When one thinks of Deadpool, certain words come to mind. Funny. Perverse. Twisted. “Father” is not one that usually comes up. Yet Wade Wilson discovered he had a little girl in recent years. More, he also gave birth to a symbiote-dog hybrid that views him as her father. (He named her Princess!) Deadpool #1 does a masterful job of explaining this history that is new territory for those who only know Wade from the Ryan Reynolds movies.
This first issue finds Wade doing what he does best – killing worse people than him for money. He is throwing himself into his work with more gusto than before, because he has nothing left to live for but his job. The irony that he’s effectively immortal thanks to a curse inflicted on him by Thanos does not help Deadpool’s existential ennui.
Writer Cody Ziglar accomplishes a daunting task with this first issue. Beyond explaining Wade’s increasingly convoluted backstory, he also has to deliver the action and comedy that the Deadpool brand demands. Thankfully, Ziglar manages this with apparent ease. Ziglar has a true gift for comedic timing, and the action of this issue is well-blocked throughout. One can easily imagine Ryan Reynolds saying many of Wade’s lines in this comic. (“Man, I’d really hate to be the artist that has to draw all this!”)
Speaking of the artist who had to draw all this, Roge Antoino also does an amazing job bringing the Regenerating Degenerate to life. The action flows smoothly throughout the issue, even in those splash pages where it breaks through the panels. Antoino also boasts some impressive character designs, particularly the mysterious magical assassin set up as a new Deadpool rival.
Despite Everything, Deadpool Also Has Heart
The irony is that for all of Wade Wilson’s bluster about being a bad guy, he has a hero’s soul. Amid the action and comedy, Deadpool #1 also contains a number of scenes that will pull at your heartstrings. Chief among these are his interactions with Princess, and a scene at the end where Wade checks up on his estranged daughter, Ellie.
Deadpool #1 is not likely to win over those who haven’t already embraced Wade Wilson as their unlikely anti-hero savior. For those who only know him from the movies, however, this is the perfect entry into the world of the comics. For those who are already fans, this is a solid reminder of everything Wade Wilson is, opening what promises to be an eventful and fun run.
Score: 4/5
Deadpool #1 is now available on-line and at comic shops everywhere.
