" Sabertooth Serenade"

While reading "Messiah CompleX" I thought about how great it would have been if Cable & Deadpool were included in the series, not only spicing the story with Deadpool as a character but also Nicieza as a writer. Then I read " Sabertooth Serenade" and thought better of it.

It’s fun to read these huge epics like "Messiah CompleX" or "Sinestro Corps" but it also becomes hard to follow. Not being huge on the DCU when I flipped open the page that unveiled the shocking first handful of members to the Sinestro Corps I thought, “Ooh, Superman Prime is back…who’re those guys?” Likewise, with having New X-Men and X-Factor in "Messiah CompleX" I am sure even Marvel fans were confused by Pixie transporting the kids across the Atlantic or what the deal is with Layla Miller. (Fan Boy note: The point of Layla is to wonder what the deal is with her.)

"Sabertooth Serenade" is episodic in contrast to "Messiah CompleX". Each of the crossovers that have been done with Deadpool have been minimizing their lengths. In this instance anyone at Marvel could have plotted out the story to have the Agency getting their mission and going to Savage Land comprising one issue. The second issue could have been the Agency finding the base with Ka-Zar inside and planning out how to rescue him, then doing so and having Ka-Zar do a long monologue explaining everything that’s happened since Savage Land was last used. Issue #3 would conclude the story with the team raiding Brainchild’s base and everyone would be happy. Well, not everyone, because the people reading it would have fun with the first issue, but during the second issue they’d think, “So this is why they don’t use the Savage Land very often; it’s really campy,” at which point the guys would look at Ka-Zar a second too long, become somewhat curious, and throw away the book in shame and embarrassment.

With this issue, we get the fun of bringing back Savage Land but don’t have to read an entire arc about the Savage Land.

To do something funny, visuals are as important as what is being said. Jim Carey and Brian Regan don’t say things that are as funny as Jim Gaffigan but they make up for it with physical humor. Though Brown’s art isn’t monumental, this issue would not have been very funny without it. There weren’t any one-liners as funny as when Cable said, “Did you bring a grenade to a bar?” and Deadpool responded, “Or am I just happy to see you?” and blew himself up with said grenade. But because the artist pulled it off well, the scene where Deadpool is running around with a knife through both ears and can’t hear himself is pretty funny.

This story is not going to create as much buzz or get as much acclain as the over sized epics, but at least I can give it to a casual fan or someone who isn't into comics and be reasonably confident they will enjoy it. Many of the titles out right now cannot make that claim.

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