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DEADPOOL:
SUICIDE KINGS
#1 cover by
Mike McKone |
By Marc Strom
Beginning in April,
Deadpool's caseload will double.
DEADPOOL: SUICIDE KINGS, a five-part limited series starring everybody's favorite wisecracking sociopath, launches in April from the creative team of writer Mike Benson and artist Carlo Barberi.
While still a few months away, Benson let slip a few details on what else fans can expect from Deadpool's upcoming romp.
"It's a story that revolves around a bet," the writer says of the series' plot. "Basically, Deadpool has been set up by some rich frat boy who's in the hole to his bookie. So a bet is struck, double or nothing, that Deadpool can be taken out. Only, a number of heavy hitters are now after to him as a result. One of them being the
Punisher."
For Benson, the chance to write Marvel's Merc with a Mouth came with a simple offer, one he had no trouble accepting.
"[Executive Editor] Axel Alonso presented the opportunity to me," he reveals. "It was a way for me to flex other muscles that I might not get to writing MOON KNIGHT. Namely, comedy. I love gallows humor, so it was an interesting challenge."
Though Benson didn't become familiar with the character until recently, he quickly discovered an affinity for him thanks to the current DEADPOOL series.
"To be perfectly honest, Deadpool was not a character I grew up reading," confesses Benson. "My first real exposure to him was reading [current DEADPOOL writer] Daniel Way's monthly, and I really dug it. Daniel has made this title one of my favorites right now. It's one of those books I see in the shop and it puts a smile on my face. It's so much fun. And the art looks fantastic. Daniel has set the bar very high.
"Then I started buying the older trades and quickly became very fond of the character. I really enjoyed [writer and Deadpool co-creator] Fabian Nicieza's DEADPOOL VS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE. It cracked me up and I read it in one sitting."
Benson tells us that he frequently finds himself drawn to a similar type of character, and Deadpool proves no exception to that mold.
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DEADPOOL VS
THE MARVEL
UNIVERSE |
"What's so unique about the title is the manic tone and how there is a very delicate balance between action and comedy. I tend to gravitate toward characters with mental issues—first
Moon Knight, and now Deadpool."
SUICIDE KINGS marks the first time in his history that Deadpool has had two series running concurrent to one another, and Benson ascribes the character's resurgent popularity to a number of factors.
"First off, Deadpool is one of those characters that have die hard fans," Benson notes. "And with the success of Daniel's monthly, it was the right time to launch another. Not to mention, Deadpool will be making an appearance in '
X-Men Origins: Wolverine,' and I think this just gets more people familiar with the character. Sort of a perfect storm. Either way, I just feel extremely lucky to have this opportunity and hope to do it justice."
DEADPOOL: SUICIDE KINGS begins wreaking havoc this April. For more of the Merc with a Mouth, check out Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
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