Hello and welcome to Fox News, I'm your host Sean Hannity and I'm a tool. Just kidding, this is not Fox News and I am not Sean Hannity. This is Welcome to the Mast and I am The Mast.
Today only two comics came out that I happened to buy, so there won't be much for you to read. Next week is also going to feature only two comics, if you can believe that. Well, that's according to the predicted releases that week, anyway.
Next week you can expect the thrilling conclusion to the epically awesome series that is Dark X-Men. I'm joking, it's a terrible series and I'm glad that #5 of 5 is out so I can get it over with.
For now though, a double dose of Deadpool! Alliteration is a strong suit of mine.
Deadpool Team-Up #895.
Considering the nature of this series, as I've said before, Deadpool Team-Up's quality is really up in the air. With new writers every month and one-and-done stories in each issue, it really does have any chance of being shit, amazing or anywhere in between.
This month's guest is It! The Living Colossus and this issue is...ok. It's very funny in part, and the story itself is somewhat amusing. Deadpool is hired by a woman and her catatonic father, Bob O'Bryan to accompany them on a journey to the bottom of the ocean in hopes of finding something that they're after. Deadpool is hired, it's revealed, because she thought he was the captain of a submarine. This turns out to be a mistake as Deadpool reveals, quite hilariously, that Captain Vanilla Peen is just his screen name on Brian Michael Bendis' messageboard.
For the record, Bob O'Bryan is a guy who can psychically meld his mind with this gigantic statue and thus become It! The Living Colossus. That's the reason they're down there, to look for the statue and hopefully get her father some consciousness back.
They are accosted by sea monsters and Deadpool starts puppeting Bob so as to control It! and fight off the beings. The sub becomes damaged and just as they're about to drown Bob awakens, melds with It! and carries them to the surface after slaying the beasts.
All ends well.
It's an ok issue, I guess. Dalibor Talajic's art is the best thing about this comic, really. It has a nice, almost old school feel to it. It's not quite Joe Madureira, but it'll do.
Prelude to Deadpool Corps #1.
The first of a five-part mini-series that leads into the FOURTH Deadpool on-going series, Deadpool Corps, is surprisingly not shit. They're releasing one a week, so it'll have its final part on March 5th and the second part is the only other comic coming out next week.
I can't hate on Rob Liefield (Artist) too much, as he is the co-creator of Deadpool. Sometimes his Deadpool is awesome, sometimes it's not. Generally, his character art, layouts and such are just DIRE. This book is no different. Well, it's not dire, artistically, it's just bread-and-butter Liefield. Deadpool looks good, but...that's about it. Liefield's tendancy to draw all unmasked characters with the same open-mouthed, sunken-cheeked expression means that they all tend to lack any sense of visual characterisation.
Victor Gischler, however, does something relatively surprising. There's a Lady Deadpool (Wanda Wilson) in this book, and she too has two voices in her head, that amounts to there essentially being four Deadpools in this book: the two voices, the Lady Deadpool from the alternate dimension (Previously seen in Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #7) and Deadpool himself. Gischler does a pretty decent job of writing some pretty funny dialogue throughout, especially for Lady Deadpool and Deadpool.
The two voices NEED to go; this is no more noticeable than in this book. Deadpool himself does not utilise the two voices, so when he interacts with anyone, it's so much better. The writing between Lady Deadpool and Deadpool is identical, making it hard to differentiate between the two, but the dialogue is reasonably decent.
Lady Deadpool is part of a rebel group trying to fight against General America (Cap got a promotion), cybernetic arm and all. Deadpool appears, they get into a fight with General America and after winning, Deadpool recruits Ladypool for something that he says the world needs the Deadpools for. It's not stated what this is, but the issue ends there.
I really think this could be some fun, out-of-continuity stuff if it was a mini, but I really hate how this is being pushed into a series. Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth and Deadpool Team-Up are covering those aforementioned bases, so another series REALLY isn't needed. If anything, Deadpool Team-Up serves a better purpose. At least it does something different every month and, with the revolving door writing policy, has every chance to produce a stellar issue.
Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth and Prelude to Deadpool Corps/Deadpool Corps are going to cancel each other out. I think it's a maddeningly confusing decision, especially as the former was starting to pick up steam in its own right and, far from what was expected, become many people's favourite Deadpool title.
Oh well. If this is something you're interested in, wait for the trade paperback.
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That's about all I've got for you this week, guys and girls. Just as a heads up, though, the Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire trade paperback comes out next Weds/Thurs, depending where you are. DEFINITELY go grab that, it's a brilliant little story.
I may not review Dark X-Men #5 if it's so bad, so next week may be Prelude to Deadpool Corps #2 and not much else. Regardless, that wraps up this weeks edition of Thursday's Comics. Sorry it wasn't more entertaining, but I cannae play with cards I've not been dealt.
Over the next week, keep an eye out for either my massive Daredevil Catch-Up post (Possibly), another edition of The Mast Looks Back OR...something entirely different.
Oh and by the way, the latest reveal on the roster for the new version of The New Avengers was released today...JEWEL. Hells yes. Jessica Jones-Cage out of retirement! I'm VERY much looking forward to the Spidey/Cage/Jewel interaction. The main series of The Avengers is fast becoming my least awaited (Though still awaited) of the three titles! I can't wait for The Heroic Age, it's starting to feel impactful more and more!
Anyway, I'm out.
Until next time, peace.
-The Mast
