Deadpool #39 Review-AXIS And Zenpool Conclusion
By Roger Lee
As with the last couple Deadpool issues, this one is also a tie-in to the AXIS crossover event, and the first thing the reader sees is the usual cool Irene Y. Lee Lil’ Deadpool (or Zenpool, in this case) credits page artwork. We see Lil’ Zenpool Head on the ground talking to us (not as weird as that sounds, by the way), and he imparts some sage advice. Zenpool Head tells us to go read AXIS #9 before reading Deadpool #39. Ok. Since Deadpool #38 led directly to what happens to Deadpool in Axis #8, (hint: the stories are all inter-connected!), we take this advice and read AXIS #9 first.
Deadpool #39 Credits Page
And it is a good thing we did so. A lot happens in AXIS #9 (and you can read the review by Nick Tylwalk here) and explains a lot of what we see in the early pages of Deadpool #39. This is a well-written ‘Pool book that ties up a lot of the loose-ends sub-plots we have seen develop over the last dozen issues or so. From this point onward, we must warn you, Deadpool SPOILERS lie in wait below to stuff chimichangas into your mouth…
Deadpool #39 Cover
Ok, so here are some details on the story in Deadpool #39. As you know, Wade was inverted along with a lot of other heroes and villains in the pages of the AXIS crossover. He went from being a red-and-black wearing killer mercenary with a crazy sense of humor to a white-and-grey wearing Zen master with a serious side. And, being Deadpool, the old self engages in continual conversations with the new Zenpool. No one understands the new Zenpool, least of all his wife Shiklah.
We find out what happened to Deadpool’s little buddy Evan (the young clone of bad guy Apocalypse) , who helps Deadpool reconnect his head to the Deadpool body back in Times Square. After Deadpool is whole again (he realizes at some point that he is back to being the old, pre-inverted Deadpool), he and Evan go to Shiklah’s domain, the Monster Underground. Here we find out that the old Apocalypse is a hated villain to Shiklah and her subjects, so Wade has to take Evan elsewhere. But before he leaves, he finds out that his mage buddy Michael and Shiklah’s house wizard have come up with a rather gross method of helping Wade’s buddies, the FauX-Men, whom he rescued in Deadpool #38. After the North Korean FauX-Men are cured, Wade makes up with Shiklah, and then takes Evan home to his house in Agent Preston’s neighborhood.
Deadpool #39 Deadhead
At this point, you would think that all is good with Deadpool. His friends are cured, he rescued Evan and have him a home, Shiklah is back in his life, and he is back to being his old self. The last page of this Deadpool comic shows that even when a person’s life appears ok on the outside, you never know what is going on inside. Deadpool is sad and, seemingly, quite depressed.
Deadpool writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn are masters at the art of writing Deadpool! Despite the wise-cracks and insanity of Deadpool’s personality, Duggan and Posehn remind us that he is in fact a human being with real emotions and real problems. Marvel should sign these guys up to a life-time contract writing Deadpool comics. Really!
As always, we look forward to seeing where they take Deadpool from this point onward.