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Deadpool Epic Collection
Deadpool Epic Collection, Vol. 3: Drowning Man
Joe Kelly's riotous, character-defining run continues! Deadpool battles the revamped Great Lakes Avengers - but can he and Blind Al escape the past when they're hurled into the pages of a Silver Age Spider-Man story?! Then, as T-Ray and Typhoid Mary continue to torment Deadpool, will X-Force's Siryn help save him from his own self-destructive tendencies? As Wade inches closer to the edge, the man called Ajax is cleaning house, and he wants Deadpool's stain scrubbed from the planet. But what is his connection to Wade Wilson's untold origin? And will Wade feel Death's embrace? As cosmic oblivion looms, Deadpool hits the casinos and battles Batroc, and the Merc with a Mouth meets the Heroes for Hire! Collecting DEADPOOL (1997) #10-20, DEADPOOL/DEATH ANNUAL '98, HEROES FOR HIRE (1997) #10-11, BABY'S FIRST DEADPOOL BOOK and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #47.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2024
2 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Joe Kelly
1,004 books205 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 11, 2024
- I had a great time with volume two, so I went pretty confident into this one. It was a bigger mixed bag than I thought.
- I really miss Ed McGuinnes, although Pete Woods does a pretty good job. The other artists... not so much.
- There are some really dull issues mostly filled with silly jokes and bad 80's and 90's pop culture references mixed with some really great stories. Almost no middle ground.
- It's pretty noticeable that Jim Carrey was at the top of his career at this time, it really reads as any of his movies.
- This makes it feel a lot more dated than the previous volume. It's difficult to follow at times with the nonsensical dialogue and the increase in pop culture references.
- There are also weird tonal shifts. Suddenly it gets super dark with Wade losing it and having a torture chamber?
- The whole plot with the L.L.L. agency still doesn't make any sense. It's foreshadowing after foreshadowing and I don't even remember what happened 20 issues ago. I guess they are trying to be mysterious, but it turned out boring and confusing.
- But there are some really great issues, like issue 11 when they travel back in time to Spider-man #40 or the Annual with Death. I find the inconsistency really weird.
- The cool thing is that you can tell Kelly and the team are having fun doing this and they try some crazy stuff, like the "Baby's First Deadpool Book". Not worth a read, but it's fun to skim.
- Fave issue: #11, going back in time to a classic Spider-man issue, inserting Deadpool into the original art, is just an awesome idea. Deadpool and Death Annual is also great, so it's a tie.
- Least Fave Issue: Issue #10. Bad art, a boring story, it works as a setup for issue 11 but could have been two pages.
- 3/5: A mixed bag, starts off bad with some highlights and gets better towards the end.
- I really miss Ed McGuinnes, although Pete Woods does a pretty good job. The other artists... not so much.
- There are some really dull issues mostly filled with silly jokes and bad 80's and 90's pop culture references mixed with some really great stories. Almost no middle ground.
- It's pretty noticeable that Jim Carrey was at the top of his career at this time, it really reads as any of his movies.
- This makes it feel a lot more dated than the previous volume. It's difficult to follow at times with the nonsensical dialogue and the increase in pop culture references.
- There are also weird tonal shifts. Suddenly it gets super dark with Wade losing it and having a torture chamber?
- The whole plot with the L.L.L. agency still doesn't make any sense. It's foreshadowing after foreshadowing and I don't even remember what happened 20 issues ago. I guess they are trying to be mysterious, but it turned out boring and confusing.
- But there are some really great issues, like issue 11 when they travel back in time to Spider-man #40 or the Annual with Death. I find the inconsistency really weird.
- The cool thing is that you can tell Kelly and the team are having fun doing this and they try some crazy stuff, like the "Baby's First Deadpool Book". Not worth a read, but it's fun to skim.
- Fave issue: #11, going back in time to a classic Spider-man issue, inserting Deadpool into the original art, is just an awesome idea. Deadpool and Death Annual is also great, so it's a tie.
- Least Fave Issue: Issue #10. Bad art, a boring story, it works as a setup for issue 11 but could have been two pages.
- 3/5: A mixed bag, starts off bad with some highlights and gets better towards the end.
May 21, 2024
I've recently read the first four Deadpool Epic Collections and I would say that this one is the best. There's some hilarious comedic moments and some great character development, but it's also very tragic. Deadpool's goes through a lot in this volume.
The first few issues aren't too heavy. It involves Deadpool inviting/forcing Blind Al to take a trip with him to the aquarium, where some hijinks involving the Great Lakes Avengers result in him and Blind Al being sent to the past. For Deadpool's adventure into the past (#11), Joe Kelly actually used the pages from Amazing Spider-Man #47 and had Deadpool, Blind Al and Weasel all inserted into the panels. It was really well done and the story was really fun.
When Deadpool arrives back in the present, things begin to go downhill. Deadpool can tell that he's losing it and goes to visit Siryn to get help. I won't spoil anything, but I'll just say that this results in a series of horrible events that completely breaks Deadpool. After this he lashes out at those closest to him and makes a lot of bad decisions that ultimately leads him to rock bottom.
There's some light hearted issues that break down some of the heavy ones. The Heroes for Hire issues weren't as good as the Deadpool ones, but they were a welcome break. Likewise, there's a hilarious issue with Deadpool helping Bullseye on one of his missions. The two mercenaries have great chemistry and it was interesting to see Deadpool's relationship with another famous mercenary, even if he's a psychotic killer.
Deadpool gets more involved in Landau, Luckman and Lake, as they seem like the only real hope he has of doing something worthwhile and good with his life. A villain named Ajax is also introduced in this volume who has ties to Deadpool's past. He becomes the main focus for the second half of this volume. There is also a really good Deadpool/Death Annual which was one of the best issues in this book. It goes through Deadpools past, showing him learning about his cancer and joining the Weapon X program in order to try and get it cured. It shows how he was tortured and experimented on, but also that he had started a relationship with the personification of Death. Death had appeared to Deadpool while he was being tortured and helped him through it. It's a really messed up love story.
The volume ends with Baby's First Deadpool Book which is an insane and dark "childrens" book. Lastly there is also a reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #47 so you can compare it Deadpool #11 and see how the panels were changed.
Overall, this volume added a lot of depth to Deadpool and helped make him the character he is today. It's a very good read and I would highly recommend it.
The first few issues aren't too heavy. It involves Deadpool inviting/forcing Blind Al to take a trip with him to the aquarium, where some hijinks involving the Great Lakes Avengers result in him and Blind Al being sent to the past. For Deadpool's adventure into the past (#11), Joe Kelly actually used the pages from Amazing Spider-Man #47 and had Deadpool, Blind Al and Weasel all inserted into the panels. It was really well done and the story was really fun.
When Deadpool arrives back in the present, things begin to go downhill. Deadpool can tell that he's losing it and goes to visit Siryn to get help. I won't spoil anything, but I'll just say that this results in a series of horrible events that completely breaks Deadpool. After this he lashes out at those closest to him and makes a lot of bad decisions that ultimately leads him to rock bottom.
There's some light hearted issues that break down some of the heavy ones. The Heroes for Hire issues weren't as good as the Deadpool ones, but they were a welcome break. Likewise, there's a hilarious issue with Deadpool helping Bullseye on one of his missions. The two mercenaries have great chemistry and it was interesting to see Deadpool's relationship with another famous mercenary, even if he's a psychotic killer.
Deadpool gets more involved in Landau, Luckman and Lake, as they seem like the only real hope he has of doing something worthwhile and good with his life. A villain named Ajax is also introduced in this volume who has ties to Deadpool's past. He becomes the main focus for the second half of this volume. There is also a really good Deadpool/Death Annual which was one of the best issues in this book. It goes through Deadpools past, showing him learning about his cancer and joining the Weapon X program in order to try and get it cured. It shows how he was tortured and experimented on, but also that he had started a relationship with the personification of Death. Death had appeared to Deadpool while he was being tortured and helped him through it. It's a really messed up love story.
The volume ends with Baby's First Deadpool Book which is an insane and dark "childrens" book. Lastly there is also a reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #47 so you can compare it Deadpool #11 and see how the panels were changed.
Overall, this volume added a lot of depth to Deadpool and helped make him the character he is today. It's a very good read and I would highly recommend it.
June 6, 2025
3.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews