DEADPOOL VERSUS THE PUNISHER #3
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Penciller: Pere Pérez
Colorist: Ruth Redmond
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 5/17/17
Another issue, more entertainment with Frank Castle and Wade Wilson in Deadpool Versus Punisher. The latest issue is jam-packed with laughs, death, and a surprise appearance from one of my favorite Deadpool adversaries. The first couple of rounds went to Frank, but you know it’s only a matter of time before Wade finds his way back into the mix, though Frank seems to win even when he loses. So, Wade will have to find a way to work around that.
Plot: After blowing Wade’s brains out once again to wipe his memory, this time Deadpool wakes up in the middle of a fight between Taskmaster’s henchmen, funded by The Bank, and is forced into action if he wants to live. Unfortunately for Deadpool, one of the two people he wants to save — Mrs. Bank and their son — is decapitated, and Taskmaster makes off with the son, who is clearly a genius on some level with an eidetic memory, especially for banking codes. Unfortunately for Frank, Wade realizes that Castle has also been lying to him and decides maybe it’s time to pull Castle’s card.
Story: As I said in the last story, there were layers that writer Fred Van Lente had set in place just waiting to be dropped like a ten-ton nuke. Taskmaster is a brilliant addition and the interaction with the Bank clearly shows that there is something else Tony Masters is doing, something on a deeper level. How will these character ultimately end up coming together in what will likely be an amazing end.
The arc is fairly straight-forward, but it also has that deeper level you know is coming. There are too many clandestine meetings in the first three books for this to all be on the up and up. Deadpool Versus Punisher is layered with the fourteen different levels of crazy that you expect from these two characters. We’re not dealing with heroes, we’re dealing with killers and a gun for hire.
Art: Van Lente, Redmond and Pérez have done tremendous work with Deadpool Versus Punisher and it continues with this book. The homages to Dillon are everywhere, but that’s to be expected. As its own entity, the artist’s breath a very form of life into these books. The characters jump off the pages all while remaining firmly grounded in what makes them amazing.
The grin at the end of the comic is one that will stick with you until the end of the series and it’s so perfect for everything that’s happened. The action scenes with Deadpool were drawn brilliantly, as were the scenes with Frank Castle taking on henchmen he’s shocked to find out are professionals. This is a well-drawn book and the emotion conveyed is one of its strengths. As with the smile, you can clearly see the detail on their faces as they display rather frank (pardon the pun) emotions.
Verdict: Deadpool Versus The Punisher is just plain fun. It’s a solid series and one worthy of both characters. I truly can’t wait to see where Van Lente takes us with The Bank, but you can be sure there will be hell to pay for the death of Mrs. Bank, especially since it came at the hand/shield of Taskmaster, who notoriously does not like fighting Deadpool. Have to think those two are gonna end up having words at some point and it will likely be fireworks. . — JW
Rating: 4.25/5 Stars