Deadpool: Beginnings Omnibus

Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1-4

by Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza, Jeph Loeb

The Merc with a Mouth meets the Marvel Universe in this hardcover collecting every one of his appearances before his industry-changing ongoing series -and then some! Deadpool debuts as a thorn in Cable's side, but soon starts rubbing shoulders with heroes everywhere - from Wolverine to Nomad! Hanging with the Heroes for Hire, secreting himself in the Defenders for and battling the Avengers' Black Knight, he's a social animal! But there's still time for solo shenanigans in Deadpool's first two classic miniseries! COLLECTING: NEW MUTANTS 98; X-FORCE 2, 11, 15, 47, 56; NOMAD 4; DEADPOOL: THE CIRCLE CHASE 1-4; SECRET DEFENDERS 15-17; DEADPOOL 1-4; WOLVERINE 88, 154-155; HEROES FOR HIRE 10-11; DEADPOOL TEAMUP 1; MATERIAL FROM AVENGERS 366; SILVER SABLE & THE WILD PACK 23; WOLVERINE ANNUAL '95, '99; DEADPOOL CAMEO PAGES

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

768 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2017

About the author

Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium.

In the early 1990s, self-taught artist Liefeld became prominent due to his work on Marvel Comics' The New Mutants and later X-Force. In 1992, he and several other popular Marvel illustrators left the company to found Image Comics, which rode the wave of comic books owned by their creators rather than by publishers. The first book published by Image Comics was Rob Liefeld's Youngblood #1.

He is married to actress Joy Creel.

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title pretty much says it all. This is a huge omnibus full of Deadpool's earliest appearances in various Marvel titles. Some comics are represented only by a page or two if his appearance was brief, but everything seems to be here. It's nice to see the character evolving over time.

I do like how there are text bits summarizing relevant storylines, so even if Deadpool wasn't in the next issue of a particular title, you'll get a summary of how the story ended so you aren't left hanging.

This book also reminded me of how little I'm impressed by Rob Liefeld's artwork. He does have his strengths, but none of them have anything to do with comics storytelling. I know it's somewhat fashionable to bash him, and I think "hate" is overstating what I feel for it, but his work does seem to encapsulate most of the worst excesses of comic book art in the 90's.

I think this is a book one reads only if one is heavily into Deadpool. It's nice to see the character's origins, and how he evolved over time. But if you know nothing about him, you're probably better off checking out something with more of a coherent storyline.

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology for Deadpool completists only. He often appears in single volumes of story arcs that can span dozens. Title cards have to brief us on how the narrative evolves, but cannot alleviate the Swiss cheese sensation. Deadpool's characterisation is still as tasty as low-fat cardboard in his early, scattered appearances. Like a '40s Batman, his look is a far cry from the artwork that graced Dead Presidents, spawned Kid Deadpool and ran Dracula's Gauntlet...

His first stand-alone series, however, allows the Merc with the Mouth to share his Weapon X/Vanessa-related traumas with the reader, paving the way for the violent yet virtuous incarnation that's never more than one panel away from breaking the fourth wall.

[Hamza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only bought and read this book because it was cheap and introduced a character who would have much better material later on. It's not a bad compilation despite some pages of prose that just offer recaps because Deadpool didn't feature in the actual issues, and I'm glad Marvel at least didn't leave us completely clueless about what had transpired. Still, these are '90s comics, so many of them aren't exactly winners in terms of writing. That said, I found the majority of this omnibus very readable. I floated between three and four stars, but ultimately it doesn't matter that much. This collection is flawed and definitely not essential, but if you can get it for cheap, it's worth a read.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction into the world of Marvel as Deadpool slowly appears.

[Blythe Penland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this omnibus kind of strung me along for a ride of semi-dark Marvel in the 90s with little to no context. To be clear, I've never read any Deadpool before. I wanted to start with some foreknowledge before I picked up on a more 21st century run. There was a lot I did not understand because I am unfamiliar with the X-Force, Cable, Mr. Rollover, Black Tom and Juggernaut, etc. It was still good to get an all-around feel for what Deadpool has done, and what he is like. All in all, a merc with a mouth and a soft spot buried deep down. I appreciate that he has history with Vanessa and even saved her, but that they have also both moved on. Not sure how she got together with Kane, though. I enjoyed the Deadpool limited series and watching feelings between Theresa and Wade brew. I think that the redhead makes him a better man and I love that Deadpool balances being a killing machine, but also a halfway decent guy with some not altogether terrible jokes. I would recommend this volume to those also seeking more information on Deadpool's origins.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zbiór jest bardzo zróżnicowany i wolo poznajemy Deadpoola jako, że patrząc na całokształt jest tu więcej jego gościnnych występów niżeli jego własnych komiksów. Niemniej jednak poznajemy wielu ciekawych bohaterów a przeróżne interakcje Deadpoola z nimi wahają się od komicznych poprzez smutne czy agresywe. Na pewno nie można sie przy tym nudzić jako że nawet gdy Deadpool spotyka daną postać ponownie nigdy nie wiadomo jak na siebie zareagują i co sie wydarzy. Niesamowicie podoba mi się też już od poczatku w sumie istniejąca walka Deadpoola z byciem bohaterem lub najemnikiem, być dobrym czy złym, zabijać lub nie. Wszelkie trudne decyzje okraszone humorem i to w podejściu do samego siebie? Świetne! Nie wierzę, że tak zwlekałam z komiksami Deadpoola skoro film tak przypadł mi do gustu.

[Vittorio Rainone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Come il primo volume su Deadpool: scialbo. Disegni: mostrano la loro età, con ambientazioni ridotte al minimo indispensabile, corporature deformed, vestiti (quando c'è qualcuno che non indossa costumi) ridicoli e colori troppo accesi. All'epoca non me ne accorgevo, ormai è difficile non notarlo. D'altronde che aspettarsi da Liefeld?? Magari Waid potrebbe, adesso, fare qualcosa di più.

[Savi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of stories from Deadpool's early days appearing as a featured character in an ongoing issue and then in a couple of his own limited series runs. The character is not as fleshed out as the one we know today for sure but it's fun to see where it all started! Some of the art is godawful though.