Sins of the not fathers.
Spider-Man Vs. Deadpool #37
Writer: Robbie Thompson
Artist: Jim Towe
Cover Art: Dave Johnson
Inkers: Sean Parsons & Cam Smith
Colorist: Brian Reber
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Robbie Thompson
Artist: Jim Towe
Cover Art: Dave Johnson
Inkers: Sean Parsons & Cam Smith
Colorist: Brian Reber
Publisher: Marvel
Recap:
A series of unfortunate events have left Spider-Man and Deadpool responsible as “Super-Dads” for the resurrected Master Matrix who without adequate care and attention will, in the future, lead a war to replace the human race. Pretty low stakes stuff. So they have to stop an innocent from becoming a future villain, to quote Deadpool: “I think I saw that movie.”
Review:
The book opens with a tribute to Steve Ditko. I can only echo, Thank you, Steve.
We find our unconventional family apparently fighting the Sinister Six. Spider-Man and Deadpool bicker about how best to teach Matrix. Deadpool frees Mysterio (no, not Rey, the other one) from Spidey’s webs, intending to throw Matrix “in the deep end”. They continue to argue, now moving on to ethics, as Matrix fights on alone and quickly becomes surrounded. Matrix blasts the Sinister Six, possibly killing them, much to Spider-Man’s disappointment. Deadpool couldn’t be happier.
Bobbi is unimpressed, it is now clear that they were in a training room.
In a former S.H.I.E.L.D safe house Bobbi continues to express her concerns at Peter’s lack of progress with Matrix. She gives him a dagger capable of killing Matrix if necessary. Peter says he won’t use it but tellingly does take it. Bobbi is going to Detroit to hunt down a tentacle monster which Deadpool sold on the black market. In the meantime, Spider-Man is tasked with looking into a spate of magical robberies in Jersey and given a plot device, I mean, a tracker. Bobbi wants Matrix to stay in the building for the time being.
Deadpool is in Matrix’s room, he advises him to think about who he wants to be. Deadpool then joins Spidey on the roof and is informed of their mission when the tracker goes off. He neglects to explain to Wade what the dagger is for, and web swings off to Jersey. Leaving Deadpool on the roof.
Deadpool (out of breath) and Spider-Man arrive in Jersey. They find The Wrecking Crew carrying bags of money through a portal in a sewer wall before getting blindsided by Thunderball. Meanwhile, Matrix is thinking. He unlocks the safe house’s security systems and leaves.
With his foot firmly lodged in Piledriver’s groin, Deadpool absentmindedly reveals that he also sold the portal generator on the black market. Thunderball brings down the house (sewer) but Matrix saves Spider-Man and to a lesser extent Deadpool from the collapsing ceiling. Matrix has decided he wants to be helpful. Piledriver does not. He tosses the portal at them and teleports them to… Hawaii? No such luck, (counts the claws) an Allosaurus bearing down on them signals that they’re in The Savage Land! TO BE CONTINUED…
Rating: 8/10
Final Thoughts:
I’m not going to beat around the bush, Wade will be doing enough of that in The Savage Land. I loved this issue. I was sold by the fifth panel. It’s a Deadpool comic, so the plot and the ideas are secondary. What is important is the humor and in this book, it’s not just the one-liners but the art too. There are great panels in the opening sequence of Deadpool chatting away while his allies are left to do all the work in the background. I loved the little details of how Deadpool is drawn. In the scene on the roof, Wade sits with his knees together in typical Deadpool defiance of masculine stereotypes while positively beaming (through the mask) because he’s so happy to be near Peter. Similarly, he daintily steps through the sewer while Peter wades in (see what I did there?)
The characters are well drawn both literally and in terms of the writing. There’s not too much room for growth in this kind of crossover. That side of the narrative is focused on Matrix, who is likable enough, though he did remind me of Red Dwarf:
Kryten: Is this the human quality you call friendship?
Lister: Don’t give me any of that Star Trek crap. It’s too early in the morning.
Lister: Don’t give me any of that Star Trek crap. It’s too early in the morning.
That was nearly thirty years ago and they were already taking the piss out of characters like Matrix. But the book is well executed and he is convincingly and endearingly childlike.
Meanwhile, Deadpool and Spider-Man are exactly who they should be and clash appropriately. The dagger acts as an interesting spanner in the works though. Despite being the alleged “good guy” Peter lies to Wade about it. Perhaps Spider-Man is thinking that he may have to act with great responsibility if Matrix becomes a threat. The amoral Deadpool may actually be more sympathetic to his adopted son. I expect this to be an interesting clash of characters in future issues.
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