Deadpool #2 Review

 

Writer: Cody Ziglar

Artist: Rogê Antônio

Colorist: Guru-eFX

Letterer: Joe Sabino

Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke, Mark Brooks, Rob Liefeld & Declan Shalvey

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 8, 2024

 

Agent Gao offers Deadpool a spot in her new team, but he declines. Deadpool has been down that road before, but the chemistry was never right. Will Deadpool fare any better leading a team of mirthful money-making mercs? Let's leap into Deadpool #2 and find out!

 

Story

Deadpool excels at his work but wishes he was better at relationships. He thought he found love with Valentine, but as with his former teams, it didn't last. Wade left his daughter Ellie with Terry and Emily Preston so he wouldn’t screw up the father-daughter thing. Still, he’s got his symbiote-dog-daughter Princess. She loves him, so he’s not a total loser, right?

 

Lots of people define themselves by their work. Deadpool is starting to wonder if that’s all he’ll ever be good at. People may laugh at his jokes, but the ones he wants don't stick around. What if he used his superpower of making money for more than spending it on cool stuff he doesn’t need?

 

 

 

In Deadpool #2, the Merc With A Mouth nabs a secret lair. His corporate HQ may be worse for wear, but it's a place to hang his mask. Wade hires the Taskmaster away from Agent Gao, and Tasky brings Doug, his Guy In The Chair. Doug assesses their capabilities and suggests quiet, low-key assignments to increase their working capital. Then Deadpool spots a flashy gig that might raise his profile and nabs Team Deadpool’s first assignment.

 

While Deadpool tries to prove he can build something that'll last, his daughter plots to make his life more difficult. Ellie yearns to know more about her father and participate in his life. So, she increases her skillset and takes her first steps toward forging a more fulfilling relationship with her deadly-beater-upper dad.

 

 

 

Building his employee’s loyalty doesn't come quickly. Taskmaster insists he's a short-timer and only there for the money. Thankfully, Princess stands by Wade in Deadpool #2. She even offers him relationship advice in case Wade's inclined to listen. That’d be to his profit, as a team of villains that get high on The Most Dangerous Game have Deadpool in their sights.

 

What? Kill Deadpool even if they can get paid? How unCanadian!

 

 

 

Art

Rogê Antônio transports us to Eastern Europe, where Deadpool leaps with a dancer’s grace as he attacks a fortified compound. Princess bounds along, merrily chomping on the unnamed mercs. After the firefight and explosions, father and symbiote dog-daughter peer into the bunker in Deadpool #2 and find a limited-edition jacket with stylish bloodstain appeal. Score!

 

Former SHIELD agent Emily Preston may have an LMD's strength and agility, but that does not mean she excels at cooking without burning her android body. Yet Ellie barely notices her foster mother's travails as she spins the cell phone adorned with a Deadpool symbol. Later, Ellie goes to the garage, where she sits at the workbench and uses what she has to build something new. 

 

 

 

Guru-eFX makes us want to wear that blood-stained jacket in Deadpool #2. Beneath a starry sky, blue snow-covered mountains serve as the backdrop to a lively firefight while Deadpool and Princess glow deep red. Tracer fire streaks past them like TIE Fighters attacking the Millennium Falcon. "Don't get cocky, Deadpool!" 

 

After the bunker belches a gout of yellow and orange, Deadpool snaps a selfie surrounded by green-tinged smoke for his daughter. The Prestons' attire brings vibrant color to the family's neutral kitchen, while blues and grays fill Team Deadpool's new HQ, a reminder of how Wade secured the lease.

 

 

 

Joe Sabino's uppercase letters demand your attention from inside yellow, white, and red dialogue balloons. Their generous size ensures Cody Ziglar’s dialogue-driven story—bookended by fierce action--won’t tax readers’ eyes. A vibrant boom showcases the power of a grenade, a sizzle hints that Emily Preston should watch where she puts her hands, a bleep rewards Ellie’s first attempt at a new relationship with her dad, and a slamming fist indicates a client’s satisfaction with Team Deadpool.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

While money can’t buy happiness, it can buy lots of cool stuff! In Deadpool #2, Wade Wilson decides to invest it in his future. But finding the right business partners could prove difficult with a death cult on his trail and a daughter who wants more from him than the occasional text or selfie.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.