Deadpool dons the Batman Who Laughs’ duds to take a shot at DC

Here’s a mea culpa: I didn’t expect Marvel’s The End series of one-shots to actually be pretty good. Venom: The End knocked my socks off, and now this week’s Deadpool: The End is at least providing some sensible chuckles by taking the piss out of DC Comics.

As is only fitting, Deadpool: The End doesn’t just tell one story about how Wade Wilson could meet his improbable end, it gives the reader 10 different potential endings of various fourth-wall-breaking levels, including one that dresses Wade up like the Batman Who Laughs as he makes a reference to Joker and rags on about superhero stories that get overly dark.

(And it’s not even the only Marvel Comic to be doing so this week — read on, True Believer.)

What else is happening in the pages of our favorite comics? We’ll tell you. Welcome to Polygon’s weekly list of the books that our comics editor enjoyed this past week. It’s part society pages of superhero lives, part reading recommendations, part “look at this cool art.” There may be some spoilers. There may not be enough context. If you missed last week, click here. Let’s get started!

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Deadpool: The End

Image: Joe Kelly, Mike Hawthorne/Marvel Comics

Ahh, a vague aggregate that safely encompasses not only several films in Warner Bros.’ DC Comics slate, but also DC Comics’ Year of the Villain event.

Star Trek: Picard - Countdown #3

Star Trek: Picard - Countdown provides some nice supplemental information for the Picard TV show, but it also has this wonderfully put summation of the good Captain’s most devastating moments.

Suicide Squad #2

In the vein of Look at this Cool Art, look at this cool title treatment from the new Suicide Squad.

Detective Comics Annual #3

Image: Peter J. Tomasi, Eduardo Risso/DC Comics

The backup story in Detective Comics Annual is a lovely thing retelling Bruce Wayne’s first steps as Batman as seen from Alfred’s perspective. It’s reminded me how much I love artist Eduardo Risso’s work.

Doctor Strange: The End

Image: Leah Williams, Filipe Andrade/Marvel

Another The End book! I know what you’re thinking: Do Williams and Andrade use Doctor Strange: The End to follow up on their fantastic Magik ...What if? story? The answer is YES.

Thor #2

Image: Donny Cates, Nic Klein/Marvel

It’s open season for Marvel Comics to suggest that the DC Universe is consumed by darkness. Here, Thor #2 basically shows us the Justice League failing, without ever quite confirming it’s the Justice League.

X-Men #5

Hickman and Co. give a big helping of love to fans of Laura Kinney, establishing with efficiency and punch that she’s keeping the moniker of Wolverine, and Logan couldn’t be prouder.

Sex Criminals #26

Image: Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky/Image Comics

To all you Brimpers out there, you should know that Sex Criminals is back, baby! Fraction and Zdarsky took some time off to figure out the best happy ending to their fucky epic, and they promise they’ll finish with issue #69. Nice.