Deadpool #28 & 29, by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn (writers), Scott Koblish (artist, #28), John Lucas (artist, #29), Val Staples (colorist), Joe Sabino (letterer) - Aw, look at that cover! So adorable. It makes me extra sad for how horribly Deadpool and Shiklah's relationship is probably going to end (because comics).#29 is the start of the Original Sin tie-ins, and if Lucas is going to draw all of it, this'll be a long stretch of months. His people are very lumpy and oddly shaped, especially Agent Adsit. Looks like a gremlin, or a troll or something. Plus, the way Lucas draws the SHIELD outfits, it looks like they're wearing neck braces. Bleh. And some of the grins are terrifying, even when they aren't meant to be.
The plot is that Dracula's really pissed Deadpool married Shiklah, since Drac wanted to marry her, and has sent some strangely amped-up vampires after them. Shiklah is going to attempt to negotiate, while Wade kills all the vampires. He tries talking to Dazzler, Agent of SHIELD, about helping, what with the light powers and all. But she turns him down, because it's actually Mystique. See, that's the sort of thing that would only work in a Bendis-written comic (which is where it originated), because Mystique can be safely assured she will never be called on to do anything with the light powers she doesn't have. Stymied in that direction, Wade breaks into the FF's building (which is missing several floors for some reason I'm not aware), and steals a time-travel device to go back to Disco Dazzler and ask her to return to his time and kill vampires. Dazzler agrees eagerly to help the Fantastic Four of the future.
Also, Preston and Adsit showed up at some fight from the main mini-series and were shown secrets about Deadpool from the Watcher's eye. So Preston knows where to find Eleanor, and Adsit saw something ugly he won't share. Calling it now: Butler had Wade kill Eleanor and Butler's brother who he left her with as a baby during that phase of testing where Deadpool was happy to go along with things. Man, that's gonna be a tough one for Wade to swallow.
I don't know, if the art were better I'd be more into it, but it's just ugly. Moving on! In issue #28, Deadpool and Shiklah visit Tokyo for their honeymoon. Well that's kind of an interesting choice, but it's a nice city, lots to see. But wade's also carrying a huge suitcase full of money around, which is quickly stolen by some little urchin. Who has other urchin friends who transform into big, cutesy anime monsters. And as Wade and Shiklah fight those and chase the briefcase, the Yakuza, crooked cops, the Hand, and Sunfire all gradually get involved. Yes, Sunfire, because heroes can't visit Japan without running into that asshole. Pretty sure that's an intentional joke on Posehn and Duggan's part. Sunfire shows up talking his usual spiel, and is immediately buried under a mass of all those other groups. Anyway, Wade's true reason for coming to Japan was to meet Kim, the fellow turned into a discount Nightcrawler by Butler and North Korea, and give him that suitcase full of money. Such a kind gesture, and Shiklah is touched by her husband's generosity, and they go off happily together and Kim, well, Kim is sick, and that makes me sad. But he has a big case full of money for his loved ones!
So I liked issue 28 much better than 29. It's a silly issue, a long chase scene that just keeps adding more and more elements to it, but it's done well. There's reversals, the standard "I got it! *yoink* Now I've got it! *yoink*" gags, all that good stuff. The kids saw a big case of money and took it without knowing who they were stealing from. But everyone else who sees the chase recognizes Deadpool, and so they figure the case must be worth something so they get involved. Though really, with Deadpool involved, you'd figure there was a decent chance it was chili dogs or a bunch of in-flight magazines he stole from the airplane.
The issue gives those of us who haven't read the Dracula's Gauntlet mini-series yet a bit more of a chance to see Shiklah, and watch her and Wade interact. Shorthand, she's a tough cookie who hasn't been out in the world much, so she's still learning surface world customs. The fact she's learning them from Deadpool should terrify everyone, but he's being the best example he can manage. And we got to see Kim again, which is important because he should be someone of importance to Wade, another person used by Butler, a person created from Wade, in the same way Wade was created from Wolverine. Deadpool's trying to do right by the guy in the way Logan has historically not done right by him. I am surprised Nightcrawler didn't get to come along. he did say he would like to meet Kim. Yes, it would have been awkward for him to accompany Deadpool and Shiklah on their honeymoon, but it would just be for a little while. Perhaps Claremont will handle that in Kurt's own book? Or Kurt and Wade will make another trip later. Posehn and Duggan have kept this thing pretty tightly plotted, so I doubt they put that in there just to ignore it forevermore.
Koblish's art looks very good here. I like the touch where Shiklhad sprouts her horns when she starts to get annoyed, but it's sort of an intermediate stage before she goes full-bore on her monster form. Also I think he sort of scuffs up her linework so she looks rougher. It maybe makes her stand out from the page more, like she's shifting out of the dimension, or becoming slightly divorced from this reality as she assumes her true form. The kids' monster forms were goofy, but had a look that suggested they'd all originated from one mind, with a particular sense of design, which seemed to be the case.
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