Deadpool #0 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Wade Wilson is on assignment deep in the Heart of Texas. He's supposed to recover some top secret files when his target is intercepted by a foe that was supposed to be dead. 

That's comic books for you... Nobody stays dead.

But Deadpool really needs those files. Normally if a mission goes south, the Merc With a Mouth would just float on over to the next job. However, successfully completing this task means earning an expensive surgery for his pal Blind Al. So Wade follows the trail of the missing data all the way to the lab of Armin Zola.

Zola has been cloning some of the Marvel Universe's most forgettable characters from beyond the grave. Though who could forget Daredevil's arch-enemy Porcupine Man?! Needing those files and not morally objectively against killing mindless clones, the mutant assassin has a literal field day killing off the Marvel Universe's z-list.

This special was a collector's edition insert in issue #87 of the now defunct Wizard Magazine. An official tie-in for 2nd volume of Deadpool, that ran for 69 issues plus an annual from 1997-2002, this issue was written by Joe Kelly. It's rather different from the Deadpool comics published in the past decade. For example, Deadpool riffs on the hermaphrodite nature of one of the characters for several panels. While the character is known for not bowing to any sacred cows, except for his daughter Ellie, Deadpool's reaction to the dual sexual nature of the resurrected character Vamp-Animus borderlines on cruel. It's definitely not a reaction that the now accepting pansexual mutant would make in current comics culture. Wade's reaction to the discovery of the clones of Uncle Ben and Aunt May nude and in asexual embrace? Classic Deadpool!

Featuring art and cover by Yancey Labat, this 12-page issue actually expands to 16 pages as it includes a behind the scenes section. It featuring original sketches of the cover to Wizard Magazine #71 by Ed McGuinness cover along with never-before-seen (and deleted artwork) from Pete Woods.

Completing this review completes Task #23 (Book Found This Year in a Bargain Bin) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Captain America, Volume 5: The Tomorrow Soldier (Marvel NOW!)

    With the Super Soldier serum removed from his body, Steve Rogers rapidly aged to a man of 70. No longer able to wield the shield, Rogers will have to rely on his allies in SHIELD, The Avengers, and the Falcon to save the day when Armin Zola returns from Dimension Z. Zola seems to be in search of his long lost daughter who betrayed him when she fled to our dimension with Captain America. However, there's more to Zola's scheme than meets the eye and it will take some unexpected guests from Zola's pocket universe to save the day.
 
    In my opinion, the was the best Captain America story of all-time. If Steve Rogers never regained his youth or super-powers, I would be perfectly happy with how the story ended. I loved it. The art was very good. Artist Carlos Pacheco does a fantastic job capturing the style and feel of John Romita Jr. from the 'Castaway From Dimension Z' storyline. It's beautiful stuff!

    Now I want to talk about replacements. If you've kept up with pop culture news in the past few months that you know that someone else is the new Sentinel of Freedom. It's not much of a spoiler as it was on the news and many other news-type outlets, like Yahoo! Steve's replacement is the Falcon and at first I was disappointed about it.

    I don't care that the new Captain America is black. There was a great story published about 15 years ago called Truth: Red, White, and Black in which blacks are used as medical fodder in hopes of replicating the process that turned Steve Rogers into the Super Soldier.  One success becomes Captain America and is used in missions in Italy. It's an awesome chapter in the rich history of Captain America. Then in Young Avengers, the grandson of said Cap is inspired to become the Patriot. He's a great character and the perfect leader for that team.

   So a black Captain America isn't new to me. It's just that I didn't feel it was necessary to have a new Captain America again so soon. It's not even been 10 years since Bucky Barnes was Captain America. I felt that maybe Marvel had run out of ideas or something and I didn't want Steve Rogers to take a dirt nap again. But the way Sam Wilson is granted the right to become Cap while allowing Steve Rogers the dignity to become the new tactical advisor for the Avengers was the right way to transition these dynamic characters while tying up the latest Captain America series.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 10 out of 10 stars