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Spider-Man/Deadpool #4 Review

Comic Books

Spider-Man/Deadpool #4 Review

Spider-Man has finally agreed to chill with our boy Wade (outside of work) — and in Spider-Man/Deadpool #4 they’re hitting the club for some drinks, music and… a double-date?

Wait, a date date? Isn’t Deadpool married? And what sort of woman does he plan on setting Spidey up with? (Spoiler alert: It’s not Mary Jane. She’s over in Invincible Iron Man.)

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Spider-Man/Deadpool #4 (Marvel Comics)

spider-man-deadpool-4-cover

Observations:

  • Sweet, the holographic image projector is back. Kelly hatched some funny sight gags with this plot device back in the day, so no doubt we’ll be seeing some of that sweet, visual shenaniganery here.
  • Yup, but since DP’s not the one who needs disguising anymore — the honor of going holographically incognito goes to Spidey. DP picks a hilarious name to go along with an appearance that Spidey’s blind date said she “went nuts for” on her dating profile. Note to self: Deadpool is a solid wingman.
  • So Hellhouse is a club now, huh? Does that mean we might see Patch slinging drinks and CF on the turntables?
  • Deadpool, with perhaps the greatest alcohol-related quote I’ve heard since Homer Simpson’s “Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”:
  • spider-man-deadpool-4-alcohol-quote

  • Deadpool owns Hellhouse. Deadpool is a nightclub owner. I see nothing wrong with this premise.
  • Damn, Spidey’s blind date is pretty dope. Deadpool’s disinterested facial expressions/dialogue as she and holographically incognito Spidey hit it off remind me of this scene from Dumb and Dumber. Hilarious.
  • Since Deadpool’s setting this whole thing up, there has to be a catch, right?
  • Okay, there’s the catch. I kind of wish the solicit (and in retrospect, the cover) hadn’t given this part away, but it’s entertaining notwithstanding.
  • Love the juxtapositional splash here as Spider-Man and Deadpool clarify (or justify in Spider-Man’s case) their reasons for linking up outside of “work.” Pages like this really accentuate the characters’ wonderful diversity; in their personalities, their motives and in their uncertainty regarding how their actions will be/should be perceived by others. The layout by McGuiness is textbook as well — love the scientific lab backdrop for Spidey and Shiklah’s arcane library for DP.
  • spider-man-deadpool-4-juxtapositional
    Beautiful side-by-side composition.

  • Just when I thought I’d been bored to tears by antiquated, epic prose Thor narration — Joe Kelly goes and applies it to a dance off between Spidey and Deadpool. Well played, Joe.
  • Joe Kelly always seems to make guest-stars, no matter how ostensibly contrived the circumstances might seem — somehow significant and vital to the plot in the end. Well played again, Joe.
  • That ending. Holy shit, that ending. Replete with a hocked loogie and a Dr. Mengele reference post-deed. Where the hell do we go from here?

Is It Good?

Hell yes.

Remember back in my review of Spider-Man/Deadpool #1 when I said, “In my experience with Kelly, his set-up issues usually start off a little restrained like this one and… then completely enthrall the hell out of me once they get going, so maybe that’s the case here.”

Consider me enthralled. This issue featured excellent, entertaining as hell characterization for the titular characters (with much needed progression in the direction of the two’s Odd Couple, brotastic relationship) laugh out loud jokes and amazing art from penciler Ed McGuinness.

spider-man-deadpool-4-gunfire

McGuinness continues to slay on art duty: his character designs, insight of human anatomy (and the multiformity displayed between characters) provocative scene compositions (that Thor entrance, though) and facial expressions/body language are all top-tier stuff and firmly situate this book into “must-buy” territory every month.

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