Could this be the best Deadpool story of this millenium?
It isnt enough that Deadpool is funny.
There has to be a certain level of pathos at his core.
He has to be serious at times to really work.
Mark Waid understood this.
Joe Kelly perfected this.
There needs to be some real emotion to ground him.
Luckily, the new guys dont fall into that trap.
Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan had a rough start when starting up the newDeadpoolvolume for Marvel NOW.
The series has started up a really great gimmick of following each major arc with a flashback issue.
There, the three face an albino pimp named the White Man.
This being comics, stuff that happened in the 70s only translates to having taken place several years ago.
In the issue that follows, we see the White Man return in the present.
Youd think that that would be the whole point of the flashback issue, but…not so much.
That threat is taken care of in one issue and the heroes move on.
Really, the dude draws one of the better depictions of unmasked Wade.
Hideous, yet at the same time, hard to look away from.
At first, Deadpool has nothing to go on.
Its there that he sees some of the output of those experiments.
Theyre all forced to serve due to their loved ones being imprisoned as hostages.
Except… that doesnt appear to be the case, after all.
I should note that one thing Ive been loving about the current volume is the use of Agent Preston.
WaysDeadpoolrun focused a lot on Deadpool speaking with two narration boxes that acted as parts of his own mind.
This was a band-aid to hide the lack of supporting cast and ultimately came out pretty hollow.
Here, it isnt 100% wacky.
Her opinions matter because she matters.
When she yells at Deadpool not to do something, theres actual weight behind it.
Having the straight man be an actual person is a major improvement.
Theres tragedy mixed with catharsis mixed with action with enough humor sprinkled in there to remind you its Deadpool.
Also, Posehn and Duggan proceed to expand upon Deadpools troubled backstory.
Is Deadpool Canadian or was he from Ohio and moved around a lot?
Is Deadpool truly Wade Wilson or was that an identity he stole from the man who later became T-Ray?
Butler is a great antagonist.
Captain Americas role here seems almost tacked on at times and the helmet hes wearing looks really wonky.
Wolverine, on the other hand, is shown to be a strong foil for Deadpool.
And yet, it isnt the end.
Theres more Posehn/Duggan stuff to read and more fun to be had.
These guys get Deadpool and Im glad their run is far from over.
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Rating:
5 out of 5
