At the finale to ‘Deadpool’ #52, both Wolverine and Deadpool had been injected with the serum that negates mutant powers. Of course, this was Deadpool’s plan all along… well… at least his getting injected with it was. Wolverine was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now that Deadpool’s healing factor is gone, he can finally put into action the final steps of his plan to off himself and earn this story arc its title.

As this issue opens, Deadpool is explaining to his “pal” Bob the Hydra guy that he isn’t mad that Bob injected him with the serum. Deadpool informs Bob that the endgame to his crazy plan was that someone would take his powers so that he could go out in a blaze of glory. Of course, Deadpool wants to make his one and only (hopefully) death as memorable as possible so he’s planning something big. This is where Bob speaks up and tells Deadpool that, in exchange for the serum, Bob promised Tombstone that he’d be the one to kill Deadpool. That means, if someone else does it, Tombstone will come gunning for Bob.

I won’t give too many other spoilers (and there’s a couple of big twists in this issue) since I’m sure fans of Deadpool won’t want anything ruined. But for the rest of us… this issue was a bit of a letdown. I’ve said it throughout my reviews of the ‘Dead’ arc that I don’t like Deadpool. The only reason I got this arc was to see the annoying bastard finally kick the bucket. But then I was pleasantly surprised that the story to get to that point was actually pretty good. Deadpool’s compatriots in X-Force and the villains out to kill him off made for some very interesting drama. But, now that the end is finally near for Deadpool, it seems that rather than gaining momentum, the arc is losing some of its steam. Maybe I’m wrong and maybe next issue will pick the action back up and shock me but, if it’s headed where this issue seems to imply… it’ll be a long time before I pick up another Deadpool title.

Verdict: Borrow

DEADPOOL #53
Written by DANIEL WAY
Art by ALE GARZA and SEAN PARSONS
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON