Spider-Man/Deadpool #4 Review
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Spider-Man/Deadpool, a series that pairs two of Marvel’s biggest wise-crackers together to hilarious results. We’re coming in on the fourth issue, but fortunately, there’s not a whole lot you need to know. The basic idea here is that Deadpool is trying to be friends with Spider-Man in the hopes that his influence will help him become a better hero and a better person. However, this is primarily a ruse to get close to Spider-Man so Deadpool can assassinate his “boss” Peter Parker. Though Deadpool has done everything in his power to drive Spider-Man nuts, Spidey has nonetheless developed a begrudging respect for him over the course of the adventures they’ve had together.
Our comic opens with Deadpool and Spider-Man making plans to hang out in the evening, and it’s worth noting that it’s Spider-Man who initiated the meet-up, meaning that no matter how much it would pain him to admit it, Deadpool’s influence has clearly rubbed off on him, though probably not the way that Deadpool was hoping to rub off on Spider-Man. Deadpool says he knows just the place.
Meanwhile, Peter is seen talking with Anna Maria Marconi, his former girlfriend, current employee and the only thing to come out of the Superior Spider-Man story-arc that I would consider more pleasant that the experience of chugging a bottle of rubbing alcohol that’s had crushed glass mixed into it. Anna-Maria naturally believes that Peter is out of his mind for trying to help Deadpool become a better person, but Peter thinks he’s genuinely making progress.
Elsewhere, Deadpool is having a similar conversation with his wife, the demon queen Shikla. Shikla knows that Wade is genuinely starting to enjoy being friends with Spider-Man and reminds him that he can’t stay that way if he’s going to kill Peter Parker, and he’s letting himself get too close.
That night, at a club called The Hellhouse, Spider-Man and Deadpool are ready for their big night, especially since Deadpool has made arrangements for it to be a double date. However, since unmasking is out of the question and Spider-Man can’t just casually go clubbing, Wade gives Spidey a special holographic disguise watch. After a brief but humorous exchange about Spidey’s holographic persona being a black man named Leo Dicaprio (seriously) Spider-Man is introduced to his date, Jenny. Spidey and Jenny hit it off almost instantly. However, things soon take a turn for the weird when Wade’s “date” turns out to be Thor.
By the way, Thor’s a woman now. Not sure how that happened but I’m sure it’s convoluted. Let’s just give a big ol’ hooray for gender equality in super-hero literature and move on.
Spidey naturally has a lot of questions, first and foremost of which being, how can Deadpool be dating Thor if he’s married. Well, seeing as how Deadpool is the kind of guy who would get his list of celebrity freebees in writing and signed by a lawyer, Shikla had no choice but to agree to this. However, the person who did not agree to this was Thor, believing that she was called here on official Avengers business and none too pleased about the deception. Things get worse, if you can believe it, when Jenny reveals herself to be a succubus and attacks Thor on sight. I guess her people have bad blood with the Asgardians. Spidey is more than a little pissed that Wade set him up with a soul sucking succubus, but Deadpool has a way to make it up to him. Apparently, Deadpool set all of this up because he knew Thor and Jenny would attack one another on sight, and to that end, he’s set up a mud pit in the middle of the floor just to make it even sexier. However, the plan backfires pretty much instantly when Thor and Jenny see the mud and deduce that this was all a set up. Spider-Man, hoping not to get his head bashed in by a large hammer, asks if there’s anything he and Deadpool can do to make amends.
And so, to the end of making it up to Thor and Jenny, Spider-Man and Deadpool are made to strip down to nothing but masks and skivvies and perform a sexy dance routine to Def Leppard’s Pour Some Sugar on Me for the pleasure of all the ladies in the bar. Despite how humiliated a normal person would be, Spidey and Deadpool actually end up having a blast and share a good laugh about it as the end of the evening. Spidey thanks Wade for a great night and finally admits that he’s glad to have him as a friend.
The Next morning, there’s a knock on Peter’s door. Peter answers, only to get a bullet between the eyes courtesy of Deadpool, ending the comic.
What Works: This is one of those comics that needs to be seen to be believed. Just the mere idea of Spidey and Deadpool going on a double date that ends with them dancing in their underwear is a simply hilarious idea and it’s carried through by the great chemistry between the two lead characters. I absolutely love the way Spider-Man and Deadpool play off one another, with the often humorous Spider-Man playing straight-man to Wade’s antics. It’s especially nice that in the end, they ending up having fun together. You rarely see superheroes getting to cut loose like this so to see Spider-Man, who’s been through one tragedy after another, allowing himself to have a good time like this is a most welcome sight. This series is a character piece and a good one at that with two characters who have every reason to hate each other learning that they’re not so different and that they can be friends. It even adds a note of tragedy with Wade not knowing that his new found best friend is also the man he’s been contracted to kill.
What Doesn’t: At the end of last months issue, we saw long time Spider-Man villain, Mysterio waking up from a hospital bed. Knowing that, it undermines the shock-ending with the likelihood that Spider-Man’s apparent death is probably one of Mysterio’s illusions.
Overall: 4.5/5
This is a comic in which two Superheroes go on a double date with a god and a demon that ends with them stripping down to their jockey’s and pulling a Magic Mike. I love this sort of stuff.