Author George R.R. Martin will be joining forces with Marvel Comics for a limited series based on his “Wild Cards” stories.
Before he wrote “A Song of Ice and Fire” on which the “Game of Thrones” TV series was based, Martin developed and edited the “Wild Cards” anthology book series, based on stories by Harold Waldrop, Roger Zelazny, and Martin.
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.
“As my fans may already know, the ‘Wild Cards’ World holds a special place in my heart,” Martin said in a press release. “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.”
The limited Marvel Comic series, titled “Wild Cards: The Drawing of the Cards,” will be written by Paul Cornell and artist Mike Hawthorne.
“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 in the press release.
“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!”
“Wild Cards: The Drawing of the Cards” will be released June 1, 2022.