ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Deadpool: Nerdy 30,’ Issue #1

Deadpool Nerdy 30 #1 is a celebration of the merc with a mouth after 30 years of literary creation behind him. Published by Marvel, the issue contains a whopping eight short stories by a list of highly notable creatives. So let me break it all down for you.

“The Immaculate Misconception” is written by Joe Kelly, art by Gerardo Sandoval, colors by Chris Sotomayor, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. A horde of multiverse Deadpool’s race to be the first to sow their seed in the Ovumatrix. This was a strange story to open the issue with. The visuals were decent from Sandoval, and Sotomayor. The story, however, feels like you’ve walked into the middle of a conversation without context, with the ending feeling oddly abrupt.

“Baby’s First Cable” is written by Skottie Young, art by Aaron Conley, colors by Jean-François Beaulieu, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. Cable travels back in time to assassinate baby Wade Wilson, to which another Cable travels back in time to stop the original Cable. From here on out an army of Cables plow into the present to muddy the timeline. The art by Conley and colors by Beaulieu were solid, weird, but massively captivating. Young’s story is funny, snappy, and wraps up well. Great story worthy of inclusion.

“Best There Is” is written by Kelly Thompson, art by Kevin Libranda and Bob Quinn, colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. Wade Wilson attempts to cause hilarious shenanigans at the local school’s prom when Wolverine crashes the festivities while fighting a group of Hydra agents. As fate would have it, Logan and Wade get cuffed together and must team up to overcome their foes. Thompson writes the hell out of Deadpool, even as a teenager. The quippy dialogue is steeped in humor and leaves you with a sense of wanting more of this plot. Libranda, Quinn, and Rosenberg combine to create some fabulous visuals. Another great story, and happy to have seen it included.

“Lo, There Shall Come A Hero! Maybe…” is written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Patch Zircher, colors by Java Tartaglia, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. During Deadpool’s mutant transformation, the merc with a mouth recovers in solitary confinement under the torturous eye of the guard Francis. My word, Nicieza’s plot with the depictions from Zircher is riddled with horrific dark humor. I was all at once horrified and smirking. This plot took me by surprise and it really helped mix things up.

“Short Story, Tall Tale” is written by Gail Simone, art by Michael Shelfer, colors by Jim Charalampidis, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. Agent X and Deadpool are tasked with taking down Stiltman, get it??? Simone and Shelfer create a story balanced with humor and action that’s bathed in ridiculousness. The dialogue is crisp, and the plot moves along nicely. Odd, but a fun story.

“No Chill Whatsoever” is written by Daniel Way, art by Paco Medina, colors by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. After kidnapping a cartel’s chemist in South America and bringing him to the shores of the U.S., Deadpool stops for cake on his birthday and hijinks follow. While this tracks for the tone of Deadpool, it doesn’t quite stack up to the previous stories. While there’s nothing particularly off with the story, it also really doesn’t land as well either.

“Party For One” is written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, art by Scott Koblish, colors by Nick Filardi, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. Deadpool is chained up, thrown in a coffin, and launched into the depths of the ocean. When you’re dealing with an intense healing factor, however, this is something you’re likely to survive, so Deadpool must survive with what little sanity he had left with. Being honest, this one feels under par, and where I felt the issue descending into mediocrity. This one felt shoe-horned into the issue and really doesn’t add much value.

“The Tao of Pool” is written by Rob Liefeld and Chad Bowers, art by Rob Liefeld, colors by Brian Valenza, Jay David Ramos, and Federico Blee, and letters by VC’s Joe Sabino. Deadpool recaps his history as the merc with a mouth. I have trouble here, because this story is massively self-congratulatory, as Liefeld used the pages to pat himself on the back. The write and artist even take the time to draw himself into the final page. Of all of the stories, this one really felt awkward.

Overall, there are some amazing stories in Deadpool Nerdy 30 #1, and ones I enjoyed from some massively talented folks. That being said, eight stories packed into an issue, with that many authors, just leaves this feeling over-saturated with the tones clashing with one another. I like Deadpool, but I’d give this one a miss personally.

Deadpool Nerdy 30 #1 is available in stores on March 10th, 2021.