Comic: "Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth #1"
Published by: Marvel Comics
Written by: Victor Gischler
Artist: Bong Dazo

Reviewer: Dr. Boogie
Posted: 8/10/2009

Plot: Deadpool is contracted by Advanced Idea Mechanics to retrieve a new biological weapon from the Savage Land before Hydra gets their hands on it. AIM isn’t very forthcoming with info on what it is Deadpool is retrieving, but luckily, he is assisted by a leggy blonde “biologist”. She’s also very tight-lipped on Deadpool’s objective. What could be so important that they need to keep it a secret from the guy they sent to get it? And if they wanted to keep it a secret, why did they put the mystery object right on the cover?

Review: Personally, I don’t think Deadpool gets as much exposure as he should. Lord knows he could’ve spiced things up during the Civil War, and even the Secret Invasion for that matter.

Nevertheless, it’s good to see him working solo again. More importantly, though, it’s good to see him working solo and being written by someone who’s able to really capture the tone of a Deadpool story. Nothing against serious drama in comics, but I don’t need to be reading anything too heavy in a comic that advertises dinosaurs and zombie cavemen. Victor Gischler manages to bring the story to life from Deadpool’s perspective, complete with other personalities chiming in, and even a few delusions here and there. In one scene, Deadpool mistakes the HAZMAT suit-wearing AIM members for beekeepers, and insists that his payment include “a jar of your freshest, premium-grade honey.”

Artist Bong Dazo does some nice work with the story, particularly when depicting Deadpool’s delusions about the world around him. I was a little skeptical about his choice of making Deadpool’s AIM contact a stacked blonde claiming to be a biologist, but in a way, it fits in with the overall tone. Granted, it may simply have been a case of business as usual to have an unusually attractive academic striking a series of seductive poses while performing banal tasks, but it at least seemed to lend itself to the story in an incredulous sort of way.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the remaining six issues will play out. This first issue ends on a cliffhanger, but again, it’s right there on the cover. The real question is whether or not Deadpool will get some of that honey he was after.

Overall rating:
(Scored on a 0.5 - 5 pickles rating: 0.5 being the worst and 5 being the best)