Writer: Cody Ziglar
Artist: Andrea Di Vito
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Cover Artists: Taurin Clarke; Jan Bazaldua & Israel Silva; Sergio Dávila & Ceci De La Cruz; Yasmine Putri; Annie Wu
Designer: Carlos Lao
Editors: MR Daniel & Drew Baumgartner; Ellie Pyle & Mark Basso; CB Cebulski
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 21, 2024
Deadpool wants to protect his Human daughter. Ellie insists on being part of his life. Taskmaster continually gripes about his expenses, yet he sticks around when Deadpool blows his office renovation budget on a rooftop sauna. Princess, Deadpool's alien wolf symbiote daughter, and Doug, who keeps the office humming, are also valued members of his family. But when Taskmaster and Deadpool storm a death cult’s temple, their leader makes Deadpool fear for his life. Can Death Grip nullify Deadpool’s healing ability? And if Deadpool dies, who will care for the rat in the office water cooler? Let's leap into Deadpool #5 and find out!
Story
Death Grip’s desire to master his fighting skills made him hunger for supremacy. Now Death Grip worships death, and Deadpool is the ultimate prize. Deadpool's healing ability makes it impossible to kill him. But what if Death Grip could remove it? He has everything a cult leader could want: a temple, subservient followers, and the ability to kill anyone who displeases him without repercussions. But none of that matters as long as someone lives who he can't kill.
Ellie enjoys her life with the Prestons but yearns to reconnect with her dad. She’s a whip-smart girl with a healing ability like her father’s and doesn't need protection like a fragile decoration. Ellie can use SHIELD technology to teleport anywhere. If Deadpool sends her away, she will only return. Ellie passed Taskmaster’s combat and physical training tests with flying colors. She wants to go on field missions and won’t charge Deadpool for expenses. Yet when Death Grip invites Deadpool to his temple, Deadpool and Taskmaster leave on the down low. In Deadpool #5, Ellie and Princess are of one mind. Deadpool’s daughters are not interested in Daddy Day Care. They’re going to be part of the team!
If superheroes kill villains, are they still the good guys? Or does taking a life make them antiheroes? Cody Ziglar's story wrestles with what it means to take someone's life. Deadpool has bought enough shiny toys to know everything comes at a price. He is proud of Ellie's accomplishments. He is glad that cancer doesn't accompany her healing abilities. But the mercenary business involves taking lives. Like the blemishes covering his body and the burned taste buds that prevent him from enjoying his food, killing another person devours part of one's soul. Deadpool uses humor to push away the darkness and prevent him from becoming like Death Grip. But not taking things seriously also has a cost. Deadpool has paid the price for killing others and wants to save Ellie from footing that bill. But will Ellie let him?
Art
Blood streams from Deadpool’s chest as he pushes himself off the floor in Deadpool #5. Death Grip’s magical hands blast a pillar and send Deadpool flying. Deadpool tosses smoke grenades to let him get within sword reach. Death Grip uses magic to hang Deadpool upside down at eye level but doesn’t pull off Deadpool’s mask to steal Mary Jane’s special kiss. Princess stalks the office and looms like King Kong after knocking down an office door. After reading a note filled with hearts, Ellie frowns.
Guru-eFX’s bright palette imbues Andrea Di Vito’s taught action and character moments with ambiance and contrast. Death Grip’s white energy radiates a blue glow in the purple temple. Overhead lights allow characters to shine and cast shadows amid the green textured walls and the littered, grimy floor of Deadpool’s green office. Stippled pale red on ivory enlivens an otherwise blank background as Elie rolls up her pink shirt sleeves. Yellow, orange, and pink fill the sky as Deadpool #5 reaches its deadly end.
Joe Sabino stabs white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with black and white uppercase lettering. The font shrinks for lowered voices, emboldens for inflection, and swells for increased volume. Death Grip's spells appear as purple symbols in blue dialogue balloons and as white symbols against the purple temple walls. Colorful and energetic sound effects enliven Deadpool and Death Grip's deathmatch, enhance Taskmaster's holy war against priests, and help us understand why an arrow bears a smiley face. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
Deadpool finds strength in being the Family Guy when Death Grip goes Godzilla. Ellie cries, "Hi ho, Silver," Taskmaster gets a promotion, and Deadpool gives Princess carte blanche to eat bad guys (because they’re so yummy) in Deadpool #5.
Rating 9.2/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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