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 The exclusive collaboration between Eminem and Marvel Comics for a special Punisher comic book hits stores this week.
As previously reported, the comic entitled Eminem/Punisher: Kill You will be released via the rapper's XXL coverstory where he is dressed in a Punisher costume.
The partnership started with the XXL magazine photo shoot where the editors suggested that Eminem be presented as a character in the Marvel Universe.
According to an LA Times story, Em is an intense comics fan and collector, who loved the idea a lot. At first, Marvel expected Em to go for Wolverine, but surprised them with choosing Punisher.
"We thought he might want to do something as Wolverine since the movie is coming out right now, or maybe Spider-Man or one of the classic big names, and we were pleasantly surprised when he said he wanted to do a story with the Punisher," Michael Pasciullo, of Marvel Entertainment, told the paper. "He's a true fan, and it showed throughout the process."
This comic is part one of a two-part series, which will be released in XXL's June issue May 5. The same day, part two will be released online as a digital comic book at Marvel.com/Eminem.
The 36-year-old rapper also requested that either John Romita Sr. (who had a hand in designing the character way back in 1974) or the stylish Larocca handle the penciling for the issue, which "really showed how much he knows and cares about Marvel and its history," Pasciullo said.
"He also requested that the villain be Barracuda, and that's when we knew we were dealing with a real fan," Pascuillo said. "How many people know Barracuda? I think this was really fun for him, and I know it was fun for us."
The mag's feature story and partnership with Marvel comes as Eminem gears up for the release of his new album, Relapse, on May 19th. The album is his first album in nearly three years.
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