Today, Spencer and Scott are discussing Deadpool 21, originally released December 18th, 2013.

Spencer: Is Deadpool simply comic relief—a comic book Daffy Duck—or is he a deep, dark character, using jokes to mask his pain? We’ve had heated debates about this in our comment sections in the past, but the truth is that Deadpool is both, yet Deadpool is also neither; he exists on a spectrum that can slide anywhere between those two points. In their Deadpool run thus far Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan have explored both extremes, but now—after Wade’s all time low in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”—we find a Deadpool who has become much more tragic, yet still retains much of his typical humor. I’ve taken to calling him “Grumpy Old Man Deadpool.”

Doctor Strange has examined Deadpool’s mind and come to the conclusion that Wade now has “the mind of a Phish follower.” Things aren’t much more hopeful for Agent Preston; while Strange has many methods to free her soul from Wade’s head, there’s little he can do to resurrect her body. Fortunately, her friend Agent Adsit is on the case, but he runs into a snag when he commissions a Life Model Decoy in Preston’s likeness; turns out somebody already made one! S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Gorman’s been using her to traffic drugs and weapons (and rake leaves), but when Adsit tips him off that Preston’s still alive, he puts out a 10 million dollar hit on Wade’s head. Deadpool survives an assassination attempt from Crossbones, but then encounters Preston’s LMD; meanwhile, it turns out that Adsit is simply bait that Agent Phil Coulson hopes to use to capture Gorman himself.

That’s a lot of twists, turns, intrigue, and deception, especially for a Deadpool book. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” obviously had a lot of plot and took Wade to some dark places, but ultimately, it was still a rather straightforward (albeit excellent) story. These levels of deception feel like a big departure, but a welcome one; it should be a lot of fun to see how Deadpool navigates this conspiracy (or, likely, how he chooses to sidestep it entirely). They also show that the change in how this book has been plotted is here to stay.

So is the development Wade has undergone over the last few months. After the tragic outcome of “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” we found a Wade so down and depressed that he couldn’t even narrate his own recap page. While Wade is much more functional this time around, he’s still not quite himself.

Wade’s not in the mood for jokes—which is, of course, pretty outstandingly bizarre for him—yet his subconscious is pulling off Three Stooges routines. Wade’s manic, pop culture-addled sense of humor is still there within him, and Wade even gets a few chances to let loose with it in this issue, mostly during his fight with Crossbones. Yet, for much of this issue he’s mostly surly, his sense of humor dulled by weariness and sarcasm. Wade’s still funny, but he’s funny in a different way. As I mentioned at the outset of this article, he feels like “Grumpy Old Man Deadpool” to me now.

Of course, I’d be grumpy too if somebody forced me to watch a Madea movie, so maybe I should cut Wade some slack here.

Interestingly enough, the world and characters surrounding Deadpool have seemingly become stranger and more humorous, almost as if they’re filling in a void left by Wade’s low spirits. It’s not just the villains, who get ridiculous coincidences dropped in their laps and who to respond to assassination requests with “lol”; even stuffy ol’ S.H.I.E.L.D. gets a chance to bring the laughs.

Dropping S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into these kind of situations is almost a sure-fire way to get laughs; they’re all so serious and stern that making them face any kind of ridiculousness is comedic gold.

There was one aspect of this issue that stood out to me as feeling a little “off”, though, and that’s the exposition. This issue spent a lot of time shilling out exposition, and even explained the story about Michael the Necromancer and how he got Preston into Wade’s head multiple times in detail. I understand that these events took place a while ago and that they’re instrumental to the story currently unfolding, but there had to be a more natural, concise way to get this information across (perhaps on the recap page?).

Still, it’s a minor quibble. In most respects this issue is successful as a set-up for the conflict to come, and perhaps even as a transition period for Deadpool himself. I find myself impressed by how Posehn and Duggan have allowed the style of this book and the exploration of its main character to evolve and expand while still delivering the consistent laughs that Deadpool fans tune in for month after month.

Scott, what about you? Where do you think Deadpool (both the book and the character) is headed, and are you excited or turned off by it? Any thoughts on the artwork of Mike Hawthorne (who gets unfortunately miscredited on the cover, at least of my hardcopy)? Would you let Life Model Decoy Agent Preston landscape your lawn?

Scott: Of course! She doesn’t miss a single leaf. You don’t see that level of dedication very often these days.

Spencer, I’m glad you mentioned Mike Hawthorne. Deadpool’s publishing schedule calls for a rotating slate of artists, and apparently the changes are so frequent even the editors can’t always keep up with them. But it’s great to have Hawthorne back on this title. Declan Shavley’s gritty style was perfect for the “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” arc, but it’s Hawthorne’s livelier, more cartoonish style that embodies Deadpool best. This title features a lot of visual jokes and gratuitous violence, and it takes a special artist to marry those two things on the page as well as Hawthorne does.

There’s so much in this panel to consider. The horrified newlyweds. The somehow-incapacitated driver (whose hat Wade is now wearing). The beautiful autumn-in-Central-Park backdrop. And just enough of Crossbones at the bottom of the panel to know he’s being trampled. No one of these elements is especially funny on its own, but they come together to make a truly great image. Duggan and Posehn get plenty of praise for their witty one-liners and references, but it takes an artist with an equally great sense of humor to bring a panel like this to life.

I’m beyond excited about where Deadpool headed. I appreciate the long memory this title has. Duggan and Posehn were bound to tie up the loose ends from the Dead Presidents arc eventually- and, most importantly, find a way to get Preston out of Wade’s head- but it’s incredible to think these events took place at least 15 issues ago. Spencer, I can see why you’re annoyed with the excessive exposition concerning Michael and Preston, but how impressive is it that those events are still relevant? The Preston LMD and Agent Coulson’s arrival are the surprise moments of this issue- now can you imagine if we’re still talking about them when Deadpool 40 rolls out? That’s a definite possibility. History is important in this title. As ludicrous and fleeting as its jokes may be, no element of the plot is trivial. With each new arc, Duggan and Posehn are expanding on what they’ve already built, lending their story a richness not often found in this medium.

For a complete list of what we’re reading, head on over to our Pull List page.  Whenever possible, buy your comics from your local mom and pop comic bookstore.  If you want to rock digital copies, head on over to Comixology and download issues there.  There’s no need to pirate, right?