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Deadpool Team-Up #895 [review]

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Walt

Writer: Christopher Long
Art: Dalibor Talajic
Colors: Tomislav Tikulin
Letters: Jeff Eckleberry
Cover: Humberto Ramos
Production: A. Dial & D. Lucchese
Asst Editor: Sebastian Girner
Editor: Axel Alonso
Published by: Marvel Comics

More than ever, this Deadpool Team-Up book seems to be the outlet for various creative teams to do one-off tales with Deadpool and various obscure Marvel characters. As with earlier issues…you don’t need to have read any of the previous issues of this series. And also in line with every previous issue…you don’t need to pick up the next issue to get the next part of the story, because this is a done-in-one story with nary a “To Be Continued” in sight.

For whatever reason, and however he does it, Deadpool’s been hired to captain a sub taking the niece of the man who controls “It! The Living Colossus,” who has been in a coma since a long-lost battle with Dr. Doom. The niece thinks that she can revive her uncle by getting him into close proximity with the Colossus he used to control. While the logic is iffy, the results can’t be argued with and–when things invariably go bad with the sub, Deadpool and his ‘client’ find an unexpected result of the uncle’s body being present so close to the statue his mind once controlled.

The story here is amusing enough, but ultimately not all that exciting. While I enjoy one-and-done issues as much as the next guy, as the status quo for this series, it’s just hard to get all that excited knowing nothing picks up from this issue’s events next issue, and to look back at these last few issues and realize that I could’ve skipped any–or all–of them and not be at all “lost” on the latest issue.

The art’s not bad–this is definitely Deadpool…he looks familiar and doesn’t appear out of place any more than he should in the situation he’s got himself mixed up in this issue.

Perhaps that’s the thing–this series is like the classic Ninja Turtles cartoon (or probably any of a number of other ‘classic’ cartoons of the 1980s and such). All you REALLY need to know is the basics of Deadpool. Merc With a Mouth. Healing factor, butt-ugly face…body basically maintained by that healing factor. Loves guns, great with a sword, somewhat crazy, and breaks the “fourth wall.” You can enjoy the entirety of the series as a large, dynamic dose of Deadpool…or you can tune in for any given issue and get a story from start to finish…a story that’s not entirely devoid of formula.

If you like Deadpool, and you have an extra $3 burning a hole in your budget…this is a great issue to get. No crossovers, no tie-ins, no preludes…just a complete Deadpool story all in one issue.

If you’re a bit more picky about your Deadpool stories, and prefer the longer multi-issue arcs, you’d be better served with Merc With a Mouth which is largely following its own continuity in multi-issue arcs, or the main Deadpool title, which follows the mainstream Marvel Universe continuity, in multi-issue arcs.

Story: 7/10
Art: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2010, Deadpool Team-Up, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Deadpool Team-Up #896 [Review]

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Walt

Writer: Stuart Moore
Art: Shawn Crystal
Colors: John Rauch
Letters: Jeff Eckleberry
Cover: Humberto Ramos
Production: Taylor Esposito
Asst. Editor: Sebastian Girner
Editor: Axel Alonso
Published by: Marvel Comics

This issue gets much more to the silly side of things, though it’s a rather dark silly. The issue opens with a trucker picking up Deadpool’s antics on the CB…and and before long, a raccoon is squished along the road, prompting a rather militaristic response from some of the squished raccoon’s buddies. A flashback shows us how Deadpool came to be driving a truck with this U.S. Ace, and see the two deal with an important delivery while being attacked by angry, gun-toting raccoons.

I’m not familiar with Crystal‘s art offhand, but the visuals do work pretty well for this issue. Nothing spectacular, unfortunately–but there’s nothing that seemed wrong or particularly “off.” This is solid work, that gets the story across with the visuals presented, and doesn’t hold back–we get some on-panel raccoon-squishage, for example.

The story isn’t bad, though it definitely fits the one-off format of this title, presenting an entire “adventure” of the title character from start to finish in a way that doesn’t make me feel like I have to buy the next issue to get “the rest of the story.” (Similarly, one doesn’t need to have read any previous issues to enjoy this). I have no prior recollection of this U.S. Ace character, so had no expectation there coming in. I’d heard of Rocket Raccoon, but haven’t read anything with him in it thus far–but knowing the character exists kept the shock out of my thoughts seeing the raccoons in this issue organize and go after Deadpool and Ace.

For some, the high point of this issue may be the raccoons. For me, it was probably Deadpool’s goofiness messing with the CB…I definitely got that “This is so cool…I’ve always wanted to do this/say that!” vibe off the character.

If you’re looking for quick, fun Deadpool stories, this seems to be the series for that. Deadpool seems to be Deadpool involved in the main Marvel Universe stuff–the events and whatnot; Merc With a Mouth is weaving its own longform continuity in multi-issue arcs; this series gives us one-offs each month with different guest stars and creative teams. Don’t like a writer or artist, or the character team-up one month? Skip it. Next issue’ll probably have a different creative team, and Deadpool paired with some other character (probably obscure) from Marvel‘s vast character library.

Story: 6/10
Art: 6/10
Overall: 6/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2010, Deadpool Team-Up, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Deadpool Team-Up #899 [Review]

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Walt

Merc With a Myth

Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Dalibor Talajic
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Production: Paul Acerios
Assistant Editor: Sebastian Girner
Editor: Axel Alonso
Cover: Humberto Ramos
Publisher: Marvel Comics

While a THIRD Deadpool title does seem a bit much, this debut issue is great fun. Given that each of the titles so far seems to maintain its own identity or feel and the character himself is somewhat timeless and archetypal, I don’t really have a problem with it. I’m enjoying following all three titles, even though one could really pick and choose which one of the three or any combination and still get a fun “Deadpool experience.”

This issue sees Deadpool teaming up with Hercules. After dreaming about fighting some ultimate opponent, Deadpool soon finds himself trapped in a labyrinth where he meets up with Hercules. It’s soon revealed that the two are dealing with a couple of classic (yet, I never would’ve thought I’d see them teamed up) Marvel villains who have trapped the both and pitted them against their own nightmares. Hercules faces a legion of offspring claiming to be his own children; Deadpool faces an embodiment of the two voices in his head as the entity tries to kill him. Deadpool takes fairly extreme (yet, for him, sorta typical) action to solve the problem, and our ‘heroes’ then face their true foes.

I really like the done-in-one nature of this issue–I assume the series in general will consist of done-in-one issues or at least shorter-than-6-issues arcs. That’s a great selling point for me, as it means that while following the “mainstream Marvel Universe” adventures of Deadpool in the core title and the other adventure in Merc With a Mouth, there are also these full stories coming out that start and resolve quickly.

Unlike most of the comics I follow these days, I’m really not familiar with any of the creative team here. While that’s not something I’m used to, it works to the benefit of the title, I think, as I’m more focused on the character and story without concerning myself with how it stacks against the writer or artist’s previous work. I enjoyed the story, and the art fit the story, making for an overall enjoyable issue whoever’s involved in creating the issue.

“Fun” as the first two titles have been, this seems likely to be the breakout Deadpool title for me. If you’re interested in Deadpool OR Hercules, and don’t want commit from the get-go to lengthy seemingly-structured-for-collected-volumes arcs, this is definitely the issue for you (and for Deadpool in particular, this would be the series for you).

As with Deadpool #900, I actually find some amusement–or at least, appreciate the humour in–the numbering. The irreverence of the numbering lends itself to the timelessness of this title–who cares what the NUMBER is? The specific stories–particularly as one-off issues–should be the draw.

Highly recommended.

Story: 8.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 9/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, Deadpool Team-Up, MARVEL, Marvel Universe | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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