What I Bought 11/15/2014 - Part 12

The first trailer for the new Star Wars film has been out a week now. I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of Star Wars, though I enjoyed the first Rogue Squadron game immensely, but I was pretty excited to see John Boyega is going to be in there. I loved him in Attack the Block, so hopefully his Stormtrooper (or was he undercover?) character gets some good development and screen time.

Deadpool #34 and 35, by Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan (writers), Scott Koblish (artist, #34), Mike Hawthorne (penciler, #35), Terry Pallot (inker, #35), Val Staples (colorist, #34), Jordie Bellaire (colorist, #35), Joe Sabino (letterer) - I didn't love either of the two covers. I picked this one mostly for the Looney Tunes-style signboard.

Issue 34 is a '90s style flashback explaining the circumstances that lead to Deadpool burning down his childhood home with his parents inside, as witnessed by Adsit. As it turns out, Butler did that to Wade just to see how effective the memory-wiping drugs he was giving Wade were. Pretty damn effective, apparently, since Wade torched the place with only small hints he felt anything familiar about it. At the end, as Adsit relates this to Preston, she watches Wade trying to connect with Eleanor in a way that is both endearing, and kind of terrifying. He plays "pull my finger" with her, but he'd already severed the finger, so it comes off when she pulls. Hey, at least he told her not to try that. We also got to see the moment when Carmelita confronted Wade with Eleanor, and Wade ran her off, because on some level, he knew she needed to stay far away from Butler. Too bad it was too late, and Butler had even swiped a blood sample from Baby Eleanor, and confirmed she has an X-Gene.

In the next issue, Wade lets Eleanor's grandma know she's still alive, and makes use of the Slurpee Machine he had sent to her apartment. It was the thought that counts, I suppose. Then he visits the Jean Grey School to say hello to Evan, but more importantly, so he's there to greet Kim and the other North Korean X-Men. I'm not sure I'm happy about Eleanor being a mutant, but at the very least, if she ends up attending the Jean Grey School, the X-Men won't be able to treat Wade so badly when he shows up. Parental visitation rights for the win! Eat it, Storm! Especially after Wade tried to be consoling about Logan's (at that point delayed) death.

Anyway, Wade wants as many big brains in on this effort to save his friends as possible, so he takes the Beast's results and tries to visit Reed Richards. But the FF aren't in their building, because it's foreclosed. On his way to visit Stark, he gets attacked by Dracula using the second version of the Spider-Slayer. Which Wade defeats in his underwear. Because he made a homeless guy wear his uniform as a distraction. Turns out Hank already shared his results with Stark which, geez, doctor/patient confidentiality! Also, Stark's a fucking engineer, what does he know about biology? Anyway, things are getting worse for Kim and the others, so it looks like Wade's going to be an organ donor for a while. Which is not only going to cut into his time with his daughter, but also with his wife. Shiklah's not too happy about how much time he's already spending away from her. Oh Wade, there's no way you'll be able to juggle this successfully.

These were a emotionally wrenching issues. The silent manner in which Wade killing his parents was presented. Watching him interact with Eleanor, trying to be a good dad, but all the things he can't or doesn't want to explain. The way he interacts with Evan at the school, the moment when he and Kim step into McCoy's lab, and they both feel uncomfortable in what it reminds him of. That slowly building tension between him and Shiklah, as Wade's other responsibilities keep pulling him away. That started when he left her and Dazzler to contend with the vampires so he could protect Ellie, and I don't see it getting better. It's awful, because Wade has really started to put a life together, and it's already wobbling dangerously.

Wade killing his parents was blunted somewhat by Koblish's art. He purposefully drew in a manner that spoofed Liefeld and other artists of that era, so he does not draw feet at all during the flashback. They're always off panel, or blocked by someone or something. Which is funny, but once I saw it, I couldn't stop seeing it. So during the silent pages of Wade walking up to his old house, roaming through it, picking up his old baseball mitt, while also unhooking all the fire alarms, I'm noticing how Koblish used the front gate to hide Wade's feet in a panel. Undercuts things a little. Also, I was seriously jarred by the fact Wade was working with Sabretooth, and Sabes even tried to talk Wade out of finishing the job. I know Sabretooth hadn't killed Vanessa yet, but Sabretooth feeling pity for someone apparently breaks my suspension of disbelief.

It's nice to have Mike Hawthorne back on art. The time since his last issue seemed to help. His pencils were stronger, I thought he did better with details on people's faces since the last time. He continues to be good at making Deadpool's face expressive, even through the mask, in a way that seems realistic. The smiles, the frowns, pouty faces, all well done.

Duggan and Posehn need to get their colorists on the same page with regard to Eleanor, though. Staples colored her as being black, but Bellaire went much, much lighter in the next issue. It'd be hard to tell it was even the same character. What's interesting is that the way Bellaire colored Ellie in #35 was much closer to her mother's skin color as presented in flashback in #34. And considering Wade is a Caucasian Canadian last time I checked, that seems more accurate. I'd just like some consistency, whichever direction they choose to go.