The Mane Event - Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe

Every so often Marvel decides to have a little fun and shakes things up by having a prominent character in their roster strike out and do something wild, albeit in a short set of enclosed comics. This time it's the turn of the Merc with a Mouth – Deadpool – as brought to you by Cullen Bunn.

The first thing to point out is that this is not designed to be a kids comic. Yes, Deadpool is wise-cracking, joking and schizophrenic throughout, but Marvel have gone to the effort of trying to make this quite graphic. Therefore also attached a large parental advisory notice to the front of each of the four issues.

The story opens in the first issue with a Watcher, and a slightly unfamiliar one too meaning that this may not be the version of the Marvel Universe we know, who is stood at the precipice moment in this reality. Narrating the carnage and devastation we see the downfall of the Fantastic Four played out for us.

Winding back, we see Deadpool taken to a mental institute and it's here that the deadly mercenary tips over the edge as an almost naive plan formulated by Psycho Man backfires spectacularly. Instead of brainwashing Deadpool, he unwittingly unleashes one of his suppressed personas upon everyone, or at least opened the door wide enough for that part of Deadpool's fractured psyche to step out of the shadows and influence Wade into his crusade to assassinate the supers of the world. It’s a simple yet strangely satisfying premise and the first issue establishes it completely and succinctly.

The remaining issues are more a case of following the trail of destruction. The middle pair are very specific to individual targets and to my adoration exploits a commonly ignored aspect that all villains shy from. When you have a gun at point blank range, a monologue after pulling the trigger is far more effective than after. After this you are led to wonder at Deadpool’s methods and tactics. Some of his approaches border on both, for example how would you try to kill a god like Thor? Is he strategically gifted? Or insanely creative in achieving his goals? I would suggest to read and decide yourself on that one.

My criticism of the story though would definitely have to be the length. At only four issues I can understand that stretching it out any more would make for a dull and repetitive tale that is meant to be very tongue in cheek, however, as it is also so short it means that towards the final issues things start to feel rushed without actually hitting a deep story. All you have is Deadpool and a voice in his head. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that this was not meant to have some hidden meaning and will not set off some sort of new regime, but on occasion it did feel a little thin. Even the ending was humorous but no real surprise - a canny reader can make an educated guess by the end of issue #1.

Throughout the mini-series Dalibor Talajic provides the artwork. It’s not my favourite style but it is fitting in the way that it’s not crisp and clean, it doesn’t have smooth edges and the depth of detail that reflects the story in some ways as well as augmenting it.

I think that Deadpool fans will like this as you get to see him doing something he’s joked about for years. For a new reader it would come across as confusing but still entertaining. One for the collectors shelves too as a pack.

Matt Puddy is wondering what comes next and above all eager for his next comic fix!

Big Game Hunting - Game versus Comic: Uncharted

There are a handful of comics that only exist thanks to the great success of the games that inspired them. But just how good are these comics when compared to their digital counterparts? This week we look at the Naughty Dog-inspired comic, Uncharted, written by Joshua Williamson.

What's the comic about?

Treasure hunters Nathan Drake and Victor "Sully" Sullivan are seeking the legendary Amber Room by following clues left behind by great explorer Sir Francis Byrd. But they are not alone in the search, and enemies of Drake's ancestor will stop at nothing to beat him to it - and get revenge for past wrongs.

When does the comic take place in relation to game events?

This is a bit of a tricky one to answer. Even the author himself has admitted the time frame isn't pinpointed absolutely. Elena, a primary character in the first game, is never mentioned, so we must assume it takes place before meeting her, or after the end of their relationship between the first and second games.The only certainty we have is that this story takes place sometime before Uncharted II, when Drake and Chloe Frazier (a treasure seeker from Drake's past) meet again.

How true are the characters?

The main characters feel, for the most part, spot on. There is the occasional line that feels like it's coming from the wrong character. I often found myself laughing at Sully's lines more than Drake's, making it feel as if Drake's wit was on the slow side for this story. Chloe is just as snappy with her own one-liners as ever, and felt like the truest character of the bunch. The brief appearance of Flynn (also from Uncharted II) - while accurate enough with his portrayal - felt forced and pointless, as if the author was simply searching for someone other Sully to fill the pages with a bit of variety.

What about continuity?

For me personally, I feel the continuity is intact between the comics and the games. However, this is largely because I think a lack of information does not create a fault. Without giving too much away, the circumstances of how Drake and Chloe part ways prior to Uncharted II is in question by some readers. The explanation of these circumstances differs between the game and the comic. However, with the exception of one specific point, the game is conveniently vague on explaining exactly what happened.

My opinion is simply that we are never told how many times Chloe and Drake have crossed paths over their lifetimes. Considering the line of work they are both in, there is every likelihood they've met more than once before the events of Uncharted II. Sully even says, "I doubt we've seen the last of her," effectively hitting the nail on the head.

What does the comic do that the game doesn't, or can't?

One thing that can get tedious in the games are the action sequences. While the developers clearly did what they could to relieve that, there is no denying that occasionally you will reach the point where a fight scene is reduced to button mashing. The comic is able to swiftly plow through these sequences, showing the best moments of the fight before moving right into the next part of the scene. You're able to enjoy both fights and narrative, without every panel of every page being filled with "WHAM", "BANG", and "BOOM".

Can I read this without playing the game?

Absolutely. The comic is the perfect way to get a good taste of the game series if you haven't played it before. The characters are explained just enough to carry the story, the plot isn't directly linked to the game events, and the format feels at times like you're watching the game being played out on paper (only more exciting, because watching someone play a game can be quite boring sometimes).

You may get more enjoyment out of it if you've already played at least through Uncharted II, though. Chloe's appearance in itself is enough to make an impact on Uncharted players. Knowing at least some of Drake's history, particularly his claim to being the descendent of Sir Francis Drake, also gives the comic more depth and provides an instant backstory to the plot.

Want to give this comic a go? Grab the graphic novel containing all six issues from Proud Lion!

Rae is a little poorly today. Sad face.

The Mane Event - Amazing Spider-Man #692

Everyone loves their favourite neighbourhood wallcrawler and this month he turns 50!

Back in August 1962, Stan Lee first created ol' Web Head and with this latest comic we celebrate his half century with a bumper issue brought to us by Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, Dean Haspiel, Joshua Fialkov and Nuno Plati.

Now with such a list of writers and artists, it’s completely understandable that instead of one big story they’re separated it down into three separate tales following different aspects. The Slott/Ramos combo takes the major piece as this is the start of their latest plot, with the introduction of a new character and an old adversary too.

Each of the different stories act as small individual tributes to the Spider-Man mythology. In a series of events that mimic the creation of Spider-Man we see a completely normal and easily ignored Andy Maguire be thrust into herodom through a freak accident at Orion lab. This obviously hits close to home with Peter through his own experiences but now he has to take responsibility for his own creation. Following the infancy of Alpha and his potential (as Reed Richards puts it) begins an interesting chain of events for Spider-Man, including having to deal with his own jealousy at him having the teenage life that Peter really wanted.

It’s a nice piece of writing when you consider it could have been how Spider-Man started out if he didn’t have the strong moral guidance of Uncle Ben. While it feels familiar it also has a new angle to explore.

From an artwork point of view what can I say... it is typical Ramos work and stays strong to what he does best whether you’re a fan or not.

The second story is from Dean Haspiel and takes us back to a bygone age. Working more as a “What If” it follows a small time crook who finds Spidey’s old outfit when, in a moment of crisis, Peter casts it off. The artwork and story hark back to earlier issues of Spidey. It’s short and punchy with a moralistic ending meant to be a thank you to Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and John Romita. Although it’s not meant to be, the ineptitude of the main character who dons the mask makes it a little tongue-in-cheek to begin with, but when you read more and see why this has happened it does tug at your heartstrings. It may be a tiny bit clichéd but it does hit the emotional notes.

The third and final story is one that actually follows Peter Parker as Spider-Man. In typical Parker style his luck really isn’t in and he’s desperately trying to get to university as a guest lecturer. Backed into a corner he has to resort to pulling on the spandex to get across town but the suit also carries certain obligations that he has to uphold to the city. As the story progresses we see different incidents that are opening up, both bad and cringeworthy, which are dragging him down. It’s only the chance encounter of a young boy and his bullies that he gets to see the silver lining in it all and can raise his head again.

I have to admit that of the three stories this one grabbed me the least. It didn’t really feel like a story at all just a number of chance encounters which didn’t go in Peter’s favour. The artwork came across as a little confusing as it has a mix of very detailed images, which look very much at home with today’s CGI-based cartoons as well as having some lesser detailed comics. It’s quirky but really not to my taste.

This issue works as a nod to Spidey’s creators (mostly) but also sets off the new arc on the horizon. It’ll be interesting to see where Alpha goes and how this develops the Spider-Man storyline. Considering who the main reveal is at the end then you can also see that there is potential for a few crossovers from similar Spidey-based comics.

The issue for me was carried by Dan Slott so it’s worth getting it for that storyline alone. The other two were decorations around the cake. Worth getting for a Spidey fan and also a good little jump on point if you’re not worried about the extras.

Happy Birthday Peter Parker! From Ben, Matt and the PL team!

REVISED August Bank Holiday 2012 Opening Times

Quick revision to the previously advertised opening times for next week. The new comics will be in on Wednesday next week after all, but won't be ready until 1pm or later.

Proud Lion will be until 6:30pm that day. In fact now we'll be closed Monday and Tuesday, then it's business as usual after that,