Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: jim lee, punisher

The Jim Lee Punisher Graphic Novel That Time Forgot…

A look inside the Jim Lee Punisher/Nick Fury graphic novel Rules Of The Game, what was published and what was not

Once upon a time, Jim Lee was going to draw a Punisher graphic novel. Indeed, he started it and drew the first thirteen pages, and it was announced in the Marvel Age magazine, as well as showing examples of artwork. But then… that was it. So what went down? And what about the missing original artwork?

The text reads: "Punisher hardcover graphic novel – Rules of the Game Writers: Gregory Wright & Jim Lee, Artist: Jim Lee. Editor: Don Daley, Format: 64 pg. hardcover, Cover price: $17.95 On sale: August
In New York, a new international drug pipeline appears, one that may have connections in high government offices. In the process of his war on crime, the Punisher discovers that S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters is being stolen high-tech weaponry is being stolen by the same international organization. Fury discovers these weapons overseas. The Punisher and Fury discover these weapons overseas. One that the pipeline leads all the way to Southeast Asia to find him. When he cross paths in Hong Kong, they form an uneasy alliance. Col. Fury wants to capture the criminal leader and bring him to justice. In the process, the Punisher hopes to uncover leads that will cripple other trends of the drug trade worldwide. The Punisher wants to kill a major source of lethal drugs, cutting off a major source of lethal drugs. The mission becomes personal when the hunted man turns out to be Walter Maddox, an old friend of Frank Castle, from the Vietnam War. By the time they reach the drug source in Cambodia, the Punisher and Fury discover they are at each other's throats before they decide how to deal with Maddox. And after they finish with each other, they have deal with mercenaries. And after they finish with Maddox. And they finish with each other, they have to deal with mercenaries in their way."

Writer Gregory Wright went on social media to fill in the gaps. "It never got finished because Jim became the X-Men artist and then went to help found Image. Time got away from him. We discussed getting done a few times but time and his position at Image and the DC put a halt to it. There are unfinished layouts in Jim's hands that I had kept safe. Finished art is what disappeared. Nothing has shown up online or collectors circles."

"And just to give the backstory to anyone who doesn't know it…This book came about when Tom DeFalco came down to Don Daley's Punisher office and said they needed him to create a Punisher special project ASAP so they could get it into circulation. Don asked Me, Jim and Carl Potts to write and illustrate a 48 page special. Carl felt that 3 people plotting wasn't a great idea, so Jim proposed that he illustrate 2 projects…one with him and I plotting (we had already had discussions about the idea that would become RULES OF THE GAME) and one with Carl. Marvel. of course. loved the idea of 2 Jim Lee Punisher projects so both were approved. Jim chose to do the one he and I had come up with first since we had already began a discussion. Jim and I co-plotted the story based on my initial springboard. We realized that what we planned was not going to fit into 48 pages and I was sent to pitch to Tom DeFalco for it to be a 64 page graphic Novel instead. He loved the pitch and gave us the go and decided it would also be a hardcover. SWEET! Over the next couple weeks Jim did full size layouts for the entire GN, with me pitching in layout suggestions for many sequences (such as the flashing light sequence in the nightclub). I scripted about 1 third of it, Jim did finished art on about a third of it and then the X-Men interfered followed by Image. Now…since this project wasn't going to get done as fast as Marvel wanted…Don Daley was in need on ANOTHER Punisher project that WOULD get done fast. I had another pitch ready and NO ESCAPE was quickly given a go with Tod Smith and Danny Bulanadi on the art. We did this REALLY fast. Now, as time was ticking by, it became clear that Jim was not going to get to Carl's project anytime soon. I was leaving staff, and Carl arranged for ME to freelance edit HIS Punisher project with a new artist. We had Marc SIlvestri lined up and he did a couple really fantastic pages before he bowed out, I THINK because of him going to Image… And then I THINK I offered it to Ron Garney, but either he was unavailable…or didn't want to take on a project that had Jim and Marc attached…I could be mistaken. I fancy it ended ups at Carl's suggestion with Gary Erskine, and Marvel decided that instead of a hardcover Graphic novel, it would be a 3 issue mini series. And as you all know RULES OF THE GAME was never completed and finished pages disappeared. It's really sad, I loved the work Jim and I did together, and if you've seen his art, you know how great it is. You never know…Jim could decide to resurrect the project some day in some form."

As to the pages "Jim and I never got a contract. We never got paid. That was on purpose from our side. We didn't want them scheduling it before it was ready or choosing to "edit" stuff against our wished so we never vouchered for it. That means Marvel doesn't own it and can't publish any of it until we sign a contract and get paid. In order to keep control…I had possession of the actual layouts( with both Jim and Marvel permission) and would send them to the letterer who would send them to Jim after the office saw approved Xerox copies. So when Jim stopped working, I did as well. There are scripted lettered pages that may never have made it to Jim. Who knows where they are? We both sort of forgot about all this for several years until I discovered I still had the layouts and returned them to Jim. And Marvel did try to get me to allow them to hire another artist to finish off the book a couple times. I refused to go with that idea without Jim. And even if I had wanted to do it, they would still need Jim's permission as the story was both his and mine."

Maybe not so missing? The Wizard Millenium Jim Lee edition printed original artwork from the uncompleted comic… but that is long out of print. Here are some YouTube screencaps….

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!