‘Deadpool #31’ Review

Written by Gerry Duggan | Art by Matteo Lolli | Published by Marvel Comics

Way back when Steve Rogers was killed at the end of Civil War (Spoiler!) Marvel used that moment to showcase just how important of a character he was to the universe. They took the time to show just how many characters were greatly impacted by his death and why his downfall was so shocking. Now with Secret Empire they are taking that same idea but expanded upon it in some interesting ways.

With Deadpool #31 we see two different ways idolization impacts characters. On one side we have Deadpool, who has long admired Steve Rogers and Captain America specifically. He has long been searching for his acceptance and now that he has it he is finding he is unable to let it go no matter where Rogers’s loyalty lies. On the other side of the spectrum is Phil Coulson who grew up with Cap being his childhood hero, however he sees this new turn of events as a betrayal to the man he once respected.

Duggan shows us the difference between the admiration of a person and the admiration for ideals of what someone stands for. That for me is one of the reasons the concept for Secret Empire interested me. The exploration of what happens when a person the world universally places on a pedestal betrays his values has a lot of potential. In a way I wish we got more stories like this one that dealt with the dichotomy of that situation on a more personal scale.

If you are not at all a Deadpool fan this is actually a great issue to pick up. For one, the Merc with a Mouth is as quiet as he has ever been. That tells you everything you need to know about the complexity of what Deadpool is going through. In one of the final panels of the issue there is specific poignant moment where he is contemplating his own actions and what he is doing. No words are spoken but the way Matteo Lolli displays his body language gives a lot of dimension to a character most see as nothing but a joke.

****½  4.5/5