Wade enjoys playing James Bond as directed by John Woo.

Deadpool #900

Written by  A Whole Lotta Dudes

Art by Even More Dudes

It’s official. We’re now living in the Deadpool Age of comics. With two, soon to be three, on-going series, a recently wrapped mini, and an upcoming feature film on the horizon, Wade Wilson has never been bigger. And Marvel knows this, capitalizing on the current “renumbering a book to cash in on an anniversary issue” craze with this tongue-in-cheek 900th issue of the Merc With A Mouth’s current series. A whole slew of writers and artists were brought on board for the ride, and though some of the stories contained herein are better than others, it’s definitely five bucks well spent.

First up, Jason Aaron & newcomer Chris Staggs tale a tell of alien abduction gone horribly wrong. Well, for the aliens at least, when their nightly sweep pick up not just the usual cows and groupies, but ‘Pool and his “Burning Ivan.” With some nice nods to the likes of the X-Files and Aliens, Aaron’s script is solid, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Staggs’ art in future Deadpool projects.

In a nearly word-free story, Fred Van Lente & Dalibor Talajic prove that a Deadpool story doesn’t have to be verbal to still be entertaining. And any excuse to see mimes getting slaughtered is fine by me.

Deadpool sees a shrink courtesy of Mike Benson & Damion Scott, and predictably Wackiness Ensues. Truthfully, this was my least favorite of the stories, as I saw the twist coming a mile away and found Scott’s artwork a bit scratchy for my tastes. Not bad, but not great either.

Joe Kelly & Rob Liefeld return to the character that has come to define them in a fun little yarn about Wade reuniting with a childhood chum to collect on a wager made years earlier. I’ll be the first to say I’m not a huge fan of Liefeld’s style, but it worked here in a smaller dose, and Kelly is one of top Deadpool writers of all time. This was fun, with some nice bits and a great gag about ‘Pool’s ever present pouches.

Next up, Duane Swierczynski & Shawn Crystal throw the Regeneratin’ Degenerate into the world of a CSI-like forensic team, complete with cardboard stereotypes and cheesy one-liners. The dramatic twist here is handled a little better than in the earlier therapist story, and Wade is damn funny throughout. Plus, there’s a chicken.

Victor Gischler & Sanford Greene tell a tale of the high sea, with Wade making an ass of himself during his vacation on an ocean liner. Mishaps involving volleyball & shuffleboard, lead up to a ping-pong showdown with the malevolent Dr. Octopus. And yes, that is just as awesome as it sounds. (And to anyone whining about how this story conflicts with Ock’s recent appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #600, I refer you to the MST3K Mantra.)

Next, Charlie Huston & Kyle Baker deliver a metaphysical tale of Deadpool seeking out his own mortality. You might wanna watch your back while reading this one. Just sayin’.

Finally, we get a reprint of 1998’s Deadpool Team-Up #1 by James Felder & Pete Woods, seeing Wade return to his sumo-wrestling roots (seriously) and facing off against a pint-sized clone of himself. I thought is was a nice addition, as it’s the first time it’s been reprinted and usually commands big bucks as a back issue.

This issue is a must for any Deadpool fan, and a good introduction for anyone curious about the character.

4.5 out of 5 cases of adult-onset A.D.D.