The Good
Even though Marvel's latest big event, AXIS, made Deadpool shy away from violence, that didn't stop this series from bringing a whole lot of crazy action and madness to Wade Wilson's world. From a huge brawl including the faux and real X-Men to getting torn apart by Apocalypse, these tie-in issues have been loaded with all kinds of fighting. However, this final chapter of the tie-in is pretty much devoid of action (we chime in once on Deadpool defeating some monsters, but we don't see how it played out). It's a calmer, character-driven issue and it's one of the most absorbing ones yet. Yeah, there's good laughs scattered throughout the chapter (e.g. the remark about Wolverine, the pizza comment which made me dream of a Deadpool/TMNT crossover), but this one's all about giving us a superb insight into Deadpool The character finally experienced peace and happiness and now that's been abruptly taken from him. Having Wade need to reattach his head to his body is a clever way to show that Wade still needs to both literally and figuratively find himself and piece himself back together. After all that he's been through and all the good he's done, he's still a mess and full of sorrow. He may smile, joke and laugh a majority of the time, but there's so much more going on inside of him and that's something these writers clearly understand and appreciate. The final page hits you like a ton of bricks. Also -- and on a more lighthearted note -- the Deadpool movie poster in his house needs to become a real poster for the upcoming movie.
Some may think this chapter's too slow, especially compared to the previous ones, but I think it's a great way to wrap up such a fast-paced and hectic story. Instead of continuing to rush forward and throw more battles our way, it takes the time to give a proper and interesting conclusion to many of the story arcs and does it all while shining one hell of a spotlight on Wade's psyche. AXIS wasn't exactly the best event around, but it forced Deadpool to take a good look at himself (and not to mention brought a new supporting character to the book) and for that I'm grateful.
Artist Mike Hawthorne is still on board (along with inker Terry Pallot and colorist Ruth Redmond) and he's joined by artist/inker Mirko Colak. While the difference in their styles is noticeable, the handling of the issue isn't a jarring experience and their styles aren't drastically different. While Hawthorne's characters are full of energy and have a slightly cartoonish vibe, Colak's scenes are oozing with just the right amount of darkness. It's not randomly jumping back and forth between the two either, making us constantly say to ourselves, "Oh, looks like this artist handled this page." It opens with Hawthorne and allows him to hit us with a stunning double-page spread that shows AXIS' aftermath and has reactions from Evan that'll make you feel so sorry for the character. While Colak's character work may not be as animated as Hawthorne's, it does a great job capturing the darker atmosphere of several scenes while still successfully nailing the visual comedy as well (e.g. Evan riding around with Deadpool's head in a basket seems like a twisted nod to E.T.). Aside from one panel in which Deadpool's eyes appear to be too close to each another, these two did a solid job setting the tone for each scene.
The Bad
If you're expecting more excitement and mayhem, you're going to be disappointed. But if you're open to a slower paced issue which focuses heavily on character and story (which really should be everyone, right?), you'll likely enjoy it and then be moved by the final dialogue.
Minor criticisms: Even though the issue has a thorough recap page, the first page is still dedicated to explaining the end of AXIS. It would have been cool if they could have just added a paragraph about that scene in the recap, but seeing as Marvel's a business, I understand why the recap page attempts to make you purchase the last chapter of AXIS before reading this. That said, I haven't been a fan of the event, so despite the heads-up, I had zero motivation to read that comic before checking out the latest chapter of a series I love.
Seeing as this issue puts Wade's supporting cast in places that seem to solve their immediate problems, it leaves me a little worried that the FauX-Men will now vanish or only occasionally pop up when Wade visits the place. I hope that isn't the case because he's developed such a strong connection to those characters, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
The Verdict
The AXIS tie-in issues have been hilarious and exciting, but this conclusion is easily my favorite part of the arc and it impresses without throwing a single punch. Instead of feeling the need to give readers a little more of Deadpool being tossed into brawls, this chapter is character-driven and focuses purely on offering a clever script and fitting visuals. If you don't care about Deadpool or think he's just some silly clown, prepare to have your opinion changed. It won't bring you to tears, but it'll most definitely leave you feeling sympathetic for Deadpool and curious to see how this emotional experience will impact him as we move forward. See, that's one of the really commendable things about this run. It doesn't just move from story to story and forgets about what has happened in the past. Everything brings about some kind of change to the series and I'm very curious to see what kind of role this experience will play in Wade's next arc. Will Evan play a bigger role? I hope so. AXIS may not be winning me over, but Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn have applied this big event to their series exceptionally well. They gave us a ton of thrilling action and this relatively quiet and slower chapter is the perfect way to remind us we're reading this series because we care about Deadpool. Okay, it may sound a bit silly to some of you to say we care about a fictional character, but that just goes to show how effective their writing has been. Yes, this book will make you laugh multiple times, but it'll also give you an emotional connection. This series really is so much more than just dumb fun, people.
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