Comic-Con: Ed Brubaker thought Winter Soldier was going to be scrapped

Ed Brubaker can’t believe Winter Soldier has taken Bucky to where it has.

The writer chatted with EW’s Tim Leong during EW’s Con-X on Saturday about his co-created character, and revealed he was stunned at the grand reception.

“I thought I would be fired off the book and they would retcon that story and it would turn out to be a robot a year later,” he said. “I had no idea he would be starring in movies that make a billion-and-a-half dollars.”

Brubaker also discussed his latest monthly series with Sean Phillips, Kill or Be Killed, which traces someone with no other choice than to be a murderous vigilante.

“What happens to you when you start finding evil people that the world would be better off without and removing them?” Brubaker asked. “It’s something I actually haven’t seen explored in any of those kind of Death Wish-y kind of things, The Punisher.”

There’s a certain perverse nature to Brubaker’s work and other books announced by Image Comics, and the writer sees one particular through line: ”[They’re] books about how messed the f—ing world is right now,” he said. “I think that we were all inspired how horrific everything in the world feels right now.”

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Brubaker is as decorated as they come in the comics world, having won five Eisners (including one last Friday for The Fade Out). He and Phillips also made noise with their first Image collaboration: the 24-issue noir Fatale. Despite the dark nature of some of these works works, he tries to add a certain levity.

“I think [Kill or Be Killed] has a really funny suicide attempt,” Brubaker noted before bringing up examples of dark humor from one of TV’s hallowed shows. “How many moments in The Wire were you laughing at Jimmy McNulty,” he said, “and that’s the darkest story about America told?”

Given all that, it might surprise you which genre he pines to write for: “I’ve always wanted to do some kind of a great romance comic that’s different than old-fashioned romance comics.”

Con-X is a four-day getaway in Embarcadero Marina Park North in downtown San Diego. Made for all fans, Con-X allows anyone to get a taste of Comic-Con for free with panels, Q&A, trivia, music, screenings and more. Con-X runs through Sunday until 3 p.m. PT.

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