The somewhat funny, totally bonkers crossover event is back this week. We may not love this thing, but we’re holding out hope the answer is yes when we ask: Is it good?
Deadpool the Duck #3 (Marvel Comics)
So what’s it about? Read the preview silly heads!
Why does this book matter?
So far, Stuart Moore has a fun premise on his hands with a punchy Deadpool inside Howard the Duck’s body. That sounds like enough reason to give this a look in my book. Jacopo Camagni has been drawing a very clean and appealing looking book too. Let’s see if this issue can ramp up the laughs!
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Nice catch phrase.
Given the cliffhanger of the last issue Moore completely took me off guard with this issue. It opens with Deadpool (the Duck) attacking a base–he’s currently trying to show Roxxon who is boss–and it leads to a surprise twist. Essentially Deadpool is flying blind now that he’s lost his Wolverine spirit animal (yes, that Wolverine) and Howard doesn’t know what to do. The setup is sound, the premise funny, and this issue tackles these aspects well.
While Deadpool blows things up and wanders this book with no real direction, Stuart has given Howard the Duck a new direction. Stuck in the Negative Zone, he’s having a real existential crisis. These scenes have Howard talking directly to the reader as he questions his life choices. He also recaps the last issue well enough new readers can jump on board. This “real talk” leads to a funny moment that is sold well by Moore. By the end of the issue Howard and Deadpool come back together in a very real way that ends up bringing some laughs. It’s starting to become clear Moore is making a statement about what Deadpool would be like without a voice in his head and it’s a pretty bad situation indeed!
Campagni is very good at making this absurd duck Deadpool look cool. In one scene for instance, he slides under a lasernet wall and it looks at once hilarious yet believable. He also handles the connection between the Negative Zone and Deadpool’s thoughts in a that’s easy to understand. I also can’t get enough of the duck design. The bill works!
It can’t be perfect can it?
I’ve resorted to finding the fun in the issue rather than having expectations to laugh my butt off from cover to cover. It’s just not that funny. It’s worth a few chuckles sure, but it’s not as funny as other Deadpool series before it. Each issue seems to have a running joke or two and not a heck of a lot more beyond the same old Deadpool schtick. It’s perfectly alright though for $3.99 it’s hard to justify purchasing it.
Not sure that’s a thing!
Is It Good?
Deadpool the Duck is a perfectly alright series that has so much potential but falls a tad short. Once you accept it’s not the funniest book in ages, you’ll find it funny enough, and it’s hard to deny the plot isn’t a clever one. Moore and Campagni have a series on their hands that can hammer home a running theme, that is for sure!
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