Deadpool Max #2 sees Wade Wilson unknowingly entrenched in a Mental Hospital. It’s easy to feel a kinship with the character, since actually buying this book is the equivalent to being clinically insane.
DEAPOOL MAX #2
WRITER: DAVID LAPHAM
ARTIST: KYLE BAKER
LETTERED BY: VC’s CLAYTON COWLES
PUBLISHED BY: MARVEL COMICS
Sexual Therapy Ensues
It would appear that the Deadpool Max series has been downgraded from an ongoing title to a 5 issue miniseries. Based on the first two issues of the series, each month will see a ‘done in one,’ single-issue story. There are threads that loosely connect the monthly issues, but it looks like the approach will be similar to DC’s current publishing model for Jonah Hex.
Deadpool begins issue 2 by speaking to a beautiful therapist, his diminished mental acuity provides him with a ‘translation’ of everything she’s saying to him. Of course he imagines that she craves his manhood and wants to mount him like a dear’s head in a hunting lodge. As it turns out, he’s absolutely right.
Who’s Feeling Up For Some Racial Epithets, Pedophilia & Incest? Anyone? Anyone?
The plot turns incredibly convoluted and ultimately sees Deadpool in a mental hospital, unknowingly pegged to have his internal organs harvested. In the meanwhile, Wilson finds himself immersed in the patient/therapist relationship and in addition to sexual congress, flashes back to portions of his childhood that inevitably led to his mental collapse.
Bob, his handler and former Hydra agent, uses racist epitaphs when explaining an upcoming assignment. In an effort to subvert the blame of such reprehensible dialogue, he adds that those terms are a direct quote, and not his language. Some of Deadpool’s flashbacks with his parents involve physical and emotional abuse, including pedophilia and incest.
Lets Push Some Buttons & Hope For The Best
Writer David Lapham is no stranger to over the top, mature content. One only has to read his work on Avatar Press’ Crossed: Family Values to see that his sandbox is twisted and full of darkness. However, in a Deadpool book where dark humor is a core component of the title, mixing in racist language and child abuse is a contextual nightmare. There is nothing funny about these two subjects and other than wanting to shock the reader, I can’t imagine how the story benefits from the inclusion of such content.
Bottom Line: Buyer Beware. PASS!
As much as I revered issue 1, I loathed issue 2 and that’s a shame. There is too much potential being wasted for me to consider continued reading of this book. I wholeheartedly recommend that you pass on this issue and save yourself a nasty reading experience. This ‘earns’ a paltry 1 out of 5 stars.
15 Comments
it seems like you were to offended to enjoy this issue, so i call it a bi-est opinion maybe something in the past happened? idk
t seems like you were to offended to enjoy this issue, so i call it a bi-est opinion maybe something in the past happened? idk
“Biased.” And it’s very difficult to avoid bias, as we all have it. A Deadpool fan or a fan of the writer or artist can forgive things that perhaps Mike wouldn’t or couldn’t.
That’s why we have Major Spoilers Rule #3: Mileage, as always, will vary. :)
Good point, Matthew. I’ve always tried to look at books I read or love objectively, but it’s not as easy when you are a bigtime fan of a comic/writer/artist/etc and you tend to think “Well, it’s not that great but I can forgive just this once”, but the “once” can happen more often than we realize or admit.
Hi Turks. First issue got a rave review from me. Yes, I was too offended to enjoy this issue. All opinions are inherently biased, but to dismiss my review based on speculation that something has happened in my past?
Not really sure what your feedback is, exactly.
it deserves at least a 3
Meh. I think the writers of the Deadpool are trying to write him EXTREME and it is starting to suck. Lame.
Im not sure Id agree that those two topics are never funny, I think South Park often hits the nail on the head. But it does seem predictable that they went with them for poor old Deadpool even if statistically there is more chance that it would stem from drug abuse or a boring old genetic disposition.
Will skip it, thanks for the review.
Extreme for the sake of extreme is a poor plan for ANY project. I would think that this would be a great opportunity for an Editor to…I dunno…maybe BE an editor?
EpiTHETS.
EpiTAPHS are what are written on tombstones; epithets, imprecations, disparagements, et cetera, are what, in the wrong neighborhood, could GET you a tombstone.
EpiTHETS.
EpiTAPHS are what are written on tombstones; epithets, imprecations, disparagements, et cetera, are what, in the wrong neighborhood, could GET you a tombstone.
Fixed, through internet MAGIC!!
Oooh! Nice catch! Embarrassed!
I don’t think the child abuse was there just to be there. It’s there to show that Deadpool is a severely messed up individual. And I thought it was pretty funny the way he replies to Dr Inez’s question about his father. “He loved baseball… big fan” in a complete dead pan manner.
For me, this is the Deadpool book i’ve always wanted. Joe Kelly’s is my favourite ever Deadpool, all this new crap is just that, crap. Apart from this book. Lapham might be outrageous, but there is some intelligence to his writing. The way he shows how fractured Deadpools mind is in this issue was well done. Him not being sure if Dr Inez was talking sexy to him or not, him realizing that he is not as crazy as he first thought, perhaps that he put on the craziness to excuse his deplorable behaviour (something which was first touched on back in Kelly’s run).
It isn’t a book for the easily offended, that’s for sure. But i’m not easily offended. And I think it’s unfair to say that this book isn’t anymore more than Deadpool turned up a few notches in the crude stakes. This issue had more pathos and psychological depth than Daniel Way’s entire run.
Joe Kelly’s Deadpool is gigantic fun! So, I’m in agreement with you there. I’m also underwhelmed by Daniel Way’s writing, although Deadpool has been passable. Wolverine Origins was horrific and I jumped off without looking back at issue 10 or so.
I was it was a great read. Dark, twisted, and gritty; like the real world but with some humor thrown in. I loved the interaction between Deadpool and Inez too, hopefully she pops back up later.
Incest also never happened, but what did happen horribly scarred Deadpool for the rest of his life.
I read issue number 1 and hated it, so I didn’t bother with this one.