Fabian Nicieza talks about Cable & Deadpool

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showth...?threadid=26418

 

THE DYSFUNCTIONAL DUO: CABLE AND DEADPOOL!

 

Blood, metal, bullets and laughs will all be flying fast and furious soon thanks to writer Fabian Nicieza who is teaming up the most unlikely pair in comics for a brand new ongoing series. Cable & Deadpool begins next week and ComiX-Fan caught up with the legendary X-Men scribe to find out what insanity fans are in store for.

 

Both characters were created more than 10 years ago during Bob Harras' reign as Marvel's EIC and X-Men group editor. Rob Liefeld (X-Force) was responsible for Cable but he and Nicieza co-created Deadpool. Since then both characters had a healthy shelf life in X-Force as well as their individual series but with both books recently cancelled, not to mention talk of a Deadpool movie, Nicieza realized there was an opportunity to do something more with these characters.

 

The book was originally solicited to come out late last year but was delayed. Since Marvel's ‘reload' movement was announced it seemed more than just a coincidence that the book was going to ship around the same time.

 

"CDP was actually delayed to accommodate artist Mark Brooks, who was given the Marvel Age assignment," Nicieza says. "Marvel wanted him to do both books, so CDP. was rescheduled to try and allow for that."

 

"As for the Reload thing, I honestly can't say where or if CDP falls into that marketing launch. If it does, great. Getting some publicity would be nice. If it doesn't because it's coming out too early, then we have to swim on our own."

 

For most fans it isn't a question of how much they like each of these characters. Both had their own ongoing series and have passed through the hands of a dozen or so writers. Still, the major question isn't in fan interested in them as individuals, but in wondering what on earth makes them team up?

 

"I think mainly because both characters have substantial appeal and a very core loyal following. There is a partial overlap between that following, so hopefully we're bringing the parts that don't overlap into the fold and we have a larger audience for CDP," Nicieza says.

 

"Personally, since I hadn't written them in 10 years, there was no demarcation point in my mind as to when they stopped being interrelated characters. In my mind, they were ALWAYS meant to be antagonists to each other, so having them share the book feels very natural."

 

"Plus, we have a fun hook planned that doesn't give them much choice in the matter."

 

Current plans have the book scheduled as an ongoing series, however both sales and fan response will, as always, make that a future editorial choice to continue or not. It's a situation the writer knows all too well, having informed us that his other recent launch, Hawkeye, will be ending with issue #8. How long Cable & Deadpool will last boils down to how much staying power the two characters have as a team.

 

"Every new launch nowadays seems to be 'a limited series whose length has yet to be determined'. I am saying that with a smile not a frown!" Nicieza jokes.

 

"I think the first six-issue arc very naturally flows into the second arc, further solidifying the twisted buddy book concept and also adding some high-octane fuel to the fire of what the characters have to do."

 

"I think both characters flow very naturally from their recent storylines into this new series. Both have grown, learned and questioned a lot of things in my 'time away' from them, but thankfully, both completely went in the directions I had mapped out for them almost 10 years ago!"

 

So they seem to be in safe hands, but the most direct question would be how are these two going to get along without killing each other?

 

"They're not," Nicieza says simply. "At first, they kill each other quite often. Eventually, they'll stop doing that, mostly because blood stains and entrails are really hard to get off the carpet."

 

"The challenge is in keeping the characters from killing each other on every other page."

 

And now for a fun section we like to refer to as ‘three takes to answer a simple question'.

 

"What brings them together? One is entering from the north side, the other from the south. Whoops. Crap. Bang! Bang! Aaaagh! Ugh! My brain! You bastard! Gurgle."

 

Take two?

 

"After that, you'll be surprised. Their union will be unique on both a physical and spiritual level."

 

Take three?

 

"One thing that easily and smoothly unites these characters is their loneliness. It is so much at the heart and core of who they are that it is very easy to play those strings on both of them."

 

To make matters worse in terms of characters that he may or may not want to bring in, rumour and speculation has Rob Liefeld potentially returning to Marvel and rebooting X-Force.

 

"It's a big ol' world with plenty of time for these characters to have lots of adventures," Nicieza says, not sounding concerned should the series happen or not.

 

So while some bigger Marvel universe names may be occupied, Nicieza offered up a few of the people that will be contributing to CDP's supporting cast.

 

"Cable supporting cast member Irene Merryweather plays an important role. There are some cameos by some established characters, one in issue #3 should be a nice surprise and a good set-up for some future fun."

 

"The foes will be an eclectic mix of new and unexpected surprised. Initially, Cable and Deadpool are each others' greatest foes. But again, those carpet stains… so, they'll have to work together."

 

"After that, well, like I said, the Marvel Universe is a pretty big place. These two guys can easily do enough to get EVERYONE in it coming after them, don't you think?"

 

Nicieza says that it's Deadpool's unpredictable nature that lets him go in totally unexpected directions. Part of what he's looking forward to with this series is the chane to revisit old favorites but also to just to have fun.

 

"Since Deadpool's actions don't really require logical thought, he can do things other characters couldn't, which opens thing sup plot wise quite a bit, since you rarely have to justify his stupidities!"

 

"As for Cable, it is and always has been his desperate desire to find a reason to live. Simple as that. This guy should have swallowed the barrel of a gun a long time ago and he hasn't. The "why?" is the fundamental driving force of the character. I hope to explore that in VERY interesting ways."

 

Upcoming series' of Marvel Legends figures seem to be riding the Nicieza bandwagon. Series 6 due out soon has both Cable and Deadpool in its line up with Series 7 following with Hawkeye. All are characters currently written by Nicieza. Coincidence?

 

"And at least on Hawkeye's solicit art, he has his TBOLTS logo on his belt!" Nicieza says.

 

"I'd say they happen to tie in to product release -- toys and comics -- and i just happen to be writing two of them, that's all. I'm usually not a big fan of the Marvel toys, but I'll probably get those three!"

 

Personally, we really like the Legends series. But then, we bought a lot of the Marvel figures over the years. I even have Slayback (an old character introduced in a Nicieza-penned Deadpool mini that new Wilson from Weapon X. No one ever used him again but he rated a figure, apparently).

 

"You're the one!" Nicieza says happily.

 

I had two. The first one's arms broke off right away. Stupid springs. I had 'em all... Now I'm broke and living on the street.

 

"If you sell them thru eBay," Nicieza suggests, "you might be able to afford a box."

 

Comforting.

 

Cable & Deadpool goes on sale next week from Marvel!

[thuganomics 0]

Blech.

 

If they wanted to get fans behind Cable, bring back Robert Weinberg, whose run on the book was massively popular. But Marvel decided for some insane reason to replace him with David Tischmann for no good reason. I don't see a reason why anything Nicieza creates with Liefeld will be as good as it was last time.

 

That being said, I hope they prove me wrong, but I doubt it.

[Steviekick 0]

For some reason (propably nostalgia), I'm a little curious about this series. I'll propably wind up picking up an issue and getting freaked out, annoyed, and never looking at it again.

[starvenger 0]

If you ignore the outside, the Mark Brooks/UDON interiors are pretty nice. I haven't actually read the book though, and I'd rather Fabe revisit his OTHER Marvel team of the 90's anyways.

[Steviekick 0]

I will admit that I'm not that fond of a lot of the anime influenced comic art, but I really like what I saw with UDON in the Taskmaster limited series. They are a guilty pleasure for me.

[converge241 0]

i cant believe liefeld and nicieza are doing another xforce series