Dark Ages #5: Deadpool Has A Party Bus

This issue was a little weaker than the previous editions. It was still full of action, heart and plot, but the perils our heroes faced were designed almost solely as a means of delivering exposition. I don’t intend this as nearly as harsh a criticism as it might seem (every story has a chapter that’s merely designed to push the plot forward a little bit) and I want to emphasize that it was still a fun, exciting story. It was just a little less so than the other entries have been. 

And I have to say that, given recent European events, Deadpool’s commentary on war (and what we value, as people) felt startlingly, sadly, precient. 

There were more than a few wonderful moments in this story. It’s always a treat when Gabby and Deadpool get a chance to interact (even when one of them has their intestines hanging out) and it was great to see these heroes working together, for once, smoothly circling a unified goal, rather than squabbling amongst themselves. 

And, as I mentioned, Deadpool Has a steam-punk party bus which he uses to roadtrip through an apocalyptic hellscape. That’s worth the price of admission alone.

One of the interesting things about this plot is that the threat is strong enough to support the various heroes immediately joining forces, without the usual squabbling between teams. Partially this is due to the fact that there are no teams. The X-Men are working with Wakanda who are working with literally every remaining city on the earth. They’re all on the same side, working to help raise the quality of life for everyone, and that’s a beautiful idea. There’s enough cynicism in the world right now. Seeing people work together, and succeed, is incredibly appealing, even if it’s in a non-canonical fictional context. 

The art, as always, is amazing. Iban Coello’s line work is sharp and clear, blazing where the action warrants it and shining in the quiet moments. He’s one of those artists whose work I’ll follow even if I’m not particularly interested in the book. The fact that he’s working on a story that I’m so deeply invested in is the icing on the cake. 

This is one of those stories that is filled to the brim with hope, and horror, action and heart. I can’t get enough of this team’s work.