Wade Wilson: Deadpool issue one is published by Marvel Comics with writing credits attributed to Benjamin Percy, Art by Geoff Shaw, colours by Alex Sinclair, and lettering by Joe Sabino.
My History with Wade Wilson
I feel like I should be honest with how I start my review: I am not a Deadpool fan. Yep, the guy reviewing the new ongoing Deadpool title isn't a Deadpool fan. What? Well, let me explain why I chose to go out of my way to check out and review the new Deadpool comic. I saw a lot of hype for it on the day it was released, with some friends even recommending I take the time to read it. Then, when I saw it was written by Benjamin Percy—a writer whose work I have really enjoyed since I discovered their Green Arrow run back in the day—I knew I owed it to myself to give it a read. And wow, I actually had a lot of fun with it.
Now, if you’re reading this review, you are likely a fan of the titular character wanting to know if his new comic is worth checking out, or a fan of comics looking for something new to read this week. Regardless, why don’t I like Deadpool? Well, as a millennial, I feel like most of my exposure to the character has been largely due to the Ryan Reynolds movies and the comic appearances of the character since then. I feel like said movies and comic books have largely been about random, absurdist, fourth-wall-breaking humor that, for me at least, is fairly entertaining the first few times but gets quite old fast.
Apparently, I am in the minority, though, as since the films, the character's popularity has entered the stratosphere; you'd be hard-pressed to go to a comic convention and not be hit by Deadpool merchandise and cosplay wherever you look. Honestly, good for you if you love the character—and more power to you—who am I to rain on anybody's parade? However, I feel like this comic book takes the character back to his classic X-Force roots in many ways, choosing to focus more on the action and violence of the character over the outright comedy. The comedy is still there; however, I feel it takes a bit more of a backseat and isn't the core of the character so much anymore.
A New Status Quo: The Plot
The comic starts in an extremely absurd way, with Deadpool bursting out of a cow’s backside only to kill a bunch of gang members. I know I just went on an entire spiel about how the character isn’t all about comedy now, but trust me, okay? Something is different this time; he seems much more reckless, almost begging for the gang members to hurt him and cause him pain, which, as we are told by the editor's notes, won’t kill him but will still hurt a hell of a lot.
We then learn this was all a hit job for the typical Spider-Man villain and gangster, Tombstone. Over the course of the issue, we learn that Deadpool has lost his ambitions and desire to live, seemingly going through the motions and trying to do anything he can to kill the pain inside his head. All this, we learn, is because of the death of his daughter. But not all is lost, because he receives a mysterious letter to do a good deed and potentially seek redemption.
Already, this first issue strikes a dark tone, giving us a much darker, sadder Deadpool than we are used to. There are still laughs, but they are much more toned down to reflect that Wade is a man without a purpose or any will. A big way this is communicated is the fact that he’s now living on Blind Al’s sofa with his dirty laundry littered around the house—much to her chagrin. Benjamin Percy really does a great job at emphasizing the sad state Deadpool’s life has become.
One thing I really enjoyed about this issue is the fantastic job it does—through both the writing and the editor's notes—of establishing who these characters are and the world they inhabit. As I have stated, I am not really a fan of the character, so a lot of the lore and world are unfamiliar to me. However, I think the issue does a really fantastic job of making it interesting and keeping us up to pace, providing enough explanation about Deadpool’s abilities, how the current status quo isn't the norm, and his life in general.
I can easily see a complete newbie to the character, who knows even less than me, enjoying it without needing to do any homework. It feels like Benjamin Percy and Marvel are expecting to take on plenty of new passengers and are more than happy to accommodate them. To me, this whole issue feels like a great rebuttal to folks who try to argue Manga is easier to get into than Western comics; I personally can’t think of a better starter issue than this.
I also feel like the choice to tone down the comedy for more straight-up action is a creative decision I liked a lot. I know I am very biased in this, and with how popular the character has become, it may be a creatively risky gamble, but in my opinion, it made for a much more grounded and thrilling read that really suited what I wanted to see from the character. As I said, the jokes are still there, but they aren't at all fourth-wall-breaking or constant meme references; they're more the kind of intentionally bad "dad jokes" Spider-Man would tell, and I'll admit a couple got a chuckle out of me. I'm actually quite excited to see if this tone continues.
I also think Marvel is taking some real creative risks depicting blood, as well as the kind of violence and themes we see in this comic. I'm not entirely sure if every Deadpool comic book is like this, but for a modern Marvel book published in 2026, especially, this felt quite ballsy.
It reminded me more of the classic MAX line Marvel published throughout the early 2000s, but a bit more toned down. Even the way the comic discusses depression and mental illness—although not outright—felt quite risky considering the character appears on a lot of kids' merchandise now. Kudos, Marvel, for making a gamble!
Let’s Get Classic: The Art
I found the art of the comic quite stripped back and grounded, fitting well with the more serious and darker tone of the issue. There are no crazy fireworks or random unicorns here—just a "Merc with a Mouth." The way the violence is depicted felt genuine; it didn't glorify the carnage, but rather showed the necessity of it and that Deadpool was getting no pleasure from the act.
There were a few gnarly pages where the comic illustrates how impervious to pain Wade is by putting him through shredders, industrial clamps, and various other life-endangering machinery at the hands of villains. I found that did a really good job of conveying the visual punishment the character can endure.
The tone of the art reminded me of the classic days of the character—perhaps not quite the X-Force era, but more the Joe Kelly run, minus the 90s style where everyone looked like they were on steroids. As I've said, the Deadpool character is usually expected to be bombastic and over the top, with the art typically reflecting that, so it felt nice to return to a time before so much of that.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, I think Marvel really hit it out of the park with Wade Wilson: Deadpool #1. An excellent choice of writer and a risky tonal shift for the character will have new and old fans of the Merc With The Mouth finding something to enjoy.
Coming into this issue, I admit I wasn't a fan of Deadpool and largely found him quite annoying, but I really think Benjamin Percy struck the perfect tonal balance for the character and genuinely turned him into a complicated anti-hero in a thrilling setup.