Deadpool: World's Greatest! Vol 2: End of an Error RETROSPECTIVE: Backstories for everyone!
Deadpool: World's Greatest, Volume 2: End Of An Error.
Collecting issues #3.1: Tres Punto Uno, #6-7.
Writer: Gerry Duggan. Artist: Scott Koblish.
Last time around, a new era of Deadpool began! The Merc with a Mouth returned, with a new outlook on life and a new team! Sadly, this new Deadpool has the same old problems... and it seems trying bankroll the entire Avengers Initiative didn't leave him a huge amount of money to pay his workers, which didn't go down too well with anyone. Oh, also, the cartoon inspired psychopath Madcap has decided that there's nothing he wants more than to destroy Deadpool's whole life. Which is probably a pretty easy task...
Issue 7: The End of an Error. Deadpool is having a bad day, and to try and cheer himself up, he's dipped into his little black book. No, not his collection of past conquests... his collection of past GRUDGES! It's time for him to settle a few old scores. So, first up: Telling Danny Rand he's a dick. Next? Well, we'll just have to see what secrets the book holds...
Issue 3.1 (for some reason): Espanol para Deadpool! It's Deadpool, but in Spanish! Meet Massacre, the corndog-obsessed Mexican Deadpool franchisee. I'll be honest, I don't speak Spanish and have no idea what happens in this comic. But the art is cool, and Massacre's design is badass.
Issue 6 (because nothing in this book makes sense anymore): Deadpool 2099! We jump far into the future! Although, not actually that far. Only like 70 years. Where America is now a savage, crime-riddled dystopia (much like... nope. Too easy. I'm better than that.) And through this hellscape, a new criminal strikes fear into the hearts of the police. Her name? Deadpool! But who is this new merc, and why did she pick THAT name? Only one way to find out...
And somehow, that is already the end of the volume. Yeah. Kind of an odd one this week. At least 50% of the book was taken up with one-shots giving backstories to the other Mercs for Money, so there was very little actual Wade action this time around. However, there were some really cool parts, so let's talk about them a little, shall we?
This was... a very odd volume. It kinda feels like they had a bunch of specials and one-shots and didn't really know what to do with them, so they lumped them all together into one book and threw it out as Volume 2. Everything from the bizarre out of order issues, to the fact that most of this book is filler, just confuses me.
That said: It's kinda interesting to see the backstories for the other mercs. And it'll come as no surprise to anyone to realise that they didn't exactly join Wade willingly. They were all in some kind of trouble and were left with no choice but to join him. Well, except for Solo; he joined because he THOUGHT he was in trouble, and was just happy not to get dead. So, that's something, I guess? The backstories are all fairly interesting, none really stand out for good or ill. Although it's always fun to see my boy Taskmaster show up briefly. Yeah...
Then, we have issue 3.1. Which is a special issue all about Massacre, the Spanish-speaking, corndog-obsessed (which I have to admit, was a nice touch) merc. If someone wants to let me know what this issue was about, feel free to go ahead. The art was cool, the character designs are great and it features a large cat riding a motorbike, so it DOES feel like I'm missing out a little, not being able to really understand what's going on. Although, to be fair, even just following the art, the story is pretty clear. But who knows, maybe I'm missing some subtleties?
However, just because this book was mostly filler, it doesn't mean we don't have a few brief hints towards some continuity! In Issue 7, presented here as the first book, Wade decides to exact some revenge on those that have wronged him.
As we've come to expect from Deadpool, it's a funny book, right up until it isn't. The idea is fairly simple: Wade checks his book of grudges, then tracks down the people in it, and gets revenge. One slight problem: He's done this all before, many times. Yup, it's another chapter in the long story of "Oh boy, Wade's memory is SCREWED." So, while it IS funny to see him kick the crap out of The Hand, or tell Danny that Kung Fu is stupid, the whole thing feels really messed up, because we keep being told that Deadpool has done this all before. So Deadpool is trying to turn over a new page, be a new and better man, but he keeps falling into old patterns, treading old ground. It's a sad lesson in the inevitability of Wade's life: No matter how much he tries to improve, no matter how much effort he puts towards change... he will always end up back where he started, doing the same dumb, self-destructive shit.
And then the hammer REALLY drops. As he finds a hidden message in his book, that could potentially be related to his Big Secret, that only Creed knows: Deadpool killed his parents, under Butler's orders...
Yup, next issue IT'S ON. Deadpool Vs Sabretooth, and the truth will out!
Then, we jump to the actually not-that-distant future of 2099, and we meet the NEW Deadpool... who has a way cooler suit, a mecha/dragon/sky scooter thing, and also kinda has Wade chained up in a hidden lair.
At first glance, this is just a neat glimpse into the future, to see what's in store for our not-really hero. But, as the story goes on, you start to realise more and more than this is anything but filler.
You see, the new Deadpool? Yeah. That's Wade's daughter. Nope, not Ellie, it seems that our little Ellie is now and ex-Wilson. It's not explained if this is through time's cruel machinations or misadventure, but seeing as she is Wade's daughter, we can probably assume it was the second option.
Nope, this new Deadpool, who seems to REALLY hate Wade, and is torturing him by forcing him to watch fake news 24/7, is in fact Warda! Deadpool's daughter with his current demon queen wife Shiklah!
The plot thickens!
It seems that things didn't end too well, for Wade and Shiklah, shocking I know. And now our dear queen is buried... somewhere. And the only person that knows where, is Wade. Except, as has been illustrated so well this very volume, Wade's memory is Swiss Cheese, so he has no idea where she is. Now THAT is foreshadowing!
But there's more! You see, Warda-pool has a sworn enemy, it would seem. There's a mysterious vigilante out there, doing her best to track down Warda, for reasons we don't yet understand, and she joins the ever growing list of people with WAY cooler costumes than Deadpool.
Yup, it seems Zenpool 2099 is out for revenge, and she wants Warda! Who is this mysterious figure? Why does she seem so angry at Warda? I really can't wait to find out.
Deadpool 2099 easily could have been a throwaway filler tale, like most of the rest of this book, but honestly I was WAY more excited by this short tale than anything else this volume. Not only were the art and character designs excellent, but the way it dropped hints about the current-day story, while also laying down plot threads for the 2099 arc made every page a treat. Honestly, the way the stories are so heavily linked, really makes me think Zenpool lady is connected in some way to the present day tales... but how?
Overall, Volume 2 was... intensely, overwhelmingly forgettable. Honestly, the Deadpool 2099 stuff was excellent, but the rest of the book was so bland, I had totally forgotten this whole volume, from my previous read-through of this arc. I'm not really sure why they didn't end the last volume with Wade swearing vengeance on Sabretooth, and then just throw one of the backstory issues into every volume, for the rest of the run.
Having this huge info dump of mostly pointless backstories taking up 75% of this volume just totally kills any hype built up in the first issue, and leaves me feeling a little cold. They bring it back with a very strong final tale, but it feels like too little, too late.
But, hopefully, with the looming spectre of Deadpool Vs Sabretooth next volume, and the hope that Wade might finally get some of his memories back, things will begin to look up, from here on out!
If you want to see Deadpool more than likely get his ass handed to him by Sabertooth, come back next time for Deadpool: World's Greatest! Volume 3: Deadpool Vs Sabretooth. Collecting Deadpool #8-12. Deadpool vs. Sabretooth! But when two un-killable killers go to war, how do you know when it's all over? These two Weapon X alumni are on a collision course because Deadpool thinks Sabretooth killed his parents. The really messy part is that Wade did the dirty deed himself, and has no idea! Hidden secrets, healing factors, and horrific violence collide as Deadpool's misplaced quest for vengeance threatens to blow up in his face. But as DP and ST battle tooth and claw, what's Magneto going to do about it? Meanwhile, the Mercs for Money make moolah in the mouthy one's name, while Wade tries to come to terms with being a global hero and an Avenger after a lifetime as an inveterate degenerate. Plus: Deadpool 2099 returns — but who is Zenpool 2099?
If you want to read along, you can find this volume on Comixology, collected volumes on Amazon, or from your Local Comic Shop! Enjoy!
Taheg Gloder is a Freelance Copywriter from England. Obsessed with comics and Manga since his teens, he now splits his time between writing comic reviews and retrospectives for POP, and doing reactions on his YouTube Channel, The Dragon & The Hound. He lives alone, because he’s a hermit.