Rob Liefeld, who co-created the Merc with a Mouth in 1990 with Fabian Nicieza, is returning to Deadpool with a new limited series launching in 2023.
Marvel announced Liefeld would write and illustrate Deadpool: Badder Blood, a five-issue limited series that serves as a sequel to 2017's Deadpool: Bad Blood. In Deadpool: Bad Blood, Wade Wilson/Deadpool finds himself facing off against a new enemy named Thumper. The title was initially a graphic novel but was published as a serialized series by Marvel in 2022.
The publisher said of Deadpool: Badder Blood, "This latest chapter will see the Merc with the Mouth team up with guest stars like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Cable against a dangerous new villain. Deadpool’s upcoming mission will also raise the stakes of Deadpool’s intense feud with his adversary known as Thumper, revealing surprising details about the deadly killer’s origin along the way. Additionally, fans will be introduced to brand-new Liefeld created characters including KILLVILLE, ARCATA, and the mysterious warrior SHATTERSTORM!"
"Deadpool really doesn’t have a Rogue’s Gallery of his own, he mostly tangles with other heroes or villains, so I dedicated the entirety of Bad Blood to building up the story of Thumper," Liefeld told The Hollywood Reporter. "With Badder Blood, Thumper is making moves across the gangs and crime organizations of the Marvel Universe to squeeze Deadpool and deliver him into his clutches. Thumper is also moving to destroy all the scientists behind the Weapon X program and specifically the program that created him. It’s a romp that continues to build out a Rogues Gallery for Deadpool."
The Merc With a Mouth Takes Over the Marvel Universe
Along with Deadpool: Badder Blood, Marvel will continue to put out writer Alyssa Wong and artist Martin Coccolo's ongoing Deadpool series, which launched in Nov. 2022, throughout 2023. So far, the series has followed Wade shortly after he's hired by a group of elite assassins to kill Otto Octavius/Doc Ock. His plans are foiled, however, when he's kidnapped by Harrower and infected with a symbiote. While the symbiote has caused Wade to grow additional arms out of his body, Deadpool #2, which released Dec. 13, 2022, sees him continue in his attempt to assassinate the notorious Spider-Man villain and partnering with notorious Wolverine villain Lady Deathstrike.
Deadpool: Badder Blood #1 is written, features art and cover art by Liefeld. The issue releases June 2023.
Source: Marvel, The Hollywood Reporter