New York Comic Con is right around the corner. Sorry for those of you saving up, but we have a few more weeks of FOC books to throw at you first! Waiting to see what the big exclusive is going to be, personally. If there are no blind bag exclusives, I’m going to be disappointed though. Anyway, lets dive into this week’s FOC books.

 

COVERS

 

We haven’t seen much of Cloak and Dagger in recent years. Seems like that may be about to change. This cover is a good way to spur some interest. Cover of the Week. (Note: There is a 1:100 virgin variant)

 

 

The mysterious entity who’s been hounding Gwen is revealed – meet TANTRUM, Gwen’s former symbiote! It’s out for revenge for being abandoned when Ghost-Spider got her powers back, jealous that it’s not a part of Gwen’s perfect new life!

I feel like the Symbiote goes back to Spider-Gwen #24 (2017), when Gwenom was introduced. And I think this symbiote made an appearance in issue #1. So we may be getting the official name Tantrum, I’m not sure this is a “first” of any kinda otherwise.

What I do like about this book is this cover, though. Nice Homage to ASM 316.

The Zombies variant is pretty cool too. I’m not sure we’ve seen a Zombie Gwen yet, so maybe that is a first on cover?

 

 

An oversized issue with a story that will cross over into all three of the #50’s coming out in the coming months. (King Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn, The Scorched). An ancient force, almost as old as time itself, has returned, and Spawn is in its sights. The story, sent into two chapters per issue, will be penciled by two of the Spawn Universe’s best, Stephen Segovia and Carlo Barberi. This is the one you don’t want to miss. Featuring covers by Todd McFarlane, Puppeteer Lee connecting cover), and Mark Spears.

Not often we get a Todd McFarlane Spawn cover these days. Might make a nice set if the other two cross-overs also have McFarlane covers.

 

 

LUNAR-EXCLUSIVE VARIANT COVER! In a land of barbarians, dragons and spellcasters, Kendra, a sultry siren of a sell-sword, always seems to get the short end of the stick! As she navigates the trials and tribulations of this unforgiving world, always looking for the next employment opportunity, she is hired by a most unlikely patron on a quest that may prove more daunting than she realized.

Not sure what this series is, but appears to have a cover only offered by Lunar. It’s also a negative space cover, so could see some interest.

 

MARVEL RIVALS NETEASE VARIANTS

I guess the Marvel Rivals variants haven’t been doing all that well as of late…because Marvel now seems to be holding back on the reveals, making them “Classified” to generate new interest. Don’t confuse these with “spoiler covers,” though. Below are the ones on FOC this weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPRINTS

 

A few months back we had first Krypto. This week it’s the first Supergirl (Kara Zor-El).

 

FIRST ISSUES & APPEARANCES

 

X YEARS LATER, like the fallen and reassembled United States, the new team of MS. MARVEL, BRONZE, MELEE and RIFT rises! They have seized control of the Mississippi River waters that divide mutant kind from the rest of humanity. Feared and powerful, their guerrilla tactics keep them in control – until a high-stakes mission to extract a valuable asset threatens to tear them apart. Can they hold together when everything’s on the line?

 

 

THE MERC WITH THE MUTATED MOUTH HUNGERS! X YEARS LATER, and the virus ravaging the REVELATION TERRITORIES has finally made WADE WILSON into what he always wanted to be – a mutant! But NOT LIKE THIS! Deadpool’s healing factor is on overdrive, his mind a passenger in a body that hungers‚ and cannot be sated, unless he devours the life force of mutants! His next targets are the new blood known as FEARLESS, MAGNI, KID MAN-THING and FANTASTICA. It’s Deadpool like you’ve never seen him! RATED PARENTAL ADVISORY.

So this issue looks to introduce some new mutant characters, but they could also be devoured by Deadpool and be one-and-done by the end of this issue.

 

 

With the Xandarian Worldmind, the sentient repository of an entire extinct people’s culture and history, relying on regular (and expensive) energy infusions, Richard Rider is for hire. A deep-space drifter weighed down with the truth of the terrible lie that the new Galactic Union was built upon, Nova is a corps of one. But how long can he keep his hands clean handling dirty money?

There’s supposed to be a Yasmine Putri variant cover as well, but no art has been provided.

 

 

X YEARS LATER, Earth still needs the Avengers, but what happens when those who are left have transformed into mutants?! Dani Moonstar leads a new team of Avengers (Hawkeye, Vision, Water Widow, Shang-Chi, Variable Man and Cannonball) to protect the planet! But can these “X-Vengers” protect all of Earth, including the Revelation Territories?!

 

 

In the post-apocalyptic future that follows Judgment Day, the shattered remnants of humanity must make use of every tool they can in their existential battle against the machines — and that includes the deadliest weapons that Skynet sends to annihilate them. For one member of the Resistance, this means trusting his life to a reprogrammed Terminator. Trapped behind enemy lines, the soldier and his repurposed engine of destruction must find a way to both survive and complete their mission — an undertaking with such a low probability of success that it could reboot the Terminator back to its default settings!

There’s also a blind bag variant for this issue, which is discussed further below.

 

 

Teasing a new “Riddler” appearance?

 

GIMMICKS OF THE WEEK

 

7 More issues and trading cards to go.

 

 

This Blind Bag contains two separate limited-edition copies of the unstoppable first issue that feature unique variant covers drawn at random from a range of art exclusive to this offering. Included in that range are three original covers by Emanuele Ercolani, Giona Zefiro, and Ken Haeser — each one an homage to the franchise’s iconic movie posters — as well as line art variants and all-new foils!

Just so you know, this is a $15 price tag (retail) but contains 2 books. Not sure what to think about this, being Dynamite and all.

 

INDY SPOTLIGHT

 

After he fends off an alien invasion, Thomas Bruin goes from a nobody security guard to Earth’s greatest hero! He’s got a supercharged launchpad and no ceiling. Bruin rises from celebrity to congress, then to the head of the planet’s first orbital security force. He’s married into one of the country’s most powerful political families, he’s surfing a wave of endorsements, and he’s the very symbol of human resilience. So why is Bruin nervous? Because only he knows his great victory is a lie. When the aliens return to Earth, stronger than ever, Bruin has no choice but to be the hero he’s fooled the whole world into thinking he is…or die trying.

This could be pretty funny. I have to think it’s kind of like Army of Darkness, but with Aliens. I think this cover is somewhat of an homage of the movie poster.

 

PICK OF THE WEEK

 

I know this cover will likely get heavily ordered given there’s a 1:25 incentive variant, but that incentive cover is terrible. So hopefully this will keep the print run down.

But regardless, I feel like this book is worth a flier just because everyone is out of good ideas, Marvel and DC are running out of characters to mash up…so why not create one that crosses over between them. It’s been done before (Amalgram comics) but this one is different. Lobo was created as DC’s answer to Wolverine…so it makes sense for these two to be combined.

Could be the first of more mashups to come. Would not surprise me if this character gets his own limited series. And that will have fans coming back to this book.

Hang on to your butts!

 

Parting Thoughts

I got nothing more to say…getting late, and got to get this out. Later y’all! 6-7!!! (yeah, I don’t know what it means either…)