Deadpool. He’s the Merc With A Mouth, the Regenerate Degenerate. A character who breaks the fourth wall regularly and always finds himself in the weirdest situations in all of the Marvel Universe. He’s also a character whose popularity strengthened thanks to successful Hollywood films and online fandom. As a result, Deadpool’s comics have attracted a lot of new readers.
This list will point you towards some awesome comics if you’re one of the new readers who has gravitated towards the character. It highlights the nine best Deadpool comic book stories, focusing on accessibility and enjoyability. There are plenty of laughs with these fan-favourites – and you may even shed a tear too.
Happy reading!
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 as a minor villain in New Mutants. In his debut, he’s a mercenary hired to take out Cable. The issue is jam-packed with action – fuelled by a young Rob Liefeld’s high-energy visuals – and one-liners throughout.
You’ll be disappointed if you’re looking for the wacky meta version of the character that most people know. That particular trait hasn’t developed quite yet. However, it’s not to say this issue should be written off, as it’s an interesting read for anyone curious about the character’s evolution.
As an added bit of trivia, New Mutants #98 is also the debut for Domino.
Issue: New Mutants #98 [Available in a much cheaper facsimile edition]
Collected edition: ‘Deadpool Classic Volume 1’ or ‘Deadpool Epic Collection: The Circle Chase’ or ‘New Mutants Epic Collection: The End of the Beginning’
Buy: Amazon/Kindle | eBay
Hey, It’s Deadpool!
Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Ed McGuinness.
You owe it to yourself to read Joe Kelly’s Deadpool run if you consider yourself a big fan of the character. This is where Deadpool’s unique voice and tone, including his signature style of breaking the fourth wall we take for granted, was developed.
Hey, It’s Deadpool is the first story arc of this celebrated run, which details Deadpool’s quest to get his healing factor back after losing it. Along the way, he’ll encounter Taskmaster, The Hulk, and figures from his tragic past.
While Deadpool is often played for laughs, Kelly gives the character weighty moments to grow as a character. This makes for a well-rounded version of Deadpool that’s more than simply a few wacky lines and some violence.
Issues: Deadpool (1997 Series) #1-5
Collected edition: ‘Deadpool Classic Volume 1 and Volume 2’, or ‘Deadpool by Joe Kelly Complete Collection Volume 1’, or ‘Deadpool Epic Collection: Mission Improbable’
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With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence
Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Pete Woods and John Romita Sr.
Deadpool’s first ongoing series was not an instant hit. In fact, it had more of a cult status, with the comic on the verge of cancellation many times. However, that can come with creative freedoms that popular cannot have. That’s the case with this story, where Deadpool time travels back to 1967 via an issue of Amazing Spider-Man.
The creative team took 1967’s Amazing Spider-Man #47 and super-imposed Deadpool into it. The inclusion of the character, in addition to the new dialogue, creates a fresh context to an old comic. The end result is inventively hilarious.
Thrown into the past, Deadpool must impersonate Peter Parker while making sure the timestream is not altered until he can discover a way home. The results are a series of misadventures that often point fun at the kookiness of 1960s comics. In particular, elements of the original story – Kraven’s nipple beams and all.
Want to know more about this story? I’ve previously written about this story in more detail.
Issue: Deadpool (1997 Series) #11
Collected edition: ‘Deadpool Classics Volume 3’ or ‘Deadpool by Joe Kelly Complete Collection Volume 1’, or ‘Deadpool Epic Collection: Drowning Man’
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A Kiss, A Curse, A Cure
Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Steve Harris.
You probably have a good handle on Deadpool’s origin due to the movie. However, you might not be aware of this particular story, where that origin was established. Opening with Deadpool dying after being punched off a cliff, he finds himself visited by Death (Marvel’s version of the Grim Reaper), who forces him to remember his origin story.
While the movie doesn’t follow all the same beats, many elements are cherry-picked from this annual. For instance, this comic goes into how Deadpool was 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.
Issue: Deadpool & Death Annual ’98
Collected editions: ‘Deadpool Classics Volume 4’ or ‘Deadpool by Joe Kelly Complete Collection Volume 1’, or ‘Deadpool Epic Collection: Drowning Man’
Buy: Amazon/Kindle | eBay
Night of the Living Deadpool
Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Ramon Rosanas.
Have you ever wondered what if Deadpool was in the zombie apocalypse? Well, wonder no more.
From when he wakes up from a food coma to the final pages, Night of the Living Deadpool flips the zombie sub-genre on its head. Much of this accumulates in how it parodies famous zombie fiction such as Day of the Dead and The Walking Dead, detailing how he would uniquely handle the situation.
Even the art is in on the act, with the comic presented in greyscale except for Deadpool himself. This gives it a classic zombie movie feel but shows how out of place Deadpool is in this bizarre scenario.
If this comic sounds up your alley, check out this preview.
Issues: Night of the Living Deadpool #1-4
Collected edition: ‘Night of the Living Deadpool’, or ‘Deadpool Classics Volume 17: Headcanon’ or ‘Deadpool Minibus Volume 1’
Buy: Amazon/Kindle | eBay
BONUS PICK: Night of the Living Deadpool has a sequel called “Return of The Living Deadpool“. Check it out if you want more Deadpool/zombie action.
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 as the Bugs Bunny of the Marvel Universe. The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly proves the label wrong, providing Deadpool with plenty of depth alongside 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.
Issues: Deadpool (2012 series) #15-19
Collected edition: ‘Deadpool Volume 3: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly’ or ‘/’Deadpool by Posehn & Duggan Complete Collection Volume 2’
Buy: Amazon/Kindle | eBay
Deadpool vs. Carnage
Written by Cullen Bunn. Art by Salva Espin.
It’s chaos vs chaos. Deadpool takes on the deadly symbiote Carnage in this cartoonishly gorey miniseries. Carnage has broken out of prison for the umpteenth time and is on a murder spree through the US. Deadpool, encouraged by patterns in the universe that only his unique brain can see, decides that his brand of chaos is the only hope of stopping him.
The result is a series of encounters that become increasingly more elaborate, with the pair slicing each other up and blowing each other apart. While gorey at times, artist Salva Espin’s clean style allows the humour to shine through and lean into the ridiculousness of it all.
Issues: Deadpool vs. Carnage #1-4
Collected edition: ‘Deadpool vs. Carnage’, or ‘Classic Deadpool Volume 18: Deadpool vs. Marvel’, or ‘Deadpool Minibus Volume 1’
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If Looks Could Kill
Written by Fabian Nicieza. Art by Mark Brooks and Patrick Zircher.
Deadpool started out as a foe of Cable. However, they would eventually become partners. If Looks Could Kill kickstarts this relationship in an explosive manner. The Merc With A Mouth has been hired by a cult that wants to rid the world of individuality. To do so, he’ll need to capture a deadly virus on their behalf. On the other side, Cable is there to stop the virus from wreaking havoc.
While the pair is at odds with each other for much of the story, it sets up the odd-couple set-up. Cable is the straight man, with Deadpool being the insufferable one – clearly a match made in heaven. It’s a formula that worked well, with the series running for 50 issues, and clearly inspired Deadpool 2.
Issues: Cable & Deadpool #1-6
Collected edition: ‘Cable and Deadpool Volume 1: If Looks Could Kill’ or ‘Cable and Deadpool Modern Era Epic Collection: Ballistic Bromance’
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You Are Deadpool
Written by Al Ewing. Art by Salva Espin and Paco Diaz, .
Have you ever wanted to be Deadpool? You can with You Are Deadpool! You get to decide what choice the Regenerate Degenerate makes in this miniseries that’s part comic, part-choose-your-own-adventure, and part role-playing game.
You Are Deadpool warrants multiple reads. There are diverging paths that change the story and multiple endings that change Deadpool’s fate. Definitely one for any TTRPG fans out there.
Issues: You Are Deadpool #1-5
Collected edition: You Are Deadpool
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