Deadpool #56 Review

Following his beatdown at the hands of The Artist Formerly Known As Paste Pot Pete last ish, Wade Wilson awakes, battered and bruised (and missing a finger). ...He and the voices in his head ain't gonna let that happen again, right? Hellz no!

*Spoilers ahead...*



So Deadpool hooks up with the moves-assimilating merc, Tony Masters--a.k.a.Taskmaster--for a spot of re-training. What's in it for Tony? Well, Wade's ego's clearly fully intact as he sells the deal as Taskmaster also getting something from him--giving Deadpool a refresher course will raise Tony's game, too!?!

Tony gives it a moment's thought before teaming up with Deadpool for some on-the-job training, as the two hit Southern Nevada to try and score some weaponry-shrinking Pym Particles from a S.H.I.E.L.D. installation in the desert.

Wade's assigned with creating a diversion that'll distract S.H.I.E.L.D. security; and how's he gonna do this? By walking straight up to the door and forcing them to react. Tony's acting a little too 'buddy-buddy' with Wade and it all seems a bit 'easy.'

Predictably--and someone with Deadpool's intelligence and history with his would-be re-trainer should really have seen this coming--Tony sets Wade up to get blown to bits while he runs and nabs the loot. It doesn't matter, right? Deadpool's healing factor'll just kick in and make him all better again.

Only, Tony doesn't realize that's gone.
Tony.

Meanwhile, superbrain villain team The Intelligencia (of whom Pete is inexplicably a member) have picked Wade up on their radar and are watching him in action. Having been basking in the glory of defeating Deadpool for the last two weeks, Pastey (who now goes by the not-as-lame name of 'The Trapster') is dispirited at the news that Wade's back, a fortnight later, 'good as new.' Except he's not; The Trapster spots Wade's missing finger--a light bulb goes on in his otherwise-dim head--and he resolves to go and finish the job he started.


The Trapster.

Back in Nevada, Deadpool's in the throes of battle with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s snake-like defence-bots... During the course of this, he manages to electrocute himself, fall flat on his face, and almost get himself killed; he would have done if it wasn't for a last minute save by...?

This is not what I was expecting; I thought The Intelligencia as a whole would play a bigger role, whereas things so far are becoming increasingly Trapster-centric in that area. I was also expecting Deadpool to be raising his game and kicking ass--in a battle that could have been much more engagingly rendered by artist Shawn Crystal (when Wade blows apart one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. bots, it literally just comes apart, with no sense of `BANG!`). Another weakness in the chapter is the line delivered by Deadpool's savior at the end; which doesn't come off unless he's a long-distance mind reader.


Writer Daniel Way's 'Deadpool Reborn' arc so far could easily be retitled 'Deadpool Reborn as a Loser.' After relying on his healing factor with increasing complacency for so long, the new set-up affords Wade the opportunity to return to his roots as a cutthroat merc that could take almost anyone. I'm hoping that's where things are heading for the final part, because that ~^%# The Trapster needs his ass whupped. And whupped by The Merc with a Mouth. Bring it, Wade!