Deadpool/Thunderbolts - Magnum Opus

Thought I'd post a few opinions regarding the recent Deadpool Thunderolts crossover. Now, I dislike this sort of crossover, as I pointed out in the post regarding the upcoming Dark Avengers/X-men crossover, I don't like having to pick up titles that I don't normally pick up to get a whole story. Put it in one title or the other. That said at least I currently pick up Deadpool and Thunderbolts.

The story is based around Deadpool trying to blackmail Norman Osbourne over the information Deadpool provided that was instrumental in allowing Osbourne to get the kill shot during Secret Invasion and hence how he cemented his position of power. Osbourne sends in his new Thunderbolts team to silence the Merc with a mouth.

This was actually a very good fun story, definitely helping me to warm to the new deadpool creative team who have been a little lukewarm of late. It has good art, everyone is recognisable and at no point do layouts become confused.

My main gripe, and its quite a big one, is that this is a Deadpool story, as in, Deadpool front and centre for 90% of the time. This isn't a bad thing, but Thunderbolts has literally finished its first arc, in fact one of the team is still to be introduced and we still know very little about Headsman beyond he has a big axe. What gets to me as a Thunderbolts reader is that for two issues I learn nothing more than Black Widow II has a fairly odd taste in men (Although the romance between her and wade was brilliant) but really, if I didn't read Deadpool I'd really be wondering why the team I'm paying good money to follow are sidelined so soon into their run for two issues. This is the main problem, it shows Magnum Opus for what it really is, a marketing ploy. It is being used to promote both titles when really what we should have had was 4 issues of deadpool guest starring the Thunderbolts, you could even put a little boxout in Thunderbolts to alert readers that the new team would feature in Deadpool. Instead T-Bolts is stalled before it gets started by an unnecessary crossover which I think is unfair to a title that when not involved in pointless marketing gimmicks is looking to be very interesting indeed.

So, to round up, if you buy this story in a trade, I reckon there is a lot to like and not much to dislike. Similarly if you're a deadpool fan then you're only real qualm will be forking over for 2 more issues than normal, however for Thunderbolts fans you will be left wondering hwy you had to read a Deadpool story rather than get on with the unfolding events in the title you'd paid for.