The Despicable Deadpool #288

Gerry Duggan’s long Deadpool saga is a strong testament to what’s possible when a writer remains on board a series for years at a stretch. Duggan has spent years building up Wade Wilson, giving him a defined family unit, helping him win the respect of his fellow heroes and generally making him a more dynamic and critical presence in the Marvel Universe. And now Duggan gets to pay off on all that buildup as he pulls the rug out from under Wade and brings it all crashing down. This darker direction for Deadpool works precisely because it builds on the last five years’ worth of stories.

Granted, those hoping for a comedy-driven Deadpool comic may feel a bit left out by this new direction. But it’s not as if fans are starved for alternatives these days. And more to the point, Duggan’s run has always been at its best when it focuses on the darker, more emotionally raw side of Wade’s existence. There’s plenty of absurdity at work in this issue. Wade wearing Cable’s cybernetic arm and interacting with his own AI assistant adds a nice bit of comedic punch to the conflict, but ultimately it’s mere garnish for a very dark tale of two former allies becoming bitter enemies.

Duggan really taps into that fractured Cable/Deadpool dynamic here, channeling both their buddy cop dynamic and the fact that neither character has ever fully trusted the other. As played out as the whole “hero vs. hero” angle is these days, it works in the context of this book and in light of the tragic direction Wade’s life has taken since Secret Empire. Having Scott Koblish on board helps maintain a high level of consistency even as the series renumbers and renames itself for Marvel Legacy. Koblish’s quirky style has rarely suited Duggan’s scripts better. Koblish captures the grim, depressing quality of this conflict and Wade’s generally bleak state of mind. At the same time, Koblish is able to balance that out with a zany energy. The tone may be fairly dark as far as Deadpool comics go, but there’s still plenty of visual comedy afoot as Wade slices and dices his way through the Time Variance Authority and gears up for his rematch with Cable. 

The Despicable Deadpool #288

Gerry Duggans long Deadpool saga is a strong testament to whats possible when a writer remains on board a series for years at a stretch. Duggan has spent years building up Wade Wilson, giving him a defined family unit, helping him win the respect of his fellow heroes and generally making him a more dynamic and critical presence in the Marvel Universe. And now Duggan gets to pay off on all that buildup as he pulls the rug out from under Wade and brings it all crashing down. This darker direction for Deadpool works precisely because it builds on the last five years worth of stories. Granted, those hoping for a comedy-driven Deadpool comic may feel a bit left out by this new direction. But its not as if fans are starved for alternatives these days. And more to the point, Duggans run has always been at its best when it focuses on the darker, more emotionally raw side of Wades existence. Theres plenty of absurdity at work in this issue. Wade wearing Cables cybernetic arm and interacting with his own AI assistant adds a nice bit of comedic punch to the conflict, but ultimately its mere garnish for a very dark tale of two former allies becoming bitter enemies. Duggan really taps into that fractured Cable/Deadpool dynamic here, channeling both their buddy cop dynamic and the fact that neither character has ever fully trusted the other. As played out as the whole hero vs. hero angle is these days, it works in the context of this book and in light of the tragic direction Wades life has taken since Secret Empire. Having Scott Koblish on board helps maintain a high level of consistency even as the series renumbers and renames itself for Marvel Legacy. Koblishs quirky style has rarely suited Duggans scripts better. Koblish captures the grim, depressing quality of this conflict and Wades generally bleak state of mind. At the same time, Koblish is able to balance that out with a zany energy. The tone may be fairly dark as far as Deadpool comics go, but theres still plenty of visual comedy afoot as Wade slices and dices his way through the Time Variance Authority and gears up for his rematch with Cable.