A graphic novel sequel to The Expendables is in the works, with the team of action heroes taking the fight to some of real-life history's most notorious villains. Aptly called The Expendables Go to Hell, the story was conceived by franchise creator and star Sylvester Stallone along with Bane writer Chuck Dixon. Graham Nolan, who frequently collaborates with Dixon and helped co-create Bane, provides the artwork. Several samples of Nolan's illustrations from the graphic novel have also been revealed.
The Expendables movies each feature a variety of characters played by various popular action stars, but The Expendables Go to Hell will primarily follow a core group of five members. Straight from the movies and looking as they do on the big screen, the comic includes team leader and military veteran Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone); second in command knife fighter Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial artist Yin Yang (Jet Li); and demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture). In some of the sample artwork, Ross is seen in a fistfight with Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, and Joseph Stalin, giving us an idea as to some of the villains the Expendables will be faced with.
The circumstances of how this happens aren't clear, but the story of The Expendables Go to Hell picks up with the group awakening in Hell after getting killed in combat. I would have imagined these characters would have definitely made it into heaven, given how they're depicted as the heroes in the movies, but I guess they have killed a lot of people. Admittedly, this concept might be a bit too outlandish to work as a big screen sequel to The Expendables series, but as a comic book, it sure looks and sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Especially with no recent updates on the status of the franchise's return to theaters with another movie sequel.
The main story will consist of 50 pages, with three additional stories also included as a part of The Expendables Go to Hell. This includes "The Bridge," where Barney finds "the soul of his still-living friend Tool (Mickey Rourke)" trapped in Hell alongside him with art by Jason Johnson; "Christmas in Hell," where Lee is lured away from the team just when they need him most, with art by Kelsey Shannon; and "Barbarian's Holiday," where Gunner "makes the most of a bad situation" with art by Butch Guice. Kelsey Shannon draws the Main Cover artwork, though there will be multile variant covers from Billy Tucci (SHI), Richard C. Meyer (Jawbreakers), Jason Johnson (Team 7), Renzo Rodriguez (Desolation Wave), and possibly more.
The Expendables Go to Hell sought its funding through Indiegogo, and the project is already more than 540% funded. This means we'll definitely be seeing the graphic novel coming to fruition, and its estimated shipping date is listed as May 2020. For now, there's still time to get in on some of the project's exclusive perks with your own donation. For more information about the project or to donate to the campaign, you can head over to The Expendables Go to Hell on Indiegogo.
