At $9.99, can seven Deadpool stories deliver enough value to hungry fans of the Merc with a Mouth? That’s the question I pondered as I read the extra-sized celebration Deadpool: Seven Slaughters #1, which features a lot of comics’ heaviest hitters. One problem, however, is that as with any anthology, not every story truly sings, so how does it shake out? More or less, it’s a pretty solid read, but the purchase will depend on how much you love the hero.
This issue kicks off with a tale by Cullen Bunn and Phillip Sevy called “Possibilities.” This is a great opener, especially for an anthology, since it gives us an entirely different idea of Deadpool on every page. We get hero Deadpool with Spidey pining to be his buddy, a football universe, a Deadpool who leads a monster team, and even a universe where Deadpool plays Dungeons & Dragons. It looks great under Sevy’s lines and even comes with a cracker of an ending. Bunn clearly understands this character, putting a period on the tale with a bit of lunacy and unexplainable actions.
Next up, Justina Ireland and Greg Land set Deadpool on a mission to kill a Steve Jobs-level tech guru. Titled “Tuesday,” Land draws a really cool-looking Deadpool mask that looks like it doesn’t quite fit. The quips work well, as he has hired a goon to help him on a mission. It also sets up the fact that Deadpool kills, but he also usually does the right thing in the end. It’s a theme that runs through a few of the stories.
Rob Liefeld and Chad Bowers team up for “Lady Anime,” with Deadpool facing off against Xixa “Lady Anime” Zenaya. If you can get past Liefeld’s blocky-looking art, things get super fun when Lady Anime goes full cartoon. It’s a fight comic story that works at times but feels overly littered with captions. Ultimately it’s a stiff journey, but definitely one for the longtime Liefeld fans to enjoy.
Steve Foxe and Gerardo Sandoval’s story was by far my favorite.
Credit: Marvel
“Walking Papers” is the following story by Cody Ziglar and Federica Mancin. Ziglar brings back the captions talking motif of past Deadpool comics with smashing success. He captures the lunacy of the character and his ability to argue internally while enacting chaos all around him. There’s plenty of humor here that works proving Ziglar is a great comedic writer. Mancin keeps the action intense and interesting with a nice rendition of Domino.
Steve Foxe and Gerardo Sandoval kill it on “No Spider Blues,” which weaves in a Limbo adventure. Madelyne Pryor and Chasm make appearances, allowing Foxe to play around and poke fun at them both. That includes a shredded black costume ala Havoc and some fairly good barbs at the concept and costume of Chasm. Props to Foxe for making jokes about how to say Chasm, as I’ve literally made those same jokes on the AIPT Comics podcast. Sandoval’s darker-toned art suits the Limbo narrative with some rather over-the-top looks that’ll bring you a chuckle.
Gail Simone and David Baldeon reteam for “Tunnel of Love,” in a story that has Deadpool teaming up with the Hotshots. They’re underground trying to protect the Morkocks from a threat that acts as a big final-act-level baddy. The story is a bit too short for its own good, with mostly so-so banter and a bit of action thrown in.
Closing out the collection is “Love at First Slaughter” by Marc Guggenheim and Whilce Portacio. This tale brings in Deadpool’s insatiable ability to fall in love very quickly. Portacio gives Deadpool an edgy and realistic look, while Guggenheim brings the comedic chaos of Deadpool through dialogue. Although it’s 10 pages, it feels shorter than the other tales, possibly because it takes about three pages to get going.
Visually this book is a delight, with great color artists like Bryan Valenza, GURU-eFX, Frank D’Armata, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Dono Sanchez-Almara bringing their A-game. Letters by Joe Sabino create a through-line for the entire production.
All told, I loved three tales, liked two, and could easily pass on the two more. As a grab bag of tales taking place out of continuity, it’ll be a tough sell for many, but if you love Deadpool, Deadpool: Seven Slaughters is an easy add to the buy pile.
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