Crypt Of Shadows #1 [2023] [Part One] - Marvel Comics

CRYPT OF SHADOWS No. 1, December 2023

Apparently returning “with more chilling tales starring your favourite Marvel Heroes”, Steve Orlando’s “Brick By Brick” certainly seems to get this anthology comic off to a somewhat “Creepshow” flavoured start, courtesy of the Scarlet Witch encountering “a terrifying new villain called the Bricklayer!” Admittedly, a man-shaped monster created by having a possessed brick inadvertently lodged in his chest probably isn’t the most convincing of origin stories for a central antagonist. But the American author still manages to imbue the figure with a surprisingly palpable evilness which may well make readers want to see more of the Elderspawn in future adventures.

Furthermore, the sheer ickiness of this six-page shocker is also down to Paul Azaceta’s deeply disturbing layouts, which impressively capture all the terror a living building might cause when it decides to impale its occupants with numerous nails and the odd flying piece of masonry. Indeed, the facial injuries suffered by the students inside the Hudsonview Hostel is only bettered by the artist’s disturbing drawings of the Bricklayer himself – complete with mutilated torso and fast-balding bonce; “I can’t be cleansed, girl. Can’t be killed. I’m in the walls…”

Much more tongue-in-cheek, as an audience would probably expect from a yarn featuring the ‘Merc with a Mouth’, is “The Living And The Dead” by Cavan Scott. Initially appearing to be a titanic tussle between N'Kantu and an overzealous Egyptian magic-user, this battle inside the Buckler Museum of Human History becomes a thoroughly bemusing melee once Deadpool literally crashes the party, and inadvertently prevents the Living Mummy from defeating his foe before she can raise some of the building's other heavily-bandaged relics back to life.

Well sketched by Devmalya Pramanik, there's a genuine pulse-pounding pace to this tale as the Indian illustrator provides all the ancient wrappings with a swirling animation that bewitches the eye and only occasionally provides a glimpse of the rotting flesh beneath them. In fact, many a bibliophile will doubtless be disappointed that this ‘devilish delight’ isn’t any longer in length than half a dozen pages, due to the unlikely anti-heroic duo looking pretty good together, fending off the three-thousand-year-old cadavers of Zeeta with a mixture of wit, sorcery, throwing knives and bullets.

Writers: Steve Orlando & Cavan Scott, and Artists: Paul Azaceta & Devmalya Pramanik

Deadpool #3 - Marvel Comics

DEADPOOL No. 3. February 2013

Now I always thought that cover art was primarily designed to attract new readers. It doesn’t have to be anything particularly flashy like the 3-D motion ones “DC Comics” have used to promote their ‘New 52 Futures End’ event. But purely on a basic commercial footing it makes sense to publish something with a half decent illustration so that people will buy the comic book.

 

Why therefore “Marvel Worldwide” agreed to publish the third issue of “Deadpool” sporting such an appalling zombie-fest cover by Geof Darrow and Peter Doherty is beyond me. It genuinely looks like something a school boy would quickly sketch out for his playground friends during break-time, with poorly drawn misshapen figures hampered by large bold text and giant arrows. Admittedly the majority of the characters on the cover are the Living Dead, and therefore by definition will lack proper articulation, but I’m convinced that is not the reason why their distorted features and poses are so poorly drawn.

 

Now it could be that this was possibly an attempt by the cover artists to try and tie into the tongue-in-cheek antics of the ‘Merc with the Mouth’ found within the excellent storyline by Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan. But if it was then it failed quite miserably.

 

Fortunately things do get better and better as “Dr. Strange Lives or How I learned Deadpool was da Bomb” progresses. I’m not convinced the writers really have got to grips with Doctor Stephen Strange, portraying the Sorcerer Supreme in a rather aloof, almost aristocratic manner.

 

But once matters move beyond the Sanctum Sanctorum the action picks up quite dramatically and the Earth’s primary protector against magical threats becomes just that; whisking foes off to the Astral Plane and exclaiming “By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!” whenever he can.

 

Indeed this comic book has some great ‘laugh out loud’ moments within it, all very well written and delivered by Posehn and Duggan. Strange’s chiding of Ben Franklin’s ghost for sleeping with the sorcerer’s girlfriend back in the Seventies, and Deadpool’s quip at Abraham Lincoln for being assassinated by an actor, being particular highlights.

 

All these zany antics are superbly illustrated by artist Tony Moore and his depictions of all the former American presidents, albeit it they’re dead and rotting, are very recognisable, even those like Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon who are less easy to caricature like Lincoln or George Washington.

Deadpool #2 - Marvel Comics

DEADPOOL No. 2, January 2013

Tucked away in a corner of this comic’s competent though rather unexceptional cover by Geof Darrow and Peter Doherty are two printed words that rather nicely sum up the utterly insane gore fest which awaits the reader inside this book. These simple words are parental advisory, and this offering from the writing partnership of Brian Poshn and Gerry Duggan will undoubtedly have the ghosts of the 1954 Comics Magazine Association of America turning in their graves. Certainly it’s the first comic book in a long time which has caused me to cry ‘Urgh’ out loud in disgust at the horrific fate which has befallen the title's hero. Not that it actually seems to phase Deadpool, who simply continues to throw punches and kicks as his intestines flail and flop about from out of his perforated belly.

 

Gruesomeness aside however, this edition of “Deadpool” is extremely well written, as the “Merc with a Mouth” continues to throw about some terribly funny one-liners whilst battling the undead corpse of President Theodore Roosevelt in a zoo. References to George Lucas and his science fiction movie series “Star Wars” seem to be particularly popular this time around, although the elephant jokes towards the end of the comic are cringingly well-delivered too.

 

Needless to say all of this action and banter is superbly visualised by Tony Moore and colorist Val Staples. The fisticuffs between Wade Wilson and Roosevelt are captivating, and full of energy, and the pencil work on the menagerie of zoo animals gives the creatures a cartoony feel that seems highly appropriate for the tongue-in-cheek storyline. The zombie President duking it out with an enormous grizzly bear being the highlight in my mind.

 

Unfortunately Moore does not appear quite so good when pencilling a full-page panel. This slight weakness in his artistic skill can be seen both within the single page devoted to depicting an angry elephant skewering the anti-hero on one of its tusks, as well as the final panel of the issue when SHIELD calls upon Doctor Strange for help.

 

This edition also features one of the more bizarre recaps at the start of a comic book that I’ve ever seen, with a cute chibi Deadpool breaking the ‘fourth wall’ and speaking directly to the reader in order to provide an explanation as to what has happened in the story so far. How weird is that?

Deadpool #1 - Marvel Comics

DEADPOOL No. 1, January 2013

For some reason I have never taken to Wade Winston Wilson, despite being there right at the very start with Deadpool’s first appearance in “New Mutants” issue 98, way back in February 1991. I guess I am simply not a big fan of his seemingly senseless gratuitous violence, insane banter (which frankly puts the spectacular Spider-Man to shame) and supposedly humorous breaking of the ‘fourth wall’. But this didn’t stop me buying this particular comic book after I had glanced past the rather lack-lustre cover by Geof Darrow and Peter Doherty and saw the wonderful artwork by Tony Moore inside.

Fortunately being a good twenty years behind the various ‘goings-on’ with the anti-hero is not much of an issue as writers, Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, quickly get any such reader up to speed by having the 'Merc with a Mouth' explain all about his super-powered origin to an astonished fireman within the comic's first few pages. Indeed the pace of “In Wade We Trust” is frantic as the non-stop action effectively starts in Manhattan as Deadpool (not teaming up with Thor) eviscerates a walking dinosaur, spilling prehistoric intestines all over the street and doesn't then finish until the zombie of Abraham Lincoln ‘pops’ the disfigured mercenary in the back of the head with a revolver in Liberty Hall. In between which we have more “Bam”, “Brakka Brakka” and “Rattatat Brattatatt” sound effect filled scenes to sate even the most committed of adrenalin junkies.

All of this is sumptuously illustrated by Tony Moore and wonderfully coloured by Val Staples. The creative team have captured Deadpool’s zany antics absolutely perfectly, with some splendidly animated panels showing the mentally unstable human mutate battling the Undead Presidents of the United States using his signature firearms and katana swords. A particular highlight has to be the sense of terrific speed the pencil work conveys upon the wheelchair of (zombie) Franklin D. Roosevelt, as its velocity would clearly hard push super-speedster The Flash from rival publishers "DC Comics".

There are also some very nice and thoroughly entertaining moments to be found throughout this book when the action does momentarily recede, such as the humorous cameos of The Avengers Captain America and Thor, or SHIELD Agent Preston trying to help Deadpool stand up only to pull the mercenary’s half-torn hand off.

The variant cover art of "DEADPOOL" No. 1 by Skottie Young