Some drew an ace, and get super powers. Some drew a joker, and their bodies mutate. The lucky ones, perhaps, drew the Black Queen, dying painfully. These are the victims of the Wild Card virus, and the focus of the Wild Cards shared universe novels edited by George R.R. Martin. A series begun in the mid-80s and currently in development as a series of TV series, Wild Cards finally returns to comics — and Marvel has it.
Paul Cornell and Mike Hawkins will adapt (and somewhat reimagine) the origins of the series, featuring the original line-up of heroes and villains in Wild Cards: The Drawing of Cards. If you don’t know the Wild Cards universe, this will be a great entry point, and perhaps it will be followed up by reprints of the previous comics series from Marvel. Some of science fiction’s best writers contribute to the anthology novels, and Cornell is no slouch himself.
From Marvel:
For the first time in comic book form, witness the very beginning of the Wild Cards mythos with an adaptation of the very first stories in the original Wild Cards novel. Based on stories by Harold Waldrop, Roger Zelazny and series master-mind and editor, George R.R. Martin, Wild Cards is a fascinating saga set in a whole new world reshaped by the emergence of superpowers. The limited series, titled THE DRAWING OF CARDS, will be written by a team of comic superstars, writer Paul Cornell and artist Mike Hawthorne, and serve as a perfect entry point for Wild Cards newcomers and a must-have new reimagining for Wild Cards aficionados!
Spanning more than 25 novels, 20 short stories, and written by more than 40 authors over three decades, the Wild Cards series tells the story of an alternate history where Earth is home to super-powered individuals. When a human is infected with the alien “Wild Card” virus, the odds are that they will be killed… which is referred to as “drawing the black queen”. Of those that survive, the bulk of them become “jokers”, left with some strange mutated form. A lucky few are called “aces”, those gifted with super powers they can put to use towards heroic goals… or villainous ones.
“Wild Cards is still a unique take on super heroes, a creation story that’s influenced everything since, but still maintains its power,” Cornell said. “It’s an honor and a pleasure to bring all these wonderful stories to their natural home at Marvel, and I hope to give George, Melinda and the rest of the Wild Cards Collective the credit they deserve for making the super hero myth new again. Plus: just look at that art!”
“As my fans may already know, the Wild Cards World holds a special place in my heart, so to have the privilege of announcing that an industry titan like MARVEL is going to produce the narrative from the beginning as a comic book brings me no end of joy,” Martin added.
Relive the epic stories of Wild Cards or visit this incredible world for the very first time when WILD CARDS: THE DRAWING OF CARDS #1 hits stands on June 1.
