Review: Spider-Man/Deadpool No. 43, Negative Zone

Spider-Man and Deadpool continue their road trip adventure by going into the Negative Zone! Read our spoiler-free review ahead.

Even on a road trip, our heroes can’t catch a break. Spider-Man/Deadpool No. 43 takes the Wall-Crawler and the Merc With a Mouth to another dimension where they find a new threat to deal with. Only this time, they won’t have to do it alone. The issue introduces new characters for the series, but ones that fans may recognize. However, even with a new setting and more heroes, this issue may not stand out as the best one during the series’ run. Not everything is bad, however, as there are also some great moments along the way! So let’s discuss the good and the bad of Spider-Man/Deadpool No. 43.

The good

Just like the last issue, there are some great moments where the fourth wall is broken. Not every one of them lands, but the ones that do are great and they give life to this comic book. Deadpool manages to tell some amazing jokes. As usual, most of them are references about other comic books or even about Ryan Reynolds, so it’s sure fun to read.

There is also a lot of action here, something that was not very present lately. The whole issue serves as a big fight scene between Spidey, Deadpool, and some newcomers against a new threat. While some of the panels aren’t perfect (more on that later), for the most part, they look great. The coloring is amazing as always, and a change of setting for our heroes is always welcome.

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The bad

I’ve almost always praised this series for its illustrations, so it felt out of place to see some drawings that felt really off. Whether it was by proportions or by the overall look of a character in one panel, there were some illustrations that didn’t quite hit the mark. It was great having many issues with flawless drawings, but, unfortunately, that record ends here.

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The story may also disappoint some fans. While it does explain some of the narrative presented in previous issues, it doesn’t move the narrative forward for this new chapter in a big way. As I mentioned earlier, this comic plays like one big action scene. While other issues manage to both tell a good story and put our heroes in the middle of a great confrontation, this isn’t one of them. It favors action over the narrative. Not in a big way, but just enough to be pretty recognizable.

Overall, this is a good issue with some flaws. It feels like the beginning of a new chapter for our heroes, but one with some minor problems. However, this can still be a great direction for both Spider-Man and Deadpool. We’ll just have to wait and see how the next entries play out. Meanwhile, be sure to stick around with Whatever A Spider Can for everything Spider-Man related!

Grade: B-