Review by Ian Keogh
He might have spent much of the book fighting vampires, but much was resolved for Deadpool during the course of Original Sin. His previously estranged and orphaned daughter has now been adopted by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Preston and her family, and Deadpool and his recent demonic bride now live opposite them. Again, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, for starters Dracula considers he still has a debt of honour to settle with Deadpool, but he’s slightly incapacitated, so comes up with a novel way of settling scores as writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn recycle old Marvel universe junk technology to good effect.
Mike Hawthorne draws most of the book very well, having ironed out all but one of the problems from his earliest work on the series. He’s still prone to drawing New York as the private playground of Deadpool and whoever he’s with rather than as a city with millions of inhabitants. This isn’t on every occasion, but there are enough times that it registers.
The title indicates the intrusion of a yet another Marvel crossover series, but the writers make this one work for them. The result of Axis is the metal realignment that assorted super powered characters undergo, leading to heroes lacking a conscience and reformed villains. As Deadpool straddles a line of hyperactive insanity, his transformation is spiritual enlightenment. He never quite reaches non-violence, but serenity is on the agenda. This isn’t just a joke repository, however. Deadpool’s asked the X-Men to help some friends, and the X-Men have also undergone attitude adjustment. The plot is resolved in clever and sympathetic fashion.
All but the first volume of this series have featured a faked Deadpool story from the past. There’s not one here, but instead Scott Koblish illustrates an educational comic produced by Marvel’s all-purpose corporate villains Roxxon. It’s to promote the benefits of gracking, and is a very funny satire of industrial greed, unless you’re in favour of companies being permitted to behave as they want in pursuit of profit without oversight or restriction, in which case it’s one-sided communist propaganda.
Axis is also collected in hardcover as volume 4 of Deadpool by Posehn & Duggan along with the following All Good Things. Alternatively, if you’ve made a financial killing with your Roxxon shareholding there’s also the entire series gathered in the massive Deadpool by Posehn and Duggan Omnibus.
