Does Whatever A Mercenary Can: Reviewing ‘Deadpool’ #1

How do a mercenary and their alien-symbiote dog mend their broken hearts? Why, by racking up a body count, of course. The Merc with a Mouth is back in his own monthly title again, and this time it’s about business before pleasure.

Except, he takes pleasure in his business, so it might be a fifty-fifty split. Oh well, it’s time to get back to business in style with Deadpool #1 from Cody Ziglar, Rogê Antônio, Guru-eFX, and Joe Sabino.

Comics used to, more often than not, have an improv “yes, and” feeling to them. Meaning that when one run ended, the next would pick up the baton and start running, keeping elements of the previous run but building on it to do their own stuff without outright ignoring or contradicting what came before. Then things changed and more runs became very self-contained as Marvel and DC began to relaunch titles often for new creative teams.

It was refreshing to see that this run, while doing its own thing, is built heavily upon what came before it in the most recent Deadpool series written by Alyssa Wong. Naturally, it’s no surprise. That is exactly how Ziglar approached his current run on Miles Morales: Spider-Man, a book that picked up events, themes, and characters from the previous run while marching to its own beat.

My favorite type of Deadpool is one that has that goofiness and humor to him, but also has a very serious emotional aspect to him. Not letting the fourth wall breaking or humor just be there for humor’s sake but being that mask he wears to avoid the deep wells of pain and serious emotion. Ziglar nails that so well here and creates a fun little adventure to kick off this new series of events for the character.

Matching that energy is the really fluid energetic work of Antônio artistically. Giving everything a very whimsical fun energy that doesn’t negate or pull back from the rougher or bloodier moments. Speaking of which, those moments are in that sweet spot of being bloody and over-the-top without dipping into gore porn moments. We get the point without that point having to be dragged out, like Deadpool’s katanas through the guts of anonymous thugs.

A mix of heavier darker toned colors and those that are poppier works for this character and story. Guru-eFX hits the different levels, allowing the costumed figure bright energy really radiate. Princess, Wade’s symbiote dog naturally, especially really works here. She is of course something fantastical and beyond our reality and should be a vibrant red, but it’s a red that feels natural while also outlandish.

Any Deadpool book comes with plenty of opportunities to do fun things with lettering, and Sabino works that well. Bright colorful bubbles, loud bloody SFX, logo name drops, clear volume and tonal changes, and so much more. Every bit of sound feels accurate and resonates in our minds as we read through it.

Deadpool #1 is now available from Marvel Comics.