This past weekend, there was some big Deadpool news. At the Marvel Games panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Deadpool actually showed up and interrupted the panel. He made the announcement that there is a Deadpool video game coming up and Deadpool fans couldn't be happier. You can watch the actual panel with Deadpool HERE.
Not everyone is an expert on Deadpool. There have been an incredible amount of Deadpool comics since his debut back in 1991. According to the Comic Vine database, he's appeared in over 1000 comics (some may be reprint volumes from other countries).
For those wanting to read Deadpool now, to get caught up or just to get to know who he is and what he's about, trying to pick what to read could be intimidating. Here are some of the better Deadpool comics you should read and are easily available.
== TEASER ==What is the easiest way to get started on Deadpool? If you don't already have a local comic shop, you can always get comics through comiXology. There are a few comics you can easily get. Here are some of the better ones.
Deadpool Classic Volume 1
This is a great place to start. You can get it for $16.99 and it contains Deadpool's earliest appearances. The 1993 four-issue miniseries was written by Fabian Nicieza with art by Joe Madureira.
The four-issue miniseries from 1994 was written by Mark Waid. Back in his earlier appearances, we see him here with more of his established character. There's also the beginning of his infatuation with Siryn. Deadpool has to face off against Juggernaut and Black Tom. What's more interesting is his healing factor wasn't working too well at one point. It's almost a foreshadowing to what he's dealing with right now in the current comics.
There's also DEADPOOL #1 from 1997. This was the amazing beginning of Joe Kelly's run.
Deadpool Volume 1: Secret Invasion (2008)
This volume contains the first five issues of the current series. It was a Secret Invasion tie-in but was also the beginning of Daniel Way's incredible run. This marked the new age of Deadpool. Shortly after this, we started to see an overabundance of Deadpool comics. Throughout the multiple series we saw, Way's DEADPOOL remained consistently good.
Deadpool Volume 3: X Marks the Spot
Deadpool is often associated with the X-Men. What people tend to forget is, he's not a mutant. But there was a time (in 2010) when he started thinking that being a mercenary wasn't the best thing to be. He decided he wanted to be part of the X-Men.
Unfortunately, he thinks a good way to get on the X-Men's good side is to kill Mercury's father, who told the press the X-Men were holding her captive on the mutant haven island, Utopia. Deadpool's just so silly.
You can also find individual issues of DEADPOOL on comiXology. You can pretty much get caught up on the entire current series. Not everyone wants to read digital comics. The above are available in printed trade paperbacks. Others worth checking out follow and can be found at your local comic shop, book store or online sites such as Amazon.
Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth: Head Trip (2009)
This volume contains all thirteen issues of the Victor Gischler 2009 series. It may not be considered one of the classic runs and did end after 13 issues but it did feature Deadpool teaming up with Zombie Deadpool head. That might sound absurd if you don't know the backstory but it's really just another period in Deadpool's life. Deadpool...with a chopped off zombie head version of him from an alternate universe. What more do you really need to know?
Deadpool: Suicide Kings (2009)
Mike Benson and Carlo Barberi deliver a tale of Deadpool getting framed along with appearances by Punisher, Spider-Man and Tombstone.
Deadpool Vs. the Marvel Universe (2008)
This collects issues 43-50 of CABLE AND DEADPOOL. Deadpool fighting other heroes in the Marvel Universe. What more could you want?
It should also be noted that pretty much the entire CABLE AND DEADPOOL run was great stuff.
Deadpool Comics to Avoid
I may be in the minority here. In fact I'd love to hear if there are those that disagree. During the recent Deadpool wave of comics, I was still buying every single comic because I really dig the character. There was one that basically pissed me off. After one too many cruddy and pointless issues, I finally stopped buying it. I was in the buying-out-of-loyalty camp but enough was enough. DEADPOOL TEAM-UP was the series that pissed me off.
DEADPOOL CORPS had a promising idea. I didn't dislike it as much as TEAM-UP. I just immediately lost interest. Maybe I needed to give it another chance but it just started falling away from who Deadpool is supposed to be.
This is just the beginning. There are plenty more Deadpool comics worth checking out. If you have a particular favorite trade or run, be sure to list it in the comments below!
Tony Guerrero is the Editor-in-Chief of Comic Vine. You can follow him on Twitter @GManFromHeck. He still remembers reading Deadpool's very first appearance in NEW MUTANTS when the issue came out.