Who's next on the Grim Reaper's list?

[cyberghostface]

Looks like Marvel is keeping up their promise to kill off a character every quarter. Who's next?

Deadpool.





DEADPOOL #250 (A.K.A. issue #45)

Written by GERRY DUGGAN, BRIAN POSEHN, BEN ACKER, BEN BLACKER, NICK GIOVANETTI, PAUL SCHEER, JASON MANTZOUKAS, MIKE DRUCKER, & MORE

Penciled by MIKE HAWTHORNE, SCOTT KOBLISH, & MORE

Cover by SCOTT KOBLISH

FINAL ISSUE!

That’s right—if you add together all the Deadpool series (creatively) issue 45 is the big 250th issue of Deadpool! What better way to celebrate than to end the series? In our over-sized main story, ULTIMATUM comes at Deadpool for revenge, so he has no choice but to take them on—ALL OF THEM. Then, in an Infinity Gauntlet crossover, what would Deadpool do if he got the six gems from Thanos? Plus: a slew of stories showcasing Deadpool’s closest friends and allies by special guest writers! Also, SPOILER: Deadpool dies at the end of the issue.

More info here.

Comments

[akodo_rokku]

Have we already forgotten Funeral for a Freak?

[lonewolf23k]

...Yes, because THAT's gonna stick.

[drtechnobabel]

Honestly, I'm not sure why comic book writers even bother with this kind of story anymore. Pretty much everyone, even people otherwise unfamiliar with comics, knows by now that any character that's above the popularity of a C-lister will come back eventually, which sucks a great deal of the gravitas out of the event.

Then again, Deadpool was never much for gravitas anyway, so the writers might end up playing it for laughs.

[sholio]

Deadpool was never much for gravitas anyway, so the writers might end up playing it for laughs.

Yeah, that's 100% what I'm expecting this to be. Even if they actually leave him dead at the end, it's almost certainly to set up some kind of satirical comeback shortly.

[grumman]

Honestly, I'm not sure why comic book writers even bother with this kind of story anymore. Pretty much everyone, even people otherwise unfamiliar with comics, knows by now that any character that's above the popularity of a C-lister will come back eventually, which sucks a great deal of the gravitas out of the event.

I agree. I'm sure the payoff is worse every time they do it, and doing it means they can't even do it honestly any more.

[cainofdreaming]

Eh. Shiklah will have him out of that coffin and waltzing again in three seconds flat.

[drtechnobabel]

Looks like Marvel is keeping up their promise to kill off a character every quarter.

Is that seriously a thing? Because honestly, I'd believe it if it was.

So Deadpool's next on the chopping block, huh? I'm sure this has nothing to do with the planned Deadpool movie that's releasing next year.

[cyberghostface]

Yep.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/02/11/marvel-were-going-to-kill-a-character-every-quarter/

On one hand, I wouldn't put it past Marvel to try and 'disrupt' Fox and co. by killing off characters/canceling titles. On the other, they would *have* to know that their comics have zero impact as to whether or not Joe Q. Public goes to see their films at this point. Conversely, the movies will likely bring in a small amount of curious viewers checking out the comics. So doing this type of stuff only puts Marvel at a disadvantage.

[drtechnobabel]

Wow, that's... kind of depressing, actually. Even if it does result in more sales, it still comes off as them exploiting a gimmick to death. And while you're right in that it probably won't affect viewership either way, it's possible that Marvel's doing it more out of spite than for any tangible benefit. I mean seriously, the whole 'we're replacing mutants with Inhumans' mindset they seem to have now is becoming more and more blatant by the moment, so it wouldn't be that surprising.

[bizarrohulk]

So ... Wolverine and now Deadpool? Two highly popular characters whose gimmicks are largely based around the fact that they can't die. I wonder how *that's* going to pan out ...

[violetclm.livejournal.com]

Next up: Mr. Immortal!

[cainofdreaming]

Followed by Adam Destine, Night Raven and a baker's dozen of Eternals.

[grumman]

Spring 2015: Mister Immortal will die!
Summer 2015: Mister Immortal will die!
Autumn 2015: Mister Immortal will die!
Winter 2015: Mister Immortal will die!
And so on.

[dustbunny105]

SPOILER: Deadpool dies

What, again? I imagine Thanos will have something to say about that.

[chrisdv]

Meh.

His last series ended with him dying, this one launched shortly afterwards.

Look for All New Deadpool to start in May.

[siliconshaman]

So.. Marvel's committing corporate suicide?

[cainofdreaming]

In hindsight splicing lemming genes into their execs was something of a bad move.

[junipepper]

Turns out that basing their business practices on shit they read in their own comics may not have been the best idea... ;-)

[siliconshaman]

"No, no.. I said to make Explosive Lemons not executive lemmings!"

[silverhammerman]

Marvel's current open policy of a death every quarter is one of those things that just makes me feel embarrassed for superhero comics as a whole every time I'm reminded of it. It's a publicity stunt that's beyond meaningless at this point.

I mean, won't this be like the fourth time that Deadpool has "died"? There was the end of the last series, there was the Agent X stuff, and I think there was a Death of Superman riff at some point. Maybe they'll leave him dead for a while this time, but I without the kind of supporting characters who can be spun off, I doubt that Marvel will want to miss out sales for longer than they absolutely have to.

At this point I wouldn't put it past Marvel to be doing this as some kind of petty sabotage against Fox, but I'm not sure I want to attribute that clarity of purpose to such a dumb stunt.