If You Loved The ‘Deadpool’ Movie, Read These Comics Next

Originally self-published through Kickstarter, Kyle Starks’ most recent graphic novel features the world’s best assassin, Shane Sexcastle, released from prison and vowing to leave his life of violence behind in a small sleepy town. It was never going to be that easy though, as Sexcastle has to deal with a corrupt town, its crooked mayor, and the vengeance of the Assassin’s Union that he left behind to take a job as a florist.

Starks is one of the best when it comes to constructing fight scenes, and every page of Sexcastle outdoes the last when it comes to hilarious one-liners or bonkers scenarios to thrust its hero into.

If you enjoyed the quick-fire rapport between Deadpool and his buddy Weasel, you need to read Achewood, specifically Chris Onstad’s 2006 masterpiece The Great Outdoor Fight. The story features breakout character Ray Smuckles’ discovery that his father was a previous champion of the eponymous Great Outdoor Fight, and he decides to enter it himself.

Alongside his best friend, Roast Beef, they travel to, participate in — and buck the system of — the Great Outdoor Fight. For a webcomic starring anthropomorphic cats, bears and otters, Achewood is at its core an ongoing story about friendship dynamics, and The Great Outdoor Fight is everything great about Achewood distilled into one collection.

It could be argued that Mike Allred is currently best known for his Marvel work on FF and Silver Surfer, or as the co-creator of iZombie, currently in its second season on CW. However, it’s his beatnik superhero epic Madman that will forever be his legacy. The eponymous Madman is Frank Einstein. Brought back to life by mad scientists after a car accident, Frank gained superpowers ranging from a superman level of intuitive learning to psionic abilities that allow him to see the future.

Debuting in 1990, there’s a wealth of Madman comics from over two decades to dive into and explore. Image Comics began their reprints in 2007, and you can also still find 10th Anniversary reprints from Oni Press fairly easily.

If you follow Chip Zdarksy on Twitter, or have seen his Applebee's related exploits on Facebook, you know how uniquely hilarious the former Toronto mayoral candidate can be. He’s currently showcasing that in books like Jughead and Howard The Duck, but it’s the creator owned Kaptara where he gets to run absolutely wild. The book features a human lost on an alien world that sits somewhere between the Saturday morning cartoon world of He-Man and the no-holds-barred imagery seen in Heavy Metal.

Kaptara wouldn’t be half as good if it wasn’t for Kagan McLeod’s art, which brings the weird and wonderful Kaptara to life. If you’re at all familiar with McLeod’s previous work in Infinite Kung Fu, you’ll know exactly what to expect as his panels burst from the page with imagination. His work is captivating whether it’s an intimate conversation, a convoy of cat tanks, or a floating silver orb with arms that displays motivational messages upon its shiny body.

Rick Spears and James Callahan’s mind-bending Oni Press series The Auteur is the most gloriously violent and meta comic on this list, by far. After his latest films bombs at the box office, Hollywood producer Nathan T. Rex has one last chance to resurrect his career.

His next film, President’s Day, is running off the rails, behind schedule, and over budget. In order to add authenticity to the slasher flick, he hires a recently released serial killer to play the starring role, who gruesomely and hilariously misinterprets what Rex wants from him. Callahan’s art jumps off the page, and the unconventional use of color makes The Auteur look like nothing else you’ve ever read.