Happy New Year, CHU! It’s been nearly a month since I put together one of these FOC articles. There just hasn’t been all that much stuff to talk about. But that changes this week.
2024 was a great year for covers, first appearances and most importantly stories. Let’s hope 2025 continues that trend.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Detective Comics #31 (Facsimile Edition (Bob Kane Foil Variant))
DC has been pumping out facsimiles as of late…but it’s been a while since we got a classic early Golden Age cover by Bob Kane. And I believe this is in the original golden age size! Hopefully we get a Batman 223 soon to pair with this one. Or Batman #3 or #9. He’ll, why not Action Comics #7. More Golden Age!!!
I’ll be grabbing both a copy of the regular cover to read, and foil cover for fun.
Not as exciting as Detective 31, but still a big key. I either have first printings of these Marvel facsimiles, or have True Believer copies. So I’m just grabbing the foils…until Marvel takes a hint from DC and prints them in their original silver age size…
The Marvel Rivals game made Jeff the Land Shark a household name. And as such this book’s first 3 printings got hot. Marvel is not one to miss a money grab given the opportunity. So here it is, a 4th printing.
It’s Jeff the Jeff-Verse #1 (2nd Printing)
This second one shot also got hot. So it’s getting a new printing as well. I just want to know with all these Jeff reprints, why we’re not getting a West Coast Avengers #7 reprint (or more likely a facsimile…)?
Covers
Nothing that really blows one away with cover art this week…however here are some notable ones.
Batgirl #4 (Cover B – Sozomaika)
Just a nice Sozomaika cover. Been a while since we’ve talked about her.
Deadpool #11 (Brooks Animated-Style Variant)
If Deadpool was a Saturday morning cartoon, this is totally what it would look like! So well done. Something about this cover I just have to have it. Might be just another fun cover of many fun Deadpool covers…but it could also be a sleeper.
It wouldn’t be an FOC article these days if we didn’t have a Spears cover highlighted.
So…I guess this issue spidey is eaten by a frog…actually a Venomized PAC-Man frog. Dare I say…. “Vrog”…? 
New Ones
Join the Marvel Mutts in their very first comic book adventure! Collecting issues #1-12 of the Friday Funnies series, these heartwarming tales – and wagging tails – are sure to elicit a round of a-paws. Featuring Lockjaw, Lucky, Cosmo, Bats and Ms. Marvel’s dearest doggie, Mittens.
Hey, only a matter of time until all these Marvel Pets get skins in Rivals, and team up! Then this book gets hot. 
THUNDERBOLT ROSS – in a cell deep below the ground – is a prisoner of DOCTOR DOOM And he is not alone. Brilliant military, criminal and political minds have been gathered against their will in a prison complex that serves as a “THINK TANK” to help carry out Doom’s plan for global domination. But the RED HULK has other plans!
Tie in to a certain book at the end of this article…
There’s also a Marvel Studios Variant whose cover art has not been released…wondering if it is a photo variant being withheld until the next Thunderbolts trailer is released… 
First Appearances
Who is the mysterious MAGNETRIX?
We all know who she is. This may be a first appearance, but not a first cover. I would stick with cover A as she’s more prominent than the other variants.
DIRTY D PICK-OF-THE-WEEK
Six months ago, Doctor Victor Von Doom became Sorcerer Supreme – then disappeared behind Latveria’s closed borders. The world has woken up to a new reality: Doctor Doom, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, has magically taken over every broadcast medium on the planet and declared himself Emperor of the World – the ruler of a new United Latveria! And shockingly, impossibly, all of Earth’s leaders seem to be going along with this. Earth’s heroes quickly form a strike team to stop Doom’s machinations. But will they succeed? And what happens when some begin to welcome their new Emperor with open arms, clamoring for One World Under Doom?
2025 is going to be a big year for Doom. First Robert Downey Jr. is revealed to be playing Doom at SDCC. Then this story arc was announced at NYCC. So it begins…
Probably not a spec book, but POTW for the read…and who doesn’t like cool Doom covers…?
That’s it for this week, my friends. Happy hunting and reading this week!