Deadpool #57 Review

For those who've just joined us, thanks to a serum ordered up by supervillain Tombstone, Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool no longer has his healing factor, and its dawned on him that he'd become over-reliant on it and his Merc with a Mouth skills aren't what they used to be; so he's hooked up with his 'frienemy,' the skull-masked Taskmaster, for some retraining after getting his ass handed to him by lame-o villain The Trapster a.k.a. Paste Pot Pete.

Taskmaster and Deadpool have gone to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility to steal some weapon-shrinking Pym Particles, but Tasky's screwed Wade over--leaving him to draw fire from the S.H.I.E.L.D. 'bots while he nabs the particles (though this can be somewhat justified as Tasky presumably thinks Deadpool's still unkillable). While this is going on, Paste Pot Pete, who's learned of Deadpool's newfound killability, has shown up to finish him off.

DEADPOOL REBORN Part 3: 'Get Your Swagger On'... *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

For starters, that cover image above? Forget it. If, like me, you were hoping for 'Pool to lay the smack down on Pete, you're not gonna find that; but Wade does basically 'own' Pete, in a different way, here--and shows him that the Merc with a Mouth hadn't adjusted to his now-fallible status in their previous encounter--which had provided Pete with a lucky break that ain't gonna happen again.

Then there's the matter of Deadpool getting past the S.H.I.E.L.D. 'bots and getting payback on Taskmaster--in which Wade more fully demonstrates that he's getting back on his game by smoothly taking care of bizniz.

...Before it's revealed that Taskmaster knows Deadpool's lost his healing factor and has screwed him again by selling this info to Black Box.

However, though Deadpool didn't get this when Taskmaster screwed him the first time, Tasky has fulfilled his part of the deal they entered into when they agreed to team up to steal what the wacked-out Wade had mistakenly believed to be 'Pimp Articles;' he has given Deadpool the on-the-job training he needed to get his skills back on track.

Which is good, because Black Box has a tendency to sell the important info he collects, and word is now gonna get out that Deadpool's lost his healing factor and is killable.

There are some amusing lines from Wade in here--including a messed-up 'Human Centipede' threat that took me a bit of working out before I lost my lunch from it, and our boy and the voices in his head are settling back into comedic/ass-kicking mode after the more serious/introspective tones of recent events. As for the action, the artwork from Shawn Crystal, though nice, doesn't immerse you in the action as much as it should.

The Evil Deadpool arc's artist Salvador Espin returns for the 'Blacklisted' arc--featuring the return of a bunch of old Deadpool foes that have 'Black' in their name--kicking off in late-July's Deadpool #58, and once again I'm intrigued at what's coming.

If you haven't checked out my big Deadpool Preview yet, you can get the skinny on what's in store for Wade once the cat's out of the bag regarding his newfound vulnerability here...

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!

Deadpool #55 Review

Deadpool Reborn Part 1: Bright Bright Sunshiny Day.

So, thanks to Tombstone's serum, Wade Wilson has his looks back. But it's looking like it's gonna take some adjusting to. He's still having a recurring nightmare about people being horrified at his old scarred appearance and, not having needed to shave in a good long while, he manages to make deep cuts in his face while doing so. Cuts that would previously have healed in minutes that will now take days, due to the serum also having taken out his super-charged healing factor.

Despite this, with his new lease on life, Deadpool is feeling good, feeling alive, and, ironically, feeling indestructible; his confidence at an all-time high.

So what's he gonna do with himself now, having spent the last two days staring at his handsome healed face in the mirror, go score some hot chicks--as the cover would suggest--? No, he hides the new marks on his face with his mask and decides to go show the world the Merc with a Mouth is back by setting his sights on, not just a super-villain but a group of them--The Intelligencia.

Aboard their seafaring HQ, The Intelligencia's leader, MODOK, is briefing the others, announcing that their next grand scheme is to... do nothing. With all the in-fighting currently going on in the world of tights, most notably the Avengers vs. X-Men (and The Intelligencia's line-up changed and not as strong as it was originally), MODOK surmises that the good guys are gonna take care of themselves, so the villains need to be planning their move to capitalize on that once it happens.

Only, they don't get to discuss this, because here's Deadpool, cockier than ever, setting off bombs in their cruiser--sinking it and taking his leave. The villains--who, for a group calling themselves 'The Intelligencia', sure have a habit of acting like morons--compound Deadpool's damage by blowing one of the doors off in an attempt to escape--flooding the place, now that it's partially underwater due to Wade's pyrotechnics.

And Deadpool sails away in a dingy. Fade to black...

... Only... Not.

Wade's trademark shooting his mouth off has given one of the Intelligencia an idea and by the end of the issue, Wade's pretty new face ain't so pretty anymore as he's given a big reality check on what it means to be Deadpool sans his healing factor.

After the more serious than usual tone of the prior arc, DEAD, I was expecting this to be pure fun as the Merc with a Mouth goes back into action with a new lust for life. What we actually get--nicely illustrated by artist-for-this arc Shawn Crystal--is writer Daniel Way continuing to develop Wade's character, coming out of that arc, and it's a new dawn, alright. Just not in the way Wade thought it would be.

This is the beginning of something different, a good jumping-on point if you've never checked out Deadpool or dropped it because of the lack of solid character development that plagued much of this run.

Deadpool's vulnerable now and is gonna have to raise his game if he's gonna survive this 'Bright, sunshiny' new day.