The Reign of X era is over. Now, it’s time to embark on the Destiny of X era with Wolverine #20! Out this week, Benjamin Percy and Adam Kubert return to the series with a secret weapon: Deadpool! The knucklehead joins the series and downright steals it in Wolverine #20 to hilarious effect.
Okay, hilarious may be pushing it since the greatest superhero grump Wolverine still takes over chunks of this book. That said, Percy and Kubert definitely get you to laugh, break the fourth wall in creative ways, and do well to establish Deadpool’s part in this latest story arc.
As usual for Deadpool, he takes over the narration for the book even when Deadpool isn’t present. There are a few different ways he attempts to take over the narrative, in fact, but by the end, it’s clear this is a worthy team up with Wolverine. Even if Wolverine wants nothing to do with Deadpool.
Percy is drawing from previous plots set up in this series starting with Deadpool badly wanting to be a citizen of Krakoa. Or at the very least, allowed to visit. The main conflict is also drawing from a previous plot thread which helps draw you in. Wolverine is well written as always, but props to Percy for capturing Deadpool so well. He sounds just like his ’90s counterpart plus a familiar face from his world pops up too.
Deadpool explodes with hilarity.
Credit: Marvel
Kubert does a great job with the art, with an interesting layout structure in the opening pages. Framed in a pinkish-red inside the gutters, one can gather Deadpool’s influence early on. Kubert is always good at drawing the eye with a well-placed Wolverine crossing from one panel into another or a panel pushing away from another to draw the eye across the page. The level of detail and emotive acting throughout is exceptional.
Colors by Frank Martin add a lot to a computer hacker scene with a play of shadow and light. Even though the city is only slightly present in panels early on, Martin adds nice details in windows or street lights basking on buildings to help lift the background of the page.
If you enjoy montages you’ve come to the right place. Comedic montages and heist-y montages permeate the issue. It adds a fun element and entertainment value.
The only downside to this issue might be the lack of Wolverine, which is kind of the point. Deadpool takes over and even reflects on that! That said, after only a brief recognition of what Wolverine went through the last few months it’s a little disappointing to see that major plot line fall away.
Wolverine #20 is a great return for the series after X Lives of Wolverine and X Deaths of Wolverine put the main series on hiatus. Smartly, the creative team is having a bit of fun with Deadpool after a serious 10-issue epic, and boy is it a lot of fun to have Deadpool back in all his glory.
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