Graphic Novel Review: Deadpool: Assassin; You Are Deadpool; Spider-Man/Deadpool: My Two Dads

Deadpool: Assassin (Image: Archant)

(Panini Books)

It’s a return to the old school for the first of these collections, with a back to basics approach to the Merc with a Mouth that plays on the strengths of the character without the need for any major narrative developments.

Reunited with arms dealer Weasel, one of his few remaining friends who hasn’t already bitten the big one, Wade Wilson resolves to only take on assassination assignments which are morally justified, rather than merely being motivated by cash.

Unfortunately, this change of heart brings Wade into conflict with agents of the New Orleans-based Assassins Guild, and he ends up with a price on his head. What follows is a string of increasingly brutal battles with assorted hired killers, as Deadpool and new ally Threnody try their best to protect Weasel and his wife from being taken out by a string of costumed killers.

You Are Deadpool deluxe edition (Image: Archant)

Written by Cullen Bunn with art by Mark Bagley, it delivers with both barrels.

Remember those old Fighting Fantasy books? Where your decisions influenced the outcome of the story, and battles were fought with a roll of the die? In the tradition of these groundbreaking titles, Al Ewing and Slavador Espin have created a comics interpretation which takes Deadpool on a twisted journey spanning various decades of Marvel continuity.

My personal highlight is the section set in the seventies, which tapped into certain tropes found prevalent in Marvel titles of the time, including faux messianic stand-ins, cheesy Shaft rip-offs, and the gradual erosion of the Comics Code.

It’s something of a challenge to review a book where the outcome can change on every fresh reading, so as well as following one particular path I made sure to check out the roads not taken, ensuring none of the potential plot developments, snappy dialogue or quirky character moments were missed. It might not be the sort of book you want to read regularly, but as a one-off it’s a thoroughly entertaining approach to the traditional comics read.

As well as a standard version which requires the assembly or addition of die, Panini have also released a deluxe limited edition boxed set which includes a hardcover book, dice, pencils and game cards.

Having predicted the end of the Spidey/’Pool team-up title for ages, given the major events in both characters’ respective solo series, it’s always surprising to see it not only continuing but also thriving, and I’m always glad to dive into another volume of comic’s most unlikely bromance.

Having established the back-stories of future Old Man Spidey and Old Man Deadpool in previous collections, which come about as a result of events in our present, writer Robbie Thompson now brings them back in time to change history and avoid their fates.

This not only involves facing an army of Life Model Decoys (LMDs) and the face-flipping Chameleon, but also sentient sharks, a vampire cow and the Master Matrix, perhaps the most powerful android on Earth.

Good job there’s double the Deadpool and Spider-Man has been squared to bring events to a close, but how do Peter Parker’s long-dead parents fit into the scheme of things? It’s the end of one arc, and the beginning of another, as Wilson and Parker find themselves experiencing the most unlikely scenario of them all – parenthood!

It’s a decent enough conclusion to some of the current plot threads, and although scribe Thompson isn’t up to the dizzying heights of quality he soared to with Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme, he still manages to pull off with style what could have been a time travel car crash in the hands of lesser writers.