Comics corner: Deadpool Classic Vol. 1 (various)

Despite Deadpool Classic Vol. 1 begins with a story sloppily illustrated by Rob Liefeld, it's still easy to see why Deadpool stood up from that boring slop of a story: between the characters without personality and the obscure grasp of the anatomy of Liefeld, Deadpool was the only one that had no mullet and was the only one that had a personality. This story, The Beginning of the End, while light on Deadpool, is important because it's the first appearance of the Merc With a Mouth.

I find it kind of appropriate, that one of the worst comic illustrators, Rob Liefeld, had a hand in creating the most interesting character that Marvel has at the moment. It somehow feels very fitting to Deadpools 4th wall breaking personality, that he was given birth by Liefeld and not some undisputed royalty of comics like Alan Moore. But, however, that first story is the only Liefeld doodle we have to endure, the rest of the stuff has been penned by other people.

In these stories Deadpool is already a man with a smart mouth: he talks constantly and is cracking bad jokes left and right, dazzling his enemies with his ability not to shut up. He doesn't yet break the 4th wall here, a trait that has become his modern trademark. He still is just yet another comic book anti-hero, but in the world of Marvel, he still is a character who stands out. He's not serious nor brooding. He's not out to be a hero, as he is a professional mercenary. On occasion, he does end up as a hero, but he's most of the time just out having fun and trying to make a buck.

Liefeld should draw everything.

The enemies Deadpool has against him aren't that interesting. He's at odds with Juggernaut, Cable and Slayback among other characters in the first volume of classics, but as things move on in the Marvel universe, Deadpool will be at odds with pretty much everyone at some point or another.

Luckily enough Deadpool is the kind of a character with whom it doesn't matter whom he's fighting or doing things with. It all boils down to his personality and that is the string that keeps the stories he's in intact. Without his outrageous personality, there wouldn't be anything special about him: he would be just yet another over tight mutant. But he's not that. The way he is, he's a perfect character to bring even more outrageous stories to the Marvel universe and he's a great counterbalance against the other characters in their stable.

That said it's easy to see why Deadpool has become a fan favourite.

If you're interested in the origins of Deadpool, you can get the Classic volumes from Comixology. Probably from other places as well.