Review: Deadpool vs. Thanos

Quick Summary

Pros: The conclusion of the volume is compelling. Deadpool’s humor is well-done and the concept of the volume allows for some wonderfully unique jokes.

Cons: Much of the plot is not that interesting, outside of the humor.

Overall: Though this volume has its ups and downs, the volume’s unique premise and the humor surrounding it will make it worthwhile for many. The positives here come from the jokes about Deadpool, Thanos, and their shared love of Death. The negatives come from the actual plot, which is weak up to the book’s conclusion. Overall, this collection might not appeal to some but is a solid choice for fans of Deadpool who want to see him interact with Thanos.

Story

The majority of Deadpool vs. Thanos, by Tim Seeley, is almost exactly what you would expect from a Deadpool team-up book, but the volume also manages to provide a few pleasant surprises. Most of the book plays out as a moderately interesting, slapstick adventure. The plot is a bit thin but it has enough of Deadpool’s trademark humor to easily satisfy anyone who enjoys his gags. However, as the book enters its second half, the plot kicks up a few notches and, by the end, is seriously interesting. In addition, the humor has some great moments to it, specifically those involving Thanos and Deadpool’s competition for Death’s love. In the end, this is a worthwhile Deadpool book for anyone who enjoys his type of humor.

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When it comes to plot, the opening chapters of Deadpool vs. Thanos are alright but nothing special. The volume introduces a strange and moderately interesting mystery, as all life in the universe is suddenly unable to die. However, outside of this mystery, the actual adventure of discovery is not that great. It takes Deadpool and Thanos to a few unique locations and throws a couple cameos from other Marvel characters into the mix but doesn’t do anything that memorable or compelling.

Luckily, things improve as the book’s main conspiracy is revealed. Eventually, readers learn that Death manipulated Eternity, Thanos, and Deadpool in a gambit to destroy the entire universe. This forces Deadpool to rise to the occasion by fighting and defeating Thanos with the power of the cosmos. It is a wonderful twist on the story that significantly rejuvenated my enjoyment of the narrative.

Alongside the plot, Deadpool vs. Thanos also contains Deadpool’s trademark feature, humor. This humor hits plenty of standard Deadpool jokes, coming from his meta references and some of his longer-running gags. However, it also hits a few jokes unique to this volume, mostly stemming from the ridiculousness of the team-up or from the competition over Death’s affection. In my opinion, this gave the volume an edge over other Deadpool comics and is something that will definitely make it appealing to fans of the character.

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Art

The artwork in Deadpool vs. Thanos looks good and suits the comic well. Elmo Bondoc’s work is detailed, well structured, and provides nice depictions of characters and locations. It also hits the right place when it comes to tone by never looking too serious or too over-the-top funny. This allows it to suit both Thanos and Deadpool’s temperament, which also suits the flow of this particular story. The quality of the artwork and the way it complements the narrative makes this a more enjoyable reading experience.

Continuity

Deadpool vs. Thanos is a mostly standalone story that takes place independent from other comics.

Notes in the volume indicate it takes place before the Marvel NOW! Deadpool series, which starts with Deadpool Vol. 1: Dead Presidents, but it has little to do with that series.

This volume also makes references to other comic books, detailed below:

• Thanos cursed Deadpool with immortality in Deadpool Vol. 1 #64, collected in Deadpool Classic Vol. 9. 
• Thanos wiped out half of the universe in Infinity Gauntlet (Review) (Reading Order).
• The impact of the Annihilation Wave is mentioned. The Annihilation Wave struck the universe during the Annihilation (Reading Order) event.