It’s a new week and a New Year, baby! And a new Season, and a new Season Pass, and with that comes a brand-new Super Premium pass (with an exclusive variant tied to that)… what can I say? SNAP’s kicking 2025 off with a bang. And that means a jumbo-size, double stuffed variant forecast to give you the lowdown on what’s coming to the game this week, so let’s get to it!
01/07
New Season Pass!
Artists (in order): PANDART STUDIO, Ludo Lullabi/Studio Grafit
Source: Season Pass
Like always, the new Season means a new Season Pass, which comes with its own exclusive variants. This month, PANDART STUDIO returns as the featured artists behind the season’s theme, giving us veteran Dark Avengers Daken, Iron Patriot, and Sentry in their trademark stylized, rendered style. Of these, my favorite might be Daken— even though Iron Patriot and Sentry are getting to flex some dramatic, dynamic lighting in their pieces, Daken feels surprisingly suited to one of the most restrained compositions PANDART has done, with some really great “tiger behind the glass” menace exuding from the crack in the glass. Finally, we’re getting our first Super Premium Pass exclusive in Ludo Lullabi and Studio Grafit’s Abomination. I think a lot of folks might turn their nose up at this debut— Abomination is hardly the most eye-catching card to get a variant for, especially to justify a whole new price bracket. But if you’re already interested in the pass, Lullabi’s work is a fun style-match for folks looking for a lighter, more simplified look in their card game.
Conquest Reward: Luke Cage
Artist: Fireball Studio
Source: Conquest Shop
Next stop on the new season checklist, we’ve got a new Conquest season, meaning a new exclusive variant you can grind for free if you’re in a conquering mood. Fireball Studio is debuting with this Luke Cage, which is another more simplified, cartoonized departure from the more dramatic work the folks at PANDART are operating in. This is actually a studio piece I’m quite impressed with; there’s a lot of personality going on in Luke’s expression here, and Luke brushing off bullets after his wardrobe gets eviscerated is classic. I don’t ever miss Conquest rewards personally, but this is one that might even sway a more Conquest-averse player.
New Season, New Studio
Artist: Creative House Pocket
Source: General Pool (Super Rare) & Bundles
Speaking of studios, Creative House Pocket makes their debut today, with two bundle variants and a Super Rare entering the shop. Incredibly, my personal favorite— the Into The Spider-Verse version of Peni Parker— is the one entering the shop for a mere 1200 gold! And I’ve got to give flowers where flowers are due, because, while Creative House Pocket has shown to be competent at dynamic color and lighting as well as an anime-style aesthetic, this vibrant Peni Parker really just knocks it out of the park. Mantis and Nico are runners-up for me personally, but they’re also quite fun, with both pieces occupying a similar ‘magic anime girl’ vibe that I’m sure many folks will love. Mantis’ shadowing and lighting deserves attention here; I think it’s quite well done.
Spotlights!
Artists (in order): PANDART STUDIO, salmon4dinner, Alberto Dal Lago
Source: Spotlight Caches
Of course, next, we’ve got Spotlights— business as usual here. And as mentioned before, PANDART is taking primary season artist duties this round, meaning we’ll see Spotlight variants done by them for all the new cards this month. Their take on Victoria Hand is going to be the only alternate variant we see in the game on launch, so diehard fans of the card (or the character, if you’re out there!) might seriously want to consider the extra keys or tokens! I think this is also one of the stronger PANDARTs launching this week; I love the dead office, Matrix-style color palette in the background as Hand adjusts her glasses and levels a big ol’ sci-fi gun. We’re also getting a debut variant from salmon4dinner for Kate and an Alberto Dal Lago reprisal for Grandmaster— both welcome additions! Grandmaster certainly benefits from some extra commissioned attention from Second Dinner, and Dal Lago is a great pick to get some dramatic gravity out of the character, with his painted style really lending itself to the lighting and backdrop elevating him. Kate is a much more popular character in the comics, which has made the absence of variants for her a bit more confounding; now, Grandmaster actually has more variants than her! But salmon4dinner is helping rectify, and they’re doing it in a sweet, simple style that still retains the proportions and composition of a strong comic splash. And lots of purple, of course; she wouldn’t be a Hawkeye without that.
Rose Besch’s Album Launch!
Artist: Rose Besch
Source: General Pool (Super Rare) & Album Reward
Whew. Sorry. You can’t see me doing it, but I took a break to sip some water. We’ve got more to talk about, just on this first day! Rose Besch (another SNAP veteran, at this point) is finally getting an album for herself, letting players who are big fans finally pursue some rewards by stocking up on Besch work in-game. We’re getting a wave of new work from her in Scarlet Witch, Wave, Thanos, and Venom, all of which are 1200 gold. Moreover, while Wave and Wanda feel right at home in Besch’s standard eye-popping colors, composition, and lighting for cute and beautiful comic gals, Thanos and Venom are a cool departure, bringing some diversity to Besch’s in-game work. Thanos is perhaps a smidgen less successful, just sort of giving us a grin and standing there without the gravitas some other artists bring the Mad Titan. But Venom is done in a cool watercolor-distorted style, a bit more abstracted than the standard forms you see in a lot of comic work and a lot more interesting for it.
Either way, collecting all of the album contents will net Besch faithfuls her White Widow, which is a fun, spy-stylized piece that makes Yelena feel that much more 007— with an anime flair. I think it’s a great piece, and a Series 5 reward is nothing to scoff at for players looking to collect!
Ultimate Fantasy Ebony Maw
Artist: DIVE Eight Studio
Source: Token Shop (Ultimate)
The last stop for the day is DIVE Eight Studio’s next Fantasy Ultimate, Ebony Maw. Like others in this series, these pieces can feel maybe 15-20% fantasy and 75-80%... just the character, rendered in greater detail and realism. This might be the selection of characters they keep going for: like Doom before him, Maw really already sort of wears medieval garb. But either way, it might even be a plus: it’s fun to see characters elevated to a level of ‘realism’ in a painted piece, and Ebony Maw, alongside the rest of the Black Order, can never get enough commission attention to offset a relatively spare back catalog of art from the comics.
01/08
Yo Shimizu’s Mirage
Artist: Yo Shimizu
Source: Bundle
Any fans of Yo Shimizu’s debut earlier with Speed will be happy to see them return with Mirage here; once again, too, I think Shimizu is setting themself apart from other anime-styled variants by virtue of compositional eye. Mirage’s heavily foreshortened bow and arrow are doing a lot of really cool work here, and it makes Dani feel immediate and dangerous in a way that many other variants in a similar style might be missing. I do think I liked their Speed a bit more, but I really do think the dramatic foreground work is great here, and anyone rocking this Mirage is getting a little star-eye emote from me.
01/09
Max Grecke Thanos
Artist: Max Grecke
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Max Grecke returns! And no shortage of players rejoiced, I suspect— as one of the original variant artists for SNAP, he remains one of the most immediately unique, identifiable styles in the game, and it’s always a welcome breath of fresh air. We spoke about Thanos not quite having gravitas above; not so here! The homicidal strain of wielding the Infinity Gauntlet is all over Thanos’ big purple grimace, and the expression combined with the compositional weight put on the gauntlet makes this piece cohesive and a lot of fun.
Kim Jacinto’s Juggernaut
Artist: Kim Jacinto
Source: Bundle
Kim Jacinto’s back too, this time for the Juggernaut himself charging at the frame like a big weighty cannonball. I was a bit hard on Jacinto when this was datamined (relatively speaking; I still think the piece is fantastic). It felt maybe a bit restrained for a character like Juggernaut and an artist like Jacinto at the time— was there enough motion? But I’m coming around! That foreshortened arm has so much energy, and perhaps it’s simply a testament to Jacinto’s work that I’ve gotten used to that energy from him. Either way? A great take on Cain Marko’s unstoppable force, and a good consideration for anyone looking to get a bundle this week.
01/10
Jessica Fong’s Polaris
Artist: Jessica Fong
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Jessica Fong is making her SNAP debut with Polaris here— a character with no shortage of variants, making it sometimes a bit more difficult for new variants to make an impression. But I think Fong pulls it off! The more painted, almost water-color look goes a long way here, setting it apart stylistically from Polaris’ other variants, and Fong just does the action pose and lighting really well within that style. If you’ve been on the fence about a Polaris variant for a long time, you might consider this one, and if you like her first piece, keep your eyes peeled for more from Fong down the line.
01/11
Rian Gonzales’ Chibi Frigga
Artist: Rian Gonzales
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Rian Gonzales is back with another chibi, which basically immediately makes it another top-tier chibi for any folks interested. Gonzales pretty consistently understands what makes the chibi style work, and her watercolor paint and full background compositions help carry the piece beyond that more general style. Frigga’s recognizable behind those enormous blue eyes via her golden attire and headpiece, and she’s a character that welcomes any additional art. Is it my favorite for her, personally? Perhaps not. But I’m hard pressed to find a chibi fan who doesn’t love a Gonzales variant.
01/12
Sweeney Boo’s Beast
Artist: Sweeney Boo
Source: General Pool (Rare)
Sweeney Boo returns for more with this Beast entry into the General Pool, which is a cool addition to her stable of pieces. It’s a bit more of a departure from her usual subjects, but she renders Beast with plenty of her trademark expressiveness, and the entire piece feels light and fun in its style. I love the X-uniform peeking out from beneath the labcoat, too— the whole composition might feel a little static, but it’s all so cohesively Beast that it’s hard to be too nitpicky.
01/13
Toon World Annihilus
Artist: Wild Blue
Source: Bundle
We’re wrapping this forecast up with the return of the Toon Variant— after Deadpool’s popular Toon variant from the PC launch trailer and anniversary celebration, Wild Blue’s stepped up to give the thematic another pass here with Annihilus. I do love a Fleischer cartoon style nod, but while the pie eyes are charming, what really wins me over are the cartoon-style flies flying around appropriately around the big bug cosmic conqueror himself, mouth agape. I love the soft, film-like quality they’ve given the color palette as well, and the finished product makes me feel a bit bad about skipping a bundle much more than I usually am. If you’re looking at any of the bundles for the week, purely based on the art? This Annihilus just might be the top of the list I’d give you.
And That’s All, Folks!
Thanks for bearing with me; these extra-large season start weeks signal lots of new variants entering the game, and while it’s more to write (and to read, I’m sure) it’s definitely exciting to have a new influx of variants hit the game. Moreover, the patch is coming the next week, meaning that you ought to keep your eyes peeled for a patch round-up shortly after. But that’s neither here nor there; what’d you think of this forecast? Which pieces are you excited about? Do you think I missed the mark with any of my thoughts? Let me know below! And see y’all next week.