In Meta-Messages, I explore the context behind (using reader danjack's term) "meta-messages." A meta-message is where a comic book creator comments on/references the work of another comic book/comic book creator (or sometimes even themselves) in their comic. Each time around, I'll give you the context behind one such "meta-message."
Today, we look at Deadpool poking fun at how his popularity has eclipsed Cable's over the years.
In 2004, after both of their series were canceled, Cable and Deadpool got second chances at an ongoing series with a team-up book, Power Man and Iron Fist style...
The series continued for 42 issues...
And once Cable was "killed," it continued until 50 as a Deadpool team-up series...
The original volumes maintained the title of the series as Cable and Deadpool...
However, once the book ended, Deadpool was revamped and got a third shot at an ongoing series, and it did a lot better, as it leaned into the more mature readers angle on Deadpool, going from a PG/PG-13 character to an R-Rated character.
This approach was maintained in Deadpool's 2016 movie, which became a blockbuster...
As a result, when Marvel released an omnibus of the Cable and Deadpool series, it was now titled Deadpool and Cable...
Cable was a major player in the Deadpool sequel, and so Marvel released a Deadpool/Cable miniseries by Deadpool co-creator (and the writer on the aforementioned Cable and Deadpool series), Fabian Nicieza and artist Reilly Brown...
And in the comic (which was released as an Infinite Comic first), Deadpool makes fun of how much more popular he is than Cable now...
even showing the aforementioned omnibus in the comic as proof!
That is a very funny bit by Nicieza. That whole series was great.
Okay, that's it for this Meta-Messages. If anyone else has a suggestion for a good Meta-Messages, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!