(Marvel NOW!, 2013) - Reviewed by J.G. Butler
I’ve been really enjoying this title. Super silly, gory, and full of great over the top action! Even though I’m not totally familiar with all the characters they feel true and right where they should be. The intro thingy on the back of the cover talks about how they were brought together to take down evil they could never have reached on their own. Which they do, you just don’t care who it is - and neither do they. The king or whatever of somewhere is really mean to his people and has enough power to be a threat to some other country and more importantly has something powerful the big wigs want, blah blah blah. It doesn’t really matter with this title. Deadpool, Elektra, Punisher and Venom just like killing bad guys and we like to watch. Of course Gen. Ross has his own agenda that gradually unfolds, and members of the team begin to uncover super crazy stuff happen behind the scenes in what is already a horrible place to live. Throw in a “angel” and a love triangle and you’re ready for anything. Very gory without trying too hard.
Deadpool and Punisher are a great goofball and straight man team, but the scene where Punisher straps a landmine on himself bothers me. Sure, he might do that were alone, trying to save a bus full of kids or something, but not when there is a big mouth smart ass with the ability to regenerate standing right next to him to strap it to. WTF!
For the most part the writing by Daniel Way (Astonishing X-Men, Ghost Rider, Incredible Hulk) is solid and easy enough to follow. The artwork from Steve Dillon (Preacher, Avenging Spider-Man, Hellblazer) is good but every character’s face is as flat as the backgrounds. The coloring is horrible, and makes everyone look plastic. Most of the time it looks like the characters were drawn separately from the panels and backgrounds, to be layered together later. Also, a light source of some kind seems to be coming from everywhere, even in the jungle - no shadows or shading except by their own bodies on themselves.
This is a very fun read but sad to say I won’t be surprised if we see the creative mojo run out after a year or so.
WRITING: 7.5 / 10
ARTWORK: 5 / 10
OVERALL EXPERIENCE: 6 / 10
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