond the Weapon X here. And that’s a good thing, because over the last few years Deadpool has become one of the publisher’s more popular characters. Giving him a more substantial past helps to make him less of a Wolverine knock-off.

Fun is still the order of the day with this book though. That’s clear from the first issue of the collection, which sees Koblish come on board to provide the art for an eighties-inspired flashback story which sets up the rest of the issue. This includes amusing cameos from Peter Parker and J Jonah Jameson and Deadpool invading the fabled Genie in a Bottle Iron Man story. It’s the sort of story that’s perfect for Deadpool.

The central plot sees Deadpool having to track down members of the public who have gained superpowers by making deals with a demon. One is invulnerable to harm. The second is a clear (but well-meaning) riff on DC’s Aquaman and how ultimately useless his basic power is. Another is a businessman who can see into the future and who is modelled on a certain New York billionaire.

Along the way the current day Spiderman appears (that’s Doctor Octopus’s psyche in Peter Parker’s body, fact fans), along with a bunch of C-list villains. Seeing Deadpool battle the likes of Lady Stilt Man, The Trapster and his long-time pal-slash-enemy The Taskmaster in a climactic fight scene is a highlight of the book.

What’s most noteworthy about this collection in comparison to the first is that it could be considered a team book. Deadpool is still joined by the ghost of Benjamin Franklin and throughout the book as the soul of SHIELD Agent Preston in his mind. When he hooks back up with Michael the SHIELD psychic from Dead Presidents the team is complete.

As with the first collection Soul Hunter is a fun and enjoyable read written by people who know how to make Deadpool funny as well as interesting. That’s a rare combo, as history has proven. If you’ve ever wanted to read a Deadpool comic this is the series to begin with.

Deadpool: Dead Presidents

Deadpool is a character that has appealed to me since the moment I first heard about him. He's also a character that hasn't been written well in any of the comics I've read featuring him. That's a list that includes Suicide Kings and The Circle Chase trade paperbacks as well as various X-Men appearances. The Wolverine: Origins movie didn't do much for him either.

The idea of Deadpool is pretty simple. He's a mercenary with a Wolverine-style knack for healing any wound (and a similar Weapon X origin) but without the nice hair and normal skin. He quips and jokes like Spider-Man, but with far more pop culture references and nods toward the fact that he's a comic book character. He's also one of the few worthwhile Marvel or DC creations to come out of the mostly dreadful 90s.

It was hearing that he knew he’s a comic book character that originally made me think he'd be the greatest Marvel character I’d ever read. Panels I found on Google Image confirmed that the character could be genuinely amusing and had appeared in what looked like well written stories. Unfortunately the ones I picked up (mentioned above) were less than quality stuff. So I decided the character wasn't for me and went back to reading Vertigo books.

A few years later I heard about the character being rebooted through the Marvel NOW! line. The first collected volume shows that the creative team here knows how to make 'The Merc with a Mouth' work. There are two writers, Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan. Posehn has a background as a writer and comedian while Duggan has a varied writing background that includes everything from Uncnanny Avengers to Simpsons comics.

They make a good team. There's a clear love of comics and pop culture, with everything from Mighty Mouse to Planet of the Apes to Arrested Development being referenced. At one point there's a multi-panel sequence about Deadpool's mental instability which begins when he conspiratorially addresses the readers. I think the book's funny in part because the two writers were able to bounce ideas off of one another and see what worked.

They're joined by artist Tony Moore. His visuals immediately click with the writing and the character and prove a large part of the title's success. He was the original artist on The Walking Dead (something everyone who reviews this Deadpool book points out) which makes him a natural at drawing the large cast of foes (see below for why) and Deadpool's emaciated husk of a body. He provides suitably gory scenes without ever becoming so graphic as to appear unsettling. Considering some of the things he's tasked with drawing that could easily have happened.

The volume collects the first six issues of the series. The title, Dead Presidents, gives you a pretty fair summation of the plot. All of America's deceased Presidents are brought back to life and DP is called upon to dispatch them. That's basically all you need to know. If it's a concept that doesn't appeal you likely won't enjoy the book.

For those that do read the collection there's plenty to like. The wayward SHIELD Necromancer who's misguided actions begin the chain of events is a nicely realised character, as is put upon agent Preston, the one tasked with ridding the US of its former leaders in a quiet fashion. Even the ghost of Ben Franklin pops up as a supporting character. It's introducing this slight cast that helps to make the book work. They're all able to play the straight man to Deadpool's wisecracks, which is the best way of making him work, and also get their own moments of comedy not reliant on the star.

The plot ticks along through a steady stream of set pieces and exposition scenes. It's not the fanciest approach but it works well enough. Nobody’s reading Deadpool (or pretty anything from Marvel or DC) for bold storytelling approaches. The approach actually adds to Deadpool’s character. Perhaps it's because it allows him to go from electrocuting an elephant in a zoo to impersonating Marilyn Monroe and then on to battling Abraham Lincoln in a UFC setting without becoming stupid or dull.

As a standalone volume this works. It also works as the beginning of an ongoing series. The writers seem keen to make the book funny and interesting, and they achieve their goal. The book revels on being just the right amount of silly. If humorous Marvel titles are your bag then this is definitely something for you.