The Good
Something I’ve really enjoyed about all these Original Sin tie-ins is seeing the different ways in which its being interpreted. For some characters the “sin” is of their own making while other times, it’s an event brought about by an external party. In this case, it’s a little of both with the fate of Deadpool’s daughter and Deadpool’s parents revealed to Agents Preston and Adsit respectively. In both cases Wade is definitively involved, but in very different ways. While the girl’s adoptive father tries to spirit her to safety, the forces of Flag Smasher close in to incorporate the Merc with the Mouth into their nefarious plans. Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn continue to juggle slapstick comedy with dramatic intensity and they continue to balance it very, very well. This issue tends toward the action with some light drama sprinklings, but when the jokes are there, they work very well. Even when Deadpool has gotten dramatic, he’s generally kept things together well (in his own way), so it’s legitimately fascinating to see him here coming undone with stress and worry, rather than in his usual humorously homicidal way, over what’s happening. The jokes are few and far between, the fourth wall is intact, Deadpool is driven and desperate, and it’s an interesting spin on the character.
John Lucas’ linework has been polarizing, but I feel like he’s pulling it together for this issue and we’re getting a lot less “lumpy” and misshapen characters (that shouldn’t look that way, when they should, his work is great) and a more consistent vision to the book. Also the way he draws ‘70s Deadpool complete with kickin’ afro is great while the look lasts. Val Staples’ colors are bright and help bring life and direction to the artistic proceedings, giving us a beautifully diverse and wonderful palette that emphasizes both the grunge of the storyline and the breakneck pace it occurs at.
The Bad
Pacing of this issue is all over the place, as I said above. The art serves to emphasize this aspect, but it's mostly the writing where it doesn't do well for me. The latter seems to have its feet in two completely different pools, so to speak, the wacky antics of the Dazzler/Deadpool: Disco Vampire Hunters and the deadly serious arc of Agents Adist and Preston tracking down the Merc’s daughter. The problem is not that they conflict in terms of tone, it’s that the first feels like it’s treading on the second. With Deadpool crossing storylines, even with a new player to help Dazzler, that arc feels increasingly vestigial and pointless and the speed in which we go from one to the other in very, very different locations doesn’t help matters.
Josh Lucas’ art is better, but I still don’t think he’s a good fit for this book. There are other books with very strange art styles that I’ve loved because the strangeness plays directly into the tone and feel of the book, but in this case I just don’t think it meshes well. The thing is: I think he’d be great on another kind of book, something involving the BPRD for instance, but on this one his chaotic, ultra-stylized look serves to emphasize how off the pacing is, with every character looking like they’re constantly jiggling or in motion, but not a natural kind of motion. It adds a hyperactive element that feels at odds with the story itself.
The Verdict
I’m still interested in seeing how this storyline shakes out, particularly now that Deadpool has made the jump to the storyline involving his daughter. I can’t imagine this whole thing getting swept under the rug, so how this alters Deadpool, one of Marvel’s least responsible heroes, is still up for grabs and something I can’t wait to see. It may not be perfect, but this is still a story well worth picking up for those who can’t get enough yellow word balloons and expertly balanced drama with their comedy.