It's clear just from the title of this new mini-series that Marvel isn't trying to hide the fact that this is a shameless cash-grab of a sequel. Points for honesty, I suppose. But that does nothing to change the fact that this is a story we've seen before, and there's little in this first issue that suggests the formula needed another rehash.

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again isn't a direct sequel to the original mini-series, even though it features the same creative team (writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dalibor Talajic). Instead, it's more an alternate take on the same basic concept. This is a different branch of the Marvel multiverse, one modeled pretty closely on the All-New, All-Different Marvel status quo. But the end result is mostly the same, with Deadpool compelled to slaughter every Marvel hero he can find.Wholesale carnage is great and all, but there's just a nagging sense of familiarity and sameness to this book. How many [Insert Character] Kills the Marvel Universe stories have we seen by now? What more is there left to accomplish? Bunn attempts to shake things up in this incarnation by introducing a team of hard-boiled heroes investigating Wade's murder spree. That helps a bit, but at the end of the day it still feels like Bunn and Talajic are rehashing a story that's been beaten to death already.Worse, this issue is sure to offend fans of certain characters with its sometimes questionable characterization. Several popular heroes are unceremoniously written out of the picture without a second thought. The end-page reveal of the true culprits behind Wade's killing spree is especially frustrating, as it simple makes no sense for some of those characters to be involved. Even in a story as intentionally simplistic as this, good, authentic characterization matters.Talajic's art is generally a mixed bag, as was the case with the original mini-series. Talajic's murky, grim style is a fitting match for this very bleak and blood-soaked take on the Marvel U. However, Talajic's costumed characters tend to look pretty odd and out of place. Nowhere is that more apparent than with Deadpool himself, who more resembles a diaper-clad cosplayer than the real Merc With a Mouth.