DEADPOOL {4th Series} #7
over-sized 25th anniversary special!!!
Covers by: Tony Moore; John Tyler Christopher; Tony Harris; Rahzzah; Skottie Young
[#secretcomicvariant by Gerry Duggan, Scott Koblish, Guru-eFX, Joe Sabino]
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $9.99
“The End of an Error” (20 pages)
Writer: Gerry Duggan
Artist: Scott Koblish
Colorist: Nick Filardi
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Taking a stroll down memory lane definitely doesn’t apply to Wade Wilson. His head space is vacant and he needs to clarify one major thing that is nagging his noggin.
DP has to hit up [literally!] those have done him wrong, mainly. Roll out the rolodex!! To keep in line with Wade’s wackiness, I will relate events in the order I see fit.
This is a mini-tour of the Marvel prime universe. Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist has no idea why DP is up in his business nor does he care. Minor transgression. Moving on.
Mr. Merc lashes out at The Hand, the deadly ninjas that make Daredevil’s life a rigorous run-through. Wade’s recollection of things is so unreliable that he doesn’t realize he’s pulling a Dory engaging with the enemy. One of the ninjas whines about the semi-regular beatdown. How is it that Wade can intimidate these intrepid assassins?? This will recur in the near future.
No man should ever ignore the missus. Shiklah is making damn sure of that. She will declare WWIII if he doesn’t drop in for some much-needed nookie ;-P She cuffs him after the deed but that was idiotic since he gnaws his right hand to break free.
Who’s next? That’s the billion-dollar question. Pause!! Smack dab in the middle in big red letters: CREED WAS THERE. The phrase usually is “here”. There could be anywhere. That doesn’t ring any bells for the loopy lawbender.
Let’s take a trip through time. In the early second millennium, Wade is waiting to buy the seventh Harry Potter novel. Despite the nascency of the net and the effort to avoid spoilers, there’s a drive-by revealing a major character’s demise. That sure pisses off our man Wilson. He gets his man years later, obviously.
Another flip-flop between timelines. Doc Samson’s session with the smart Hulk is interrupted by Wade. Doc pledges his life to properly examine the manic mercenary. Promises are meant to be broken. Samson has kicked the bucket. That doesn’t stop DP from digging up his grave to verify the veracity.
To whom can he turn? Madcap is unreliable. Preston is pissed. Foolkiller offers his amateur diagnosis. He’s hired!
Some solace comes to him. Wade shades over a torn page of his grudge book. Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth is going to face a reckoning!!
Gerry Duggan has been DP’s caretaker since late 2013 with the launch of volume three. The extraordinary thing about that is the commitment and dedication to this much-loved cartoony character. The previous series as well as this current one have been shipping mostly bi-weekly!! Thus, this chimichanga makes it #52 (beware, Distinguished Competition!) Mr. Duggan shared the credits with Brian Posehn for the entire run of the third launch but he now flies solo!!
My first read of this did not impress me. It’s a simple enough story that didn’t squeeze my nether-regions. I was not keen on DP sharing a two-page spread with his new crew minions The Heroes for Hire The Mercs for Money. The Weapon Plus reject can have as many friends as he likes but since there is a now a mini bearing the same name, I feel there does not need to be an acknowledgement. I wonder how coincidental this grouping is given the Distinguished Competition’s resident raving lunatic having her own entourage. To be fair, one of the members gives Wade a satisfactory mental diagnosis, so that’s something.
Deadpool is just breaking the fourth wall, he’s tearing thru the MU his way!! No one is safe from his temper. If one is lucky, one simply has to be put up with his annoying interludes. Mr. Duggan smartly makes this story seem like a Seinfeld episode. There are laughs to go around but where this differs is that the reader is held in suspense over the next arc when DP will slug it out with Creed (not Rocky’s opponent). There is a comedic blend of the inane and the insane, the melodramatic and the moronic, the guffaws and the grief. Wade’s grudge could be literally much ado about nothing or it could be a major-shaking event. You will have to wait at least 30 days to learn more.
Scott Koblish disgustingly (I mean that in the most positive way) draws Wade’s ugly mug. DDDAAAMMMNNN!! Did the cancer become more aggressive or was he always this grostesque? AAAWWW. Relax. I’m not being mean. I like the crazed Canuck. Two merit badges go to the double-page spread of DP’s HQ or whatever you want to call it. His base has more layers than Inception!! Mr. Koblish also cagily draws the most inconspicuous things. You really won’t notice unless you blink more than twice. That, or give it a thorough re-reading like I did.
Nick Filardi appropriately reflects Wade’s foul mood by focusing on darker shades. There is a beautiful interposing of the red and black (not coincidentally the same colours as DP’s costume) in a haunting silhouette as Wade leans over in despair of trying to dig deep into the archives of his mind. I have made this realization: Wade’s condition has worsened with the increased level of frustration. The red blotches on his face heighten his pain.
Joe Sabino is long past training wheels. I marvel at all the distinct things: the sound FX and the signage. The absolute best are the three words sprawled across two pages of Wade’s brooding black book as well as the ‘secret message’ discovered after using a No. 2 pencil. To top it all off, Mr. Sabino has done seventy other pages in this tome all by his lonesome :0
Extra content featuring solo tales of Wade’s playmates. Ten pages each.
I am more forgiving in this second look. It’s no ‘accident’ that this review is posted the same day as the release of the major motion picture starring Ryan Reynolds. I give this book 8 rotten tomatoes out of 10.
A few more things before I officially end this. I predict this will be the newest character to break the internet and fuel the franchise:
Speaking of…here is some shamless promotion. Rather, a major marketing force!
I will plug my local comic shop. I easily grabbed a copy of the regular cover. However, you can purchase all the variants:
Stock up on multiple copies of all these history-making covers!! Oh yeah, my fave store also endorses the Degenerate Regenerate ;-P
