Cody Ziglar really knows how to write Deadpool. That is the main takeaway I got from the new trade paperback Wolverines and Deadpools: Claws & Mercs, which collects Ziglar’s team-up between the two families of healing heroes. Acting as somewhat of an epilogue to Ziglar’s stellar run on Deadpool, the three-issue Wolverines and Deadpools is an explosively action-packed romp. Featuring Wade, Logan, and their daughters Ellie and Laura, the heroes must face the wrath of the Shadow King, brought to life by the incredible art of Rogê Antônio and GURU-eFX.
For a $19.99 price tag, the three issues of Wolverines and Deadpools are not the only team-up content this trade hands you. It also collects Deadpool/Wolverine: Weapon XTraction, which was published as an eight-part backup comic across the Marvel line, written by Ryan North with art from Javier Garron. Plus, for the first time in print, Deadpool vs. Wolverine: Slash ‘Em Up Infinity Comic, from creators Christos Gage and Alan Robinson, is published in print! What a delightful collection! This trade is well crafted, with a gorgeous Alessandro Cappuccio cover, a first page with a brutal piece of art from Javier Garron, and a series of lovely variant covers at the back of the collection.
Marvel
I gotta say, I enjoyed Ziglar’s Wolverines and Deadpools more than XTraction or the Infinity Comic. Perhaps it is because those comics are published in such short, bite-sized releases, but they didn’t feel very connected and felt more like Wolverine/Deadpool comics that were pumped out just to leverage the excitement from the Deadpool vs. Wolverine film that debuted in 2024. They are by no means bad, and are actually quite fun to read, but I do wish Marvel had either made Wolverines and Deadpools a five to six-issue mini, or they waited until another mini before releasing it as a trade.
Ziglar’s ability to have Wade whip out his ridiculous jokes and fourth-wall-breaking humor while maintaining a legitimate sense of emotional depth and decision-making is impressive, and better than most writers who I have seen handle Deadpool. While Laura and Logan seem a bit like an afterthought in some scenes, I think they add to the overall Shadow King storyline, especially with Laura’s connection to the villain through the attempted possession of her sister Gabby while on Krakoa. I saw some folks comment on how harsh Laura was towards Ellie while this series was coming out, but if you’ve read any recent Laura Kinney comics, the fall of Krakoa has really incentivized Laura’s more… Logan-esque qualities.
Overall, I thought this was a fun collection to read, and the trade itself looks great on a collection shelf, or as a display piece with its gorgeous Cappuccio cover. Ziglar and Antônio’s Wolverines and Deadpools miniseries is a blast, and nicely wraps up Ziglar’s Deadpool run before Benjamin Percy’s recent Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1 debut. If you’re a fan of Deadpool, Wolverine, or these two zany best friends being forced to team up against a common enemy, this is the right comic for you! Also, in the Xtraction issue, there is a random Easter egg for fans of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, where a public library has “Reading is what? Fundamental” on its sign, which is a famous catchphrase from Paul. So… love that a lot.
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