Review: Marvel NOW! Deadpool #1

I don’t know about everyone else but for me this whole Marvel NOW! thing has been really low-key. Uncanny Avengers #1 came out and wasn’t much to write about (in my opinion), it was basically the next issue of The Avengers, and could have probably continued its numbering with no problem.  There are a few, very few, books under the Marvel NOW! banner that I’m even slightly interested in, and this week one of those books was released: Deadpool #1 (his third ongoing series) and, well…it was alright.

Written by Brian Posehn from The Sarah Silverman Show and Gerry Duggan from Attack Of The Show!, with art by original Walking Dead artist Tony Moore. This was more train wreck than Deadpool comic.

Now, I haven’t read a Deadpool comic, outside of Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, in a few years now…having gotten a bit tired of the character being everywhere. When this was announced I had no interest in it, #1 issues simply don’t attract me anymore. The art of Moore was certainly something I had to look at though, and I loved the cover! Unfortunately, the cover and the art are the only real pluses for this book,  and that may not be enough for me to keep it on my pull list.

This new series begins with a fat, hairy S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent casting a spell to bring back dead Presidents, in hopes of ‘saving’ America from what it’s become. The process is interrupted by Captain America, who ends up having to fight President Truman. From there, S.H.I.E.L.D. decides it doesn’t want America’s top heroes fighting its dead Presidents and begins the search for someone who isn’t Captain America or Iron Man to take these monsters on. Naturally, and because it’s his book, Deadpool gets the job. It’s not really a strong enough premise to launch a high-profile book at the beginning of a high-profile campaign. This could have easily been Deadpool #64 and it wouldn’t have had any less an impact. Though I thought Deadpool had lost his healing factor and was, well, dead… I could be wrong though, as I said before, it’s been awhile since I’ve read a Deadpool book.

Posehn and Duggan, both comedians in their own right, don’t seem to fully understand the humor of Deadpool. While there are a few jokey gems in here, his conversation with Thor for example, there are more examples of ‘this is a funny book, I’m a funny guy, let’s do this!’ …And just like that, Deadpool is reduced to one liners that sound more like open mic night than Deadpool. Sadly, it’s all the lame puns that take the fun out of this book, including the real stinker of Deadpool being run down by F.D.R. and saying “Wow–You must wheelie hate me.” Because, you know, F.D.R. is in a wheelchair. Yeah, much of the ‘humor’ in this book is like that. Beyond that, the pacing is too fast making S.H.I.E.L.D. look inept (a trend since the movies began) and overly eager to just bring in Deadpool.

Then there’s the art. Normally, I love Tony Moore’s stuff but this book feels like a filler issue. The usual sparkle of Moore’s art just isn’t there for most of the book. Most of it just didn’t look like the usual level of art I expected from Moore. Unlike the writing, I know Moore is capable of doing some great stuff and I’m willing to think that perhaps he just hasn’t gotten used to Deadpool yet.

But, as usual, I don’t like putting out a totally negative review so, in closing, I’d like to say that the Geof Darrow and Peter Doherty cover for this issue is amazingly fun and fantastic. My local comic shop got a bunch of Marvel NOW! posters, and this was one of them. I had to get it and will be framing it and putting it up. I love this cover!

In closing, it’s with a heavy heart that I have to say this is a very unamusing, lack luster, and unfunny Deadpool comic. I most likely won’t be getting the second issue of this one. I would suggest you do the same, or perhaps borrow a friend’s copy if you know anyone who picked it up. I hope that, if you do, that you find something about it you like… but it’s doubtful.

#MarvelNOW