Review by Frank Plowright

Much of Cullen Bunn’s Deadpool writing has involved alternate Deadpools, alternate worlds and comedy continuity implants. Back in Black falls into the latter category, occurring after Spider-Man has rid himself of a new costume that he’s discovered is actually an alien lifeform that bonds with its host. We all know it as Venom now, but didn’t in the 1980s.

Bunn here fully embraces the 1980s when Spider-Man’s trauma occurred. Well, when that particular trauma occurred. The pages are structured to mimic those of 1980s Marvel comics complete with editorial explanatory footnotes, references to non-existent comics, and frequent notifications that the story continues after the next page. Readers of the 1980s weren’t sophisticated enough to figure out the ads separating pages 12 and 13 and looking entirely different weren’t actually part of the story.

As seen on other Deadpool material, artist Salva Espin’s exceptionally good at not overselling the jokes, so ensuring they’re funnier for being played straight. You could look at his pages and figure they’re just a standard superhero story for the most part, with dynamic layouts and cinematic cuts. Visually the joke nature becomes more apparent because there’s not much that Espin can do to disguise Obnoxio the Clown. Now, there’s a character you never thought you’d see again!

If the art makes the story look ‘real’, Bunn’s captions ensure that it isn’t. With the Venom suit on, Deadpool becomes an alternative version of Spider-Man, and is compelled to act as a hero, although some things can’t be completely suppressed. Along the way Bunn throws in other characters more prominent in the 1980s than now, exaggerating their personalities. Power Pack are more innocent, the Black Cat has a greater libido, and Kraven the Hunter is even more introspective than he was in Kraven’s Last Hunt. Meanwhile alien bounty hunters are after the Venom symbiote, and Bunn again manages to dredge up some of Marvel’s lamest villains for comedy repurposing.

It’s all very funny, and if you choose to look at that way, Bunn even includes his own addition to ‘proper’ continuity right at the end. This can also be found combined with other Bunn Deadpool stories in Deadpool Classic Vol. 23.