Deadpool #6 – Review

By: Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan (Writers), Tony Moore (Artist), Val Staples (Colorist)

The Story: Deadpool needs to bring the fight to the last presidents remaining to save America, but also to avenge agent Preston.

The Review: Color me impressed. If there was one title I was planning initially to completely skip in the Marvel Now! initiative, it was Deadpool.* Sure, there was Tony Moore on art, but there also was two unknown author bringing some kind of zombie president story that did not interest me in the slightest. Six issues later, I’d be hard pressed not to say how much I enjoy it. To me, this is one of the best take on Deadpool since a long time, for many reasons.

The first one is very simple: they treat him like a character. Handling the finale of the latest issue with panache, we can see that Deadpool is actually sad and angry about Preston’s death, the one agent of S.H.I.E.L.D who believed that he could do the job. Here, most of the action is motivated by his desire to honor what happened to her. Sure, it does not mean he stops the unending barrage of jokes, but there is a certain dramatic tension present here that is pleasant to read. There is more purpose here than money, both for the plot and the character, which gives us more of the Deadpool I grew up to love, the Kelly/Remender/Priest version that just wanted to belong, to be appreciated.

Deadpool #6 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: With Deadpool #6, the series heads into Dark Reign by putting the Merc with a Mouth on a collision course with Norman Osborn and the Thunderbolts. But first, as revealed last issue, Wade Wilson must deal with Tiger Shark. Should be fun to see how that plays out…

The Story: Deadpool battles Tiger Shark, meets a potential love interest, and comes to the conclusion that someone wants him dead. Also, the titular character cracks jokes and inadvertently becomes part of a hostage crisis. In other words, it’s pretty much business as usual in this issue.

What’s Good: While it certainly isn’t the deepest comic on the stands, the sixth issue works well because the creative team knows exactly what makes a character like Wade Wilson work. On the writing end, Daniel Way’s script revels in dark, offbeat humor and graphic (sometimes gratuitous) violence, while still managing to keep the character thoroughly fun to follow. And with the addition of a possible love interest, it’s almost impossible not to want to root for the main character. As for the art, it continues to be perfectly suited for the tone of the book. Paco Medina and his art team make Deadpool’s world (and the events that take place in it) slick, stylish, and loaded with personality.

What’s Not So Good: Despite the fact that there’s a lot to like about Deadpool’s encounter with Tiger Shark and the chaos that ensues, Deadpool #6 might be the weakest issue of the series so far; considering how strong the others are. But don’t take that as a big negative. The biggest problem is that it feels as though a few parts of the issue only exist to get a laugh. Now I;m not saying I have something against the style of humor Way employs, but this time around some of it just simply gets in the way. For example, a nearly four pages are spent on Tiger Shark’s encounter with a guy in charge of the shark tank at an aquarium. Was it funny? Sure, to an extent. But it feels like the pages could have been used for something much better.

Conclusion: While not quite as strong as other issues, I still consider the Merc’s latest story a hell of a fun read. In addition, it serves as a nice, lighthearted appetizer before the Deadpool/Thunderbolts crossover takes the series into darker territory. Check it out.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny