Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 – Pain In The Heartland

The Heartlanders have what someone else wants, and it’s up to the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool to get it in Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 from Marvel Comics. The Heartlanders’ territory that infamous mob boss Hammerhead wants to get his hands on. Wade Wilson, the glutton for punishment, is the perfect person to deliver it to him. Full of that signature Deadpool humor, the regeneratin’ degenerate is back and he’s ready for more pain.

Creative Team

Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Geoff Shaw
Color Artist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Artists: Geoff Shaw and Alex Sinclair

Writing

Megan: I didn’t know what to expect from another Deadpool comic when I first started in on Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1, but I’m so glad I gave it a try. In this story, Wade isn’t his usually happy-go-lucky self, but someone who’s hurting and trying to numb the pain. He’s begging villains to hurt him, wanting to feel every bit of pain he can. Deadpool is usually unhinged, but this is in a way we haven’t seen him before.

In Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1, Wade is taking whatever mercenary jobs he can, and back with living with Blind Al. All of this seems like the usual Deadpool, but there’s something very wrong with him. Something he’s running from, trying to numb the pain that came from it. We don’t find out what it is in this issue, so I’m very interested to see when we do. Along with the mercenary jobs, we see the classic humor from Deadpool and very well timed quips. Benjamin Percy gives you that classic Deadpool energy with some hidden trauma and a new path in life that could end him up anywhere.

Shawn: I’ve read a pretty good bit of stuff from Benjamin Percy, but I don’t know that Percy has had as many chances at good, solid humor as he does right out of the gate with Wade Wilson: Deadpool. The steak out joke literally brought tears to my eyes. Percy utilizes Deadpool having his full healing factor back to as much of an advantage as possible. I really enjoyed the story within the story aspect to open the story. The jokes are really top notch with some of them being down right cheesy to fit into the Deadpool character.

I really enjoyed the creative decision to bring Hammerhead in for the first issue. It’s nice to see Hammerhead pop up in Deadpool. I also really love Percy’s decision to use Blind Al to break up the humor and add a little bit of levity into the character of Deadpool

Art

Megan: The artists of Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 brought all the heat and more! Each page is beautifully detailed thanks to Geoff Shaw. Alex Sinclair gives each page a starking vibrancy with Deadpool’s red suit usually being the focal point, which practically makes him pop off the page. Joe Sabino puts a lot of emotion into the lettering, making you feel the looming dread that Deadpool is trying to escape. Together, the artists really made this an extremely strong start for this run.

Shawn:Geoff Shaw and Alex Sinclair came out really strong on issue #1. I really liked the decision to play around with panel shapes and sizing. It feels very chaotic which in turn feels very Deadpool

It’s easy when doing a comic like Deadpool who not only has a red costume but frequently gets injured to allow red to just completely oversaturate the panels but Alex Sinclair does a great job avoiding that. Even panels that center on Deadpool are for the most part washed in other vibrant colors so that the character is the main focus but it doesn’t control the whole panel. This is aided in part because of the fine work from Joe Sabino in lettering that works for the reader without adding to the chaos of Deadpool.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10. I’ve read plenty of Deadpool comics, but not one that’s gotten me this excited for the next issue to drop. Benjamin Percy is the exact right person to make this a banger of a series, along with the fantastic artists of the comic. If you like action, excitement, mystery, or that classic Deadpool energy, then this comic is for you.

Shawn: 10/10 I thought this was a great first opening for this series. Benjamin Percy did a great job getting to show off some humor that sometimes isn’t available in his writing projects when taking on characters like The Punisher. I really love the team of Geoff Shaw and Alex Sinclair. The panels feel chaotic but not in an overbearing or overwhelming way. Joe Sabino guides readers masterfully through the panels, making it easy to track the story progression. Deadpool may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think this creative team is on the path to create a lot of new fans in folks who decide to give Deadpool a try with this run.

Overall Grade – 10/10

Did you enjoy this review? You can check out more reviews from Megan and Shawn

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