Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol. 3: Itsy Bitsy

by Gerry Duggan and Joe Kelly

Scott Koblish (Artist), Joe Kelly (Script Writer), Paul Ryan (Illustrator), and Ed McGuinness (Cover Designer)

Add a little bit of Spidey and a touch of Deadpool, take away the Y chromosomes, blend it all together, and what do you get? Peter Parker and Wade Wilson's worst nightmare: the murderous, mixed-up miss named Itsy Bitsy! The "daughter" of our two heroes is stronger than them, faster than them and has seriously creepy daddy issues - but what crazed mind could have conceived of her in the first place? As the body count rises, Spider-Man and Deadpool must work together to take down Itsy Bitsy - and the person who's been pulling their strings from the start! But how is a trip to Weirdworld going to help wash that spider out? It's the most disturbing Spidey/Deadpool story yet, from the wild imaginations of Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness! Collecting SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #9-10, #13-14 and #17-18.

• ISBN10: 0785197877
• ISBN13: 9780785197874
• Publish Date: 26 September 2017
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Out of Print: 15 August 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Marvel Comics
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 136
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780785197874

Reviews

2.5 rating, it had potential.

This was an okay read. I did like some scenes between Spider-man and Deadpool as Deadpool tried to stop Spider-man from doing something that will haunt him forever. I didn't care for the villain and the way she talked.

This isn't the Spider-man your used to and it looks like some villain is messing with his mind or soul. I did like Deadpool in this and he's the saving grace in this volume.

This story I felt like they were telling was supposed to be about the fight for Spider-man's soul but it came off odd, especially with the weird dialogue. It had potential but some choices that the writer made didn't work out for me.

I'll give volume 4 a try, but if the writing isn't better, I might have to drop this series, which is a shame because I like Deadpool and Spider-man.

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars.

Itsy-Bitsy marks the conclusion of the Spider-Man and Deadpool team-up; at least for now. I personally have no doubt that they will be back (especially if the sales for this series were good). I have to confess; while I loved the first two volumes I felt that volume three was a bit lackluster. Which considering it’s the last one (again, for now) is a bit disappointing. On the bright side the artwork continued to be amazing and the quips never stopped flowing.



Itsy-Bitsy was a bit more influenced by Deadpool’s writing style than the previous two – with a stronger leaning towards the dark and mysterious parts of the Marvel Universe. There’s demons and possession and pretty much you’d expect that would come along with those concepts.
I didn’t really like Itsy-Bitsy (the villain and namesake for this volume). For once I don’t really get her backstory. Is she an experiment that included a fusion of Spider-Man and Deadpool? Are her looks a coincidence and she just chose to go after them because they look like her? My assumption is the former, and while it’s hinted at it’s not confirmed to my satisfaction. I also just didn’t really like her in general. Sure at first she was funny, but there just wasn’t enough to her to warrant a full volume of chasing her around.
Speaking of my not considering Itsy-Bitsy that big of a threat – despite the fact that she seems to constantly kick Spider-Man and Deadpool’s butts, I’m just having trouble buying it. I certainly don’t think she was a big enough threat to cause the moral debate that Spider-Man had. I just don’t see Peter Parker ever being tempted to throw his morals out the window for somebody like her. Perhaps that’s just me. Or maybe the implication is its Deadpool’s influence? I’m not sure. Regardless I didn’t love that subplot.
While I did find this volume to be the most disappointing of the series, something interesting did occur throughout. There was an unusual blend of the framework for the two characters. Deadpool’s fourth wall breaking was included (and has been included for all three volumes), but that’s obvious and not too subtle (much like Deadpool himself). What’s interesting is the philosophical nature to the volume. The moral debate Parker has, while I don’t agree with its reasoning or timing, is very much true to the stories that Spider-Man usually tells. At its core, the debate of what makes a good man bad or vice versa is actually pretty interesting. I think it could have been better implemented here, but it got me thinking none-the-less, so there’s that.
I’m sad to see the Spider-Man/Deadpool team breaking up. I truly loved their odd love/hate combination they had going on. I’ll certainly miss all the banter and insults they throw around. I wonder what team-up will happen next?


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks