Comic Book Review: The Despicable Deadpool #296

• Gerry Duggan (writer)
• Matteo Lolli (artist)
• Ruth Redmond (colorist)
• VC’s Joe Sabino (letterer)

Artwork by Mike Hawthorne & Nathan Fairbairn

The Despicable Deadpool #296 is all about Captain America attempting to capture Deadpool. That premise alone – the Sentinel of Liberty versus the Merc with a Mouth – is more than enough to create an entertaining issue that’s packed with fun fighting and solid comedy. Duggan, Lolli, Redmond, and Sabino absolutely deliver on that front – the action has some slick choreography and there’s some funny banter and scenarios from Deadpool - but the creative team went above and beyond by delivering a story that’s also emotional.

Even though this issue takes place after the Marvel event Secret Empire and Deadpool’s tie-in issues, it’s technically new reader-friendly – there’s an adequate and adorable intro page, as well as some pretty organic exposition sprinkled throughout the story. Your connection to the clash won’t be as strong if you didn’t experience Deadpool’s heartbreaking role in Secret Empire, but Duggan does a tremendous job making us really feel Deadpool’s pain and anger – his rage and agony comes through the pages and the lettering in these moments help bring the character to life. In Wade’s especially heated moments, the visual team excels at slightly changing the tone to match Wade’s powerful emotions. The Merc with a Mouth is speaking his mind throughout the entire issue, but when things get especially intense, the strong emphasis on heavy shadows on his mask and the handling of his brow and mouth are so effective. The final scene between Steve Rogers and Wade Wilson had me totally captivated – it was really gripping stuff.  

The emotional conflict is what made me fall in love with this issue and it’s such a great follow-up to Secret Empire, but the physical conflict is a total blast, too. Duggan delivers on the kind of brawl a lot of fans – myself included – want to see and treats both characters with respect. Deadpool's agile, a dirty fighter, and can recover from a hit right away. Meanwhile, Cap's straightforward, skilled, strong, and doing his best to talk it out. The visual team completely nails the speed and impact behind every attack. Whether it’s a simple punch or Wade recovering after being hit, you can fully appreciate the force in each movement. While there are at least ten pages of these two brawling, it becomes crystal clear there’s so much more to this fight than just Deadpool venting and trying to elude capture.

The Despicable Deadpool #296 is a fast-paced and exciting issue that focuses on character and does an amazing job balancing humor and heartbreak. As if that wasn’t good enough, it also features consistently energetic and expressive artwork that handles superhero punches and heartache equally well. Obviously, I think you should go read it - it's yet another great chapter in an unforgettable run.

Oh, and the Watchmen nod on the last page (“The end is nigh”) is a painful reminder that this incredible run will soon end with #300. If you’re one of the gazillion people who loved Deadpool’s movie but haven’t read his comics yet, start collecting Duggan’s run (and the numerous great artists who contributed to it, like Mike Hawthorne, Scott Koblish, Declan Shalvey, and Tony Moore). I have no doubt whatsoever that this will go down as one of Deadpool’s best runs.

Thanks for reading my review of Despicable Deadpool #296! You can also read my interview with Gerry here.

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