The Good
Deadpool's first Marvel Now! story ends here and it goes out the same way it came in: filled with constant laughs and gruesome violence. As a longtime fan of the character, I was beyond pleased to see we get some more examples of character depth, too.
The writers certainly deserve praise, but the real star here is artist Tony Moore. This guy is literally the perfect fit for the book. His style is beyond unique, dropping plenty of detail and providing an amazing offbeat vibe. It's a match made in heaven for Wade and his battle against decaying Presidents. The battles look great and there's plenty of intentionally cringeworthy moments. Naked Taft is sure to haunt your mind (TAFT SMASH YOUR DREAMS!) and Deadpool's obliterated face has never looked better -- well, you know what I mean.
Co-writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn are delivering a constant flow of solid laughs and I wouldn't expect anything less, seeing as both are comedy writers are and all that. There's at least a few moments here which had me legitimately laughing out loud like a fool and overall, the book just kept me in a great mood. The way they wrap up loose ends with the extra Presidents is downright hysterical. With so many titles out there that are purely moody and broody, this is definitely a praiseworthy attribute.
That said, the duo does manage to sprinkle in more serious moments for Wade here and there, and that's absolutely an element I appreciate. Wade's so much more than a reference-spewing clown with a healing factor and I'm stoked so see bits and pieces of that shine through in this one. Yes, I want a Deadpool book to fill me with laughter, but we desperately need some character driven moments in there, too. Luckily for us, the co-writers brought it here and it gives me hope we'll see more of a balance with the tone in the next story arc. We know they can bring the laughter and violence; now we're starting to see they can strike a more serious and emotionally compelling atmosphere as well.
The Bad
Hold on a second, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the current U.S. military was struggling when it all began to hit the fan? We're talking about an army of the undead with way outdated technology. Yeah, Tony's splash page was seriously awesome, I just find it hard to believe this fight wouldn't be totally one sided -- in the living's favor, of course. I know that's an odd complaint considering the vibe of the book, but we see fighter jets and all. That alone should be game over, man!
Captain America felt out of character, but seeing as the point was a small and funny cameo, I've got no problem dealing with it.
The Verdic
I know "WTF certified" is DC's thing, but DEADPOOL is totally borrowing it with this ending! You'll never see it coming and this is sure to keep the book hugely amusing. One of the countless reasons why CABLE & DEADPOOL worked so well is because Nathan was there to balance the tone. Without spoiling anything, I can safely say it looks like we're about to get a whole lot of that again. Considering the entertaining writing, it'll hopefully be a successful new element to the book. This first story is nothing but pure comedy and crazy action. If you're looking for a complex and deep plot, you won't be pleased. But, if you're looking for some ridiculous fun, this issue's just for you.
