The wise-cracking, regeneratin’ mercenary for hire—fondly referred to as Deadpool—can’t help being drawn to money, explosions, and rockin’ babes (at least half of which are in his head). Thanks to current Deadpool writer Daniel Way, the Merc with a Mouth now stumbles into enough yellow word balloon-adorned, thrilling adventures to keep the talkative star and his fans more than happy.
Way took us behind the pages, answering our questions about what makes Deadpool a worthy character, his thoughts on a certain not-so-hot incarnation, the other comics he’s working on, and which superhero of all comic time would make for the number one Deadpool team-up. (Let’s just say you wouldn’t hear me complaining.)
Girls Entertainment Network: How did you end up writing the comic, and how did you approach the “reboot”?
Daniel Way: Axel Alonso, who’d been wanting to restart the character for some time, asked me to pitch him some ideas. I didn’t want to do the same old thing but, at the same time, there were elements from his past that I thought were just too good to leave out. So I pitched this insane series wherein readers would see the world through Deadpool’s eyes, as well as hear his (often contradictory) thoughts, all set against a backdrop of explode. Marvel went for it.
GEN: Deadpool has outsmarted Norman Osborn quite a few times now. What is it about Deadpool that he can get himself out of all these tight jams?
Way: Norman uses logic to justify his insanity; Deadpool uses insanity to justify his logic.
GEN: What do you feel is essential to writing the character, and how do you keep the humor and comic fresh?
Way: Deadpool is a reaction; therefore, the essential element in a good Deadpool story or series is action. As far as the humor part? Beats me. I just write what I think is funny.
GEN: You’re pitted Deadpool against or teamed him up with a medley of characters so far—the Punisher, Hydra Bob, Bullseye, etc. If you could match Deadpool with anyone, who would it be and why?
Way: Batman. Why? Because it would be the greatest comic of all time.
GEN: For you, what’s the best part about writing Deadpool? You’re doing an excellent job, by the way.
Way: Thanks! Frankly, the best part is that I’m really left alone to do whatever I want. I don’t think Marvel really understands why the book works, just that it works. Historically, humor titles have the lifespan of a snowball in hell, so we’re beating the odds.
GEN: What did you think of Deadpool in the recent Wolverine movie?
Way: I thought there was a brief flicker of the character in Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal, but once his mouth was sewn shut, only the name remained.
GEN: What else are you working on or have coming up that you could tell us about?
Way: I’m really enjoying working with Marjorie Liu on Dark Wolverine, featuring Wolverine’s son, Daken. I’m also really excited about a MAX book I have coming out soon called Starr the Slayer, with art by the legendary Richard Corben. It’s funny, it’s violent … Well, let’s just say if you like what I’m doing with Deadpool, you should check it out. Plus, it’s Richard Corben!
GEN: Who’s your favorite character to write, and who would you love the chance to take a stab at?
Way: Right now, my favorite character to write is Deadpool—and with him, I can take a stab at anyone. Big fan of Spider-Man, though …
The most recent issue of Deadpool came out Wednesday of this week.
August 28th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Great interview!! Deadpool is currently well into my top five comics, and it was nice to hear from one of the great people behind it.