Pick of the Week
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Art by Tony Moore
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
So this is pretty weird right? I mean, it’s a sign of the end times, if ever there was. If I had any sense of drama or romance, I would just walk away now, never to be heard from again. I have made Deadpool #1 an iFanboy Pick of the Week.
The truth is, I never really had anything against Deadpool. I just never really cared all that much. Funny superhero comics are a tough category for me, because most of them aren’t. There’s “funny to comic book readers” and there’s “funny”, and too often, they’re not related to one another. I enjoyed Deadpool in Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force though, because Rick is actually funny. So as we approached this reboot (renumbering, whatever), the creative team gave me pause. On scripting duties, you’ve got Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn. Duggan is straight up funny, and not a bad comic book writer by any stretch. Brian Posehn is one hell of a comedian, and by no means a comic book poser. If anyone’s going to make Deadpool palatable, this duo has a shot. But wait, there’s more! Tony Moore is doing art for the book? I’m in. I’m just very much in. Moore is the perfect guy for action and comedy in comics. He’s not the guy to do (silly) super serious superhero moments, but he’s also too good to just be a gag cartoonist. His pages are full of fun visuals that bring me back to EC Comics and the best Mad Magazine strips. If there’s going to be a Deadpool comic book, what more can you ask for?
This is where things get even more subjective. This story is about the dead ex-Presidents of the United States, and Deadpool must re-kill them. As a guy who makes a habit of reading books about our dead ex-Presidents, my curiosity was piqued. Instantly it became clear that I wasn’t the only one who was a bit of a presidential nerd. The opening act is magical. A scraggly S.H.I.E.L.D. agent reads some incantations, and resurrects Harry S. Truman, who is back for some revenge. Why did he do it? No idea. They get that out of the way. There are a bunch of ghostly Chief Executives around, and that’s the point. Captain America shows up (Why? How? Who cares?), and fights with Truman, who is spouting some absolutely delightful dialog, and ends up decapitating him with his shield. Then Deadpool ends up in a fight with Franklin D. Roosevelt, still wheelchair-bound, who proves to be quite a bit tougher than you’d guess. It kind of goes on this way. There’s not really much of a point, and there’s a loose story, and none of that matters, because it’s fun to read, and I like jokes about past Presidents. And there’s more coming next time.
I did mention Tony Moore, right? Because he’s the secret sauce of this whole thing. Duggan and Posehn are clearly having fun with this, and it’s all well and quite good, but what really puts this over the top is the manic genius of Moore. I just love looking at his renditions of these characters. His Captain America is fantastic. His cartoon renditions of the Presidents are even better. He gets the overarching characteristics of these famous faces right, and they fit into the world of the rest of his drawing, while still looking authentic. There’s a two page spread where Deadpool bursts in to Independence Hall in Philadelphia (home of the 2nd Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783, and later the Constitutional Convention in 1787), where the dead Presidents, and Carter, have convened to get kind of dirty. Anyone with a thing for history can just stare at the page and pick out the faces, and enjoy the hell out of it. And yes, they went for the cheap Taft joke. Can you blame them? Besides that, the tone is right, the action is fun, and there’s nothing to indicate that you should be taking this at all seriously. Chester A. Arthur certainly isn’t.
So, am I a Deadpool convert now? No. This is a fun story. If the next one is fun, I’ll keep reading. That’s the challenge of the series, but one would imagine that this team is only going to get better going forward as they find their feet. Could I become a Deadpool convert? I absolutely could, and all it takes is the right creators.
Josh Flanagan
LBJ has a beer hat.
josh@ifanboy.com
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Bunch of fake Deadpool fans are popping up all over. Posers! Dipping into ‘pool culture trying to be cool like us but you’re really all fakers!!!
Lol
Just kidding. Glad to hear its good. Looking forward to reading it at the end of the month.
According to your logic, you would also be a “fake” fan.
Ha i was llike, what the hell is this dude talking about? what an asshole? Then i see the just kidding, that was a good one! I am one of the newbies to deadpool and i must say, that this series (as i write this issue 3 is out and read) is killer, i love the art and its pretty damn humorous as well.
AWESOME.
I looked out my window and there is snow everywhere. I thought it was the weather, then I realized Josh made a Deadpool book the POTW. It isn’t snowing. Hell has frozen over.
That being said, great review. Made me very curious about the book. If the first few issues hold Josh’s interest, I will pick up the first trade.
Hell just froze over.
I KNEW IT!
Never did i think that I would ever seen a Deadpool book as POTW.
I am shaking my head in sadness
Read it before you judge it. This is not only my advice for this POTW but for all comics and books everywhere.
I found the lack of any fourth wall breaking and self aware thought bubbles to be a real letdown. It felt less like a Deadpool book than ever.
I think, perhaps, that was the point. I am a Deadpool fan from Joe Kelly’s run from the late 90s which ultimately ended with Agent X and such (different writers had stepped in by then). The Daniel Way Deadpool of Secret Invasion fame had a lot of the elements I enjoyed from the earlier stuff, but it, to me, lacked any real depth of character, story, or straight man to play off of. I think Marvel saw there was a niche for Deadpool type humor and proceeded to multiply that by many degrees in all of his books that followed. To me they were hollow and the equivalent of the later Police Academy sequels. This new Deadpool book has toned down the excess, trimmed the fat so to speak, and provides a good blank slate starting point. I think this is very much what the character needs as the Deadpool bubble clearly has burst for Marvel (count the number of his titles now in comparison to the number 1 year ago, 2 years ago). 4th wall breaking is best when used as seasoning, not as a main course. I think this book has potential to make many different fans happy. Again, only my opinion though.
Waypool used meta-humour as an excuse for terrible writing.
Ha! I bought this today, first Deadpool comic ever, can’t wait to read. Re: reference to MAD and Moore, I’he always seen some Sergio Aragones in his work…
Yay! This was my first Deadpool book, too. And it was the first one out of my stack that I read today. Not sure if it’s my potw yet, but only ‘cuz I haven’t read ’em all yet. It just might be!
Yes! Finally my pick of the week is THE pick of the week. Been loving Deadpool for a year now. I think I’ll love it even more now.
Speaking of Deadpool in Uncanny X-Force, Uncanny was totally my potw. I liked this one too, mostly for the art. I also like the SHIELD lady who has to clean up the mess, I hope she sticks around.
Not bad for a bunch of D-List creators. 😉
Got this because of a promotion at my shop.
Moore art was amazing as always and I loved the concept.
The final page was my favorite (and a great page) but overall I thought the comic and jokes were flat.
2/5
Can’t wait to hear more on the podcast.
Holy…..Shit.
I don’t believe what I’m reading but it’s all there! Deadpool is not only POTW, but the most unlikely of people made it the pick. That’s crazy. But it’s a great review and you make a great case for it josh.
It was not my Pick though which was a bit of a bummer for me. It was a 4 star book but it still didn’t have that ‘edge’ that I was looking for. It’s a solid book and I’m gonna keep reading it. But unlike Daniel Way’s first issue so many years ago, this #1 issue didn’t impress me for POTW status.
That went to Dial H #6 which FINALLY delivered a perfect blend of comedy and art. That is how all the issues of Dial H should have been, a deconstruction and semi-parody of superheroes that this issue delivered.
Rick Remender is funny?
I’ve been looking forward to this because of Posehn and Moore i’m so glad it turned out to be good.
There really needs to be a Don’t Miss podcast with this creative team.
I think I’m buying my first ever Deadpool comic…. I can’t believe I’m buying a deadpool book….
Pretty shocking stuff, even with Moore on art I hadn’t planned on picking this up, but you didn’t steer me wrong on catching up with the now Hickman & Ribic-less “Ultimates” so here I go, buying a “Deadpool” book for the first time in my life… There’s just one Deadpool book these days, right?
Manhattan Projects was my pick. Great issue.
If this doesn’t stop the “Josh hates fun” jokes I don’t know what will!
Not a Deadpool fan other than his Uncanny X-Force appearances, but I thoroughly enjoyed this.
“Who dares veto the rest of Harry S. Truman?”
Seriously, if this book stays this fun I’ll be around for the long haul.
*little spoiler*
you are warned…
Lincoln shooting ‘Pool in the back of the head was just plain brilliant. “I always wanted to do that!”
I actually thought Deadpool was less funny than I’ve read him in a while. His jokes weren’t hitting for me. The Lincoln line was the best though. ‘I always wanted to do that!’
Wow.
I’m speechless. Is it April 1st again?
Did not see this one coming wow
at first i was surprised at this pick, but then i read the book and i tooootttaaallly agree. Really funny stuff that worked on a lot of levels without trying too hard. What a great little one shot, great concept, great villains, and some really funny gags and jokes.
I feel the same way about Deadpool that Josh does. Nothing against him, but if he’s done right it can be a really fun ti me. Comedy is really the toughest thing in the world to write, so i’m really looking forward to checking out this run for a little bit based on the promise of this first issue.
Outstanding! “You have nothing to fear…. but ME!!!” The Stephen Hawking line was brilliant!
I just shat a cobbler, I can’t believe Josh picked Deadpool as the POW, and it’s a reboot to boot.
Nice, huge surprise when I seen Deadpool was POTW then even more surprised by who picked it. I wasn’t that interested apart from Tony Moores art being hard to look away from. I am amongst the readers who actually love Deadpool but prefer him in a serious setting and found his place in Remender’s Uncanny X-Force perfect for him with the limited humor, but now with the storyline and Cap decapitating a dead president with his shield, I have to give it a look. Thanx.
My favorite part about this pick is that during last weeks podcast Josh himself was discussing Wolverine &TXm and said something like “a little deadpool’s fine, but who really needs a whole book of him”
This could be potw based on the cover alone.
Absolutely. The cover is what made me buy it in the first place.
I was so underwhelmed by the humor in this book. It wasn’t bad it was just ok and the jokes were very hit or miss to me. It was my first and probably last Deadpool book for awhile.
See what you did ???
You POTW Deadpool and they go and cancel Hellblazer……! It’s all connected, man…..!
End of days !
Excellent POTW. I bought this book solely out of curiosity to see what Brian Posehn was like as a comic book writer. I’ve never purchased a Marvel title before, and have only ever read one other Deadpool issue ( Deadpool: The Circle Chase vol1. no.3), but for some reason I absolutely loved this book, as you said in your review it was fun, and I had so much fun reading this issue. I stayed on that two-page presidential panel for a good 30 mins taking in all the subtle quirks of each president (eLBeeJ was my fav). All around just a fun issue to read from start to finish. Kudos to Marvel for assembling this creative team, because I will continue to purchase at least one Marvel comic a month if they can keep the good work.
I wanted to ask my LCS to take it back, I thought it sucked. I guess its not for me. Only thing I liked was deadpool’s smart ass remarks, reminded me of Spider-man a bit.