Dear Geekiary: Where Do I Start With Deadpool?

Dear Geekiary: I’m mostly a newcomer to comics & was wondering where the best place to start is? I talked to Jessica a little about it & was thinking along the lines of Deadpool, but would love some recs. 🙂

Thanks!

– @phnxrayne (Ashton)

Hello Ashton!  It can be intimidating getting into comics, especially if you are a complete newcomer.  But it is also very exciting!  You had expressed an interest on starting with Deadpool which, in my opinion, is a great comic to start with.  Deadpool is different than many of the other comic book characters out there in that he is aware that he is in a comic book.  My first exposure to Deadpool/Wade Wilson was the Deadpool video game that my brother, Ward was playing.  He and I will give you some suggestions on Deadpool comics that we have enjoyed.

Ward suggests Deadpool Classic Volumes 1&2 as a good introduction to the character. He always likes to read the first issues for a character which is down to his personal preference, and depending on the character, is not always necessary. I haven’t read them myself and still have a great affection for Deadpool.  Joe Kelly is the author who is regarded  for writing Deadpool in the way that he’s most recognized now.  His first issue was the last issue in volume 1 of Deadpool Classic. Prior to that issue Deadpool is more of a Deathstroke/Slade Wilson rip-off.  (Which is why Deadpool’s real name is Wade Wilson.)

Another definitive writer of Deadpool is Daniel Way.  He wrote the self-titled video game.  Neither my brother nor myself have read anything he has written, but he is one of the highly regarded writers for the character.  Having seen the video game, I can tell you that the writer is immensely funny.

Many people would suggest starting with Cable and Deadpool (which is currently being re-released as Deadpool and Cable), but this series is not something that either us of us would recommend.  We have both read the first volume, and while the Deadpool parts are comical and fun, Cable is, to quote my brother, “A snooze-fest.”  I didn’t find Cable to be an appealing character at all either.  But, since these volumes do come so highly recommended, if you do happen upon them, they certainly have value in Deadpool’s story.

Currently Deadpool is being released under the self-named title in the Marvel NOW! series.  This is where one of my favorite volumes of Deadpool comes in, Marvel NOW!: Deadpool Volume 1: Dead Presidents and Volume 2: Soul Hunter.  These two are hilarious and are actually some of the first Deadpool comics that I have read.  They feature a necromancer who brings former Presidents of the United States back to life in order to help fix the country.  Instead, they come back with a vengeance, wanting to destroy everything. This is where you’ll see Deadpool talking to the reader directly.  Like I stated earlier, Deadpool knows he’s in a comic and all the other characters think he’s the crazy one.  We also have Deadpool hitting on Spider-Man in Volume 2: Soul Hunter which is a character trait quite typical to Deadpool. At one point he is holding on to Spider-Man as he scales buildings and Deadpool states that the internet would love to see that!

Lastly, we recommend some of the mini-series, which while they don’t follow the main storyline like the Marvel NOW! and Classic series do, they feature some of the best stories.  One of these mini-series, Night of the Living Deadpool, is where both of us started with Deadpool comics.  I immediately latched on to the character reading that one.  Deadpool wakes up from a Mexican food coma to find the world full of zombies. He becomes the unlikely hero. What I enjoy about this series is that the entire comic is in black and white except for Deadpool who is in his normal colors. This artistic choice was to pay homage to the movie, Night of the Living Dead.

My brother recently read the “Killology Trilogy.”  In Part 1: Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe is where Deadpool realizes that he is right about being a comic book character and was created solely for the reader’s enjoyment. Deadpool decides the only way to save all of the Marvel characters from this fate is to kill them all. After that, he leaves the comic book world for the real world to kill all of the writers. Finally, he looks at the reader saying, “I’m coming for you next!” In Part 2: Deadpool Killustrated, he realizes that the Marvel characters cannot truly die because of the characters who influenced the creation of the comic book characters in the first place. He goes into the “Ideaverse” to destroy them all as well. In Part 3: Deadpool Kills Deadpool, he decides that since he’s the only one who is self-aware, he must kill all of the Deadpools in the Marvel Universe. In the end, the real Deadpool wins and saves the everyone. Ward recommends this series because it displays Deadpool as a tough character with awesome combat skills and it breaks the fourth wall to the extreme.  You get to see him interact with classic literary characters like Ebeneezer Scrooge and the 3 Musketeers.  There’s something for everyone in this three volume series.

Good luck with your venture into comics!  Don’t be afraid to dive right in.  And if you don’t like Deadpool, there are so many great characters out there with stories that anyone would be able to relate to and be entertained by.  I hope you enjoy some of the books we recommended and I hope others find our list helpful as well.  Happy Deadpool comic book reading!

–Got a question for The Geekiary? Email us at DearGeekiary@Gmail.com or message us at the Dear Geekiary Tumblr.-

Author: Jessica Rae

Jessica has a BA in music with an emphasis in voice and spends her day typesetting, editing, writing, and moderating webinars. Jessica primarily reviews anime and comic book series. She also offers insights on various movies, books, games, and other geeky topics.

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