{"id":235,"date":"2022-12-19T14:03:04","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T22:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/?p=235"},"modified":"2022-12-20T11:14:53","modified_gmt":"2022-12-20T19:14:53","slug":"marvel-comics-review-1-deadpool-draculas-gauntlet-1-and-2-podcast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/marvel-comics-review-1-deadpool-draculas-gauntlet-1-and-2-podcast\/","title":{"rendered":"Marvel Comics Review #1: Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet #1 and 2-Podcast"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Marvel Comics Review #1: Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet #1 and 2-Podcast<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet #1 and 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In September, 2014, the\u00a0 <\/span><strong>Deadpool<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> title\u00a0 <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, hit the shelves. A seven-issue weekly mini-series which is the hard-copy version of the Marvel Infinite digital comic titled <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deadpool: The Gauntlet<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 Each printed issue of this series features two of the digital-version chapters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While this storyline is not exactly new, (the digital version came out a few months ago), for those who missed the digital version prior to Deadpool&#8217;s marriage or those who are completist comic collectors of Deadpool, these comic books are worth picking up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you were reading the various Deadpool comics in 2013-2015 (say, from issue #27 on), you are aware that our hero Wade Wilson got married to a succubus (no, really), and queen of the monster underworld named Shiklah. This marriage led to a war between the forces of Mrs. Shiklah Deadpool and her former (and very unhappy) fianc\u00e9, <\/span><strong>Dracula<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 Yes, THAT Dracula! This <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gauntlet<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> story is basically the prequel to the whole &#8220;Deadpool is getting married&#8221; story arc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, here we go\u00a0 (mild spoilers here, but we assume you already know who Shiklah is and the whole Dracula thing if\u00a0 you are following the regular Deadpool series):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The story opens with Wade rescuing a girl from the clutches of a Latverian assassin in London, and quickly evolves into a running battle with a vampire.\u00a0 This leads to Deadpool taking a job offer from Dracula (but not accepting a drink!) to deliver a package from the Middle East to New York. The package is a coffin containing the presumed heir to the Monster Underworld, who is to marry Dracula and thus end a very long war between the Vampires and the forces of the fiance&#8217;s family.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what could go wrong?\u00a0 Nearly everything. Our Merc with a Mouth rescues said coffin from some assassins and, at the end of issue #1 is seen sailing away with his still-unopened prize.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);\" title=\"Marvel Comics Review #1: Deadpool: Dracula\u2019s Gauntlet #1 and 2-Podcast\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?i=edrd7-133af0b-pb&amp;from=pb6admin&amp;share=1&amp;download=1&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Arial&amp;skin=1&amp;font-color=auto&amp;logo_link=episode_page&amp;btn-skin=7\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#2 opens in typical crazed Deadpool fashion with our hero busting loose the animals from a zoo in Greece in order to hitch the zoo&#8217;s zebra (named Mustafa), to a cart containing the aforementioned coffin.\u00a0 Oh, and how do we know the zebra is named Mustafa?\u00a0 Because in Deadpool&#8217;s crazy world, even wild animals have thought balloons, and we see that this animal does not think too highly of Wade.\u00a0 Anyway, back to our tale: While scaring off the local Greeks with his tales of vampires, Deadpool awakens a Minotaur who feels he needs to rid his village of Deadpool and his package. Hint to Deadpool: Did you notice the Minotaur said he can sense EVIL?\u00a0 And he was not referring to you or to poor Mustafa.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 473px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mcdn.podbean.com\/mf\/web\/pwsmgg\/C897E25E-2A4C-45D4-9FC0-154C64C1CD6C.jpeg\" alt=\"C897E25E-2A4C-45D4-9FC0-154C64C1CD6C.jpeg\" width=\"463\" height=\"686\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the requisite Deadpool\/Minotaur battle and chase, we finally get to see the contents of the coffin.\u00a0 This is our first glimpse of Shiklah!\u00a0 Dracula&#8217;s fiance, the evilly beautiful Shiklah!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And as we hear her tell Deadpool her origin story, and the mention of the word &#8220;vampires&#8221; many times, who do you think shows up?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blade, of course!\u00a0 He has good reason to try to stop the impending Dracula-Shiklah nuptials, but if he kills the package, Deadpool does not get paid!\u00a0 Cue in a decent Blade\/Deadpool fight, and some monstrous intervention by Shiklah.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All in all, this is a pretty good Deadpool story. Zany, crazy, and yet, all the wackiness is centered around a real story that we now know will have major ramifications in the life of Deadpool .<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The story is by Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan, with Duggan taking on the actual writing chores.\u00a0 The art is by Reilly Brown.\u00a0 Posehn and Duggan have a good handle on what Deadpool is all about.\u00a0 This is a well-done story and &#8216;Pool stays in character.\u00a0 Plus he is funny.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reilly Brown does a great job with the art.\u00a0 Deadpool looks like Deadpool should (as opposed to the not-very-good art of John Lucas in the regular Deadpool comics title), and Shiklah is drawn in a very beautiful manner.\u00a0 Blade looks good, and so does the Minotaur. Mustafa also.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A couple of questions do come up in the story, more the sense of continuity with Marvel history.\u00a0 Dracula was first introduced to modern Marvel fans in 1972, with <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tomb of Dracula<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan.\u00a0 They styled their Dracula in the classic Bela Lugosi look, and to a lot of fans of that title, that is how the comic book Dracula looks.\u00a0 Now, the Dracula that hires Deadpool looks like a take-off on the undead in <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interview with a Vampire<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as played by Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Why would an undying lord change his hair from black to whitish-blonde?\u00a0 Is this supposed to be the same character? Since even Marvel would have trouble explaining two guys calling themselves Dracula, this probably is THE Dracula.\u00a0 Blade seemed to think so.\u00a0 How about some continuity here?\u00a0 Other than that, this is a good read!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With\u00a0 <\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet <\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#3, will we hopefully find out what happens with Deadpool and Shiklah; and does Blade give up, or will he return to battle our Merc with a Mouth?\u00a0 And will Mustafa ever make it back to the plains of his homeland?\u00a0 We can only hope!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you like Deadpool (and just want to see the pre-story to Deadpool&#8217;s marriage), or you like vampires, minotaurs, or zebras, pick this series up and read it!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Available on Marvel Unlimited or, if you want to actually hold the graphic novel in your hands, it is available on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3FULtkA\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amazon <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marvel Comics Review #1: Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet #1 and 2-Podcast &nbsp; Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s Gauntlet #1 and 2 In September, 2014, the\u00a0 Deadpool title\u00a0 Deadpool: Dracula&#8217;s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,109,114],"tags":[102,16,110,28,112,111],"class_list":["post-235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comic-book-news","category-comics","category-news","category-superheroreviewsnews","tag-comics-podcast","tag-deadpool","tag-dracula","tag-marvel-comics","tag-shiklah","tag-vampires"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":237,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235\/revisions\/237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historyguy.com\/comicshistory\/superheroreviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}