Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol. 4

by Joshua Corin and Elliott Kalan

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 Stars.

So did you have any idea that Spider-Man/Deadpool was still running? Because I didn’t! I honestly thought the third volume said it was the last (for now). Apparently that ‘for now’ was a pretty quick span of time, because I got behind in the series faster than I realize. On the bright side I love this team-up, so I’m happy to have more of them. The downside is that Joe Kelly (Deadpool, Daredevil, Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, Spider-Man) and Ed McGuinness (Superman, Deadpool, Hulk, Nova) aren’t on the project anymore, which is such a loss for this pairing.
Spider-Man and Deadpool both have the propensity for humor and banter, but their temperaments and ways of dealing with enemies are polar opposites. It’s what makes them such a funny team-up. I personally believe that the team-up brings out the best in both of the characters. Around Deadpool Spider-Man is able to let loose a bit more; his tragic backstory becomes more a fact of his past then a ruling reason for his present. On the flip side Spider-Man makes Deadpool want to be a better hero. Around him Deadpool is less likely to inflict wonton destruction and actively tries to not kill people (you know, as opposed to what he usually does). Their constant clashing of heads can be quite humorous at times, depending on the situation.



So imagine my surprise and joy when I learned that there was another Spider-Man/Deadpool volume out on the shelves. I may have made a tiny mistake of letting myself get super excited for it, once I spotted it. As everyone knows; that usually isn’t a safe idea unless you know that the creative team hasn’t been swapped out (which is what happened here). It was still a decent read, but it lost some of the shine that the earlier volumes seemed to have.
There are two main plots for this volume, and I think I may have ended up liking the first one more (though that’s likely because I’ve never been terribly impressed with the antagonist they pulled for the second half). I also think the humor was sharper for the first half.
The first plot involves multiple slapstick characters (no pun intended) all trying to get the same bit of evidence. Though for different people, as it turns out. The ensuing mess is pretty hilarious as well as tense. Oh and did I mention that Spider-Man decided they have to cut the banter out? He’s come to the conclusion that because of the collateral damage the occasionally cause it’s inappropriate to be cracking jokes all the time. Right. Good luck reigning Deadpool in on that one.
The second plot is a bit more forced, in my opinion. They took a couple jokes that should have been quick gags and forced them into this running joke bit, and it just becomes overbearing at a certain point. The whole plot takes place in Murderworld, which should really be like a playground for Deadpool (and it kind of is, but not to the extent I would have liked to see).
While I was a bit disappointed by this volume, I refused to give up on my favorite team-up of all time (is it sad that they’re absolutely one of my favorites?). Hopefully they get a stable creative team to take over; in theory that should help remove some of the wrinkles I saw in this volume.


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