Deadpool, the ‘Merc with a Mouth’, finds himself part of the Marvel NOW! Revolution. Written by Gerry Duggan (The Infinite Horizon) and Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program), with artwork by Tony Moore (The Walking Dead, The Exterminators) and Val Staples (Criminal), Deadpool #1 exceeded my, albeit low, expectations.
A divisive character, who has always been on the periphery of my comic reading, the opening issue benefits from good jokes, delightful dialogue and cameos from Captain America and Thor. Although Agent Preston is reminiscent of Detective Soap from Garth Ennis’ Punisher run, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Most impressive are the jokes – they’re funny. There is a knowing cleverness to them, FDR’s ‘new deal’ is one such example. However, at this point I have two pressing concerns. Given the popular culture references, of which there are many, this comic will age quicker than yesterday’s news – even more so, under the Marvel NOW! banner. However, this is easily dismissed. It’s a good read – disposable entertainment, nothing more or less.
This, however, leads to a more worrying concern – a lack of depth. Beyond Deadpool being SHIELD’s go to guy when they can’t use an Avenger, what’ll be the hook? I’m intrigued to see how the creative team handle this in the coming issues, which I’ll certainly pick up. Ultimately this book will be fun – and we all need more fun right?
Tony Moore’s artwork, which I’ve been an admirer of for a long time, possesses an enthusiasm to it which is infective – I can’t wait for more. His art is complimented by Val Staples colours’ adding to the books’ fun feel. Colours and inks are oft overlooked – however here they are utilized to enhance the tone of the book.
There’s great potential here, hopefully it will be fully realised.
Mark Brassington 