I’m not what you’d call a Deadpool fan, but even I can admit that the Merc with a Mouth has been killing it on the comics scene lately, whether it’s his solo books or spearheading the first Marvel/DC crossover in years. In the former case, Wade Wilson: Deadpool has been packed full of all the bloody chaos you’d expect from a Deadpool book, and some surprisingly emotional moments. Wade Wilson: Deadpool #3 cranks up that emotion a notch as Benjamin Percy and Geoff Shaw peel back the curtains on what drove Wade down his current path of self-destruction.
Throughout the first two issues, Wade has been receiving mysterious messages about future events and preventing them while also getting paid to do so. But his newfound business is cutting into his jobs from Hammerhead, and the crime lord is intent on learning about Deadpool’s newfound source of income. He also doesn’t have any problem with inflicting a world of hurt on Wade in the process, unaware of how far gone the Merc with a Mouth is.
Percy understands the truth about Deadpool that many writers and fans don’t. Beneath all his rapid-fire chatter and healing factor lies a man who’s suffering, and that suffering has increased due to the mysterious event that involved his daughter Ellie. While Percy doesn’t fully reveal what happens, he does peel back some of the layers, revealing that a plane full of mercenaries was involved. He also shows that, despite their constant back-and-forth, Wade does care for Blind Al. A moment where Wade says he’ll be out of her hair is undercut by Al softly saying, “I never asked for that.” It’s a small moment that speaks volumes.
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Balancing all the emotional moments is the bloody violence peppered throughout the book, brilliantly brought to life by Geoff Shaw. From the very first page Shaw has Deadpool doing what he does best, preventing a mob murder by slicing off a mobster’s fingers and then whacking her hard in the face with a oar in a glorious two page spread. Think that’s gory? Shaw one ups it when Hammerhead has Deadpool tied up and starts carving pieces of him off to use as fishing bait. It’s a truly macabre moment that has me wondering if Percy’s slipping notes to Shaw that reads “make this as gruesome as you can.”
Topping off this cavalcade of carnage and chaos is Alex Sinclair, who proves that he’s one of the best colorists in the game. Sinclair never misses a chance to use red throughout the issue, whether it’s in the copious sprays of blood that follow Deadpool wherever he goes or the Merc with a Mouth’s trademark suit. He also brings a sense of contrast throughout the issue, whether it’s half of the story taking place at night or Joe Sabino’s captions. In addition to Wade’s signature yellow word balloons, we also have blue editor’s notes that take a peek into the weird, wild mind of Deadpool. You might not want to know that Deadpool would sleep with all of the X-Men (yes, all of them) or hates the Fantastic Four, but now you do!
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #3 expertly handles its mix of bloody violence and emotional gut punches, as readers get a reminder that the Merc with a Mouth is more than jokes and swords. If this series could get me to read Deadpool, then it definitely should be on the radar of other fans who want to understand him.
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