In this review of Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8, the “Big Guns” crossover event begins as the Punisher targets Wade due to the outbreak of imperfect Deadpool clones terrorizing the city. Meanwhile, an oblivious Wade and Blind Al team up for an important road trip.
WADE WILSON: DEADPOOL #8
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Art and Main Cover: Geoff Shaw
Variant Covers: John Romita, Jr., Josemaria Casanovas, Skottie Young
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: September 2, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8 begins with Wade hanging out at an all-night diner before being interrupted by the arrival of another “Badpool”, an imperfect clone who wants to take him out and replace him. Wade decapitates the violent pretender but nor before Wade loses an arm (which surprisingly won’t hurt the diner’s health score). Wade trails his renegade arm outside where it is blasted apart by Blind Al.
Al has a surprise for Wade: a mobile headquarters and an off-the-books job. Elsewhere Linus Lieberman (aka Microchip) interrogates another Badpool at the Punisher’s compound. Apparently Frank Casle and Micro have been tracking the various Badpools’ crime spree across New York. Impatient, Castle blasts the Badpool and tells Micro that Deadpool is their target.
Later a crew of Badpools rob a bank and deliver the pilfered cash to a baddie named Black Hole who sends them on another crime spree. Across town, Castle tracks Wade and Blind Al in their less than covert vehicle as the pair make their way to a SHIELD facility for a training exercise.
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8 ends as re-energized Wade gears up and heads out on his new mission, only to fall in a hail of automatic gunfire courtesy of the Punisher.
Analysis
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8 kicks off the four-part “Big Guns” crossover between The Punisher and Deadpool by writer Benjamin Percy (Wolverine). Both characters have been put through their paces recently and come out the other side transformed. Wade was recently on a deadly suicide run after the death of his daughter (but he has a renewed sense of purpose now), while Castle has reverted to a (more) remorseless and driven killer with little humanity in the wake of Wilson Fisk’s deadly mind-control scheme.
The Wade/Blind Al sequences are enjoyable as always, especially now that he isn’t trying to constantly get himself killed. The “Merc for Hire” rolling headquarters is both hilarious and illuminating, and its introduction sets up a new path for Wade and Al (and the series). Mining Al’s covert operative past and connections with Wade’s skillset should make for an interesting future storyline (once Wade stitches himself back together).
An injured and world-weary Micro once again teams with Frank Castle, this time grudgingly, but for a common purpose: ending the menace of the Badpools. The recurring subplot of Wade’s severed body parts regenerating into imperfect Deadpool clones plays up the gallows humor and graphic violence as Wade is forced to kill yet another part of himself as it tries to kill him. Right now, whether Wade or his replicas are the more tragic victims is a toss-up.
This clever and disturbing concept could only work for a few Marvel characters and suits Deadpool the best (Wolverine would just be depressing). Black Hole adds another wrinkle to the Badpool subplot as the mystery villain directs the clones’ penchant for mayhem into a profitable venture rather than just wreaking random havoc across New York.
Geoff Shaw returns to Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8 and provides a mix of visceral action, gross-out sight gags and atmospheric drama that contrasts both characters’ worlds. Shaw’s composition pushes the “camera” in close as it tracks the Badpools’ escape into the sewers, taking the reader along for the ride. Black Hole’s design feels like a mix of 1990s retro Image Comics and Kyle Hotz.
Final Thoughts
Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8 kicks off the “Big Guns” crossover with a fast-paced installment that stops just as it gets going. Ben Percy’s script contrasts the two gun-toting anti-heroes, offering up a mix of action, humor and emotion. The crossover goes for the jugular literally and figuratively.
