fabienne_hu

Marvel takes some of its most beloved characters and transplants them to the early 20th century in this series of books, Noir. Deadpool gets the same treatment in "Pulp" placed as he is between WW2 and Vietnam. The plot is that America and Russia are deep in the Cold War and Outlaw is stealing a briefcase of nuclear secrets from the Americans for her Communist masters - what she didn't count on was her former lover, Deadpool, out to stop her. The story is pulpy enough for the series, lots of men in hats and trenchcoats with guns in alleys, big band night clubs and plenty of smoking, shadows in every panel. Deadpool's uniform is redone to make it look more basic and he even looks better than he normally does. There are some regular Deadpool fight scenes where the blades come out and the bizarre quips come as thick and fast as the blood, but mostly it feels more Raymond Chandler than your regular Marvel comic. The artwork is really excellent, kind of like Sean Phillips' stuff, a shade Steve Epting, and the covers are exquisite. While the writing is never bad, it's not stellar either but keeps the story ticking over nicely until the explosive end. The idea of putting Marvel heroes back in the 20th century and taking back their powers so that they're less invincible and slightly more realistic is an interesting one. Readers of the literature of the time (50s/60s novels) will recognise some of the more famous storylines' tropes present here so it captures the zeitgeist more effectively. I found it an interesting read with some great art, very enjoyable.

2023-02-26 13:27