Deadpool is a character whose popularity seems to have no bounds. With every year he gets more and more popular, due in part to massive exposure through successful Hollywood films and a strong online presence. This popularity is feeding back into the original source material, with more and more people interested in checking out the Deadpool comic books to see what they’re missing out on.
If you’re one of those people who wants to read some awesome Deadpool comics then you’ve come to the right place. I have you covered with six awesome Deadpool comics you should read that include plenty of fan favourites that will have you laughing and maybe even shed a tear or two.
I hope you enjoy this list and find some awesome stories to read!
New Mutants #98
Written by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza. Art by Rob Liefeld.
While Deadpool is a massive character today, he had humble beginnings by being a minor villain in New Mutants. In his debut, he is a mercenary (for the series overarching villain at the time) who attempts to take out Cable. There’s plenty of action and one-liners throughout.
If you’re looking for the wacky meta version of the character that most people know then you’ll be disappointed. That particular trait hasn’t developed quite yet. That’s not to say that the issue should be written off, as it’s an interesting read for those curious at looking at the evolution of the character.
As an added bit of trivia, New Mutants #98 is also the debut for Domino as well.
Original Issues: New Mutants #98
Trade Paperback: Deadpool Classic Vol 1
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Hey, It’s Deadpool!
Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Ed McGuinness.
If you’re a big Deadpool fan, then you owe it to yourself to read Joe Kelly’s run on the character. It developed Deadpool’s unique voice and tone, including his signature fourth-wall breaking, that we take for granted today. Broken up into smaller stories, this sees Deadpool struggle with the loss of his healing factor. Through his quest to get it fixed he will come up against Taskmaster, The Hulk and figures from his tragic past.
While Deadpool is often played for laughs, Kelly makes sure to give him serious moments in order to grow as a character. This makes for a version of the character that is well-rounded and more than just a few wacky lines and some violence.
Original Issues: Deadpool (1997 Series) #1-5
Trade Paperback: Deadpool Classic Vol 1 and Vol 2
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With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence
Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Pete Woods and John Romita Sr.
While it might sound surprising today, Deadpool’s first ongoing series was not an instant hit. In fact, the comic was on the verge of cancellation many times. But when you have a low selling book, that often comes with some creative freedoms that popular books cannot. That’s the case with this story, which has Deadpool time travel back to 1967 via an issue of Amazing Spider-Man. With the inclusion of Deadpool and new dialogue, Amazing Spider-Man #47 has been given new context and the result is inventively hilarious.
Thrown into the past, Deadpool has to impersonate Peter Parker and at the same time make sure that the timestream is not altered until he can find his way to his time. The results are a series of misadventures that often point fun at the kookiness of the 60’s and in particular the original story – Kraven’s nipple beams and all.
I’ve written extensively about this story in the past for those who want to know more about it.
Original Issues: Deadpool (1997 Series) #11
Trade Paperback: Deadpool Classics Vol 3
Comixology | eBay
A Kiss, A Curse, A Cure
Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Steve Harris.
If you have seen the first Deadpool movie then you are a well aware of his origin story. What you might not know is that this particular story is where much of it was taken inspiration from. Opening off with Deadpool dying after being punched off a cliff, Deadpool finds himself visited by Death (Marvel’s version of the Grim Reaper), who forces him to remember his origin story.
While A Kiss, A Curse, A Cure doesn’t follow the same plot as the movie there are many elements of it that were cherry-picked for the big screen. For instance, this comic goes into the time he spent being experimented on while trying to find a cure for his cancer, his dealings with Ajax/Francis, and we even get the genesis of his more oddball side.
This issue also explores Deadpool’s bizarre on again-off again relationship with Death and the sacrifices that he had to make for it.
Original Issues: Deadpool & Death Annual #1
Trade Paperback: Deadpool Classics Vol 4
Comixology | eBay
Night of the Living Deadpool
Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Ramon Rosanas.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to mix Deadpool and the zombie apocalypse? Well, wonder no more.
From when he wakes up from a food coma till the final pages, Night of the Living Deadpool flips the zombie genre on its head. A lot of this accumulates in how it parodies famous zombie fiction such as Day of the Dead and The Walking Dead, but also in the way that he uniquely handles the situation.
Even the art is in on the act, with the comic presented in greyscale with the exception of Deadpool himself.
If this comic sounds up your alley, check out this preview.
Original Issues: Night of the Living Deadpool #1-4
Trade Paperback: Night of the Living Deadpool
Comixology | eBay
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn. Art by Scott Koblish and Declan Shalvey.
Because he can’t always be taken seriously, Deadpool is often described the Bugs Bunny of the Marvel Universe. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is the story that proves this label wrong, providing Deadpool with plenty of depth along with his signature humour and violence.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is a heartbreaking story of Deadpool confronting his past and the organisation that transformed him into what he is today. We get a Deadpool that’s still funny but shows emotional depth when confronted with harsh realities.
As an added bonus, this story guest stars Captain America and Wolverine.
Original Issues: Deadpool (2012 series) #15-19
Trade Paperback: Deadpool Volume 3: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Comixology | eBay
What Is Your Favourite Deadpool Comic?
Is it on the list or has it been criminally left off? Let me know in the comments below or via Facebook or Twitter.
I loved the Cable & Deadpool series.His personality and humor works best when having other “straightman” characters to play off of
My favorite Deadpool comic was definitely Spider-man/Deadpool series in general, but particularly #4 always makes me smile.