The Good
If you're not following Marvel's latest event, ORIGINAL SIN, its abrupt inclusion into the pages of DEADPOOL might leave you feeling a little in the dark. Thankfully, the story's appearance is minimal. If you find yourself feeling a bit confused over what happened, it'll hardly matter because the event's tossed in there just to feed two characters with new information -- details that are sure to play a big role in the upcoming issues. In fact, one of the strongest parts of this issue is building interest in the title's future. It resurrects an important question in Deadpool's life and promises to eventually reveal more of his past... just not yet.
ORIGINAL SIN's "cameo" is basically here to hype what's to come, but a good chunk of this issue actually deals with Deadpool figuring out how to counter Dracula's actions. If you have no idea why Dracula's in this book, there's no need to worry because you can always rely on this series for a concise recap page (with an adorable picture, too!). To top that off, co-writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn make this issue very new reader friendly without leaving us pre-existing fans bored or wondering when we'll move forward instead of just explaining what already went down. They deliver a fast-paced course of events in this one, as well. If you're not enjoying an action sequence, odds are they're throwing in some good laughs as the plot moves forward. I'll avoid ruining the joke, but there's a great little gag with another popular hero and the ending has the potential for serious amounts of fun.
Val Staples is once again doing a thoroughly awesome job with the colors and the artwork is by John Lucas. The opening page does a terrific job setting the scene and the rest of the first bit is definitely the visual highlight of this chapter. Everything from the immersive look at the room to the fun way Deadpool battles a vampire moves fluidly and sells the energy. The two also do solid work creating a critical double-page spread. The way it's set-up makes it easy your your eyes to follow the captions and the expressions were very well done.
The Bad
The biggest bummer here is the visuals seem inconsistent. The issue opens on a strong note, but facial features and the attention to shading on them fluctuates a fair amount. Also, trying to convey motion sometimes makes it look like the moving object is melting and Deadpool's mask appears a little too loose at times.
The Verdict
DEADPOOL #29 hits us with some solid laughs and a fun course of events. In the end, it feels like it's mostly laying down building blocks for the upcoming issues, but it makes sure this is all done in a totally entertaining fashion. It's a shame the visuals feel inconsistent and there aren't any big teasers about Deadpool's origin, but despite that, Duggan and Posehn absolutely have me interested in this series' future.
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