Punching People, Mercing Things, The Family Business: Reviewing ‘Deadpool’ #3

Krakoa and resurrection might be gone — but for some in the Marvel Universe, not dying is still all the rage. Especially among those with spiffy healing factors and some really mysterious dudes who are all enamored with death, with their own cult to boot.

No, not Thanos and his whole love affair with death. That guy had it going on back in the old days. Another guy, named Death Grip, who is dead set on taking down the merc with a mouth just as Wade finds a new connection to his (non-symbiote) daughter in Deadpool #3. A death-defying tale from Cody Ziglar, Roge Antônio, Guru-eFX, and Joe Sabino.

Used the word “death” or related terms quite a bit there. I’d say this is likely the last bit…but why would I lie to you now?

Anyway, this has been a pretty engaging new title for Deadpool and company. Just enough of a plotline to keep things semi-focused, while also having enough room to just sort of do whatever around the point. This is the Deadpool special after all; being relevant to things but also being able to bounce off that fourth wall and be a cartoon character in a ‘serious’ world. Honestly, this version is my favorite type of Wade, and Ziglar does him well.

A dash of emotional depth and real connections, but nothing that stops the fun from being had. While making sure the character doesn’t become the one-note pop culture reference throwing fool who doesn’t break the fourth wall, but utterly obliterates it (I’m looking at you movie Deadpool…).

Never thought I’d have the thought “Glad someone remembered Solem,” but here we are. Not because I like the character or anything, but it was just nice to see some pieces that came with the Krakoan era making it beyond the end of those times. Since the new X-Line is dedicated to mostly wiping all the gains from the board for the sake of nostalgia.

But that’s a discussion for elsewhere. (Like here…or here…)

Hitting those notes means that the artist has to also catch them and reflect them back, which Antônio does quite well. Playing with the page format so that panels are just as off the wall as the title-character. Hard hitting serious kinetic action, with enough whimsical energy to nail the other facets the character needs for his rubber band type of universe.

Slicing, dicing, shooting, and bloodying up the place in that harder core PG-13 way. Meaning this series doesn’t need to partake of Marvel’s latest rebranded gimmick that is the Red Band issues (Marvel MAX by another name is just still Marvel MAX).

Keeping with the theme is the palette brought into play by Guru-eFX. Filled with a lot of very natural space types of colors, to help make the locations and most things on the page hit that “Oh Marvel is right outside your window” feeling. Letting some of the more outrageous bits, such as costumes or mystical things, be where the more vibrant loud tones come into play. Deadpool is surrounded by a lot of zany things more often than not, so it’s a delicate balance to try and make his place in the world feel solid.

A tangible recognizable thing we can imagine walking into. So far, this book is making it work quite well.

I might have mentioned all the wall-breaking and quipping the lead character does, as if you don’t already know that. In live-action or animated shows they can just throw Ryan Reynolds or various voice actors out there to give visual and audio life to the character. I bet right now you might be hearing those particular voices when reading, it’s only natural. On the page, though, a letterer has to bring the same type of energy to the page so that we can also ‘hear’ the character.

Sabino is pretty good at that, letting the personality, emotions, and other beats radiate from every word on the page. Allowing characters to be themselves, be that quiet or loud or witty or just mean. Little inflections or alterations which help boost a feeling or tone in the moment. Not to mention the colorful bubbles which also always help, not just because they are fun to look at. But helping differentiate things while also infusing those bits already mentioned.

Deadpool #3 is now available from Marvel Comics.