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Deadpool (2008) (Collected Editions)
Dark Reign: Deadpool/Thunderbolts
Deadpool unleashes his most insane plan yet: a full-on assault against Norman Osborn! As Deadpool storms his way to the top of Avengers Tower, Osborn is forced to pull out all the stops to save his own skin.
Collecting: Thunderbolts 130-131, Deadpool 8-9
Collecting: Thunderbolts 130-131, Deadpool 8-9
96 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2009
11 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
Andy Diggle
534 books172 followersAndy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers,Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.
In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.
In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
February 6, 2018
Hey, it’s a Deadpool book with a plot!!!
Ha! Sucker! Made you look.
It’s a tie-in with the Dark Reign crossover event, plus it carries over into the Thunderbolt books so it has to have the bare minimum of a storyline to hang its hat on.
Let’s go to the plot summary - to wit:
In the previous crossover event, Secret Invasion, Nick Fury sends Deadpool to infiltrate the Skrulls and get the secret on how to take down the Skrull Queen. Deadpool is promised a huge reward. He’s successful, but his transmission gets intercepted my Norman Osborn, who kills the Queen himself. Fury refuses to pay Deadpool and Deadpool tries to collect from Osborn,
But, of course, Osborn also refuses to pay and sics the Thunderbolts on Deadpool.
These aren’t your Grandpa’s Thunderbolts (or for that matter your big bro’s) and honestly beyond blonde Black Widow, the Ghost and evil Ant-Man, my memory fails me on who the rest of these mooks were…
Sure they “know what to do”, basically get their collective a$$e$ whupped for several issues of continuity, but the complication is that Deadpool let’s lil Deadpool into the driver’s seat and he loses sight of his goal.
*sigh*
The healing factor isn’t going to help you much down there, pal.
Ouch!!! And of course, this doesn't discourage Deadpool.
Deadpool recruits his frenemy with benefits, the Taskmaster to watch his back.
And with the promise of a big pay day, Taskmaster even agrees to dress up as Deadpool.
Bottom line - As this story straddles two different character books, you have two different writers taking a shot at Deadpool with Diggle coming up on the short end of laughs. The Merry Marvel Marching Society crossover tie-in Deadpool books are generally decent, they’re a way to undercut any pretentions the main event might have which is usually not a bad thing.
March 24, 2016
Ha ha, Marvel! You didn’t get me this time. I see how you crossed an on-going story from the Dark Reign storyline in Deadpool over to Thunderbolts, and then created an entirely separate trade paperback to sucker any poor soul just trying to read one of the titles into buying extra issues or another collection.
But thanks to my digital Marvel Unlimited subscription I was able to just flip from Deadpool over to Thunderbolts without paying any money at all. So I win!
What’s that? My Unlimited subscription is due for renewal next month? Uh...Well, I guess it’s worth it. And I gotta pay for Netflix to watch shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Oh, and I already pre-purchased my tickets for Captain America: Civil War.
Maybe Marvel still has the upper hand after all...
This is a pretty fun story that carries on Deadpool’s grudge against Norman Osborn from his own comic into Thunderbolts. It’s got some funny stuff with Wade fighting the Thunderbolts with a little help from Taskmaster even as he’s developing the hots for the faux-Black Widow. However, you gotta go back to the pages of Deadpool to see how the whole thing eventually shakes out.
But thanks to my digital Marvel Unlimited subscription I was able to just flip from Deadpool over to Thunderbolts without paying any money at all. So I win!
What’s that? My Unlimited subscription is due for renewal next month? Uh...Well, I guess it’s worth it. And I gotta pay for Netflix to watch shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Oh, and I already pre-purchased my tickets for Captain America: Civil War.
Maybe Marvel still has the upper hand after all...
This is a pretty fun story that carries on Deadpool’s grudge against Norman Osborn from his own comic into Thunderbolts. It’s got some funny stuff with Wade fighting the Thunderbolts with a little help from Taskmaster even as he’s developing the hots for the faux-Black Widow. However, you gotta go back to the pages of Deadpool to see how the whole thing eventually shakes out.
September 25, 2016
Set during Dark Reign after Secret Invasion, Deadpool knows something about Norman Osborn that he doesn’t want others to know so Norman sends the Thunderbolts out to kill Deadpool. But they don’t have to look far as he’s after Norman himself for owing him cash - time for a good old-fashioned supervillain smackdown!
Though I enjoy all of Daniel Way’s Deadpool books, I didn’t love this crossover, partly because Way only writes half with Andy Diggle writing the other, less spectacular half, but partly because this is the second book now where Osborn’s been trying to kill Deadpool which is getting to be a bit boring. And the book with Bullseye as Hawkeye vs Deadpool was so much better too because Bullseye’s a great character and the Thunderbolts, particularly this Dark Reign lot, are crap and forgettable.
The Daniel Way/Paco Medina issues were fun and didn’t really need the Diggle Thunderbolts stuff except for padding to make this trade paperback length. We get a clear outline of what was going on in the first book, Secret Invasion, which was cryptic, especially if you hadn’t read the main event book like me, so that’s good. There’s also an amusing fantasy sequence with Osborn as the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk though there aren’t a great many funny scenes besides this.
But the Thunderbolts characters are so dull (not to mention useless – they outnumber/out-power Deadpool and still fail!), their beef with Deadpool is pointless and goes nowhere, and the book is a bust as there’s nothing else except that to it. Also Bong Dazo’s art in the Thunderbolts issues looks very busy and cluttered compared to Paco Medina’s clean and clear panels in the Deadpool issues which gives the book an uneven visual aesthetic.
Dark Reign: Deadpool/Thunderbolts has its moments but it’s easily skippable even if you’re a Daniel Way/Deadpool fan. It’s the comic book equivalent of an optional side quest in an RPG – for completists only!
Though I enjoy all of Daniel Way’s Deadpool books, I didn’t love this crossover, partly because Way only writes half with Andy Diggle writing the other, less spectacular half, but partly because this is the second book now where Osborn’s been trying to kill Deadpool which is getting to be a bit boring. And the book with Bullseye as Hawkeye vs Deadpool was so much better too because Bullseye’s a great character and the Thunderbolts, particularly this Dark Reign lot, are crap and forgettable.
The Daniel Way/Paco Medina issues were fun and didn’t really need the Diggle Thunderbolts stuff except for padding to make this trade paperback length. We get a clear outline of what was going on in the first book, Secret Invasion, which was cryptic, especially if you hadn’t read the main event book like me, so that’s good. There’s also an amusing fantasy sequence with Osborn as the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk though there aren’t a great many funny scenes besides this.
But the Thunderbolts characters are so dull (not to mention useless – they outnumber/out-power Deadpool and still fail!), their beef with Deadpool is pointless and goes nowhere, and the book is a bust as there’s nothing else except that to it. Also Bong Dazo’s art in the Thunderbolts issues looks very busy and cluttered compared to Paco Medina’s clean and clear panels in the Deadpool issues which gives the book an uneven visual aesthetic.
Dark Reign: Deadpool/Thunderbolts has its moments but it’s easily skippable even if you’re a Daniel Way/Deadpool fan. It’s the comic book equivalent of an optional side quest in an RPG – for completists only!
February 11, 2018
Deadpool goes gunning for Norman Osborn after the weird-haired one stole something from him. Nothing ever being simple, Ozzy sics his new Thunderbolts squad on Wade, forcing DP to call in some help of his own.
While this was nothing outstanding, it was a solid Deadpool story with all the over-the-top violence, stoopid humour and misplaced romance you'd expect. It also had decent art. I enjoyed it.
While this was nothing outstanding, it was a solid Deadpool story with all the over-the-top violence, stoopid humour and misplaced romance you'd expect. It also had decent art. I enjoyed it.
December 22, 2021
Deadpool trying to pick up Yelena is just the sweetest ever
He's so considerate🥰
Go Wade !!!
Also, that she probably was the one who sew his head back on? I need these two together asap
"Most women do not respond well to sexual advances made at gunpoint."
"They don't? Um, I have a knife... is that better?"
He's so considerate🥰
"That is a gun in my pants. But that doesn't mean I'm not happy to see you." 😍
Go Wade !!!
Also, that she probably was the one who sew his head back on? I need these two together asap
January 14, 2015
Crossovers can often go very wrong, especially when it is between a popular title and a not-so popular title (I've never read a Thunderbolts comic before this).
This story was smooth and coherent. The z-list Thunderbolt roster did not stop this from being all about Deadpool.
May 12, 2025
So, the Thunderbolts crossing paths with Deadpool? That's some shit I honestly never saw coming, which is kinda funny when you think about him joining the team later on. But watching him go after Norman? That piece of garbage definitely deserved it, and it was a blast to see.
What's even funnier to watch is how this Thunderbolts crew is clearly not the most organized bunch out there. Deadpool pretty much runs circles around them, making them look like a bunch of fucking idiots, which was genuinely hilarious.
I will say, though, Deadpool actually had some seriously funny lines in this one, so I gotta give props where they're due. And the art? It's a lot of fun and mostly just plain zany, but it totally works for a character like Deadpool.
Basically, don't go into this expecting some serious storytelling, and you'll probably enjoy it for the ridiculousness that it is. It's a fun ride, but it's sitting at a solid 3 out of 5 for me.
What's even funnier to watch is how this Thunderbolts crew is clearly not the most organized bunch out there. Deadpool pretty much runs circles around them, making them look like a bunch of fucking idiots, which was genuinely hilarious.
I will say, though, Deadpool actually had some seriously funny lines in this one, so I gotta give props where they're due. And the art? It's a lot of fun and mostly just plain zany, but it totally works for a character like Deadpool.
Basically, don't go into this expecting some serious storytelling, and you'll probably enjoy it for the ridiculousness that it is. It's a fun ride, but it's sitting at a solid 3 out of 5 for me.
December 31, 2016
Thunderbolts vs Deadpool. It's pretty much exactly what you would expect. All action with banter and an angry Osborn.
June 12, 2012
For some reason, this crossover feels exactly like four issues of Deadpool. I'm ok with that, because I don't give a toss for the Thunderbolts. It does tie into the greater Dark Reign storyline, in that you need to have a vague knowledge of what was going on with Osborn at the time. (I hate this storyline, incidentally...) But ignore all of that and focus on Deadpool being completely insane and it's a pretty fun ride.
August 20, 2013
I admit: I have no clue who the Thunderbolts are and I'd never read Deadpool before, though I'm familiar with his character just by being a Marvel fan. I decided to read all the Dark Reign trades, and this popped up on my radar. And I loved it.
I started with "Deadpool, Vol. 2: Dark Reign", which provides a paragraph recapping this trade about halfway through. So, I stopped that book to read this one. Happily, readers don't need to know who the Thunderbolts are (or even read the other trade) because this book can stand alone. Readers should be familiar with the overarching story of Dark Reign, and Norman Osborn being in power, but beyond that, Deadpool himself recaps how he got where he is on the first page. Essentially, Deadpool thinks Osborn owes him money, and Norman has been trying to have him killed. The other trade covers Tiger Shark and Bullseye's attempts, and the two trades really should've been combined into one collection. However, both are worth purchasing.
After getting over the initial shock, because it is unlike any other comic I have ever read, I found Deadpool to be hysterically funny, unbelievably violent, and overall an amazing character. Some of the dialog was lost on me until I figured out Deadpool was having two-sided conversations- between him and his brain. Even other characters didn't know if he was speaking to them! Plus, I loved Deadpool's flirting with the [evil] Black Widow; it was raunchy and hilarious. This trade is not essential to Dark Reign continuity but it is a fantastic story that is well worth reading.
Overall, I think I'm hooked on Deadpool and will definitely be reading more. I wouldn't recommend this for young readers because it is extremely violent, even gory at times, and Deadpool is not strictly a hero. He can and will commit murder. But for adults, Deadpool is an experience every comic reader should try!
I started with "Deadpool, Vol. 2: Dark Reign", which provides a paragraph recapping this trade about halfway through. So, I stopped that book to read this one. Happily, readers don't need to know who the Thunderbolts are (or even read the other trade) because this book can stand alone. Readers should be familiar with the overarching story of Dark Reign, and Norman Osborn being in power, but beyond that, Deadpool himself recaps how he got where he is on the first page. Essentially, Deadpool thinks Osborn owes him money, and Norman has been trying to have him killed. The other trade covers Tiger Shark and Bullseye's attempts, and the two trades really should've been combined into one collection. However, both are worth purchasing.
After getting over the initial shock, because it is unlike any other comic I have ever read, I found Deadpool to be hysterically funny, unbelievably violent, and overall an amazing character. Some of the dialog was lost on me until I figured out Deadpool was having two-sided conversations- between him and his brain. Even other characters didn't know if he was speaking to them! Plus, I loved Deadpool's flirting with the [evil] Black Widow; it was raunchy and hilarious. This trade is not essential to Dark Reign continuity but it is a fantastic story that is well worth reading.
Overall, I think I'm hooked on Deadpool and will definitely be reading more. I wouldn't recommend this for young readers because it is extremely violent, even gory at times, and Deadpool is not strictly a hero. He can and will commit murder. But for adults, Deadpool is an experience every comic reader should try!
January 22, 2018
I only picked this up because I thought it would further the story of Songbird from the previous Thunderbolts. I was wrong, this is really just a story of Deadpool fighting the new, less interesting Thunderbolts. Really, I don't know what they were thinking with the new formation, it couldn't be less interesting.
What saves this volume is that it's a Deadpool crossover and the Merc with a Mouth is in fine form. Though I was lost to what Wade was dealing with mentaly (this takes place in the middle of the new Deadpool comic) it still made me laugh. Lines like "Brain! You have failed me!" are great and anything with Deadpool and Taskmaster together is grade A entertainment. Skippable, but enjoyable.
What saves this volume is that it's a Deadpool crossover and the Merc with a Mouth is in fine form. Though I was lost to what Wade was dealing with mentaly (this takes place in the middle of the new Deadpool comic) it still made me laugh. Lines like "Brain! You have failed me!" are great and anything with Deadpool and Taskmaster together is grade A entertainment. Skippable, but enjoyable.
July 10, 2013
This just didn't do much for me. Deadpool himself was good, and his back and forth with Taskmaster was funny enough, but overall, lacking. I think the Thuderbolts suffered greatly in this book, looking like morons; Other than the Ghost and Ant-Man, there was the new Black Widow, and 2 other "Z-Listers" as Norman Osborn calls them. Completely non-essential. I really am hoping for a good Deadpool book sometime...I think I'll find one by accident.
November 3, 2011
Meh. It was ok. Not Daniel Way's best work, probably because he had to do a cross over with a B-list title.
March 3, 2019
It had some good moments, some good action and some good jokes, the art was middling, in the end the story felt completely inconsequential and that’s what kept it at 3 stars
May 1, 2016
Didn't like this one a whole lot because of the art style of Thunderbolts. It was a bit 90s', a bit modern and it didn't match well.
August 27, 2025
A fine, if not particularly interesting crossover, clearly designed to get people to read the Thunderdbolts book. Unfortunately, this roster of Thunderbolts is Who's That of a Marvel z-team. A Black Widow who isn't Natasha Romanov, a guy who chops heads off but isn't the guy called Scalp Hunter, the The Irredeemable Ant-Man, Vol. 1: Low-LifeAnt-Man that Robert Kirkman wrote about and then should have disappeared into the ether, and, um, some other characters who I forgot about as soon as I closed the book.
The action is silly, and the return of Taskmaster to the title is enjoyable but this feels like it's mostly 1.) an editorial gambit to try and get someone to read Thunderbolts; and 2.) a set-up to the much more interesting Deadpool vs Bullseye storyline in the next trade.
This brings me to the usual Marvel editorial garbage problem: This entire story takes place inbetween issues of both the ongoing Deadpool trade, and the ongoing Thunderbolts trade. Not before them, not after them. To read the story in a sensible way, you have to read volume 1 of Thunderbolts for a few issues, then the first few issues of the Deadpool, Volume 2: Dark Reign volume, stick bookmarks in each of them, read this sub-par story, then go back and finish the other books. It's not reader-friendly, which is on-par for Marvel's notoriously incompetent trade paperback program.
Apart from that, how is the story? Fine. How's the art? Better than a bunch of the muddy Dark Reign books, if not particularly memorable.
If you like Daniel Way's Deadpool, you can absolutely skip this volume and not have missed much. But I also don't think you'd hate this volume. Andy Diggle is vastly inferior to Daniel Way at writing comics but his work here is acceptable.
The action is silly, and the return of Taskmaster to the title is enjoyable but this feels like it's mostly 1.) an editorial gambit to try and get someone to read Thunderbolts; and 2.) a set-up to the much more interesting Deadpool vs Bullseye storyline in the next trade.
This brings me to the usual Marvel editorial garbage problem: This entire story takes place inbetween issues of both the ongoing Deadpool trade, and the ongoing Thunderbolts trade. Not before them, not after them. To read the story in a sensible way, you have to read volume 1 of Thunderbolts for a few issues, then the first few issues of the Deadpool, Volume 2: Dark Reign volume, stick bookmarks in each of them, read this sub-par story, then go back and finish the other books. It's not reader-friendly, which is on-par for Marvel's notoriously incompetent trade paperback program.
Apart from that, how is the story? Fine. How's the art? Better than a bunch of the muddy Dark Reign books, if not particularly memorable.
If you like Daniel Way's Deadpool, you can absolutely skip this volume and not have missed much. But I also don't think you'd hate this volume. Andy Diggle is vastly inferior to Daniel Way at writing comics but his work here is acceptable.
May 18, 2018
After Tiger Shark isn't able to kill Hawkeye/Bullseye? takes over and gives it his all. But even without crazy brain Deadpool outsmarts him while simultaneously fulfilling his childhood dream of fighting while wearing a meat suit. Beaten Bullseye decides to pay off Deadpool in Norman Osborns name to make sure Deadpool doesn't try to take credit for stopping the Skrull invasion.
A month later, ships himself in the head because he's so friggin bored. Classic.
A month later, ships himself in the head because he's so friggin bored. Classic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2024
(Read in 2009, review from 2024)
Read this one in high school as part of my initial foray into Deadpool stories. It was fine, nothing too monumental, just DP doing his usual antics to piss off Norman Osborn and other more “serious” Marvel characters. Sometimes that’s all you need from Wade Wilson. Most memorable thing about reading this was it was my initial introduction to the Thunderbolts and Taskmaster.
Read this one in high school as part of my initial foray into Deadpool stories. It was fine, nothing too monumental, just DP doing his usual antics to piss off Norman Osborn and other more “serious” Marvel characters. Sometimes that’s all you need from Wade Wilson. Most memorable thing about reading this was it was my initial introduction to the Thunderbolts and Taskmaster.
August 9, 2019
Interesting crossover. I've not really read anything with the Thunderbolts or Dark Avenger teams, so this was a completely new thing for me. This is also my first foray into Secret War related things. I'll eventually dig into it some more, but right now, I'm just here for Deadpool. Liked the story, but the need for going between two collections for this crossover was quite the pain.
September 14, 2024
A fun little side adventure where Deadpool is fighting against the Thunderbolts. So chaos is pretty much inevitable. Had a few laughs here and there, but I could've done without the constant simping for Black Widow and in the end it doesn't add anything to the story even after four issues. But if you're into Deadpool humor and want to see Osborn angry a lot: there you go.
March 3, 2019
I like Andy Diggle. And Daniel Way is...passable.
This is neither if those things.
The humour is terrible.
The action is sub-par and uninspired.
I have no interest in this sorry story and this rewarmed action sequences from a bad 90s Seagal movie.
Avoid this. God, for your own sake.
This is neither if those things.
The humour is terrible.
The action is sub-par and uninspired.
I have no interest in this sorry story and this rewarmed action sequences from a bad 90s Seagal movie.
Avoid this. God, for your own sake.
March 18, 2018
This was a goofy dubbel crossing silly love story.
June 15, 2019
3.5/5 Stars
December 2, 2020
Deadpool is always good.
Currently reading
January 19, 2022I love Deadpool stories they are so entertaining to read can’t wait to finish this saga to start on another!
January 11, 2026
#1-5 deadpool, volume 1: secret invasion ★★★★☆
#6-7, 10-12 deadpool, volume 2: dark reign★★★☆☆
#8-9 dark reign: deadpool/thunderbolts ★★★☆☆
#13-18 deadpool, volume 3: x marks the spot ★★★★☆
#19-22 deadpool, volume 4: monkey business ★★★★☆
#23-26 deadpool, volume 5: what happened in vegas ★★★☆☆
#27-31 deadpool, volume 6: i rule, you suck ★★★★☆
deadpool is an absolute mess in this one and it’s delightful
black widow: most women do not respond well to sexual advances made at gunpoint.
deadpool: they don’t? um, i have a knife...is that better?
deadpool: that is a gun in my pants. but that doesn’t mean i’m not happy to see you...
deadpool: cool, cool...look, i just wanted to apologize for anything stupid i might’ve said--y’know, when i called earlier? cool. that’s cool. you’re cool. whew! i’m actually kinda nervous, y’know? my hands are even shaking. anyway, so...what’s up?
[Image Description: Deadpool with a hand rubbing his neck and his knee bent, leaning towards Black Widow, who looks annoyed. End Image Description.]
[Image Description: Deadpool squirming due to being tickled by Ant-Man who is ant-sized and crawling under Deadpool’s suit, a yellow speech bubble reads, “Whoa! Tha-tha--ha ha ha--that tickles!” End Image Description.]
content/trigger warnings; physical violence, blood, gore, murder, vomiting,
#6-7, 10-12 deadpool, volume 2: dark reign★★★☆☆
#8-9 dark reign: deadpool/thunderbolts ★★★☆☆
#13-18 deadpool, volume 3: x marks the spot ★★★★☆
#19-22 deadpool, volume 4: monkey business ★★★★☆
#23-26 deadpool, volume 5: what happened in vegas ★★★☆☆
#27-31 deadpool, volume 6: i rule, you suck ★★★★☆
deadpool is an absolute mess in this one and it’s delightful
black widow: most women do not respond well to sexual advances made at gunpoint.
deadpool: they don’t? um, i have a knife...is that better?
deadpool: that is a gun in my pants. but that doesn’t mean i’m not happy to see you...
deadpool: cool, cool...look, i just wanted to apologize for anything stupid i might’ve said--y’know, when i called earlier? cool. that’s cool. you’re cool. whew! i’m actually kinda nervous, y’know? my hands are even shaking. anyway, so...what’s up?
[Image Description: Deadpool with a hand rubbing his neck and his knee bent, leaning towards Black Widow, who looks annoyed. End Image Description.]
[Image Description: Deadpool squirming due to being tickled by Ant-Man who is ant-sized and crawling under Deadpool’s suit, a yellow speech bubble reads, “Whoa! Tha-tha--ha ha ha--that tickles!” End Image Description.]
content/trigger warnings; physical violence, blood, gore, murder, vomiting,
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews