One of the nice perks of having both a column and a podcast is that sometimes you can do things just because you want to. I am not usually into anthropomorphic comic books. No particular reason, then there is only so much time to read comic books. Last year, I began to notice an upswing in duck-themed comic books and collections. There was even a Darkwing Duck omnibus released last year. Eventually, I did my Duck Season episode for the podcast.
I decided that I wasn’t quite done talking about duck comics. A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the rise of Uncle Scrooge lately in comic books. But could this duck wave start with none other than the most unlikely of characters, Deadpool? I am talking about a series that came out nearly ten years ago, Deadpool the Duck.
Deadpool the Duck feels like the kind of wild, late‑night idea Marvel cooks up when the universe gets a little too serious—and somehow it works. This mini‑series is pure comic‑book chaos in the best way, the sort of mash‑up that makes you wonder who at Marvel said, “Yeah, let’s fuse Deadpool and Howard the Duck and see what happens.”
Stuart Moore leans all the way into the absurdity, treating the premise not as a gimmick but as an excuse to unleash every flavor of humor Marvel’s ever played with. You get Deadpool’s hyperactive, fourth‑wall‑breaking nonsense colliding head‑on with Howard’s cranky, world‑weary sarcasm. It shouldn’t blend, but that clash is exactly what makes the book sing. The jokes land because they come from two completely different comedic traditions smashing together inside one unfortunate duck‑shaped body.
Jacopo Camagni’s art is the secret weapon here. He gives the hybrid design this rubbery, animated expressiveness that sells both the slapstick and the attitude. Every grimace, every over‑the‑top reaction shot, every bit of visual chaos feels like it belongs in a Saturday‑morning cartoon that somehow wandered into the Marvel Universe. The action is big, the comedy is loud, and the pages practically bounce with energy.
What really makes Deadpool the Duck stand out for longtime Marvel readers is how proudly it refuses to play by the usual rules. This isn’t a tie‑in, a continuity patch, or a stealth character reboot. It’s Marvel letting creators cut loose with a bizarre side quest that doesn’t pretend to be anything more than a ridiculous, self‑aware romp. And yet, beneath all the nonsense, there’s a surprising amount of character work—little moments where the merged hero wrestles with the conflicting impulses of two wildly different personalities.
What is interesting is that after the initial five-issue mini-series, there have been no other appearances of the character. Yet he has not faded into obscurity, as there are Deadpool the Duck dolls and even a Funko Pop release. Okay. Maybe not all the other duck comics rode the Deadpool the Duck wave, but what is certain is that the mini-series is a fun read worth checking out.
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