Review: Deadpool (Wade Wilson's War)

The biggest problem with coming in as a new fan to a superhero comic series is that there are SOOO-OOO-OOO many variants (unrelated or partially related storylines) and basically everything on the shelf is issue #74 or #129 and that's a LOT of catching up to do.

I got into Deadpool via the Merc With a Mouth series. At around issue 12, there were some new variants on the shelves - all miniseries (4 issues per series), so I felt like my bank account wouldn't be too shattered ;) the most recent of these provides good insight to Deadpool's origins and a nice introduction to the humour and complexity of the character for those seeking a superhero comic to get into.

I loved the covers that I got, they were all scattered with newspaper headline type slogans:

All images are belong to Marvel, I don't own Deadpool. He's not house-trained.

art
Deapool's art doesn't seem to undergo any huge stylistic changes, which is good. I like the way it's done. Most of the female characters are done in the exaggerated T&A style - meaning big boobs, unrealistic proportions, and skimpy clothes, but Deadpool himself is so funny I don't mind. It's a 'classic' hero comic, meaning that the hypersexualisation and objectification of female characters is pretty much tradition, unfortunately. Deapool's humour helps negate that a little bit.

story
Deadpool's brain is in three segments and a lot of the dialogue in the comics is between them. There is none of that in this particular series, which made me a bit sad because it's one of my favourite things about him.

One quick warning about Deadpool - he breaks the fourth wall fairly often, either by talking to the reader or, in the case of this particular series, specifically referencing the fact that he's in a comic book.

 My favourite cover of the series. "America's next top psychopath"... that made me laugh.

This miniseries is radically different in content to a lot of Deadpool's other stuff. Generally when you open a DP comic you can expect to find the following:
*Explosions
*Snark
*Singing
*Women not wearing much
*Pop culture references
*Explosions
*Guns
*Snark
*Explosions

Are you seeing a pattern yet? In Wade Wilson's War there's not a lot of the usual back-and-forth between Deadpool and, er, Deadpool. Instead we the reader get a glimpse into Deadpool's painful past and twisted psyche. Though a lot more cerebral than I'm used to from the good ol' masked quipster, I really enjoyed this miniseries.

conclusion
If you like wit, sarcasm, and action, you'll love Deadpool. This is a great series for old and new fans alike. 

Stay tuned for a review of Deadpool: Pulp (when I get my hot li'l hands on #3 and #4) among many many others!