Deadpool Wants Death

As many of you know, I'm gunning to work on Deadpool and if I'm able break the the door down, I'd love to play with some of Wade's friends (not it that way), so I was looking forward to the latest issue of Deadpool (#36) as it promised a tearful reunion with them...

After taking out the galaxy's Numero Uno merc Macho Gomez and stealing his space ship to fly off and take his status, too, Wade's trip to outer space concluded with his obliteration of Id the Selfish Moon--but--though successful--Wade was left feeling empty, "In space, no-one can hear you win."

So Deadpool's returned to Earth, looking for some love. Looking for his friends...

Crash-landing on the island he'd previously left Hydra Bob on--and inadvertently decimating the-world's-biggest-popcorn-kernel that Bob's just spent the last God-knows-how-long proudly creating, Wade seeks reaffirmation from his bud--but finds that, not only is it not forthcoming, but that Macho Gomez is still alive and has rounded up Wade's friends to take him out! And Bob's just alerted them.

What follows is an all-out fight as Gomez, Taskmaster, Weazel, Sluggo, The Great Lakes Avengers' Big Bertha, and Blind Al and her dog Deuce attempt to kill Deadpool--and for a moment there, they succeed. Deadpool dies and is briefly reunited with the love of his life, Death; whereupon, she informs him that this is what he's always wanted from his friends. To deliver him to her.

Then Wade's healing factor kicks and he's brought kicking and screaming back into the land of the living; his friends--except for Bob--having dispersed.

I'd hoped for more from Wade's reunion with his buddies--particularly from Blind Al, who I'm a big fan of from her days as Wade's roommate/hostage in Joe Kelly's seminal run on the book--and Al, and some of the others assembled, wanting to kill Deadpool is inconsistent with what's come before from them, which writer Daniel Way attempts to get past with the Death-love argument (the implication being that some of them want to kill him because they do care about him).

I can't really swallow what Way's selling here without there having been more exposition on the individual characters' motivations, but bringing Death, and Wade's feelings for her, back is consistent--and welcome--as are Wade's fun psychotic love/hate exchanges with Hydra Bob, bookending the issue, and the art from Sheldon Vella, which hits the right tone.

Introspective, following his meeting with Death, Wade has a dialogue with himself which runs: "Okay, so... what I'm looking for is friends--which I'll never have...that'll kill me--which'll never happen...because I want somebody to care about me. Except no-one ever will."

If Wade's head was a mess before, it's a huge mess now.

There's only one solution.

Death.

Things have taken a darker turn and from what I've seen of what's coming up for Deadpool, this isn't gonna go well for him...

Deadpool Preview

Having spent the last three months promoting my Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman's color debut in Digital Visions #4--which is still available to download free at the post below--it's time to show my other favorite merc some love in a don't say 'finger-lickin' family bucket-sized Preview!

If you've been following Wade's adventures in the Deadpool ongoing you'll know that he kicked alien bounty hunter Macho Gomez's ass, ditched the idea of trying to be a hero, and jetted off into space, taking Gomez's job as top banana intergalactic merc.

Well, after his space adventures wrap up, Deadpool's back on Earth in Deadpool #36, and so's Gomez--and this time he's brought friends. Deadpool's friends.

One of these, I'd love to see brought back as a fixture. As some of you know, I'm gunning to work on Deadpool and have recently been developing my ideas--and those I've spoken to about this will know who I'm talking about--but right now I'm working on breaking that Merc-with-a-Mouth-shaped door down.

Which of Wade's buddies will feature in Gomez's 'kill Deadpool crew' has yet to be revealed, but all of those present have an axe to grind with Wade, and things seemingly don't go well because following this, Wade wants to die!... which, as any Deadpool fan will know, isn't an easy task because of his healing power... so he has to figure out a way...

"It has to be big. It has to be powerful beyond description. It has to be... green?..."

The Hulk also features in 3-part crossover event Identity Wars--running through the Amazing Spider-Man, Deadpool and Incredible Hulks annuals in April-June.

Written By John Layman (Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness, Chew) and illustrated by Lee Garbett (Judge Dredd, Batgirl), this sees Spidey, Hulk and Deadpool thrown into an alternate reality, facing--and switching places with--alternate versions of themselves, where Spidey is the world's most popular and powerful hero, The Hulk wields magic, and Wade is a super-sane criminal mastermind!

Talking about the event at Marvel.com, Layman said the Deadpool Annual is "bonkers chaos;" "the great fun to the Deadpool story is pitting cold, calculating, ruthless sanity against Deadpool’s trademark goofy madness."

And speaking of 'goofy madness', in Marvel's big crossover Fear Itself, Wade gets his Hammer on.

Written by Christopher Hastings (the creator of webcomic Dr. McNinja) and illustrated by Merc with a Mouth's Bong Dazo, in 3-issue mini-series Fear Itself: Deadpool--coming in June--Deadpool decides the Marvel Universe being gripped by fear is a great way to make money--but when he's chosen as one of 'the worthy' and granted an enchanted hammer, fate may have other plans...