Deadpool #31

Deadpool's two-part tie-in to the Curse Of The Mutants storyline comes to a close. 
 

The Pros

First off, the art in this issue is absolutely fantastic. Hats off to Dazo and Mossa, I don't think Marvel's most polarizing anti-hero has ever been drawn better! 
 
The issue picks up after Part One's cliffhanger ending that found Deadpool facing off against some very bloodthirsty vampires in a hospital run by a rival vampire sect. The writing in the issue is sharp, on-point and sometimes even laugh-out-loud hilarious. I especially enjoy the plan Deadpool concocts to defeat the rival vampires. It's nice to see the writers recognizing and utilizing Wade's abilities for once. Despite his constant babbling and general absurdity, there is a merc' behind his mouth. As a Deadpool fan, it was refreshing to see that recognized here. 
 
I also like the way this issue ends. Deadpool actually manages to finish the job he's hired to do and gets paid! Obviously, he wouldn't be Deadpool if certain other plans didn't quite go his way. But again, it's great to see Wade treated as something a bit more interesting than the babbling buffoon he's often written off as.
 

The Cons

Like I said, it was nice to see Wade getting the job done here and concocting a plan that actually worked, for once. My only complaints are mostly with the series as a whole, as opposed to this particular issue. It's been 31 issues so far in this run and we haven't seen a whole lot of development in Wade's character this time around. The writers seem content to bring in countless guest-stars (the X-Men, Spider-Man, Secret Avengers), throw in a few crossover tie-ins (Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Curse Of The Mutants), and keep the book going mostly on jokes with no real underlying story to give it any direction. At the moment, Deadpool seems to be caught in a bit of a holding pattern as far as character development goes.
 

Rating - 4/5

 Overall, this issue in and of itself was pretty great. The art was spectacular, the jokes were hilarious, and this tie-in ultimately felt more fun than pointless. I'd really like to see the writers and editors take Deadpool in a more deliberate direction and develop his character some more. There's a lot more they could be doing here, but for now, the pure fun of this book is more than enough reason to keep right on buying.