Two masked snarkers versus an army of giant monsters with destructive intentions?
Good, that’ll work. Your Major Spoilers review of Spider-Man/Deadpool #1.MU awaits!
SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #1.MU
Writer: Joshua Corin
Artist: Tigh Walker
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC”s Joe Sabino
Editor: Jordan D. White & Nick Lowe
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Spider-Man/Deadpool: “When giant monsters know as Leviathons start raining from the sky and wreaking havoc all over the world, it is up to the heroes of Earth to stop them. But even working together, The Avengers, Champions, X-Men, Guardians Of The Galaxy and Inhumans mighty be up against a threat too large for them to tackle. Wave after wave of Leviathons attack, intent on razing the world, and it seems like only a miracle can save the Earth now… a miracle named Spider-Man!
…and another miracle named Deadpool!
ATTACK OF ‘THE CRAFT!’
We open in Toronto, with Deadpool in chains, captured by the student’s of St. Damia’s School For Young Women. (In his defense, they promised chimichangas.) Knowing of his association with the Succubus Queen Shiklah, they have captured him as a focus to summon her, so that they can cast the spirit of their recently dead headmistress into her powerful mystical form. They cast the spell to summon Deadpool’s heartmate, and are suddenly greeted by…
…Spider-Man?
Spidey is confused, Deadpool is amused, and the girls manage to finish the ritual just as another meteorite containing a Leviathon crashes into downtown Toronto. Our crimson-costumed heroes leap into action, complicated by Headmistress Soo slowly overtaking control of Spider-Man’s limbs while Deadpool has to deal with getting swallowed whole by the beast, which resembles a giant eggplant.
A (SPIDER) MAN POSSESSED
On the one hand, I love a silly, fun story, but having this one arriving in the earliest hours of the ‘Monsters Unleashed’ crossover (that’s the titular ‘MU’) feels somehow off. After reading the first issue of Monsters and it’s attempt to set the stakes of worldwide armageddon, we immediately kick off into a light-hearted, quippy adventure featuring Marvel’s snarkiest stars. That said, it’s good light-hearted quippy stuff, with Spider-Man slowly taking on the mannerisms of an elderly sorceress, Deadpool phoning Spidey from the belly of the beast, and the transfer for a web-shooter to Deadpool’s care, leading to some nice sight gags. The fact that the monster looks like a giant emoji is a good gag, and the art by Tigh Walker makes his/her name one worth looking out for. It’s a one-shot, so it all wraps up at the end with Spider-Man returning to action, and a dismembered Deadpool asking once again about his chimichangas…
THE BOTTOM LINE: GOOFY, BUT FUN
In short, while I’m uncertain about the timing, the execution of the story is quite good, and Deadpool especially has lots of fun dialogue (including an underwater scene where he still won’t stop ratchet-jawing, leading to a word balloon that reads “Glub glub glub.”) Spider-Man/Deadpool #1.MU isn’t a story that sells the overarching conceit of “Crisis Mode AIEEEE”, but it’s well-drawn, clever and funny, and features great character interactions from both our heroes, earning 3 out of 5 stars overall. As with so many crossover tie-ins, it’s great on its own terms, with the crossover adding little more than context and motivation; this time, it works.
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