Deadpool #52 Review

Part 3 of DEAD. The Wilson wagon starts to shake--and then...

As we begin this issue, Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool is continuing to play everyone in his neo-chaotic game of 'Chess' as he attempts to smoke out the lethal serum that will negate his super-charged healing factor and kill him, enabling him to be with Death. Last issue, Wolverine's son Daken blew up the lab that the serum was made in, and may or may not now be in possession of the final vial.


Having fed Daken information and manipulated him, it appears likely that Deadpool is aware of Daken's actions when he calls him to pass on a--made up--message from Wolverine, telling him to get out of town, whilst planting a bomb beneath the restaurant table he's sat at--severely spoiling Wolvery Jnr.'s meal.

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Meanwhile, Wade's sent his sidekick Hydra Bob back to The Kingpin's HQ supposedly to relay info back on weak spots that Deadpool and his X-Force team-mates can use to attack the Kingpin through--Deadpool having told them that The Kingpin possesses the lethal serum. But The Kingpin's captured Bob and is holding him as bait, as he wants Deadpool to come for him.


Hitting The Kingpin's HQ through something far from a weak spot--immediately ambushed by his ninja The Hand and right-hand woman Typhoid Mary, X-Force engage in a fast-pased battle; and having got away with playing all sides for the first two parts of this arc, now that X-Force--this time, including Deadpool--and The Kingpin's crew are thrown together, Wade's lies start to get revealed and his team-mates smell a rat.

Throwing a barrier in their way so he can go after the escaping Kingpin himself, bypassing the held-hostage Bob, fighting the feelings of guilt the voices in his head throw up over his actions, Deadpool pursues the big guy in the hope that The Kingpin really is now in possession of the serum, and another of Deadpool's 'Chess pieces' takes his place--but then in the final three pages, there are two twists!

Guest art team Ale Garza & Sean Parsons do a nice job, Dommo Sanchez does his usual outstanding job on the coloring, and writer Daniel Way allays concerns I had that the vast majority of this 5-part arc would be spent on build up.

After the end of this issue, who knows what's coming next.

UPDATE 4/6/12: Looks like the end of the ish was no hoax--although doesn't quite mean what some of us may have thought it did--check out a Preview of Deadpool #53 at Comics-X-Aminer! (contains spoilers!)