Deadpool/Wolverine: Weapon X-Traction #1: Together (Again)

There is no character more misunderstood within the pages of their own comics than Deadpool. His characterization varies so much from run to run that nailing down a consistent characterization for him can be not just difficult, but potentially alienating for audiences that love the character as a walking meme versus those who love the character most as a ‘sad clown.’

It’s with that idea in mind that I went into Deadpool / Wolverine: Weapon X-Traction #1 expecting the former more than the latter, and was sad to have my expectations proven right. This book is a 48-page ‘caricature’ piece that is seemingly driven by corporate synergy more so than Ryan North’s drive to pen a compelling story about the relationship between the title characters.

That’s not to say this book has no merit. The concept behind its themes has great potential and is thematically independent of the film Deadpool & Wolverine that it was originally published alongside, even if the general plot was born out of the same ‘multiversal’ seed.

However, North’s incessant use of empty dialogue and ‘oh-so-random’ universe shenanigans leaves the book feeling repetitive as it stumbles over the same joke for the book’s entire page count. Sure, the ‘furry universe’ bit was pretty good, but the line on quality ‘alternate universe gags’ stops there, while the quantity of them just keeps going. Granted, this was originally written as a series of backups, and I have no doubt this flowed better when you were reading little chunks at a time alongside your normal pulls.

At the last minute, they attempt to salvage any sort of ‘soul’ for this story by framing the entire thing as a friendship quest for Wolverine and Deadpool. The story doesn’t have anything to say about them as characters and genuinely doesn’t give any insight into why their relationship in the 616 is driven by violence. This is because the book has no interest in utilizing these characters at their most genuine or fleshed out.

North’s understanding of Deadpool is weak. In this book, he is characterized as an overexcited reference machine who never shuts up because that’s what ‘Deadpool is.’ The same could be said for Wolverine, who is violent and mean because that’s what ‘Wolverine is.’ If you’ve seen the t-shirts of Deadpool quipping about Mexican cuisine, then you’ve seen all this book has to offer in terms of character. The plot is just as sugary, but without anything compelling to drive it forward character-wise, it never becomes endearing.

The only thing that salvages the humor here is the art. While proportions can sometimes be wonky, Javier Garron has such talent when it comes to pacing out visual humor that he elevates many jokes that would have fallen flat otherwise. Facial expressions are his secret comedy weapon, and at times he utilizes pupils within the duo’s ‘domino eyes’ to accentuate expressions in a manner that never failed to get a chuckle out of me. He doesn’t just bring laughs, though.

He continues to put out excellent pages of action that are ensnared with dynamic panel layouts and great backgrounds, something I loved a lot about his work in Uncanny Avengers from last year. That being said, there can be a sense of suffocation within the pages of this book as he packs a lot into a little bit of space. Instead of the coloring aiding this problem, it adds to it with a consistent level of flat lighting and brightness present on every page.