In this review of Deadpool/Wolverine #2, with Deadpool switching teams is the bromance already broken? And who had giant, flying bone dinosaurs on their mutant bingo card?
DEADPOOL/WOLVERINE #2
Writer: BENJAMIN PERCY
Art and Main Cover: JOSHUA CASSARA
Variant Covers: ALESSANDRO CAPPUCCIO, BJÖRN BARENDS, ANDY PARK
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: February 12, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Deadpool/Wolverine #2 begins after a mind-controlled Deadpool (aka Wade Wilson) causes a deliberate power plant disaster in South Dakota at the behest of a mysterious…okay, it’s Stryfe; Cable’s evil mutant clone. Nearby, Wolverine (Logan) encounters his longtime frenemy Maverick, who was last seen leading a vampire army during Marvel’s Bloodhunt event. Maverick’s back to normal, and now works for the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E*).
Wolverine and Maverick set their aside their grievances and try figure out what Deadpool is up to, (you can yell “it’s Stryfe,” as loud as you want, they’re not gonna hear you). Maverick gets a call from O*N*E* and Wolverine uses the opportunity to liberate Mav’s helicopter and find Wade.
Meanwhile Stryfe is lurking in his underground lair nearby, (who knew he had his own Batcave complete with dinosaur bones)? Deadpool takes Stryfe’s genetically altered dinosaur eggs to the heavily irradiated ground zero and the eggs quickly hatch into giant “bone” dinosaurs. One of them chases Wolverine through the sky and takes out his helicopter.
Wolverine hits the ground hard (don’t worry; healing factor), and watches as his stolen helicopter explodes, taking the creature with it.
Two more bone dinosaurs burst up from below, but they can’t fly. Are they alive? Are they hungry? Do they want to play fetch? Wolverine takes down one of the creatures in typical hack and slash fashion only to find himself in the clutches of the other one, which is being ridden by the brainwashed Deadpool.
Maverick and his O*N*E* team ride to the rescue, having commandeered Deadpool and Wolverine’s old clunker RV. On the RV roof, Maverick targets the brainwashed Deadpool with a spray of gunfire (don’t worry; healing factor) and Wade snaps out of it. As Wolverine noted earlier, pain seems to break the mind control, at least temporarily.
The remaining bone dinosaur stomps on Maverick and crushes the RV, likely leaving Maverick as the only survivor (don’t worry; healing factor?) Deadpool tags the creature with a rocket from his Stryfe-provided gear, and then gives Wolverine a jetpack ride away from the resulting explosion. At the end of Deadpool/Wolverine #2, a flock of flying bone dinosaurs take to the sky with Stryfe astride one doing his best Captain Morgan.
Analysis
Deadpool/Wolverine #2 continues the fun, high concept storytelling from last issue, where the slow burn reveal of Stryfe was truly terrifying. Stryfe is a time-traveler who plays four-dimensional chess with our present day. He appears to be up to his old mad scientist schtick, (Legacy Virus anyone?) with a new scheme to alter his bleak future with an army of genetically enhanced/altered/resurrected (?) dinosaurs.
Writer Benjamin Percy (Ghost Rider) already left his stamp on Deadpool and Wolverine during his lengthy runs on Wolverine and X-Force, and he continues to mine the characters’ opposing personalities for more mismatched fun. The plot doesn’t feel forced, since both Wade and Logan are connected by a mysterious event from their past. Given the pair’s long history, there are a lot of potential stories to tell.
Artist Joshua Cassara’s sketchy, kinetic art style fits the story like a spandex glove, bringing Percy’s dynamic script to life in eye-popping fight scenes, wild monster action, and the requisite oddball physical comedy.
Deadpool’s casual name drop of the X-Cutioner is a surprising twist as Stryfe’s build-up from issue #1, and his machinations in Deadpool/Wolverine #2 seemed to peg him as the main villain. Wherever both X villains actually fit into this story, and who else might be involved, is an intriguing plot point.
The colors by Guru-eFX span the spectrum from cool blues and greens, to bright hot reds, and finally to a brilliant mix of hues for the double-page spread featuring Stryfe and his bone dinosaurs flying across the sunrise.
The lettering by VC’s Joe Sabino include nice touches such as turning brainwashed Deadpool’s speech text from black to blue. Also several large, standout sound effects are interspersed throughout the back half of Deadpool/Wolverine #2, as the action slowly builds from smaller sounds to a thunderous crescendo that dominates the panel, and then starts the process over again several times.
A couple of observations: why is Stryfe dressed like GIJoe’s Doctor Mindbender? Why does he have a lair that looks suspiciously like the Christopher Nolan’s Batcave?
Final Thoughts
Overall, Deadpool/Wolverine #2 continues its high octane storytelling with more amazing action, humor, art and character work, rather than simply coasting on the title characters’ immense popularity.
