Writers: Joe Kelly, Skottie Young, Kelly Thompson, Fabian Nicieza, Gail Simone, Daniel Way, Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, Rob Liefeld, and Chad Bowers
Art: Gerard Sandoval, Aaron Conley, Kevin Libranda w/ Bob Quinn, Patch Zircher, Michael Shelfer, Paco Medina, Scott Koblish, and Rob Liefeld
Colors: Chris Sotomayor, Jean-François Beaulieu, Java Tartaglia, Jim Charalampidis, Jesus Aburtov, Nick Filardi, Bryan Valenza, Jay David Ramos, and Federico Blee
Letters: VC’s Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $5.99
Release Date: 3/10/21
Reviewer: Soycornholio
Only Deadpool would have a comic named Deadpool: Nerdy 30. First off, it is amazing to believe that Deadpool has only been around for 30 years. Most well-known and well-established characters such as Storm, The Thing, and even the Sub-Mariner have been around for way longer than 30 years. Granted, there is Miles Morales and Kamala Khan, but are they on the same level as Deadpool? Let’s take a look at Marvel’s latest one-shot titled Deadpool: Nerdy 30.
If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.
REVIEW
First off, be warned that this comic consists of 8 (yes 8) different mini-stories that were created by various creative teams. The titles of these stories are all tongue in cheek (special shoutouts to the “Immaculate Misconception” by Joe Kelly and “No Chill Whatsoever” by Daniel Way) and each brings with it, its own celebration of Deadpool’s Birthday. For example, in “No Chill Whatsoever”, we find Deadpool with a drug dealer from Managua who he ends up storing in an ice cream store’s freezer while he grabs a birthday cake. In another story titled “Baby’s First Cable” a baby Deadpool is caught in a Rick and Morty esque adventure where there are literally hundreds of different versions of Cable trying to either kill him or save him during his first birthday.
I love short self-contained stories such as these for many reasons. The first reason is simple: unless I am reading an omnibus, I do not want to spend a long time reading a comic book. Some comic books lately have been on the edge of having too much in a regular package. When stories are self-contained with no large overarching narrative (aka your one-shots or what have you), I feel as if the artists have way more creativity. Case in point, in the story title “Party for One”, (another birthday-themed title) we can witness Deadpool biting off his finger and finger painting. Like what in the world…? Pure awesomeness.
Marvel should consider dipping into having a series similar to DC’s Black Label. Characters such as Deadpool, Wolverine, and Elektra, would be excellent starting points. Deadpool is an adult hero. He is not called the Merc with the Mouth for no reason. Therefore, when I read his comics, I do not want to see %$*&! Instead of the actual words. I need a purely Rated R (for Reynolds…) Deadpool comic where anything (and everything goes). That would be the full realization of the character and allow us as the readers, to witness some of our favorite characters in more natural adult situations (i.e. cursing and more graphic cases).
FINAL THOUGHTS
Deadpool: Nerdy 30 was an amazing issue for the character. It was a fun comic. I am a firm believer that the main character(s) of the story should set the tone of the book. When I read Dr. Strange, I expect something mystic. When I read the X-Men, I want something dramatic…like a soap opera. When I read the Avengers, I need a good and clean superhero story. A Deadpool story? I expect 4th wall breaking, situational awareness, and puns/jokes galore. This issue did it for me (check out the story with the Stilt-Man). In the future, I would like for Marvel to continue to explore these “anniversary” types of issues for their various characters and teams. When done correctly, they are the perfect homage to fan favorites. Overall, if you’re a Deadpool fan, check this comic out. If you are new to the character, you may be slightly confused as Deadpool does not read like a traditional comic. He is all over the place. However, in the end, it is worth it.
8/10