Posts Tagged ‘Deadpool’
Deadpool (2008) 13
There are about 350 species of parrots in the world. Nearly half are endangered and about a quarter critically endangered.
To recognize the plight and pomp of these intelligent birds, May 31 is World Parrot Day.
The last day of May first featured the feathered fowl in 2004 as organized by The World Parrot Trust. The inaugural gathering was held in Trafalgar Square in London. Following a march to Downing Street, the Prime Minister was given a petition containing 33,000 signatures asking for a ban on importing wild parrots to the European Union.
The European Union Commission released a statement noting a permanent ban on wild bird imports including parrots in 2007.
Deadpool (2008) 13
Illegal trade of wild parrots is a major contributing factor in their scarcity. Other factors include, destruction of habitats and hunting.
Some parrots live for over 60 years. In the wild, they usually mate for life. Its beak is strong enough to break open a metal cage. The most intelligent parrot is the African grey parrot.
With some parrot facts out of the way, let’s have some fun with Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson. At the expense of Hydra Bob.
As shown to the side, today’s comic book(s) is/are Deadpool issue(s) 13 and 14.
The fourth volume of Deadpool, and the third solo incarnation, began in 2008, on the back of the company crossover Secret Invasion.
By issue 13, Daniel Way had the Merc with a Mouth ready for new adventures. This time on the high seas.
Using money from a disguised Bullseye, Deadpool bought a sailing vessel seeking to plunder unsuspecting seamen. To help, Wade tagged Hydra Bob for help.
Bob, or Robert Dobalina, first appeared in Cable & Deadpool 38. Bob became a member of Hydra at the urging of his wife as a stable career choice. Deadpool would coerce him to leave after torturing the minion.
Over the course of Deadpool’s adventures, Bob would be called upon many times for various assists. For the Wave of Mutilation storyline, Bob is forced to wear a parrot costume in the warm Caribbean climate causing heat exhaustion.
His most nagging malady is the bamboo stick Deadpool uses to “discipline” his henchman with. Bob does wind up with the girl and gold, but his loyalty to his wife leads him to reveal the fact as the sun sets and the story ends.
While this has nothing to do with the plight of parrots or the actual day itself, the two issues are a very fun read.
If truly interested in the origins of the World Parrot Day, learn more about the beautiful birds, make a donation to the appropriate charity or even read up on President Andrew Jackson’s bilingual pet parrot, Poll.
Tune in tomorrow for more Deadpool action.
Deadpool (1997) 1
About 46 million people around the world are blind. Today is a day we can remember and honor their independence with World Braille Day.
Through a sequence of interrelated events, Louis Braille invented the series of raised dots named after its creator allowing the blind and vision impaired the ability to read.
Braille lost his sight following an accident at his father’s harness shop when he was three. While attending the National Institute for Blind Children in Paris, he cultivated an interest in music. That interest, combined with code communication developed for Napoleon’s army, were the basis for what is known as braille today.
He died in 1852, two years before France’s Royal Institute for the Blind Youth adopted a braille curriculum.
Deadpool (1997) 1
Representing the comic community for today is Blind Al, or Althea or Blind Alfred, of Deadpool fame.
Blind Al’s origin is murky at best, but at some point Deadpool took the geriatric gal hostage, keeping her as a companion/housekeeper/victim. Though his most intimate companion, Deadpool is incredibly cruel toward her. To punish Blind Al, Wade would put her in the Box, a small room filled with sharp objects. She was forbidden visitors, though she has become familiar with Deadpool’s other human tool, Weasel.
She was eventually released from his imprisonment, though she remained in contact with Deadpool over the subsequent years. Her last contact, to date, with the Merc with a Mouth was an invitation to he and Shikklah’s wedding. A misprint in the braille invite sent her to a gang funeral instead.
Blind Al was featured in both the 2016 and 2018 Deadpool feature films. She was portrayed by Leslie Uggams.
To participate, pay more attention to the braille and other accessible items available for the blind and vision impaired. In addition, learn more about its creator and famous people who were blind or visually impaired.
For a real treat, take in Deadpool (1997) issue 11, With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence, in which he is transported back in time to parody the events of Amazing Spider-Man issue 47. Blind Al plays Aunt May. It’s a classic.
Season’s Beatings (2019) 1
Here’s one that slipped past me last Christmas.
At first glance, not much to write home about. “Pete & Miles in Off Duty,” is no Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Only the best incarnation of all the silver screen Spider-Mans by the way. No, “Pete & Miles in Off Duty” is, well, not sure how to describe it.
Confusing?
In a way.
Lifeless?
Yeah, you could say that.
In short it’s just not good.
Now, “Nuts and Bots” is a different story. Literally. Squirrel Girl and Doc Doom. C’mon. That’s a match up. Not a heavy weight title bout, but still way more entertaining than midget wrestling.
Finally, Squirrel Girl is getting a little respect. She deserves it. Her own title and some guest appearances. Good stuff.
What I haven’t mentioned about the holiday special is the Deadpool framing sequence. Deadpool is our emcee for the show. In a Saturday Night Live or old Muppet Show twist, Deadpool is brought forward from behind-the-scenes allowing Squirrel Girl to interact with him.
The two go toe-to-toe, not with fisticuffs or weapons, but in a far more deadly verbal one-on-one.
Finally, “Holi-La-La-Days” continues to make amends for a slow start. Deadpool steps out of the framing sequence to help move the story to a satisfying conclusion with Hawkeye playing detective.
A worthy addition to anyone’s holiday collection.
Deadpool (2018) 7
Still out on this one. Of course I’m still out on Skottie Young’s take on Deadpool. Daniel Way is, by far, my favorite of the Merc With the Mouth scribes, though Nick Giovanetti and Paul Scheer made for a talented team on Spider-Man/Deadpool.
“Christmas Missed Us,” takes a page out of Keith Giffen’s Lobo’s Paramilitary Christmas Special. Actually, it takes a huge chunk of pages complete with a contract on Santa and showdown at the North Pole.
This time ‘round, Deadpool is contracted by a very disgruntled contingent of children when the Jolly Fat One fails to make his rounds. Pooling allowances and a healthy response to a hastily gathered “gopayme” account, DP’s fee is rendered.
Young deviates further by saving Santa the ignominy of having sat the season out via his own volition. Instead an evil elf has organized the other elves and rallied them around corrupt corporate-at-large (at least in the Marvel universe) Roxxon.
Deadpool fulfills his obligations and saves Christmas making for a happy ending all the way ‘round.
The 2018 Christmas season was celebrated with a plethora of seasonal covers and stories. Much thanks to both Marvel and DC for their efforts to keep us readers happy.
Deadpool’s Christmas Vacation
Deadpool lampoons a favorite holiday film. Artwork by Marco D’Alfonso.
Deadpool Christmas Trailer
Replete with the character’s trademark wit and blue sense of humor, Ryan Reynold’s silver screen Deadpool has proven a hit with comic book fans. Leading up to the original film’s 2016 release, a Christmas themed trailer teaser trailer (yes, that’s right – a trailer teaser trailer – because these are a thing now) was released in late 2015. Enjoy.
A Deadpool Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving: a time for gratuitous gluttony, family feuding and Black Friday ads clogging newspapers, any form of digital media and television.
And, Deadpool.
At least for the 2017 kick off to the holiday season.
Rather than take traditional avenues, the marketing gurus at Disney chose to take a road less traveled by the normal Deadpool demographic. To tease the then six-month off sequel to the 2016 surprise blockbuster, a Norman Rockwellesque poster was featured in the 2017 holiday issue of Good Housekeeping.
His cover appearance in the venerable Hearst Corporation staple was explained in the following editorial:
“Deadpool’s persistence to be in Good Housekeeping was impressive – initially we had no idea who he was, let alone that he was a fan of the magazine,” says Jane Francisco, Editor in Chief, Good Housekeeping. “But after repeated attempts to ignore his… passion… we came to a compromise. He could appear in one issue, if he promised to stop leaving care packages at our editors’ homes and agreed to maintain a 50-foot distance from the Good Housekeeping offices and our staff.”
“After years of weekly emails and countless carrier pigeons, Good Housekeeping finally returned my calls,” says Deadpool. “And while it’s a dream come true, apparently we have vastly different opinions on the definition of a ‘holiday spread’…”
Click the “Read More” button for some of Deadpool’s Thanksgiving recipes – our apologies in advance for the bad puns and double entendres.
Spider-Man/Deadpool 12
Cronus, or Saturn, decks the concrete canyons of New York with bodies to show his displeasure at having his holiday usurped by a fat man catering to the kiddies.
Title characters Spidey and Deadpool are tapped to stop the Christmas carnage by showing him the true meaning of the holiday with an evening of debauchery to turn back the time and tide of destruction.
The issue is gift wrapped with laughter and an exchange of pleasantries and presents.
New Mutants (1982) 98
June is National Cancer Survivor Month.
While many of us have the unfortunate ability to put a face to the month, Four Color Holidays is using Deadpool’s scarred visage.
One of the Weapon X candidates, Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, was diagnosed with an unspecific cancer. Due to his accelerated healing power, Deadpool is able to regenerate any damaged or destroyed portion of his body. That includes his normal and cancerous cells.
Following his debut in New Mutants 98, Deadpool bounced around the Marvel Mutant U associated with co-creator Rob Liefeld. He became a regular in X-Force before branching out to guest shots in The Avengers, Daredevil, and Heroes for Hire.
In 1993 Deadpool earned his own mini-series, The Circle Chase, penned by co-creator Fabian Nicieza and penciled by Joe Madureira. A moderate fan favorite, he returned in a second mini scribed by Mark Waid and penciled by Ian Churchill.
New Mutants (1982) 98
In 1997 Deadpool received his first solo series. Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness guided the new Merc with a Mouth through the first 36 issues. Christopher Priest replaced Kelly with issue 37.
Priest left after a year with other authors telling Wade’s tale until Gail Simone took over with issue 65. The book was “re-launched” with issue 69 as Agent X.
After the confusion of the reboot, Deadpool wandered the Marvel U for a bit until he was tagged for Cable & Deadpool in 2004 co-starring fellow mutant Cable. The buddy book lasted 50 issues until it, too, was cancelled to make way for Deadpool’s second solo series.
Marvel’s annual crossover bid for 2008 was Secret Invasion. Deadpool played a major role in aiding Nick Fury and S.H.E.I.L.D as they halted the attack. Daniel Way and Ale Garza were the artistic team for the series.
Deadpool seemed to blossom as the 2010s dawned. Launched were The Deadpool Corps, Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth, Deadpool MAX.
As Marvel continued to morph and reboot, so did Deadpool with Brian Posehn (or Bert on Big Bang Theory) at the helm. Posehn earned the dubious honor of having written the most Deadpool stories as he guided him through the previous decade.
In 2016 Ryan Reynolds appeared on the silver screen as Deadpool in his first movie. Reynolds reprised the role in 2018, both movies being financially successful. A third film is in the works.
While cancer treatment has improved, an estimated 5,200 cases are expected to be diagnosed each day resulting in 1,670 daily deaths.
For more information, please log onto the American Cancer Society’s Web page.