New Comics Today: The Next Fist, the Last Bishop

I've got two new comics in shops today: First up is Immortal Iron Fist #25, which is the third installment of the "Escape from the Eighth City" arc. Art is by the stunning Travel Foreman—you really haven't seen Hell until you've seen it through Travel's eyes. Anyway, you can find a bunch of preview pages right here at CBR.com.

And also out is X-Men: The Times and Life of Lucas Bishop #3: "His Name is Bishop, And Nothing Will Ever Be the Same," which will probably go down as the longest title on anything I've ever written. CBR.com also has some preview pages right here.

More Comics Than Nature Intended

Through some disturbance in the time-space continuum, there are four Marvel comics out today with the name "Swierczynski" on them. I'd love to say that it's some kind of savvy pre-New York Comic Con marketing blitz... but I'd be lying. It's just one of those scheduling things.

So what've we got? Well, there's...

Immortal Iron Fist #22. This is the opening of the new arc, "Escape from the Eighth City," in which Danny and the other Immortal Weapons find themselves in a never-ending Kung Fu battle in something quite like Hell. Travel Foreman's crew of martial arts monsters will scare the shit out of you.

Cable #11. The first installment of a two-parter, with the amazing Jamie McKelvie as guest artist. Ariel Olivetti provides a kick-ass set of bookends. (Very much looking forward to meeting both Jamie and Ariel this weekend at NYCC.)

X-Men: The Times and Life of Lucas Bishop #1: The first chapter ("Born to Die") in a three-issue mini-series about our favorite mutant anti-hero cop. (Sample art above by Larry Stroman, who blew me away with every page.)

Dead of Night: Werewolf By Night #2: The next installment of Jack Russell's bloody, bloody locked room mystery. You haven't seen gore until you've seen it drawn by Mico Suayan.

All told, that's $13.96 (plus tax) out of your wallet, so I know it's not exactly spare change. So big thanks to everyone who picks up my stuff on a regular basis. My wife and kids thank you, too.

My February Comics

Here's what is on deck from me at Marvel this coming February (my birthday month, coincidentally). Your eyes are not deceiving you; there are five issues here, all in one short month. This makes me seem ridiculously prolific -- but honest, these were written at different times over the past year.

PUNISHER: FRANK CASTLE #67
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Penciled by MICHEL LACOMBE
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
“SIX HOURS TO KILL, PART 2: FIELD DAY”
W.C. Fields once mused that he’d rather be dead than play Philadelphia. Well, if you cross paths with Frank Castle, you’ll be able to have it both ways. Castle has been injected with a slow-acting poison that will kill him in less than hours—but don’t think he’s going to spend them moping around. As long as blood is still pumping through his rock-hard veins, the Punisher plans on killing as many dirtbags as possible. But the Philadelphia underworld isn’t going to roll over so easily. Neither is the top-secret black bag ops unit that dosed Frank. And don’t forget the Mayor of Philadelphia, who only sees one way of saving his already-shaky political career: killing Frank way before his six hours are up.
32 PGS./Explicit Content ...$3.99

DEAD OF NIGHT FEATURING WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #2 (of 4)
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Pencils & Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Jack Russell is in serious trouble. The police have made him their prime suspect in a brutal murder...and they don’t even realize the full moon turns him into a vicious, blood-thirsty predator! But Jack is innocent – at least as far as he can remember – and with the clock ticking and the authorities on his trail, he goes looking for answers...and redemption! It’s a gruesome, grisly MAX take on one of Marvel’s horror legends, by Duane Swierczynski (IMMORTAL IRON FIST) and Mico Suayan (MOON KNIGHT)!
32 PGS./Explicit Content ...$3.99


IMMORTAL IRON FIST #23
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Penciled by TRAVEL FOREMAN
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Danny and the Immortal Weapons from the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven begin to discover the shocking, shameful secrets of the Capital City of Hell. But what does it mean for K’un-Lun, and for our world? And how will each of them overcome the absolute worst and most terrifying enemies they’ve ever faced? It’s kung fu super hero horror action by Duane Swierczynski and Travel Foreman!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99


CABLE #11
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Pencils by JAMIE McKELVIE
Cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI
“WASTELAND BLUES,” PART 1 OF 2
Deep in the future, Cable and the now seven-year-old mutant messiah find themselves in the middle of humanity’s last stand. And humanity loses! Cable is forced to timeslide into an uncertain future, hoping to find survivors, or food, or water… anything. But the longer Cable and the girl wander, the greater the devastation. As they fight to survive out in the barren wastelands, the girl starts to ask Cable the tough questions he’s been dreading—namely: who am I, and why do some people want me dead?
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99


Finally, February brings a brand-new mini-series, announced here for the first time (and of special interest to Cable/X-Men fans):

X-MEN: THE TIMES AND LIFE OF LUCAS BISHOP #1 (OF 3)
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Pencils by LARRY STROHMAN
Cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI
"Memories of the Monster"
By now you know that Lucas Bishop—former cop, renegade X-Man—refuses to rest until he's killed the so-called "mutant messiah." But do you know why? To answer that question you have to look into Bishop's past…which actually means jumping 50 years into the future, when his parents barely escaped a nuclear holocaust, only to land in the most brutal "mutant relocation" camp in the world. There, a young Bishop first heard the horror stories about the green-eyed monster that ushered in the the downfall of mutantkind, and swore vengeance -- embarking on a life-long, time-hopping mission that begins here, in this special three-part mini-series. You haven't heard the "Messiah Complex" story until you've heard Bishop's side of the story…
32 PGS./Rated T+… $3.99