Deadpool #55

Cover by Dave Johnson

Deadpool #55 (May 23, 2012)

Writer: Daniel Way

Penciller: Shawn Crystal

Colorist: John Rauch

Letterer: Joe Sabino

As a huge Deadpool fan, I was confused and anxious about the recent changes that the Merc with a Mouth had undergone. The majority of what makes Deadpool Deadpool had essentially disappeared. I was worried.

Deadpool #55, however, did alleviate some of my fears; Deadpool is still crazy, he still has the fun yellow boxes, and he still has a profound love for murder and being really, really good at it.

Deadpool #54

Cover by Dave Johnson

Deadpool #54 (May 9, 2012)

Writer: Daniel Way

Penciller: Alé Garza

Inker: Sean Parson

Colorist: Dommo Sanchez Amara

Letterer: Joe Sabino

I’m really torn about this issue.

For one thing, I am impressed with Way’s handling of what seemed to be a dead-end arc. While I had no idea how Way was going to conclude the Dead arc, I certainly wasn’t expecting this. Way managed to imbue new life into Deadpool so as to begin a new chapter in this character’s chaotic career. From this perspective, this is the perfect way to conclude a story arc and still pique the reader’s interest to see where Deadpool will be going after this.

On the other hand… I WANT MY OLD DEADPOOL BACK.

Okay, if you haven’t read Deadpool #54, I highly suggest you stop reading because I am about to totally spoil it for you; I need to get this off my chest.

Deadpool #52

Cover by Dave Johnson

Deadpool #52 (March 21, 2012)

Writer: Daniel Way

Penciller: Ale Garza

Inker: Sean Parsons

Colorist: Dommo Sanchez Amara

Letterer: Joe Sabino

My God, where have I been? Can someone volunteer to finish up my graduate work so I can get back to reading comics and writing about them? I need my own intern, damn it.

Anyway, real life has been hectic so I have been neglecting my blog/personal happy place. Oh, how I’ve missed you. In order to get back into the swing of comic book reading, I decided to return to someone as all over the place mentally as I have been lately: Deadpool.

In case you haven’t been keeping up with Deadpool’s latest run, he wants to kill himself. That isn’t particularly new but he’s getting progressively closer to actually offing himself. There’s a serum out there that can negate his healing factor and make him susceptible to death’s cold embrace, which he craves.

Deadpool: The Circle Chase #2

Cover by Joe Madureira

Deadpool: The Circle Chase #2 (September 1993)

Writer: Fabian Nicieza

Penciller: Joe Madureira

Inker: Mark Farmer

Colorist: Glynis Oliver

Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos

I'm going to be honest. I keep reading this comics hoping I'll find another awesome ad like the Batman Returns one. Sadly, there wasn't one as jaw-droppingly insane as that one, though there were a few for Dragon Strike, an introductory Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game that featured 3D graphics on VHS. Pretty ridiculous but definitely lacking.

Anyway, on to the actual comic. This was actually more enjoyable than the previous one if only for the fact that Nicieza finally had one main storyline to focus on rather than spending the entire issue introducing multiple characters and attempting to haphazardly tie them all together.

Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1

Cover by
Joe Madureira

Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1 (August 1993)

Writer: Fabian Nicieza, Joe Madureira

Penciller: Joe Madureira

Inker: Mark Farmer

Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos

Colorist: Glynis Oliver

Once again, I have no idea what’s going on.

Deadpool is being hunted by mercenaries in Sarajevo, his whiny friend Weasel (who for some reason has straight-up blue hair… not just black with blue highlights ala Clark Kent, but blue hair) is trying to make sense of the situation as they discuss the up-for-grabs estate of Tolliver (some mutant I am not familiar with) and then suddenly a fight breaks out with Weapon X. Also, the Juggernaut is in it looking for someone named Black Tom. Meanwhile, some other guy, Nyko, wants Deadpool killed. And apparently Deadpool wants to kill his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa. I don’t know. There was too much going on here.

I once made the assessment that a comic succeeds the most when it has the simplest plot. I stand by that. I really feel that single issue comics are a medium where less is more and if the plot of this comic had simply been Deadpool escaping mercenaries as he attempts to find Tolliver’s money, I probably would have enjoyed it a great deal more. Instead, Nicieza (who, as we reluctantly know, wrote my absolutely least favorite and jaw-droppingly sexist comic I’ve read thus far) shoved as many characters and subplots as humanly possible into this hot mess of a comic.

Deadpool #40

Cover by Dave Johnson

Deadpool #40 (July 13, 2011)

Writer: Daniel Way

Penciller: Carlo Barberi

Colorist: Tim Bradstreet

Inker: Walden Wong

Letterer: Joe Sabino

There are two things I really have to stop doing:

1)       Reading contemporary Deadpool comics

2)       Promising people that I’m not going to read contemporary Deadpool comics until I read some of the classics

I’ve been having trouble with these two items. I had sworn that I was going to forgo any more Deadpool but then I was able to get a hold of Deadpool #40 and I suddenly remembered how interested I was in the continuing story arc after finishing Deadpool #39. They sucked me in, damn it.

And of course, I was disappointed. Deadpool and I seem to have a very unhealthy relationship. I expect too much from him.

Fear Itself: Deadpool #1

Cover by Michael
Babinski

Fear Itself: Deadpool #1 (June 8, 2011)

Writer: Christopher Hastings

Penciller: Bong Dazo

Inker: Joe Pimentel

Colorist: Matt Milla

So this sucked.

I may as well be straight up about it. This comic sucked.

Look, I really want to like Deadpool. He seems like just the sort of character that I would love and damn it, I refuse to give up on him. After reading his first entry into the Fear Itself crossover series, however, the last and quickly diminishing rational part of my mind is screaming to give up on the Merc with a Mouth. I won’t, though. He has so much damn potential.

But seriously, after this one, I honestly believe I could write a much stronger Deadpool comic and I’ve only read two in my life. I knew things were going to be bad when the first page was one massive MC Hammer reference. Well done, Hastings, at least that joke isn’t 20 years too late. Seriously, for such a smart ass character, you would think Deadpool would have some newer material.

Deadpool #39

Cover by Dave Johnson,
Marko Djurdjevic

Deadpool #39

Writer: Daniel Way

Penciller: Bong Dazo, Joe Pimentel

Colorist: Andres Mossa

Letterer: VD’s Joe Sabino

As I have gotten more and more into comic books, I’ve discovered a couple characters that I’ve become really interested in and anxious to read more of. Deadpool is one such character, though, based completely on an extremely superficial knowledge of his background and history, I am worried that he is one of those comic book characters that suffers from awesome-idea-poor-execution syndrome and I will be perpetually disappointed in comics about him (my beloved Question also suffers from this horrible disorder).

But I am interested in Deadpool and therefore was excited to actually read one of his single issues, Deadpool #39. Of course it was right back smack in the middle of a story arc but to be frank, I am used to that by now.

Marvel told me on the opening page that Deadpool wanted to get himself killed (it’s hard with that tricky healing factor he’s got) so he decided to detonate two nuclear weapons in the Hulk’s face in an effort to piss the Hulk off so the Hulk will Hulk!Smash Deadpool into nothingness. Seems reasonable, though I am curious to just how the Hulk would survive nuclear weapons to the face. I know he’s all gamma-rayed up but still, wouldn’t that at least negatively impair your Hulk!Smash skills? But I quickly realized that Deadpool #39 was not exactly relying on the strongest of plots.