Writer: Frank Tieri Artists: Georges Jeanty (p), Jon Holdredge (i)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot: After opening with a scene that shows us how Sabretooth keeps himself busy when he's not on assignment for the Weapon X program, we look in on Deadpool as he sets out to save Copycat from Weapon X, who have targeted her for elimination. With Kane hot on their tail, we see Deadpool manages to lose Kane long enough for Copycat to get herself into a secure hiding spot. With Copycat hidden away, we see Deadpool heads out to deal with Kane, and thanks to the liberal use of some explosives Deadpool is able to blow Kane to kingdom come. However, Deadpool soon discovers that Kane was only on hand to keep him busy, while the real assassin, Sabretooth went after Copycat. As the issue ends we see Deadpool is on hand as Copycat journeys where many Marvel characters have gone before, but rarely do they stay there long. Yes, Copycat is dead, and Sabertooth killed her. Vengeance, thy name is Deadpool.
Comments: I realize that I'm probably in the minority on this, but frankly I don't like Sabretooth. I never have, and chances are I never will. The nuts & bolts reason for my dislike is that he's the type of character that allows writers to get lazy when it comes to motivation for his acts. Sabretooth is a bloodthirsty psychopath, and unlike Bullseye, or Carnage, Victor Creed doesn't have a cool gimmick/power to fall back on. He's just crazy & he likes to kill. As such having over a third of the issue devoted to showing us readers just how screwed up Sabretooth is hardly my idea of a riveting reading experience. It also brings up the question of why the Weapon X program keeps Sabretooth on such a long leash? I mean is there a reason why Sabretooth isn't kept under lock & key when he's not on assignment? Slap an exploding collar around his neck, and send him on the assignments, would seem to be the ideal method for utilizing Sabretooth.
Another area that I want to question is the reason why the Weapon X program targeted Copycat. I mean, their entire group of operatives is hardly the most mentally stable group of characters, so how is exactly was Copycat's mental disorder any more of a liability to the Weapon X program than say Sabretooth's? In fact, one would think that an operative in such a malleable state of mind would be wanted back in the fold, as Copycat looked like the ideal candidate for brainwashing. Oh I understand the story dynamics of why she's a target, but the final pages make it abundantly clear that she was far more than just a simple test of Deadpool's loyalty to the Weapon X program. I also have to ask the question of while they were busy amping up her powers, why the Weapon X program simply didn't insert a device in Copycat that could eliminate her with greater ease (e.g. remotely-triggered bomb, poison capsule)?
I like Georges Jeanty's work, and I think that he's the ideal artist for a humor-based title like Deadpool. However, he is not working with a writer that seems to recognize the strengths of his artist, as where I see an artist whose work is lighthearted, and highly expressive, Frank Tieri sees an artist who can deliver the dark, seedy elements of the Weapon X program. So what we get is the gruesome interior of Sabretooth's house of horror, delivered by an artist who is woefully unsuited to deliver it. We have the bloody aftermath of Sabretooth's attack on the final couple pages of the issue, delivered by an artist who simply isn't up to the task. Now I can't blame the artist for being unsuited to the material, nor can I expect a writer to tailor his stories to suit the artist drawing them, but this is a case where the creative team just doesn't mesh well with each other. I do hope that Georges Jeanty sticks around though.
Final Word: I simply can't get excited by this book the way other seem to have latched on to it. I've been with this book from issue one, and Joe Kelly's run was fantastic & Christopher Priest's stint wasn't half bad either. However, the creative teams that have followed just seem to offer up stories that miss more often than they hit. The humor seems a little too self-aware that it's trying to make you laugh, as Deadpool becomes more of a side-up comedian than a character who uses humor as a way of dealing with the situations he ends up in. What's more Frank Tieri has got Wade involved in a story that is boring to the nth degree. Weapon X is a evil government organization doing evil things, and Deadpool is discovering what us readers knew right from the outset.
