From 'Dead Presidents' to '5 Ronins': 9 best Deadpool comics that every fan should read

Some of the silliest stories about the Merc With A Mouth (Images via Marvel Comics)
Some of the silliest stories about the Merc With A Mouth (Images via Marvel Comics)

Deadpool has been terrorizing readers with his snark since 1991, and his fanbase has only grown. His crimson and black ninja garb is recognized all over the world. He is best known for the sarcasm and humor that he spits on a minute-by-minute basis. It gets him into trouble more often than out of it.

He's an anti-hero created in response to DC's Deathstroke, whose real name is Slade Wilson. Deadpool is Wade Wilson.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Now he's devolved into a trash-talking, a fourth-wall-breaking mercenary who goes about doing the right things in all the wrong ways.

Note: The comics are in no particular order, and the article has only the author's opinions.


10 of the best Deadpool comics you shouldn't miss

1) Dead Presidents

Silliness is at an all-time high (Image via Marvel Comics)
Silliness is at an all-time high (Image via Marvel Comics)

The title of the arc is more literal than most. The Merc With A Mouth finds himself teaming up with the ghost of Benjamin Franklin to stop former Presidents of the United States who return from the dead to reshape America as they see fit. It's a story that pairs writers Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn with The Walking Dead's Tony Moore. It's pretty fitting.

This comic is a good read, but it also makes for some great laughs. Duggan and Posehn capture Wade's humor perfectly, which fans come to expect from Rob Liefeld's creation. Tony Moore's art is magnificent and fitting that it deals with zombies once again.


2) A Kiss, A Curse, A Cure

Wade's backstory is explored (Image via Marvel Comics)
Wade's backstory is explored (Image via Marvel Comics)

There are several variations of Wade's origin story. Between retcons and Wade being an unreliable narrator, there are conflicting tales. A Kiss, A Curse, A Cure is just another one, but it's entertaining and an excellent place to start to feel the character. It shows Wade volunteering for the Weapon X program to beat cancer.


3) The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

A team-up is always enjoyable (Image via Marvel Comics)
A team-up is always enjoyable (Image via Marvel Comics)

Wade Wilson's constant barrage of word diarrhea and humor is barely tolerated by the staunchest of Marvel characters. Pair him with somebody who has a short fuse or is known for their feral fits of rage, and you're going to have one funny story. Throw a boy scout into the mix, and it will be a riot.

Somebody is removing organs from the Merc With A Mouth and using them for mysterious reasons. This doesn't sit well with Wade, so he enlists the help of fellow test subjects Wolverine and Captain America to get to the bottom of the mystery. It's a story you won't regret grabbing for yourself.


4) Cable and Deadpool

They're the best of frenemies (Image via Marvel Comics)
They're the best of frenemies (Image via Marvel Comics)

Pairing Cable with Deadpool might seem random on the big screen, but there was some precedent in the comics. That precedent is an entire fifty issues of a comic line titled Cable & Deadpool. Many great stories within their comic pages see them fight and reluctantly work together. They behave like siblings, except one doesn't want the other anywhere near them.

Read this comic, and you'll get the introduction to Bob, the Hydra agent that Wade randomly befriends, and Deadpool begs to be a part of the X-Men. He'll go as far as sport his costume for the team when they go off to fight Cable, who has created his island and cult.


5) Suicide Kings

A fun and wild team-up for ages (Image via Marvel Comics)
A fun and wild team-up for ages (Image via Marvel Comics)

Wade pisses off many people, but few have decapitated him for it. Frank Castle doesn't waste any time. When Wade is being framed for murdering civilians, which everyone assumes he's guilty of, The Punisher hunts him down to stop it.

Luckily, The Merc With A Mouth survived the attack and used his mutant talking ability to plead his innocence. Frank eventually finds himself on the same side as Wade, Spider-Man, and Daredevil as they hunt for the real culprit: Tombstone.


6) Final Execution Saga

Wade joins X-Force (Image via Marvel Comics)
Wade joins X-Force (Image via Marvel Comics)

In a reminiscent story of the Deadpool 2 movie, Wade takes on the role of a savior here. When X-Force is tasked with killing a mutant child, Wade goes against orders and decides to save the child instead. Similar to his sequel movie, where he tries to save a mutant kid from Cable. He might be an anti-hero, but he has a moral compass that points North ninety percent of the time.


7) Sins of the Past

Somebody wants the Merc With a Mouth's healing factor (Image via Marvel Comics)
Somebody wants the Merc With a Mouth's healing factor (Image via Marvel Comics)

Some of Deadpool's stories are from his earlier years, and Sins of the Past is no exception. When his healing factor is going haywire, Deadpool has to defend himself from the likes of Juggernaut (sent by Black Tom), who is trying to kidnap him. Can you kidnap an adult? Why would somebody want to capture the Merc unless they listened to constant talking?

Black Tom has plans for Wade, but the Merc With a Mouth still has allies that jump in to help. Mark Wade writes a compelling story that sees Wade team up with X-Force members Banshee and Siryn.


8) Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

The title says it all (Image via Marvel Comics)
The title says it all (Image via Marvel Comics)

People say there's no perfect title; then you read Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. That is one compelling title that can get the most reluctant person to read its story. Deadpool is nearly unrecognizable here as there's significantly less banter and more violence. Not that he isn't typically violent, but now it's more intentional and not a byproduct of Deadpool's carelessness.

Wade, tired of being a laughing joke, decides to go on a killing spree across the Marvel Universe. This is a particularly graphic comic that sees Peter Parker shot. It takes place outside the primary Marvel continuity but is still enjoyable to read if you like violence and want to see a more serious take on Deadpool.


9) 5 Ronins

An alternate dimension, the same Wade Wilson (Image via Marvel Comics)
An alternate dimension, the same Wade Wilson (Image via Marvel Comics)

If you're ever tired of the main Marvel continuity, there are some great stories with your favorite characters outside of that timeline. 5 Ronins is one such story.

5 Ronins is a five-issue miniseries that reimagines Wolverine, The Punisher, Psylocke, the Hulk, and Deadpool as 17th-century samurai. Each issue features one of the five characters, with Wade's issue being the final one, but he appears in each of the previous ones. The story is written by Peter Milligan, while a rotating cast of artists handles the artistic duties.


There are many stories featuring Wade Wilson that are worth reading. Some writers make him more than a running gag and give him some substance and impactful meaning within the Marvel Universe. However, if you're ever in the mood for a laugh, a Deadpool title is your safe bet.

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