Greetings CHU Nation!!
Are you ready for the biggest FOC week ever?!!
Well, let me know when that comes along. For now we’ll have to make the best with this week’s offerings. Sorry if I got your hopes up there. It’ll be fine. There are some fun books out this week. And if you get bored, maybe there’s a half-way decent movie coming out this weekend or something.
Let’s begin now…
Judge These Books By Their Cover (Art)
There are a lot of covers I like this week. But many go along with spec picks. Here are the ones I like solely for their covers.
Detective Comics #1073 – Cover A (Evan Cagle)
Detective Comics A covers have been pretty good lately. I’m kinda diggin’ this Evan Cagle are style. I was going to grab Issue 1072 for the Solomon Grundy cover this week, but my LCS didn’t have any shelf copies (yeah, my LCS is really cutting back lately…even on the go-to books. Little worrisome).
Anyway, not a spec book. Probably not a book you need to order pre FOC (unless you shop at my LCS). I just feel Cagle deserves a little shout out for a job well done.
Star Wars #36 (Ordway Classic Trade Dress Variant)
Ok, this one is not for everyone, but Jerry Ordway has his fans, and some of his covers are synonymous with classic Marvel Star Wars comics. So again not a spec pick, but more a nostalgia pick. I believe this is the first of a series of Ordway covers to come across the various Star Wars titles (set in the Skywalker Saga timeframe, I believe…I don’t think he’ll be doing any High Republic). So we’ll get to see his take on some more modern characters like Doctor Aphra in the weeks coming.
Venom #22 (Josh Cassara Hellfire Gala Variant)
Dylan has a lot of potential. But he does not have a good history of cover appearances. Let’s take a trip down (short term) member lane.
He’s been drawn scared out of his mind, as a newborn, eating at a diner, or just confused.
So this cover stands out for that reason. Being a Hellfire Gala Variant, it’s not like this character shows up in the book…but there’s some potential here. It’s kinda bad ass. And I like it. But it’s Marvel, so they’ll do whatever they do and say it’s because we demanded it…
What if that radioactive spider we all know and love bit JONAH JAMESON?!
Ok, obviously the Dream Spider cover is pretty dope. So you gotta grab it for that. But the solicitation promises JJ possibly turning into a spider character. THAT sounds like fun. I hope they do the story justice. And who knows, maybe we’ll get a 2nd print with Spider-JJ on the cover…?
Knight Terrors First Blood #1 – Cover E (Neon Ink Card Stock Variant)
The thrills and chills of Knight Terrors are brought to the DC Universe by DC architect and superstar writer Joshua Williamson with horrific art by comics legend Howard Porter!
Back to DC books…
You really had me at “Neon Ink.” Howard Porter’s art doesn’t below me away, but this cover might. It’s a variation of the A cover.
The Knight Terrors start here too. So if you plan on picking this up for the read, why not grab the neon cover?
First Time for Everything
Action Comics #1056 – Cover B (Rafa Sandoval Variant)
A shocking new character makes their debut as the thrill-packed Speeding Bullets concludes!
No clue who this could be. And new characters in Action Comics (and most of DC books) haven’t generated too much buzz in recent years. But as of writing this I haven’t nailed down who the character is on Cover B (shown). Should it be the new character, well first plus cover checks a few boxes. Rafa Sandoval is listed as one of the interior artists…so I guess keep an eye on this one.
Moon Knight #25 (Jtc Negative Space Variant)
The past comes back to bedevil Moon Knight as he pursues his latest enemy, someone once familiar and new.
Ok, we all know Layla (you got me on my knees) El-Fauoly is making her debut in this book (from the Moon Knight Disney+ series). And just because Marvel thinks reaching 25 issues in a run is an accomplishment to celebrate these days, it’s a $9.99 cover price. Oh, and there’s a billion variants already. (At least a billion)
What we’ve also been told is that her alter ego, Scarlet Scarab, is said to “debut” in City of the Dead (also on FOC this week, although it releases a week later). It seems likely we only see Layla in MK25. I’m personally waiting out for the 2nd print with Layla on the cover. Although I won’t get my hopes up they’ll make a good decision and put her on the cover art (we’ve seen some pretty bad swing and misses from marvel for their 2nd prints lately…cough cough…Warlock…).
But if I have to pick one for this book, I’m liking the JTC negative space variant. Yes, I know negative spaces are now a dime a dozen these days. But this is Werewolf by Night. It would have been better if they used blood red for the background though. Probably get that for the 2nd print…
Moon Knight City of the Dead #1 (Artist Variant)
BEHOLD!! THE DEBUT OF THE NEW SCARLET SCARAB IN ALL HER GLORY!!
The artist variant it totally the way to go here. Likely a first full + cover for the scarab. I don’t recommend going for any store exclusives unless you are into the character/art. It is Moon Knight, after all, let’s not forget that. It’s not like Scarab is going to be the next Spider-Gwen. Cool cover, though.
Realities collide in this oversized special issue where the Turtles come face to face with a threatening force from the future!
So likely a new character. It may even be another Turtle, or a future version of themselves if it’s the character on Cover A. I’m grabbing for the read…Turtle spec is finicky, so if they kill the character off could be dud spec-wise
It’s an annual, so cover price is $6.99, but it’s one-and-done.
Did You Happen To Notice…?
Venom Lethal Protector II #5 – Cover A
DOOM has sprung his nefarious trap. His prize? The Venom symbiote itself!
This could be nothing, but the cover to this issue certainly looks like Doom joining with a symbiote. The solicitation also leans in that direction too. What would we call it? Doctor Venom? Triple-V (Victor Von Venom)?
FOC Pick of the Week (Gotta Have It)
Alyssa Wong and revolutionary artist Ken Nimura unite to introduce a symbiotic superstar inspired by anime and manga who’s about to take the Multiverse by storm!
Yes, Manga Venom. The character design looks interesting. What would be REALLY cool is if the anime Venom story within was actually drawn/read in Manga Style (reverse), basically reading the story “back to front” with the spine on the right. The other two could be in the normal style. That’d throw some people off!
Then industry superstar PEACH MOMOKO is about to make your skin crawl, with a tale of some fearsome flora the likes of which you’ve never seen! Move over, Groot, there’s a NEW plant in the spotlight of the Marvel U, and this one’s a KILLER!
And lastly! VENOM NOIR! You’ve heard of Spider-Man Noir – now meet his totemic and terrible opposite as this reality’s symbiotic hive gets explored for the very first time!
So three new Venom-type characters. All three are on cover A. One of them already creating some buzz. And that’s enough to make this a pick of the week.
Incentive Variant of the Week
Extreme Venomverse #4 (25 Copy Okazaki Variant)
Ok, now take the above, now feature the character creating some buzz on the cover, with a grin that shouts “I got a little ‘carnage’ in me…”. You’ve got a hit.
Honorable Mention: Star Trek (The Motion Picture) Echoes #3 1:25 Incentive variant. A nice retro-style cover. How many shops actually order 25 copies to qualify for this? If you can find it for ratio or less, likely will be a decent flip.
Drek Of The Week
Remember all those free Marvel Gold Free Comic Book Day books you got a few weeks ago? Yes…all two of them!? Well here’s your chance to pay for them in a “deluxe edition” collecting them all! Yeah!!
Ok, it comes with “never-before-seen bonus material including preview art, design sketches, and more!”
From the description it’s just taking Spiderman/Venom and Avengers/X-men from 2023, putting them under one cover and charging $6.99. I don’t recall any characters debuting from these two books.
I’m still not sold. You shouldn’t be either. If it wasn’t for that X-Men 1991 facsimile with a cover price of $7.99 this would win the Drek-of-the-Year award.
That’s it for this week! For those of you Lucky enough to be going, enjoy Across the Spider-Verse!!!
Waiting on the 2nd print? 2nd prints are not true 1st apps, fyi. Especially if they do the ratio scam. Too late – 1st app is 1st print by time, order and logic – not price manipulation.
Where did I say a 2nd print is a first appearance? Not sure what your point is. Just because it’s not a true first doesn’t mean the 2nd print would not have value, and possible be worth more long term than an over printed first print.
Going with the JTC regardless for the cover. Not sure this character is even with investing anything else on this book anyway. It’s a moon knight book.
In edge of spiderverse 4, jj Jameson is on the B cover. It’s dream spider, him, and a red head they don’t say much about