Deadpool #1

By Kelly Thompson, Chris Bachalo, VC’s Joe Saibino, Wayne Faucher, Tim Townsend, Al Vey, Jaime Mendoza, Livesay, Victor Olazaba, and David Curiel

Once again Deadpool gets a new ongoing series in Deadpool #1 but this time feels different as it quickly puts Wade into the role of king of the monsters. Having a focus on Deadpool in this new role may prove to be an interesting and fun take on the character with lots of opportunities for whacky stories. The initial set up may take some convincing for new readers to get pulled into but this book has potential.

Kelly Thompson takes the reins on Deadpool #1 and brings with her her ability to write a story with a lot of fun and whimsy but the capability to take a dark or dramatic turn. The issue begins as many Deadpool stories do with Wade taking on a new mercenary job for a great payday. Where this issue veers off from the typical formula is that Wade unknowingly makes himself king of the monsters by killing off the old one. The humor in this book is good in general, though there were some instances where overdone jokes were made. We can see the cast of characters that will populate this book slowly starting to form as various characters get introduced throughout the issue. It is also interesting to see which characters will stick around for the series as this comic is not afraid to kill off characters in brutal ways. This book does not shy away from the bloodshed and uses it effectively, whether it’s to make the reader laugh at the absurdity of it or to surprise them at the brutality of it. The ending of this issue will give the reader that surprise brutality and make them excited for the next issue to see how this pans out.

The art team consisting of Chris Bachalo, VC’s Joe Saibino, Wayne Faucher, Tim Townsend, Al Vey, Jaime Mendoza, Livesay, Victor Olazaba, and David Curiel has a whimsical style that fits this story well. The only complaint, is that there are times where there is so much on the page during the action scenes that it makes it a little hard to follow. Colors play a large role in this book and are used effectively to set the mood in many of the panel. The mood can change pretty rapidly in this issue and the colors do a good job of accenting that change in mood. The colors in the flashback scenes have a certain look to them with being toned down, except for the reds, which gave it a sort of noir feel to them. The action scenes and humorous moments will be filled with bright and light colors. Finally the darker moments in the book will have a darker and blue tone to them that really makes the scene jarring and different from the rest of the issue.

Deadpool #1 is a new start for the “merc with a mouth” and feels different from previous Deadpool books. This issue may take a little convincing at first with a slow and traditional start but by the end of the issue you will be sucked in and interested in how the story plays out in the following issue.