Comic Review: Deadpool #1

Deadpool #1

Marvel comics

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Chris Bachalo

I love Deadpool. He’s such a unique character within comic books. A tormented anti-hero dealing with mental health issues, traumatised by experiments along with a history of cancer and who uses humour as a coping mechanism. It’s a fantastic concept. Some writers in the past have looked at Wade Wilson and only seen a mercenary who breaks the fourth wall and spams puns but he’s far more than that. Now Kelly Thompson is taking a crack at Wade Wilson with her new Deadpool series and it’ll be interesting to see how it goes. Will she do Wade justice or will this read like a joke book instead of an engaging story?

The premise of the new series is really interesting. Monsters are migrating from all across the globe towards Staten island and Wade is hired to kill their king. That might make you think that this new series is all about action but it’s surprisingly political. There’s action to be sure. The book throws you right into the action from the opening page but it’s not the focus. The idea of a king of monsters is used to set up a whole monarchy system within Staten island. Wade, of course, is forced to take part in this political system and it makes this book feel unique in comparison to other Deadpool series’.

Thompson’s Deadpool is more subtle than usual. Wade still has the trademark sense of humour and everything. Fans of the previous runs or the films won’t be disappointed in the new series. Wade just reads a little differently from what we’re used to here. He’s kind of like that immature guy who’s just been forced to get a job for the first time. He has to deal with responsibility in his life and you can tell he’s struggling with it. It makes for a fresh take on the character and while this issue is largely setting up future stories it’s very well written. I can see this series is considered one of the great Deadpool runs by the time it’s over.

Chris Bachalo handles the art on this book and his somewhat blocky, cartoonish style is a good fit here. Deadpool’s a comedy book with the main character who wouldn’t be out of place as one of the Looney tunes so this artwork is great for him. The only flaw I’ve found is that during the action scenes there were a couple of points where the art had me unsure of what was meant to be happening. That may just be me but if not then it could be an issue going forward.

Overall this is a great book. It’s not as over-the-top with humour and cartoonish aspects as previous Deadpool runs but those aspects are definitely still there. The artwork is solid although I’m unsure if it’ll stay that way if the series becomes more action-orientated in the future. Kelly Thompson does a fantastic job of writing. I feel like all throughout this issue she’s planted little seeds for future stories and I can’t wait to see them blossom. I’ve no doubt that she’ll do a good job here and I highly recommend giving this first issue a shot.

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