Hello CHU-Nation! Another FOC is upon us! This week we don’t have any DC books (so I don’t feel as bad about not having this out by Saturday evening). Not too many independents either, so that makes for a Marvel heavy week. But it’s also a Star Wars heavy week (haven’t had much of a peep out of those titles lately). Which is how we’re going to kick things off!
Judge These Books By Their Cover
Star Wars Jango Fett #1 (Derrick Chew Variant)
I always like to start with my featured cover of the week (well…I like the Visions A cover better, so this is my runner up). Jango Fett gets what I think is a mini series (although the length isn’t provided…maybe they don’t know yet). Aurra Sing is set to appear, and given how she mentored Boba (Clone Wars cartoon) perhaps we’ll get some backstory in the relationship between her and Jango.
There is also a movie variant (see below) but seems like more a cosplay costume to me than authentic. Looks like Jango is wearing a tee-shirt and $1 store gloves.
Star Wars Jango Fett #1 (Movie Variant)
Deadpool #1 (Inhyuk Lee Foil Variant)
Introducing a terrifying new villain who won’t stop until he catches Wade in his DEATH GRIP. But all work and no play makes Deadpool a very dead boy!
New series…new villain (assuming will be named Death Grip). But where’s Taylor Swift (sorry, couldn’t resist!). Highlighting the foil cover.
Just The Fax
Amazing Spider-Man #254 Facsimile Edition
In parallel with the Secret Wars facsimiles leading up to the origin of the Black Costume, Marvel is also faxing the black suit run in Amazing Spider-Man, I assume leading up to issue 258 where its revealed to be a symbiote. Unfortunately the ASM’s are not offered in foil (not that these covers are foil-worthy with the exception of 252 & 258). Most of these you can get for under $20 in NM anyway. So…yeah?
Secret Wars Facsimile Edition Foil Var #4
And we’re up to issue #4 in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. So four more to go! Highlighting the foil cover here. There is also a 1:25 variant cover.
If At First You Don’t Succeed….Reprint!
I don’t know if I’ve seen a 2nd print of a book on FOC two weeks prior to the 1st print release. This could be interesting if the first issue takes off like Spider-Man and Black Panther, it’s sister books (Cover A pre-sales on Ebay are already approaching $20, which seems very strange as cover price copies are still/will be available in many online shops). This could catch some shops off guard, in particular smaller shops as they may be apprehensive to order 2nd prints if they have no gage of how the first print will sell.
Anyway, here we go again! What’s the next Ultimate title now…?
Ultimate Spider-Man #2 (2nd Printing)
Issue #2 now gets the 2nd print treatment. FYI – 1st print hits the shelves Wednesday.
GI Joe a Real American Hero #301 (3rd Printing)
Speaking of strange, GI Joe #301 gets a 3rd print. I know it’s technically “like” issue #1, but how often has this “ongoing” series hit a 3rd print. I like this cover though, including Cobra Commander’s “Serpentor-ish” head dress.
For The Read
Ghostbusting on top of changing family dynamics has a way of going awry – and that’s exactly what one paranormal force is counting on!
This story takes place 18 months after Afterlife. The busters are back in NYC, moving into the firehouse and taking over the Spengler business. A sequel to Afterlife is in the works, and this series is intended to fill the gap between the movies.
Star Wars: The High Republic Phase III–Crash Landing
“Crash” Ongwa and her ragtag crew have been fighting against anyone who had a hand in the Nihil infiltration that plunged her home planet of Corellia into chaos. Even though an uneasy peace has been reached, if they don’t continue to fight, everything they sacrificed for could slip away. Now, Crash has a lead on the person behind the entire Nihil plot-if her crew can accomplish this mission, could true peace be on their horizon?
Alys Ongwa (Crash) and her Crew are back (they debuted in SW Adventures 2021 Annual – so beware of those pushing first appearances). What this has going for it is a one-shot (like an annual) and it’s Dark Horse. So could be hard to find day of release. I can’t imagine shops are ordering large numbers of the regular Dark Horse title.
First Appearances
Thundercats #2 (Cover X – Shalvey FOC)
Dynamite is doing what Dynamite does… which is produce as many variant covers it can imagine for their books. Issue #1 was insane. Issue #2 isn’t quite as bad with the open orders, foils, and incentives…but still has quite a few. However, there is one cover that stands above the rest, and that’s the one above. It features a new character named “Calica”. The design seems pretty cool, at least it’s presented well on this variant (she is on some other covers, but they are either B&W or she’s not featured). This is also being called an FOC cover, which means some retailers may inadvertently miss it (it comes in as Cover “X”), creating a possibility that supply may not meet demand if the character takes off.
Honestly, I don’t know how many other Thundarians (other than the originals) have been introduced over the years to gage whether this is significant or not…all I can say is this is the first in this Dynamite run.
There’s also a foil variant and a 1:15 ratio variant (Virgin cover of the same art).
One shot book, priming Spidey and Spider-verse stories to come in 2024 into 2025. So likely there will be new characters…however we’ve been inundated with new spider-verse creations over the past few years (with more coming starting in the next Edge of Spider-Verse series debuting this week)…so I’m not sure how much more we can take. This book has a $7.99 price tag…and many variants…however none appear to be incentives so it could be low ordered (for a spider book). Don’t expect Ultimate Spider-Man insanity though.
Indy Spotlight
Cole, a straight-arrow handyman, finds himself in the crosshairs of a ruthless crime syndicate-along with his pregnant wife. But what is the meaning of the “little black book” of underworld contacts Cole’s deceased father had hidden in his home? Cole’s deceased father believed the best thing he could do for his son was to stay out of his life, but does the apple fall far from the tree…?
Not sure what exactly speaks to me here, but the solicitation seemed interesting. Not much out there this week for new Indy’s.
Dirty D’s Pick-Of-The-Week
Star Wars Visions Takashi Okazaki #1
OMG…this book was originally on FOC back in December to much excitement…then it got pushed to January…then pushed again…but finally it is here…I hope!
Ronin is a former Sith (thus the red sabre) who now wanders the Outer Rim in a self-imposed exile hunting other Sith and collecting their kyber crystals.
Ronin and B5-56 (his droid, Bee) first appeared in the Disney+ short, “The Duel,” the first episode of Star Wars Visions series. This was followed by a one shot comic, Star Wars Visions (Volume 1), written by Takashi Okazaki (who was part of the creative team for the Disney + short) and a prequel to the anime cartoon. This new one-shot, also written and drawn by Okazaki, will now tell the story of his Sith origins.
Ronin is one of the most interesting characters to be created for Star Wars in recent memory. The whole Jedi and Sith phenom is heavily influence by Japanese Samurai history, and Ronin is just such a natural fit of a character and story…Takashi is the right person to mesh it all together, including his incredible style of anime art.
Granted this is not Ronin’s or Bee’s first appearance, but I don’t see this character going away so this can become a key book down the road. I would imagine we will also be introduced to other Sith, antagonists, and/or supporting characters in this book. If (morel likely “when”) Ronin gets his own series, this book may come back into play as a key.
So this is most likely a longer term spec play, but my recommendation is really based on what I feel will be a great read for Star Wars fans. Cover A is my favorite (and is really my “true” cover pick of the week), as it features Ronin and his Droid (they are a package deal), and possibly the antagonist. The Momoko variant is also pretty sweet and would make a great cover to get signed at a convention (at least that’s my plan). And not to be outdone, Stan Sakai puts his spin on the characters as well(for you Sakai fans out there).
Star Wars Visions Takashi Okazaki #1 (Momoko Variant)
Parting Thoughts
No drek this week…nothing really stood out to me. A lot of fun books ahead so I’m going to go out on a positive note! See you next week!
Can’t seem to find Ultimate X 2nd print on tfaw. The link doesn’t work either.