Another dose of Deadpool mirth and mayhem… Deadpool: World’s Greatest: Temporary Insanitation Deadpool! Daredevil! Power Man and Iron Fist! When Deadpool stumbles into a gang war that’s targeting new Assistant District Attorney Matt Murdock, the battle winds up catching the eye (and fists) of Luke Cage and Danny Rand, master of the Iron Fist! A mega-violent, street-level, face-punching, gut- busting, kung-fuing, ninjitsuing crime story guaranteed to knock your teeth out! Deadpool V Gambit: V Means Versus Gambit-one of the smoothest, best-looking operators in the world of the X-Men. Deadpool-one of the most annoying, ugliest dirtbags in the world of everything. Naturally, these guys got beef. But do you know what they have in common? A secret history of working together to pull con- jobs. That’s right-the grift is on as the Regeneratin’ Degenerate and the Ragin’ Cajun begrudgingly take on one last job together. Deadpool: World’s Greatest: Civil War II Civil War II tie-in! Deadpool and the Mercs for Money are clearly the best team in the Marvel Universe. So naturally when there is a cosmic- level threat, they’ll be there. Oh-also, they get along really well. This story is going to be all about happy people getting along, right?

Herts Advertiser: Deadpool: World's Greatest - Temporary InsanitationDeadpool: World's Greatest - Temporary Insanitation (Image: Archant)

(Panini Books)

More Deadpool? It seems impossible to believe, but maybe there’s a sweatshop of comics creators churning out an endless barrage of titles featuring the character, because rarely a week goes by without a new collection of ‘Pool turning up on my desk.

Surprisingly, the quality of these stories rarely disappoints, and having shied away from Wade Wilson for many years, I find myself increasingly drawn to the character thanks to the high standards of his current ongoing run.

World’s Greatest appears to be Deadpool done right, with regular scribe Gerry Duggan ably supported by a line-up of top talent even for fill-ins. It’s very funny, always entertaining, and also has plenty of nods to continuity and attention to characterisation to keep long-term comics readers like me more than happy.

Herts Advertiser: Deadpool V Gambit: V Means VersusDeadpool V Gambit: V Means Versus (Image: Archant)

The majority of the story collected here is issue #13 of the run, in actual fact a four-part storyline of point-one issues, which also includes work from Charles Soule and David Walker, as they bring in the likes of Daredevil, Power Man and Iron Fist to help out.

Hired to protect a city financier who unfortunately crossed many of New York’s criminal element, Deadpool and his allies are on the trail of a laptop which may or may not contain sufficient information to bring down the entire New York underworld, and has probably ended up in one of the city’s many sanitation dumps. Nice.

Packed with stand-out lines – I particularly loved Cage’s “I used to lead the Avengers” moment of self-loathing – and plenty of the usual ultraviolence you come to expect from a ‘Pool series, it’s also supported by a one-shot crossover with the ongoing ‘Last Days of Magic’ storyline from Doctor Strange, which is a decent added bonus.

Also out now is an old school heist in the tradition of Ocean’s 11 and Hustle, which brings together the Ragin’ Cajun Gambit and Merc with a Mouth Deadpool as they are recruited to help carry out the theft of a priceless ancient artefact from Chinese businessman Peng Lai.

But if this sounds like a simple storyline, then you’re forgetting the usual narrative leaps found in a Deadpool book, as this tale ends up taking in elements as diverse as the mystic city of K’Un Lun, former Marauder Scrambler, the debut of the dynamic Dead Fist, and the machinations of the Norse God Loki. It is, quite simply, bonkers, but so much fun regardless.

When Deadpool and his team of Mercs for Money find themselves caught up in the latest crossover event, it’s really more of an excuse to expose the growing fractures within the group as opposed to getting all Civil Warry.

Unhappy with their unfair working contracts, the Mercs resolve to break free from their employer and go it alone, inadvertently revealing the secret behind Deadpool’s newfound celebrity status in the process.

Meanwhile, our hero is also forced to deal with problems within his marriage to monster queen Shiklah, and former ally Madcap makes his unexpected return… With much more narrative development than you’d expect in a book as superficially shallow as Deadpool, this is Duggan at his best. Highly recommended.

The current glut of Deadpool books certainly shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, but with titles this good you wouldn’t want it to. Keep ‘em coming.