Can we just take a moment to reflect on the amazing Deadpool #5 synopsis:
A KAIJU HAIKU! Deadpool loves monster! Monster SPRINGS city attack! What to do, Deadpool?!
Bravo, and you might be surprised the comic itself is about as clever and fun, too. Kelly Thompson and Gerardo Sandoval are giving us the perfect return story (after a nearly three month delay) for Deadpool as it’s easy to pick up, read, snicker, and have a grand old time.
This is an adventure for Deadpool, king of the monsters, as he attempts to rein in one of his largest monsters who is also not yet an adult. With young adults comes an inability to follow the guidance of their elders — enter a kaiju who wants to play in Manhattan. Along the way, Deadpool and Else Bloodstone attempt to talk some sense into the beast that talks via visual effects while Jeff the Landshark tries to play. It’s fun!
Deadpool #5 cover by Gerardo Sandoval
Marvel Comics
Thompson and Sandoval fill this book with clever visual ideas, twists, and turns. Deadpool as the king of monsters continuing to throw a curveball to the premise of Deadpool and Elsa adds an interesting dimension, too. Thompson has a good handle on Deadpool’s voice, which melds the ingenuity of the plotting and the voice into something that feels new. There is also a surprise or two in the plotting that helps shake things up. I put this book down and had a grin on my face and some hope for a happier Deadpool going forward, even though he has to do a very hard thing.
The art by Sandoval, with inks by Victor Nava with Sandoval, is quite good, giving the art team plenty of space to fill the page with a skyscraper-sized kaiju. Jeff is hilarious and cute as ever, and there are standout moments for Deadpool too, though it’s hard to beat Jeff on standout performances. A scene with a pink monster named Hurl is excellent, with a great close-up on Deadpool grimacing that turns out to be one of the funniest bits in the book. Colors by Chris Sotomayor capture the darkness of a crisped Deadpool or the blue light of an electric shock in a Looney Tunes sort of way.
Thompson has introduced us to a Deadpool who has more responsibility, but still maintains his self-deprecating charm. There’s a conflict between being king and being insecure that’s worth exploring, and by issue’s end, you’ll want more.
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