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A review by dozmuttz
Spider-Man/Deadpool, Vol. 1: Isn't It Bromantic by Joe Kelly
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I finally read the crossover title that was all over the place back when it originally came out. Seriously, I saw these paperbacks everywhere I went, whether it was in a comic book shop, a Barnes and Noble, or hell, I even saw this at a Target! It didn’t really seem like my thing back in the day, but after reading the ‘Deadpool Killogy’ and wanting to read more stand alone Spider-Man, I figured I’d give this a looksie. The title is led by the creative team of Joe Kelly and Ed Mcguinness, who are no strangers to Deadpool. This first arc sets up the reason for the two masters of quip to team up, as it’s shown that Deadpool is hired to kill Peter Parker. This takes place during the era of Spider-Man where Peter has become a millionaire with his science fortune 500 company. So the public believes that Spider-Man is Peter Parker’s bodyguard, and that includes Deadpool. Deadpool’s plan is to befriend Spidey and convince him that his boss is actually an evil millionaire, mainly because he himself was tricked into believing so. They team up for some quick smash and bash adventures and get to know one another better. Deadpool is making an effort to change and Spider-Man is making an effort to trust Deadpool. The main question that arises through this arc though, who hired Deadpool and why?
Joe Kelly is the writer on this project and as mentioned before, he is no stranger to writing Deadpool. He’s known as one of the characters best writers so him spearheading this project makes sense. It does read more as a Deadpool comic in that way though but I feel like that might be for the best. This series is mainly focused on the laughs and humor. It doesn’t take itself so seriously and it's a nice sort of self-contained title. Now I say sort of because it does take place in continuity however Kelly does a great job of not making me feel lost and keeping his story on track. I haven’t read much from this era of Marvel (2016) so knowing that I could read this title without any previous reading, made it a nice bonus for me. I think Kelly writes a decent dynamic with Deadpool and Spider-Man and it leads to some funny but also in general fun moments. From their tag team battles to their back and forth dialogue, it’s a good capture of who each character is and how they can work well together. I will say it does feel a bit dialogue heavy at times and although for the most part it was funny, sometimes it felt like a lot was forced just to fill the page with jokes. I liked the overall plot that Kelly sets up however it does feel like it could’ve wrapped up a bit quicker so in a way it drags in the middle for me. Not terrible but I wanted a bit better in pacing.
Ed Mcguinness is the artist on this series and I absolutely loved his work. With his past history with Deadpool of course he captures the look and personality for the mouthy merc perfect. It’s a light cartoonist style that highlights the humor-like story. I love his design for Spidey, it’s new and familiar all at once. It’s a Mcguinness twist on a classic Spidey look. Mcguinness sets up great spreads and cool panel layouts, it’s for sure the best part of the series, and I’d love to see more of Mcguinness drawing Spider-Man. I also think his ink work is wonderful and prominent. It’s a nice bold piece that highlights his already awesome pencils even better!
Overall; I found this first volume good enough to make me want to keep reading, however I do hope the pacing gets a bit better otherwise my excitement for the title will inevitably slow down. Although as long as Mcguinness is attached to the series I’m all game to keep moving forward. 3.5/5
Joe Kelly is the writer on this project and as mentioned before, he is no stranger to writing Deadpool. He’s known as one of the characters best writers so him spearheading this project makes sense. It does read more as a Deadpool comic in that way though but I feel like that might be for the best. This series is mainly focused on the laughs and humor. It doesn’t take itself so seriously and it's a nice sort of self-contained title. Now I say sort of because it does take place in continuity however Kelly does a great job of not making me feel lost and keeping his story on track. I haven’t read much from this era of Marvel (2016) so knowing that I could read this title without any previous reading, made it a nice bonus for me. I think Kelly writes a decent dynamic with Deadpool and Spider-Man and it leads to some funny but also in general fun moments. From their tag team battles to their back and forth dialogue, it’s a good capture of who each character is and how they can work well together. I will say it does feel a bit dialogue heavy at times and although for the most part it was funny, sometimes it felt like a lot was forced just to fill the page with jokes. I liked the overall plot that Kelly sets up however it does feel like it could’ve wrapped up a bit quicker so in a way it drags in the middle for me. Not terrible but I wanted a bit better in pacing.
Ed Mcguinness is the artist on this series and I absolutely loved his work. With his past history with Deadpool of course he captures the look and personality for the mouthy merc perfect. It’s a light cartoonist style that highlights the humor-like story. I love his design for Spidey, it’s new and familiar all at once. It’s a Mcguinness twist on a classic Spidey look. Mcguinness sets up great spreads and cool panel layouts, it’s for sure the best part of the series, and I’d love to see more of Mcguinness drawing Spider-Man. I also think his ink work is wonderful and prominent. It’s a nice bold piece that highlights his already awesome pencils even better!
Overall; I found this first volume good enough to make me want to keep reading, however I do hope the pacing gets a bit better otherwise my excitement for the title will inevitably slow down. Although as long as Mcguinness is attached to the series I’m all game to keep moving forward. 3.5/5