February 2010 brings a book I'm very fond of: DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #896 featuring the incredible return of the CHARACTER YOU DEMANDED -- U.S. Ace, Marvel Comics' very own trucker supreme!
Now, that sentence might have confused you. Don't be scared. Here's everything you need to know:
1. U.S. Ace was originally called U.S.1. He was an original character created as a tie-in to a toy truck. The truck is gone, but the legend lives on.
2. U.S. Ace/1 was created to cash in on the CB radio/trucker craze. Sadly, the CB craze peaked around 1976. U.S. didn't come along until 1983. By the end of his twelve-issue run, they had no idea what to do with him, so they sent him into outer space. Somehow this made sense back when Reagan was President.
2a. Despite this, the last issue had kind of a nice fill-in art job by Steve Ditko. Go figure.
3. I took on the challenge of making U.S. relevant to the modern era. (Heh -- got through THAT sentence with a straight face!) Like a lot of working men, his life hasn't worked out quite the way he hoped. So now he's back on Earth trying to make it the best he can...which unfortunately means taking jobs from...
4. ...his brother, the demonic Highwayman. You may have seen the Highwayman recently, when he fought Ghost Rider. If you didn't, don't worry about it. This issue contains all you need to know about him. He runs a trucking company. How EEEEVIL!
5. It's just possible you haven't managed to collect the entire run of DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #1-895. If so, it's your own fault. Call up Mile High Comics or Bud Plant and start badgering them. Rudely.
6. This comic book also has killer raccoons, dated slang, and an original country song. Oh, and Deadpool.
7. It's the funniest thing I've ever written, and a lot of the credit goes to Shawn Crystal. Shawn has done some issues of the regular DEADPOOL monthly lately, but he's totally pulled out the stops here. I'll post some art as soon as I can. You won't believe Deadpool in a trucker hat with a CB radio.
There. All clear now? If not, come by my signing at Jim Hanley's Universe on December 2nd and ask me to explain. (Not rudely.) Or just buy the damn book in February!
4 comments:
What's up with the gun-slinging raccoons? I love that! I want to read a comic about THEM! Hell, I want to DRAW a comic about them! :)
I like 'em too. Humberto Ramos drew them up nice on the cover, but Shawn's interiors are at least as good and even harsher looking. Here's hoping they're massively, unimaginably popular, and that we get a raccoon spinoff out of them.
I'll cross my fingers!
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