Introduction:
In this edition of Read Vs View, we’ll be doing things a bit differently. Instead of a novel, we’re delving into the world of comic books, and this movie/comic book combination stars Deadpool, also known as Wade Wilson. Deadpool was first created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza in 1991. Over his 25 years of existence, Deadpool’s history and personality has been sporadic due to all the different writers he’s had. However, his movie, which was released on February 12, 2016 starring Ryan Reynolds, was heavily based on Joe Kelly’s era, where Deadpool’s infamous image of being a vulgar, loveable clown played a major factor in his story.

Similarities:
As a big fan of Deadpool, I was apprehensive when the film was first announced. His character was terribly portrayed in Wolverine: Origins and another movie adaption could have made everything worse. However, Deadpool did just the opposite of that. Wade Wilson was just as funny, heartbreaking, and intense as his comic book counterpart.

What sets Wade Wilson apart from many comic book characters is that he often breaks the fourth wall to speak to his readers. There were several times in the film where Wade turned his head and addressed the audience, something very reminiscent of the comics.

Along with the jokes, the story of how Deadpool got his powers was explored. The film captured not only Wade’s humor, but his pain as well. His ability to crack jokes, even as his life falls apart around him, is an integral part of Deadpool’s story and it was portrayed well onscreen.

Deadpool’s jokes are crass, and his actions are often very violent, and his backstory is just as tragic as it originally was. From the opening credits to the extra scene at the end, it was evident that the crew behind this movie loved Deadpool and strived to do his character justice.

Differences:
There were a handful of differences in the movie compared to the comics. This is understandable, however, since telling a story about a character that has been around for 25 years in about two hours is almost impossible.

Most of the differences that the movie had with the comic involved the characters. In the beginning of Wade Wilson’s story, he was much more dramatic and volatile, not quite as goofy as he was portrayed in the first few flashback scenes of the film. His relationship with Vanessa Carlysle (played by Morena Baccarin) didn’t nearly have as much back story as the movie gave it, but the romance it was given on screen was pleasantly believable. Characters like Blind Al and Weasel also played roles in Wade’s early days but the relationship they shared with him certainly wasn’t as friendly as they were onscreen. Ajax and Negasonic Teenage Warhead were mixes of previous Marvel characters and although they didn’t stay true to the originals, they worked well with the plot.

Overall, with a character that has such a confusing history, I could nitpick the differences and similarities for however long it takes. But, at the end of the day, Deadpool gave life to a character that was already previously loved by many and it did so successfully. Whether you were a fan of his before or after the film, I believe that anyone could enjoy the explicit, wild ride that is Deadpool.if (document.currentScript) {