Tears of a Mercenary

Out tomorrow in comic shops everywhere, unless the ice storm washes away every single copy: the long-awaited Deadpool and Cable #26. Yes, it's been almost a year since Deadpool and Cable #25. And in the meantime, Cable... uh, died. But why let a little thing like that get in the way? I love the coverlines the Marvel folks slapped on this baby. (Whoever came up with "How Mourns a Mercenary?" deserves a beer.) Hope you'll check it out. It would be fun to write Deadpool and Cable #27 sometime in the next two or three years.

Deadpool and Cable, Together Again

Wait... is this Deadpool, the Merc with a Mouth? Or is it Cable, the time-traveling mutant with the pouch-and-oversized-gun fetish? Could it be both? In the same body? You'll find out in February when you buy multiple copies of...

DEADPOOL & CABLE #26
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Penciled by LEO FERNANDEZ
Cover by DAVE WILKINS
 
Cable is dead, and no one’s more devastated than his old friend and partner, Deadpool (a.k.a. Wade Wilson, a.k.a. the Merc With the Mouth, a.k.a. the guy who’s in pretty much every other solicit this month). Sitting by Cable’s grave, Deadpool struggles to find the perfect way to honor his fallen mutant pal. Then… light bulb! Deadpool remembers Rumekistan, the troubled and totally fictional European country that Cable once tried to turn into a Utopia on earth. Deadpool travels there to establish up a Cable museum! A Cable amusement park! A Cable cable TV show! But Rumekistan isn’t quite what it used to be, and Deadpool’s appearance only makes things worse. To set things right, Deadpool will have to do more than just honor his old friend -- he must become him!
 
40 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99 

(God, do I love this Dave Wilkins cover.)

(Deadpool and) Cable #25

Wednesday brings the last issue of my Cable run... and appropriately enough, it takes us right back to the beginning:

COVERS BY: Simone Bianchi, Rob Liefeld
WRITER: Duane Swierczynski
PENCILS: Paco Medina

THE STORY:
"TWO MUTANTS AND A BABY" DOUBLE-SIZED FINAL ISSUE CO-STARRING DEADPOOL! You know, before that red-headed would-be messiah/destroyer of the world showed up, Cable had another partner. That's right: Wade Wilson -- a.k.a. Deadpool! And while everybody's excited about Cable bringing Hope back to the present to rejoin the X-Men, they're forgetting the most important part of the story: The beginning, back when Cable first lifted the helpless baby out of her incubator up in Alaska. Wait -- You don't think Cable did that alone, did you? You don't think he managed to make his way across hundreds of miles, avoiding Predator X and Purifiers without a little assist, do you? Hell no. Cable asked for help from his favorite Merc with a Mouth and now, finally, this action-packed, oversized story can be told. Before there can be an end, there must be a beginning. Rated T ...$3.99

You can check out some preview pages right here. And yeah, while the last issue of a run isn't usually the place to start with a particular comic... you can actually dive in with this one, since it's essentially a prequel. Hope you enjoy it.

New Comics Today: Metal!

I have two things on the racks at finer comic shops everywhere: Cable #23, which is the next-to next-to last issue, as well as an 11-page story called "Brainchild" in The Indomintable Iron Man #1. The latter is one of those cool, oversized, all black-and-white anthologies Marvel has been putting out lately, which so far have included Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu and Rampaging Wolverine. This is a thrill, because I'm a huge fan of b&w comics in general, going back to the Warren and Skywald horror mags from the 1970s, and of course, more recent crime comics like Sin City and Torso. For some reason, the Marvel catalog listing only mentions Paul Cornell and Howard Chaykin, but Alex Irvine and I are in there, too! (Honest!) Hope you give it a shot.

Out Today: Cable #22

I've been lax with these reminders lately, but Cable #22, the second installment of the big "Homecoming" arc, hits finer comic shops everywhere today. There are guns. Explosions. Muskets. Stand-offs. And as seen above, cute little badgers from the past. How can you resist, especially with amazing art by Gabriel Guzman?

Also, those of you who missed the Cable/Hope backup stories I did with Steve Dillon will be able to pick them up in a single issue this February.

Your First Look at Hope...

... all grown up.

CABLE #21
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Penciled by HUMBERTO RAMOS,
LAN MEDINA & PAUL GULACY
Cover by MARKO DJURDEVIC
“HOMECOMING,” PART 1
PRELUDE TO “X-MEN: SECOND COMING” EVENT!

From the moment Cable jumped into the time stream with the infant “mutant messiah,” he's had only one goal: keep Hope alive until she can choose her own destiny. But now, stranded on a planet in its death throes, eating fried rat on a stick for the millionth time, Hope turns to Cable and tells him she's ready to go home. Thus begins “Homecoming,” the penultimate chapter in the X-Men saga that began with “Messiah CompleX.” It's not only zero hour for Cable and Hope, but also for the mutant hunting them, Lucas Bishop, who is rapidly running out of chances to save mutantkind and the world. Because if Hope does make it back to the present, everything changes for the X-Men.

40 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Forthcoming Comicbookery

It's been a while since I've updated you guys on forthcoming comic book stuff.

First, there's Cable, which has just kicked off a new story arc: "Brood." Cable #18 is in shops now; Marvel.com has posted five preview pages of Gabriel Guzman's art from #19.

Speaking of Cable: In November, I'll be writing a series of Cable and Hope backup stories that will appear in four different X-books as a lead-up to the big fat Cable arc, "Homecoming" (which starts in Cable #21). These four stories are collectively called "Long Way Home," and will detail previously unseen moments throughout Cable and Hope's adventures. I've literally just learned the name of the artist who will be doing these stories, and I'm still giddy with fanboy glee. I wish I could tell. God, I really wish I could tell you. But you'll have to wait for the formal announcement.

I've also written a short story for Punisher: Frank Castle #75, an anthology due out this October. My story's called "Ghoul," and the artist is the one and only Tomm Coker, the mad genius who illustrated the cover of my novel, Severance Package. I've been dying to work with Tomm for a long time, and I'm thrilled we were paired up for this. The anthology also features the comics debut of Tom Piccirilli, and stories by Charlie Huston, Peter Milligan and Gregg Hurwitz, with art by Coker, Ken Lashley, Das Pastoras and Laurence Campbell.

Annnd I've written a short Deadpool story called "What Happens in Vegas," which will appear in October's Deadpool #900, with illustrations by the amazing Shawn Crystal. Other writers and artists jumping into the 'Pool: Jason Aaron, Victor Gischler, Mike Benson, Fred Van Lente, Joe Kelly, Charlie Huston, Kyle Baker, Sanford Greene, Damion Scott, Chris Staggs, Dalibor Talajic and the one and only Rob Liefeld.

But wait! that's not all! There are still two installments of my Immortal Iron Fist backup story ("Caretakers,"), which will appear in Immortal Weapons #4 and 5, due out in October and November. IW #4 is my own contribution to this mini-series, a one-shot tale starring the enigmatic Tiger's Beautiful Daughter, with art by Khari Evans.

So yeah. A lot of short stories. A lot of Cable. And there's another mini-series I'm working on that I can't talk about quite yet. (And no, it's not Jiminy Cricket MAX #1.)

An Anniversary Gift So Cool, You'll Wish You Were Married to My Wife

The Bride just handed me the best anniversary present ever: a Limited Edition Cable statue by sculptor Junnosuke Abe, inspired by his appearance in Cable #5 (and the artwork of the amazing Ariel Olivetti). But man, the photo just doesn't do it justice. This Cable is 13 4/5 inches of cold-cast porcelain bad ass-ery, complete with the armored baby carrier and oversized Liefeld-style gun. Plus: Flip a switch on the base and Cable's techno-organic eye lights up.

But wait! That's not all! Remove the top of the baby carrier, and look who's there!

Awwww, it's baby Hope, long before she even had a name!

So now Cable (and the baby) are guarding my comics collection. If you're nice to me, I'll let you look at it next time you visit. It's scary how well The Bride knows me, after all of these years. I feel like a kid at Christmas.

(Special thanks to fellas at Brave New Worlds in Philly, who helped The Bride acquire this glittering, techno-organic prize.)

A Fistful of Cable (Interviews)

In case you missed it, I answered reader questions about Cable in this week's "X-Position" at CBR.com. Plus, you'll find some exclusive art from Gabriel Guzman, who joins the series with issue #18. Also, I talk about Cable #17 with Marc Strom over at Marvel.com, and there you'll find three cool preview pages from current artist Paul Gulacy.

And finally, some readers have mistaken the "Hope Summers" in the X-Men relationship chart (a few posts down) for the other "Hope Summers." I dedicate this 1960s cheeseball classic to those readers.

Girl Missing

The "Messiah War" may be over, but that doesn't mean it's all marshmallows and rainbows for Cable and Hope—as you'll see in these preview pages for Cable #16, out today. Joining Cable is legendary artist Paul Gulacy, and his stuff blew me away from the very first page. Here's hoping you'll check out a copy.

Cable: Kind of a Slut

At least according to Uncanny X-Men.net's X-Men Universe Relationship Chart (via BoingBoing).

Get Your Cable On

Newsarama has posted a double-barrel "Messiah War" interview with Chris Yost and yours truly, if you want a sneak peek at what lies ahead. Cable #15, the penultimate installment of "Messiah War," appears next Wednesday; you can find a 5-page preview right here at CBR.com.

Mortal Wounds, War and Werewolves

If you've been waiting for an opportunity to jump on Immortal Iron Fist, here it is. My first arc, "The Mortal Iron Fist," is now out in hardcover at comic shops near you, as well as Amazon.com. This includes the first four issues of my run with Travel Foreman and Russ Heath (#17-20), as well as the done-in-one "Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California" (with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli). I'm proud of the whole damn thing, but especially "Death Queen," which was inspired by my trips to L.A. last summer.

And out this week is Cable #13, which is the second installment of the X-Force/Cable crossover series, "Messiah War." You can check out some preview pages over at CBR.com. God, do I love Ariel Olivetti's version of a future, gnarly Deadpool...

Also out this Wednesday: the final installment of Dead of Night: Werewolf By Night. You'll find some preview pages right here. Mico Suayan's art is amazingly freaky and nightmarish in that Creepy/Eerie/Psycho sort of way. Snap it up now; the trade paperback won't be out until late summer.

There Will Be Blood (and Skeletons)

CBR.com has a ton of preview pages up from Dead of Night: Werewolf By Night #3 (with art by the truly demented Mico Suayan... check out the wreckage around the airplane) and Cable #12 (with art by the truly awesome Jamie McKelvie... check out the cute skeletons in the downed space station). Both are on sale next Wednesday.

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.

This Means War...

... Messiah War, that is, which is a big X-Men mini-series kicking off this March. It's the official sequel to X-Men: Messiah Complex, and will play out over issues of X-Force and Cable. For more details, check out IGN's Richard George Q&A with me and Chris Yost right here.

(I was visiting the Marvel office earlier today, actually, kicking around some Cable cover concepts with X-Editors Axel Alonso, Sebastian Girner, John Barber and Jody LeHeup. Meanwhile, on the other side of Manhattan, a hero pilot saved 155 lives with a spectacular water landing in the Hudson River. Tell me today wasn't full of magic.)

Thrown to the Wolves

Two new Swierczy comics out today: Cable #10, which is the conclusion of the "Waiting for the End of the World" arc. One thing of note: finally, after nine issues (and a King-sized special), the Messiah Girl gets a name. No, it's not "Duanina." Check out the issue for more.

Also out: my first issue of Dead of Night: Werewolf By Night #1, with art by the amazing Mico Suayan (of Moon Knight fame). As I've yapped about previously, WBN was the first comic I ever read, and it's been an incredible treat to tell a Jack Russell story of my own. If you're into horror, I hope you'll give it a try. You can check out the first eight gore-soaked pages right here. And here's me talkin' Werewolf with CBR.com's Dave Richards.

Fight the Future

Today's new comics day (yes, on Thursday, no thanks to Thanksgiving), so be sure to pick up your copies of Cable #9 and Immortal Iron Fist #20.

I know budgets are extra tight these days, so huge thanks to all of you who spend the money on my stuff anyway, month after month.

Meanwhile, there's totally free sneak peak at Iron Fist #21 (a stand alone set in 3099) over at Marvel.com, as well as me nattering on about it. (Did I just use the word nattering?) Anyway, it hits Christmas Eve. Can you think of a better stocking stuffer for the nerd in your life?

Nerdery Update

Steve Ekstrom forced me to cough up the latest on my various comic projects, and the resulting Q&A can be found at Newsarama.com. (Possibly interesting aside: I was in the Marvel offices today when the above image, from Cable #11, was sent to Newsarama for inclusion in this Q&A.)

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