Review by Frank Plowright

Cullen Bunn and Dalibor Talajić’s first bout of having Deadpool kill the Marvel universe was a great success, but seemingly a story that stood well enough alone. It turns out the creators felt more or less the same way. This isn’t a sequel to Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, but a variation on a theme.

It’s a new alternate Earth with a new alternate Deadpool, this time one who hangs around as part of an X-Men team actually investigating who’s responsible for murdering an increasing number of superheroes. As seen by Talajić’s sample art, there’s a different look to this outing as well. He’s become a better artist, more creative in laying out the pages, and working in greater detail, and the story switches between the world as it is, and the world as it’s seen by Deadpool. Both the switches in style and the assorted places visited require a versatility, and Talajić supplies exactly what’s needed, whether it’s cartoon exaggeration or gritty realism. It’s a bravura performance.

While largely using heroes not seen during the previous outing, Bunn hasn’t run out of creative ways to kill supherheroes, as before, that including ones who it might be thought were beyond killing. He various the storytelling as well. The interludes into Wade’s world are funny, the pie eating contest standing out, and there’s also a greater concentration on the group of heroes hunting Deadpool down. Eventually these include someone who wasn’t around when the first volume appeared, and who’s well used.

The first volume was a lot of fun, but because he’s chosen not to just offer a re-run Bunn ups the creativity, and this is even better, more inventive, more thoughtful, and a giant leap taken with the art.

This was only issued as a paperback in the UK. US readers had to wait until both rampages through the Marvel universe were combined as Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Omnibus, while these five chapters are also found in the 22nd Deadpool Classic.