It’s a new season coinciding with a new patch, meaning I’m going to be short and sweet here because I’m going to have to be long and hopefully equally sweet elsewhere in the Patch Round-Up! But the release schedule waits for no one, so in between fervently checking and refreshing those sweet, sweet datamines, take a look at all the fun new season goodies coming out this week— it’s going to be big fun in far flung past!
03/04
New Season, New Pass!
Artist: Alex Horley
Source: Season Pass/Super Premium Season Pass
It’s a new season this week, which means we’ve got a whole Season Pass repping the Avengers 1,000,000 BC— drawn by none other than Savage Land genius Alex Horley! This season’s going to be a variant hit, and it’s going to be in no small part thanks to Horley’s incredible painted fantasy style matching that grand tone and theme of a journey to the Marvel universe’s prehistory. Ancient sorcerer Agamotto is getting a Horley treatment as the Pass card, getting an especially moody treatment with that great magical lighting, and Odin and Black Panther are getting variants as well— the former as a founding member of the Avengers 1,000,000 BC and the latter as a prehistoric bearer of the same Black Panther mantle. Professionally speaking? Both look metal as #$@!. Finally, as an exclusive to the Super Premium Pass, we’re getting the first Fist of Khonshu as a variant for Moon Knight as well— one of the best arguments yet for the Super Premium Pass. Expect even more gushing than normal for me all month, but for now just appreciate all of these.
Spotlights!
Artists (in order): Alex Horley, James Ryman, Eduardo Mello/Ryan Kinnaird
Source: Spotlight Cache
Of course, all month includes right now, baby! Horley’s going to be doing the Spotlights this season, of course, which means we’re getting the likes of Eson translated into Horley’s gorgeous rendering. I love the scale that Horley manages to put into it, with the volcano peeking out from below and the way Eson just fills the frame. Mello and Kinnaird also get to flex in tandem in genuine moment of greatness via a Wiccan variant channelling his full cosmic power as the Demiurge; it’s almost unrecognizable not because they aren’t ordinarily competent artists, but because the style’s thicker lines and color (combined with the Eternity-esque star pattern making all the contrast pop) feels wholly apart from the ordinary base style. James Ryman is a relative newcomer bringing a tamer-but-well-muscled Beta Ray Bill in as the third selection this cache, rounding out what really is quite the Spotlight Cache variant-wise.
Conquest Reward!
Artist: Erica D’Urso
Source: Conquest Reward
Conquest rewards this season uphold the tradition of having absolutely nothing to do with the season theme, but at least Erica D’Urso’s bringing her A-game to a character that’s always in need of commissioned art: Debrii, who has sneakily become more of a household via SNAP than she’s ever been. I think it’s D’Urso’s best work yet in game too, capturing the chaos of Debrii’s powers in a focal circle composition and capturing her likeness well to boot.
$@#!ing Dinosaurs!
Artists: Eduardo Mello/Ryan Kinnaird
Source: General Pool (Rare)/Bundle
And as a big a month as it is for Alex Horley, it’s arguably just as big for Mello and Kinnaird, who are getting to really step outside their ordinary SNAP wheelhouse to deliver us… well, $@#!ing dinosaurs. These Dinosaur variants are all coming straight off the pages of recent comics, where Fantastic Four writer and dinosaur aficionado Ryan North developed an alternate universe where literally everything is the same but everyone is dinosaurs. Black Widow as a Quetzalcoatlus and Iron Man as a Brachiosaur might seem like surprising picks, but they’re leaping straight off the page here; go check them out in Fantastic Four (2022) #12 and #13. The rendering feels quite apart from the normal house style both of these artists function in, so it’s a treat to see them tackle larger than life subjects with some extra verve!
Symbiote Black Widow
Artist: Pablo Villalobos
Source: Token Shop (Ultimate)
Pablo Villalobos’ cover for Venom (2021) #27 isn’t even the first cover from that issue to grace Natasha’s card in SNAP— actually it’s the third! Someone at Second Dinner really appreciates Nat’s stint as a symbiote host, and it’s hard to be mad at a threepeat when Villalobos gives us a gorgeous take on the Black Widow costume being beset by the grinning Venom symbiote. Compared to the other covers by Ejikure and Miguel Mercado (which came to the game in bundles), this feels a little more classic, with Villalobos forgoing the new symbiote look for Natasha and instead opting for drama as she’s beset by the toothy ooze— something that wouldn’t be out of place in a regular Venomized variant cover from the 2000’s! It’s fun work, and I think that it’d be great to keep seeing more variant covers enter the game like this.
Justin Fields Arishem
Artist: Justin Fields
Source: Bundle
Justin Fields, as per usual, headlines a big money bundle befitting his lavishly rendered sci-fi pieces, this time giving us Arishem imagined at the scale of a massive, hulking space derelict— with asteroids and debris floating around his six floodlight eyes and the otherworldly burn of whatever goes on in a Celestial’s chest. It’s evocative work, and arguably some of Justin Fields’ strongest work yet. Bundle buyers, beware! Your money’s at risk.
03/05
Stone Age Scarlet Witch
Artists: Creees/Mooncolony
Source: Bundle
We’re going to be seeing even more themed work this month with variants like this Scarlet Witch from Creees and Mooncolony, reimagining Scarlet Witch into a similarly prehistoric vein as the Avengers 1,000,000 BC. While it’s not quiiiite the same as adapting more looks directly from the source comic from Jason Aaron’s Avengers run, it’s nice to see Second Dinner upping the amount of themed variants in a given season. It really makes things feel more eventful, month to month! And while Scarlet Witch fans have no shortage of variants to choose from, fans of a prehistoric vibe might particularly enjoy this Creees/Mooncolony team-up.
Fireball Studio Agamotto
Artist: Fireball Studio
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Fireball takes on secondary duties for the new cards this month, giving us shop variants all month long for characters who will need quite a lot of commission support to bolster their catalogues. Of course, this means that we’re going to get none other that Agamotto this week, drawn in a more stylized look with strong shapes and great lighting. Fireball Studio has proven to have some solid personality in their work, both in the colors and style and often in the piece itself; it’ll be nice to see even more variety for the coming cards all season.
Leo Chiola Eson
Artist: Leo Chiola
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Leo Chiola is a newcomer to SNAP, and he’s stepping up in a big way to help fill out Eson’s variant catalogue this week, as well. The great lighting, drama, and inking feels like a reminder that as much as we see pieces depicting comic characters, this pieces looks and feels like good comics. Something about those strong inks as Eson cosmically belly flops towards us just injects the piece with so much heft and dynamism— it’s a very strong start for Chiola, and I’m super excited to see more!
03/06
Dan Hipp Arishem
Artist: Dan Hipp
Source: General Pool (Rare)
The reliable Dan ‘The Man’ Hipp is back, of course, giving us his own take on Arishem that’s both (of course) simplified and lighter in tone and weight. At the same time, however, Hipp manages to preserve Arishem’s scale amidst his almost toy-like style— even in the bright colors and flattened perspective, Arishem still towers over the reader in a sneaky POV looking up at him. Managing to be imposing even in his specific style is impressive, and I’m always on the hunt for another Hipp to consider; fellow Hipp enjoyers, get out there!
03/07
More $@#!ing Dinosaurs!
Artists: Eduardo Mello/Ryan Kinnaird
Source: General Pool (Rare)/Bundle
And yeah, there’s going to be more dinosaurs.This time, it’s a Shantungosaurus and Spinosaurus as Doctor Strange and Captain America, respectively— yes, it’s true, I’ve checked the original comic and Ryan North is a stickler for dinosaurs. Again, the idea that Mello and Kinnaird were able to produce a different style that feels in line with a wacky Goosebumps cover or something to that end is genuinely cool, and I’m glad to see that sort of different storytelling applied to the wonderfully bizarre world that alternate universes can provide.
03/08
Even More $@#!ing Dinosaurs!
Artists (in order): Eduardo Mello/Luca Pinelli, Eduardo Mello/Ryan Kinnaird
Source: General Pool (Rare)
Suffice to say, the same holds true for Mello and Pinelli teaming up for The Thing (as a Pachycephalosaurus), breaking out of their house style confines and delivering some cool dinosaur-based fun. Mello and Kinnaird did the Triceratops Invisible Woman, too! These will be entering the Rare pool in the shop, which is mostly the case, save for exceptions like Captain America above. These will provide something fun and really different for any fans of these characters!
03/09
Don’t Make Me Say It Again!
Artist: Eduardo Mello/Ryan Kinnaird
Source: General Pool (Rare)
I mean it! Even once more might jeopardize the integrity of this punchline. But as a consolation, you can be sure that the trumpeting Parasaurolophus as Thor is just as wacky as the rest, and just as faithful too. I’m positive that Ryan North had a reason for putting every single one of these characters into these corresponding dinosaurs, and I’m sure fans will get a kick out of figuring out the more obscure picks. But even if you’re not a dinosaur nerd and aficionado (couldn’t be me) all of these signal both a fun new trend and opens up new possibilities for cards that simply just turn all your favorite characters into animals.
Yeah, Go Back To The Patch Datamines!
I know you’re already doing it, my feelings won’t be hurt. It’s a big day! And I wouldn’t be surprised if overall it’s a very eventful one for SNAP in general, between the patch, the new season, the series drops, and the continued reign of Sanctum Showdown discussions on just how much you do or don’t like the mode. So go forth, pore over and speculate on! And I’ll see all you Forecast Faithfuls very soon. Stay tuned for a Patch Variant Round-Up, some point later this week!