Deadpool #5 - Star Wars: Revenge of the Gipper

The Good

Illustrator Tony Moore and colorist Val Staples work wonders on this series. Everything looks exactly how it should. Everything. It's a more comedic yet disturbingly detailed and gruesome style -- sounds perfect for the Merc with a Mouth, doesn't it? The combat is bloody and looks great. You can feel the motion unfold with the strikes and there's some really, really vicious panels (and a kill stripped right from Alien: Resurrection). Those poor monkeys, though... at least they'll rise up one day just like Wade said, right? 
 
I  love how Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn's Deadpool isn't a joke every single second of every single panel. Sure, he's giving out references like they're candy on Halloween night, but there's a few moments here and there where you see his more serious demeanor take over and I can't help but savor those instances. He's so much more than a walking punch line and I always appreciate when these two writers convey that. 
 
While the plot mostly goes as expected, the conclusion is a huge change of pace for the series. To say anything more detailed would be diving into spoilers territory, but it's a total 180 for the title and a very welcome shock. Bring on the emotion, Duggan and Posehn.
 
What would an issue of DEADPOOL be without a few good laughs? This one had more references than I could count, ranging from Planet of the Apes to a classic Coca-Cola commercial. There's even a little Wolverine joke tossed in there. A few moments gave me a good laugh, but most were limited to smirks this time around.

The Bad 

This issue's definitely amusing, but I didn't find myself laughing out loud as much as I did with the other chapters. The jokes just weren't as consistently sharp as the previous material and that's really key for this title.   
 
I'm also getting a little tired of seeing Deadpool, the incredibly skilled mercenary, getting smacked around by Presidents with virtually no training. I understand their resurrection has boosted their physicals, but it would be nice to see Wade displaying some skill and agility more frequently.

The Verdict 

This is a story arc where you've gotta just shut off your brain and enjoy the craziness. Otherwise, you'll find yourself asking plenty of trivial things... like how these monkeys are still alive in space, how a dead President learned Chinese boxing since being resurrected, so on and so on. If you're looking for logic, you're in the wrong place. But if you want a book that'll make you laugh and cringe at some well illustrated violence, then DEADPOOL is worth every penny of the $2.99 cover price. I'm having a blast with this story, but I really hope the creative team has our anti-hero go down a more serious and character driven path when he's done putting the Presidents back into their graves.