DEADPOOL & THE MERCS FOR MONEY #3
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Penciller: Iban Coello
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 9/7/16
Deadpool and his mercenaries have already completed a few missions for a shady company called Umbral Dynamics. While Wade believed that they were merely retrieving radioactive individuals who were a danger to themselves in order to help, he’s starting to think that may not be the case. Considering his team is ready to turn on him at any moment, it’s not Deadpool’s best day.
Plot: The entire crew of mercs have gathered together to figure out how to get rid of Wade Wilson, because they value their lives and are tired of taking on jobs that seem to be hurting innocent people. After the search for a man who turns out not to be named Nuklo goes wrong, it’s clear to everyone but Deadpool that they’re working off faulty intel. How much humiliation can his team take before it’s too much?
Story: Deadpool is known as the Merc with a Mouth, but this title is ironically displaying more of his conscience and heart. Even as he persists obstinately in a course of action that alienates his employees, he is filled with doubt and remorse. Wade wanting to do the right thing but not knowing where to start makes for a compelling narrative. Maybe it’s also frustrating when he throws his doubts aside and runs headfirst into trouble, but that’s what makes him the Deadpool we know and love.
Speaking of frustrating things that I love, I’ve gone on record saying that Masacre is my favorite character to come out of the new Deadpool run. And if possible, he’s used to even greater effect in Mercs For Money. He embodies the trope of Cassandra Truth so well that even half the audience doesn’t know how true his words are, because they don’t understand Spanish.
This issue takes the reader through a series of flashbacks that are both hilarious and heartbreaking. These group of misfit but relatively good-hearted men all want the same thing, but pride on both sides has widened the rift too much. In a way, this issue marks the conclusion of an arc that has not only been building from the start of Mercs For Money, but that has been brewing from the first issue of Deadpool in 2015. However, Cullen Bunn skillfully weaves a new plot point into the final pages that makes the resolution more poignant and gets us invested in the next arc.
Art: If there’s one thing that really stands out about Deadpool & The Mercs For Money, it’s the fight sequences. Iban Coello’s lines are incredibly dynamic, and Joe Sabino’s lettering really flow with the action. Even the coloring from Guru-eFX jumps right off the page, coming at the reader like a punch from Nuke himself.
On the flip side, the artists have an equally strong grasp on expressing emotion. Some of the best moments this issue come from the panels that are filled with silence, yet tell the audience everything through look on Deadpool’s face. I certainly didn’t go into this series expecting to have such a strong emotional connection to the characters, despite already knowing them from other titles. This is in large part thanks to Coello and Guru-eFX’s excellent work.
Verdict: Deadpool & The Mercs For Money is a great read in and of itself, but it’s an even better companion to the main Deadpool title. While the tone is slightly different, it offers valuable insight into each of the mercenaries and provides a new mystery to unravel.