Deadpool / Wolverine #1
Tyler Davis
Recap
WADE AND LOGAN — TOGETHER AGAIN! The most unlikely team-up turned most demanded one, DEADPOOL and WOLVERINE are BACK! Together again and ready to blow your minds in this ongoing series that hits like a never-ending action movie — with the fate of the world in the balance! When a fan-favorite VILLAIN is unearthed, you'll get to see a new side of our heroes and their adversary, as an ages-long plan comes to fruition. And the only thing that stands between the Earth and annihilation is the Best There Is and the Merc With The Mouth. Brought to you by another legendary pairing — writer Benjamin Percy (Wolverine, Hellverine) and artist Joshua Cassara (X-Force, X-Men) — these comic superstars put your favorite super heroes through their paces in a series chock-full of surprises, twist reveals and a villainous plot that'll turn long-term and newly arriving X-readers' heads. This is one for the pull list!
Review
Ben Percy has made a name for himself in the X-Force corner of the Marvel Universe, thanks to his run on that title alongside his work on Wolverine. This new title completes the circle, with Percy finally getting his hands on a title with Deadpool in the name. He does with it exactly what made his previous work alluring to so many. This debut issue is packed with delicious gore, fun dialogue, and a true reverence for the character’s continuity without straying too far away from the characterizations that made both title characters so iconic to the mass audience.
However, it’s in that familiarity that the issue falters as a jumping on point. There’s a lack of balance here when it comes to the title characters, which left me feeling as though this was a forgotten story from the pages of Percy’s run on Wolverine, with Deadpool feeling more like a guest star and less like a main character in this story. Part of that is due to the way Percy sets up the story hook, which divorces Wade from his own agency, leaving Wolverine to drive most of the issue forward.
If you have a pre-loaded idea of these characters from Percy’s most recent work, alongside the knowledge of this issue’s big villain reveal, then this will be a great issue for you. If you’re reading this hot off of a viewing of the film that gave this book its title, then you may have some trouble engaging with the issue. There is a ton of fun to be had regardless—it’s just not anything stellar. What it is, frankly, is pure-hearted, jack-booted, adventure with genuine levity and a consistent characterization for everyone evolved.
All that said, the art in this issue is impeccable. Cassara’s work is dynamic, and his blockier style is the perfect fit for a story as focused on gruff action as this one. His commitment to backgrounds and scene settings helps make this story feel a bit grander than it lets on, with the coloring being classical in a way that grounds this as well-crafted superhero pulp.
Final Thoughts
Deadpool / Wolverine #1 is a perfectly comfortable romp sure to please those looking for a tonal continuation of what Percy was doing with his runs on Wolverine and X-Force. However, those looking for a fresh jumping on point for the characters will be a tad disappointed to find a tale that's more effective with the continuity of previous stories floating around in the back of ones mind. Still, there's a lot of fun hero action to be had with some really great art.
Deadpool / Wolverine #1 –
- Writing - 6.5/106.5/10
- Storyline - 5.5/105.5/10
- Art - 8.5/108.5/10
- Color - 8/108/10
- Cover Art - 7.5/107.5/10
