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.

Action Comics #810

The first review of 2022!

In what is now perhaps my all-time favorite Superman story, the Man of Steel attempts to celebrate 24 New Year's celebrations in 24-hours. Along for the adventure is Lois Lane; whom has been sworn to not publish this adventure in the pages of the Daily Planet.

It seems that every December 31st, Superman plays Santa. Collecting letters over the year written to him, Clark Kent does whatever he can to make the promise of a new year better for 24 lucky folks. This year will see the Man of Tomorrow assisting with a marriage proposal, alleviating tensions in the Middle East and having a cup of holiday cheer with Pa Kent. 

Let's start with the cover. It's a classic Superman cover in the style of Darwyn Cooke. Dave Bullock (Batman '66) brings a festive 1930s kinda look to this scene of Superman flying high over Metropolis. Only, I don't really understand the super high highways that seem to cavern inside of the city skyscrapers. Is that a thing anywhere in the world?

Now let's look at the writing. Joe Kelly (Deadpool) brings heart, happiness and a touch of sadness to this story. I feel like I could have read it over and over! (And I probably will over the years.) Kelly's scene where Superman answers the letter of a soldier in the Middle East who has lost his way in the work against terror. That was why Superman is my all-time favorite character. It felt so much like something Christopher Reeve might have done in the movies. I loved it so much!

Finally is the artwork. DC made the right decision to have a different artist for each time zone Superman visits. Quantum and Woody's Kano, Duncan Rouleau and several other artists put their distinctive fingerprints on this stories look. It was a thing of beauty- especially the scene with Superman in Japan!

Like with all stories, it had to come to an end. I long to have seen Superman in more time zones. But I think the final 4-5 pages that take place on New Years Day after Clark's mission is done was the definitive way to end the story. 

If you are looking for 1 New Year's Eve themed issue to add to your collection between now and December 31st, Action Comics #810 is the one you must grab!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Kid Savage, Volume 1 (Family Comic Friday)

     A top-of-the-line space ship crashes onto an alien world. Light years from home, dad Gerard and his children Alina and Ethan are not only lost; they're stranded. If the family can stay on the wreckage until help comes, they might just survive. But when a giant alien mistakes the ship for food, the survivors will have to rely on their skills alone. Unfortunately, Gerard and his family don't have any skills that don't involve technology.

      Likely to not survive the night, the dysfunctional family meet a young inhabitant of the planet. With his savage skills in hunting and war as well as knowledge of the local flora and fauna, Gerard's family just might have a chance. But is their new ally up to the task of survival expert? For on his own home planet, he is an outcast. For this Kid Savage is considered by his former tribe to be as unskilled as his new friends really are.

     Kid Savage is the first volume in a proposed series of graphic novels by Deadpool's Joe Kelly and British illustrator Iyla. There's definitely a dynamic of the Space Family Robinson (AKA Lost In Space) with this book. But with Kid Savage added to the mix, I was reminded of the 1971 film Walkabout.

    For you who may not know this movie, it's from Australia. In the film, a pair of civilized children lost in the Outback meet with an Aborigine boy. The boy shows them survival skills in order to get them back home. That's really what Kid Savage is in a nutshell and I loved it.

    The artwork was really good. It's a stunning mix of sleek hi-tech and paleo folk art. The panels don't quite go in traditional sequential fashion. So it gets a little tricky to read as you have to got it a sort of pinwheel fashion with every splash page to follow the action. 

      Another thing that I was not a fan of was the annoying banter of the brother and sister. When they interact with Dad Gerard, I can tolerate them. But together, I just want to bash their heads together and leave them unconscious while Gerard and Kid Savage try to find help. Maybe in volume 2, Alina and Ethan will get a little more civilized...

     This 2017 graphic novel by Image was an exciting read. Lots of creative thrills and chills. Kid Savage's story of redemption is equally as interesting as Gerard's family's quest of endurance. In fact, it might even be just a little bit more compelling to read as those scenes have real heart to them. This book wasn't perfect but then again no family or situation is. As long as the next chapter continues to grow the characters of the human kids in a more positive direction, I expect to be on this journey until the end.

     Some scenes can be a little intense for younger readers. So, I recommend it for fans of action and adventure ages 12 and up.

    Worth Consuming!

     Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.