Marvel Announces CM Punk Is Writing Master Of Kung Fu One-Shot

Marvel is bringing back the Master of Kung Fu, and the lethal martial artist is bringing some star power with him.

If you're going to write a book about a fighter, why not get someone who understands that frame of mind? That's the thinking when Marvel releases the Master of Kung Fu one-shot with UFC and former WWE superstar CM Punk at the helm. Punk will be working with fellow martial arts practitioner Dalibor Talajic, who told Syfy he has a genuine fondness for the character.

"I grew up on Shang Chi!" said Talajic. "I am a huge fan of Bruce Lee, so naturally I adore Shang Chi as well. I love both [Paul] Gulacy and [Mike] Zeck stuff. Gulacy treated Shang Chi like a noir book, while Zeck made it very impressive in fight scenes. I had my dream come true some two years ago when I did the Master of Kung Fu mini with Haden Blackman. The editor on this project, Kathleen Wisnecky, knows me from that time, so I hope she was pleased with what we did back then and she called me back."

Like Punk, Talajic also has a background in the martial arts, making him a perfect fit for this one-shot.

"I myself was a kung fu practitioner," he confessed. "So if there are going to be fight scenes, you can expect them to be quite grounded in something that's persuasive, not just random kicks. If you browse through the books I did so far, I always try to make my action scenes fluid and forceful. Over the top sometimes, yes, but fluid. And since it's Shang Chi we're talking about ... He is the greatest fighter there is - so yes, you can expect some seriously spectacular stuff."

Marvel also previewed the issue's cover, along with covers for Daredevil #595, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #297, and Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #25, which can all be seen in the gallery.

The Master of Kung Fu one-shot is slated to hit later this year, and you can find the official synopsis below.

CM Punk (W) • Dalibor Talajic (A)
Cover by MIKE MAYHEW
Shang-Chi's Day Off Part 1 (OF 1)

The Marvel Universe is full of fighters: brawlers, scrappers, weapons experts, mystical kung fu virtuosi. But there's only one martial artist skilled enough to be called the greatest. SHANG-CHI has been a pinch hitter for a long time, stepping in for Avengers missions when no one else would do, but when no one can match your speed or skill, sometimes it's best to work alone. To see what you've been missing if you don't know Shang-Chi, don't miss MASTER OF KUNG FU!