***THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE NERD BLITZ PATREON***
Here we have another 8-Pager from the 2010 Marvel Holiday Magazine, this time starring everybody’s favorite sword swinging mercenary, Deadpool.
We have another case of a story I know I’ve read but I have no memory of, so this should be…interesting…
You better start feeling all holly and jolly up in your cockles, cause we’re diving in deep!
Again, hard to leave much to the imagination in such a short story, so MEGA ***SPOILER ALERT***
Art by Sanford Greene: Greene wields a simple, yet detailed style that feels a bit like an early Disney feature mixed with modern comics.
It’s pretty damn fluid and dynamic, his sense of motion is energetic and snappy as well.
His designs for Santa, the Elves, and the Abominable Snowman are all familiar but distinct.
Wade isn’t super jacked or as accessorized as you may be familiar with him being, but it works here.
In short, I dig it.
Story by Fred Van Lente: An assault is launched on The North Pole, letting the reindeer loose.
Elves run out to gather the beasts, meanwhile the man in red and black that talks, almost exclusively, smack is on the attack!
Deadpool chokes out an Elf, and approaches the computer that holds the naughty & nice lists with a flashdrive just as Santa bursts in and scolds ol Wade.
Apparently the duo met once in Marrakesh and battled, so they both know this won’t be easy…JUST AS AN ABOMINABLE FUCKING SNOWMAN BURSTS INTO THE ROOM!!!
Wade subdues the furry behemoth, saving the jolly fat man, and he and Santa have a heart to heart.
Wade tells Santa that Rass Bankin paid him seven figures to upload a program that would have his name moved from the naughty list to the nice.
After some discussion, Santa and Deadpool cut a deal, and DP makes a magical stop of his own and a heartwarming ho ho horror show is unleashed.
This…Is…AWESOME!
I love the subversiveness of the few religious jokes.
I think it should be clear, from The War Of The Santas, that I love the idea of doing something new and interesting with the whole Santa mythology and simply adding an over the top character like Deadpool into the mix is enough of a tweak to make shit interesting and fresh.
I’ve always heard Van Lente does Marvel comedy books well, but I never really got the chance to try any of his work.
This might be the story that gives me the push to look a bit harder when I’m able to.
If I had a complaint, it would be that I wish Wade had a chance to be a little bit more lippy but what can you expect from an 8-page short story?
All around, this was just a damn fun trip.
The art and story service each other like a high end hook…I mean “call girl”, well.
It has great over the top DP action (that’s Deadpool! It’s fuckin’ Christmas, ya goddamn pervs!) and a great sense of humor.
10 pound of shit in a 5 pound bag, really.
I highly recommend it, gang.
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