DIRTY D’s F.O.C. PICKS – 10/19/25

New York Comic Con has come and gone. And by now most everyone has opened up their Spears Blind bags. It’s been an exciting week, for sure.

Baltimore Comic Con is going on. Trunk or Treats and House of Horrors are going on…and Halloween is right around the corner. It’s like a month long celebration! Oktoberfest…Scotchtoberfest, even! No wonder why October is my favorite Month.

But this is the time of year FOC’s get a little wonky…Some publishers start advertising books that don’t come out until December…so pay attention to FOCs if you order your weeklies online.

 

COVERS

 

I like this cover, but if would have been 100x better if it was an homage to Silver Surfer #44…so close!

Still my favorite amongst this week’s selections.

 

 

This series will probably only be remembered for its Adam Hughes covers…

 

 

Just when DANNY RAND thought he was in the clear, the IMMORTAL WEAPONS stand in his way: FAT COBRA, BRIDE OF NINE SPIDERS, DOG BROTHER #1 & PRINCE OF ORPHANS! Will he destroy his once immortal partners, or will they put Danny back in his grave? Danny’s final judgment awaits him.

Kevin Eastman drawing Iron Fist…I kinda like this. The return of the Immortal Weapons is a nice bonus.

 

NOTABLE REPRINTS

 

First Hulk vs. Thing battle.

 

 

First meet-up of the JLA and JSA.

 

So glad I didn’t pick up a copy of Transformers #25 first print. Also glad they sent this issue back to print quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW ONES

 

In the not-so-distant future, young hero Terry McGinnis patrols the streets of Neo-Gotham as Batman Beyond, while Virgil Hawkins, a.k.a. Static, forges a new technological revolution in Dakota City with the introduction of the Q-Wave Energy Grid. Together alongside the Justice League Beyond, the heroes prepare for the Earths induction into the interplanetary alliance known as the Cooperative. Everything seems to be going smoothly…until a new villain arrives on the scene and puts everything at risk. At the center of all the mayhem is the unlikely duo of Static and Batman Beyond, as they must work together to save the world before it’s too late!

Interesting team-up concept. New villain.

 

ONE AND DONE

 

Nathan Fox! James Harren! Mike Huddleston! Declan Shalvey! Ryan Stegman! Wes Craig teams up with some of the greatest artists in modern comics for a jam-packed SPECIAL. Wrap around cover by Wes Craig! Classic centrefold! A_ colossal_ 48 pages of story and extras! COLOSSAL KAYA is an exclusive single issue, not to be collected in a trade paperback and includes a 6-page introduction to the series, perfect for new readers.

 

BLIND BAGS

 

Mark Spears Monsters #8 (Blind Bag)

Because we just didn’t get enough from the Halloween blind bags…I doubt any of these covers will beat the horror that was Christmas Evil…

 

 

 

Two (thousand) years have passed in the Ultimate Universe, but inside the City, the Maker has had thousands of years to prepare for his return! With the barrier around the City finally gone, heroes all across the Ultimate Universe must mobilize to defeat the Maker before it’s game over. For everyone. Meanwhile, the rest of the world wages World War III.

Marvel hasn’t really gotten into the blind bag craze this year with open orders…But that ends on December 31st. Along with an assortment of covers, Marvel is inserting sketch variant covers (one-of-ones) by various artists, into random bags, which will be sure to make people lose those minds. Samples are below.

Again, this book doesn’t come out until December 31st…New Year’s Eve. That’s over 2 months!!

 

INDY SPOTLIGHT

 

In a future where humanity has vanished, a new form of life rises from the ruins: the Serants, artificial beings born from mysterious technological chrysalises known as Super dragons. Each one carries a Pearl, a biotechnological core that holds their consciousness, their memories…their soul. Halu is a Serant born late, emerging from a forgotten silo. He is rescued from destruction by Weedy, an eccentric scavenger obsessed with the remnants of the past and the search for meaning in their own existence. Soon after, Halu meets Fix, a practical, strong, and luminous young mechanic who awakens something deep within him. Together, in a world of ruins and dangers, they search for meaning, connection, and a reason to endure. Arcadia is a work of existential science fiction–profoundly human, where memory and love endure as a precious mystery that refuses to fade. A story that explores what makes us human…when humanity is no longer there to tell us the answer.

 

 

For forty days she was tortured by five men and left for dead–but she will get her revenge on each and every one of them. And it will be bloody. An event that takes her on a strange and violent supernatural path of payback through bizarre encounters with ex-hitmen, sadistic art enthusiasts, and literal devils.

Makes me think of John Denver (Sunshine on my Shoulders…). Four issue mini-series.

 

PICK OF THE WEEK

 

WELCOME TO THE PITT! With powers seemingly unmatched, KORVAC keeps our heroes trapped within Battleworld. But Hank Pym has a plan: recruiting KEN CONNELL, THE STAR BRAND! Only problem is‚ can Star Brand be trusted? PLUS: The most surprising costume reveal in 40 years!

Venom is flipping the script, and donning a red and blue “costume.” This will feed into Venom #252that’s forthcoming, and with all sorts of homage covers. This variant cover is also offered as an incentive virgin variant.

 

Parting Thoughts

Kind of a “Drek of the Week” or maybe PSA…BLIND BAGS. I feel like this craze is going to wind down a lot quicker than the foil craze…but they’re likely here to stay on some level. just don’t mortgage your house trying to chase rare variants, or sketches. Have a little fun, and be done.