Renowned comic book artist and co-founder of Image Comics, Rob Liefeld, has officially announced his retirement from working on future Deadpool-related projects, marking the end of a dynamic era in the comic book industry.
Rob Liefeld, the artistic genius behind the creation of Deadpool and Cable during his tenure in Marvel Comics, shared the news with fans. The superstar comic book creator expressed mixed emotions about bidding farewell to the character that has been a significant part of his illustrious career spanning close to four decades.
Rob Liefeld shared this news on his social media, such as on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
I am retiring from Deadpool. It’s official. Yup, after 33 years of not only introducing Deadpool but chronicling many of his most popular adventures it’s time for the Deadpool Daddy to say farewell. One of the fun parts about getting older is you can retire from things, so here I… pic.twitter.com/Kq4XAjslNT
— robliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 5, 2024
With a legacy that includes more than 1,000 pages of Deadpool adventures and a substantial impact on the comic book landscape, Liefeld’s decision comes as no surprise – but it’s a sting to see him go nonetheless.
Liefeld, who has revisited and chronicled Deadpool’s adventures for 33 years, made the official announcement. “I am retiring from Deadpool,” he declared. “After 33 years of not only introducing Deadpool but chronicling many of his most popular adventures, it’s time for the Deadpool Daddy to say farewell.”
The retirement confirmation follows the release of Liefeld’s Deadpool: Badder Blood in the latter half of 2023, a project he referred to as “the last dance” during its development. Despite this farewell, Deadpool’s legacy continues to thrive, with a third movie slated for release in 2024, featuring the highly anticipated return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine alongside Ryan Reynolds.
Liefeld promised to delve deeper into his decision to retire from Deadpool in the recent episode of his comic book podcast, Robservations, offering fans insight into this significant transition in his career. Whether fans will still have the opportunity to secure a Deadpool commission at Liefeld’s future convention appearances remains a question to be answered.
Deadpool, initially introduced as a villain in New Mutants, quickly rose to prominence. The self-proclaimed ‘Merc-with-a-Mouth’ became a fixture in the X-Force launch and the broader X-Men family of titles. X-Force #1 achieved unprecedented success, selling over 5 million copies upon publication and maintaining strong resale value, distinguishing it from other 90’s hits.
While he has announced his retirement to working on Deadpool for Marvel, Liefeld has also introduced a new creator-owned comic titled Last Blood, available for purchase on Whatnot. The secrecy surrounding Last Blood helped drive interest, and the first issue of the comic sold out within minutes of its release, fetching sky-high prices, particularly for the exclusive variant covers.
This harkens back to one of the biggest events in the comic industry wherein Rob Liefeld, together with other Marvel’s top-tier superstars, founded Image Comics. Liefeld’s Youngblood was on the forefront, along with Todd McFarlane‘s Spawn and Jim Lee’s Wild C.A.T.s.
Exclusive LAST BLOOD Manga Black Cover Editions premiering tonight on our livestream! 7pm pacific! https://t.co/7aa0Ee7Zxh pic.twitter.com/JpJDKnjCJ3
— robliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 4, 2024
The Last Blood comic’s unique direct-to-consumer model has already garnered attention from publishers, but Liefeld is determined to maintain a balance, exploring a retail program that allows comic book stores to participate while preserving the distinctive appeal of Last Blood.
Regardless, while Liefeld is bidding Deadpool farewell, the veteran comic book superstar is proceeding forward to the next chapter of his creator-owned journey. Marvel Studios is targeting Deadpool 3 for release on July 26, 2024. But will it be Ryan Reynolds’ final appearance of the character just as the X-Men franchise becomes part of the MCU?
