Forecast time! Is this forecast coming in a bit late because I’ve been, uh, playing a new Marvel team shooter in the wee hours of the night? Maybe. I’m justifying myself because that’s the theme of the whole thing; BEWD, my editor might feel differently.
(He might especially feel differently when sees how bad I currently am at Spider-Man.)
Editor: Get out of my backline!
But another week, another forecast, and we’ve got both a large amount of RIVALS-themed variants coming out as well as another spotlight, per usual! There’s a patch this week as well, so fingers crossed we get some sick new variants coming even later on, too. But that’s neither here nor there: what’s going on right now, this week?
12/10
The First Big RIVALS Drop!
Artist: NetEase Games
Source: General Pool (Super Rare, for all of them)
Tuesday is going to bring the first big wave of RIVALS variants to the game! (Did you know RIVALS is capitalized? I’m going to do it until it feels weird.) Now I know some people are a bit disappointed that it’s existing art from the game, which I suppose is fair. But personally, I think it’s a bit more of a testament to the art quality in RIVALS thus far that those standing models really don’t feel out of place at all— I’m a big fan of the visual flair and identity of the game getting communicated through both the striking yellow background and the clear style that all fo the characters ooze. I’m not going to cover them all, but I think my personal standouts from this batch are Jeff (rendered with more high-fidelity cuteness than we’ve ever seen) and Venom (who’s been designed with an alien-predatoriness that I love see in the in-game design for RIVALS). They’re also all going into the first RIVALS album, with Doom’s variant only attainable for someone will to cap out all twelve 1200 Gold variants in the album.
Spotlight!
Artists (in order): NetEase Games, Kai Lun Qu, Don Aguillo
Source: Spotlight Caches
The RIVALS train continues with Peni’s debut bringing her very own RIVALS variant to SNAP. (I’m feeling the caps, but I’m not sure I want to stop!) For any Peni die-hards, the RIVALS variant is tempting, and it looks great— though it’s worth noting that her base art in the game is already pulling directly from her RIVALS design, rather than her comics original one. SP//dr does feature faithfully, though!
Edge of Spider-Geddon (2018) #2, cover by Jacob Wyatt
Maybe we’ll get the original design in a future variant!
And saving us from a capital letter overdose, we’ve also got Spotlight variants for Sasquatch and Gladiator; the former is provided with painterly deftness from Kai Lun Qu, and the latter brings some more conventional comic book energy from Don Aguillo. Neither are strangers to SNAP, but its welcome to see more of their work. And for any Alpha Flight nerds out there, you’ll notice that this Sasquatch is brown, probably depicting the original 616 Sasquatch, Walter Langkowski, rather than the eXiles variant Heather Hudson, who’s our Sasquatch in the base art. Is this a sign we’ll see more of both under the same moniker? Has this quashed the very idea of a Walter Langkowski: Sasquatch card, down the line? Does this mean anything?
Probably not. But it’s nice to see the OG in the game!
12/11
RIVALS Thor
Artist: NetEase Games
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Alright, back to RIVALS. It’s RIVALS! It’s Thor. And it’s worth mentioning that Thor feels like one of the further interpretations RIVALS has made from the source material, giving us a bit more of a silver-haired King of Asgard than we might be used to. In the current RIVALS plot, I believe the God of Thunder has been away for quite a while— so it makes sense that he might look a bit different. I love the black Mjolnir and meaty armored arms befitting the tank he is in game— and if you do, well, you can grab him for just another 1200 gold. He’s not slated for a RIVALS album like the rest of the variants this week, but I doubt that’ll last long. Stay tuned!
David Mack’s Moon Knight #1 Cover
Artist: David Mack
Source: Bundle
For our first back-issue variant of the week, we’ve got David Mack’s rare variant cover for Moon Knight (2021) #1— for anyone that doesn’t follow variant covers, it’s a strange and convoluted business, but one centered on oftentimes beautiful, beautiful art. And David Mack is a Marvel vet— his noirish, watercolor style has been a staple for a long time now, and it’s a great fit for the similarly mysterious, ethereal Moon Knight, complete with cryptic symbols and floating text. It’s a great moody piece for a character who’s got no shortage of great moody pieces, so Moon Knight gamers have yet another tough financial decision to make.
Viktor Farro’s Shang-Chi
Artist: Viktor Farro
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
If we’re being honest, we’re not through the entire article yet, but you should know this is my top variant for the week. It’s not close. Viktor Farro is a beast, and I might have to apologize to my long-time favorite Kim Jacinto variant for Shang-Chi, after splitting him for close to my entire time with this game. The piece is just so good: it hearkens back to those lushly painted martial arts movie posters that are rendered in gorgeous detail, with so much dynamism and personality. What can I say? I’m down 1200 gold.
12/12
Yo Shimizu Speed
Artist: Yo Shimizu
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
Next variant entering the general pool is going to be Yo Shimizu’s anime-stylized Speed. Don’t be fooled by a new name in the game; I wasn’t familiar, but looking through some of their work online, they’re strong artist with a penchant for beautiful mood pieces and backgrounds alongside a stylized anime look— and it pays off here, with a really great shonen protagonist looking Speed. It’s a great fit for a brash character like him! Faithful readers (I know you’re out there) might have picked up on my skepticism of anime-inspired variants that are drawn in the anime/manga style without much else going on: I think sometimes pieces will hide behind the hallmarks of the genre without actually having much substance to the piece. But this definitely doesn’t feel like that: Shimizu’s painting, colors, and linework are dynamic and strong, with soft lighting that reminds me of those washed-out colors on old anime art. It’s a great pickup for anyone, let alone anime and manga fans!
12/13
Don Aguillo Wave Bundle
Artist: Don Aguillo
Source: Bundle
The next day brings a bundle for one the OG ramp cards in the game, Wave. Wave’s a character who’s still relatively new on the block, meaning her variant backlog is still limited (and her general exposure in comics maybe moreso!). That means every bundle like this is big for any Wave fans who’ve stumbled on their fave through a game like SNAP and want more. Don Aguillo’s got a great dynamic pose here for her, and I love the parting water and her flying hair framing that dynamism and movement. It’s nothing revolutionary, but its a great piece for Wave enjoyers or anyone who’s become a new fan of Aguillo’s energy.
Envar Studio War Machine
Artist: Envar Studios
Source: General Pool (Rare)
Rhodey’s also got another variant coming into the general pool, coming from newcomer studio Envar. Honestly, everything I said above kinda… doesn’t apply to War Machine, he’s been around a while, but commissioned art being for everyone is nice! I’m mid on most studio work, but I can definitely appreciate the colors and dynamic composition they’ve come up with for the big guy. War Machine’s got a solid stable of variants (and even for 700 gold) but I think that anyone who pulls this certainly won’t be mad at it.
12/15
He Tianyou’s Black Swan
Artist: He Tianyou
Source: General Pool (Rare)
Sir, a second Tianyou variant has hit the store. I’m afraid… it’s sick. I think He Tianyou’s had a really strong two-variant debut in the game, and having that strong start also be for cards who desperately need more art than they’ve got from the comics is great. I love the purple lighting and stylization of the lineart— Tianyou’s got a strong sense for sharp lines and shapes, and it plays well with strong lighting (alongside cool textures like her almost latex costume). I’ve met several people who’ve fallen in love with Black Swan as a beautiful goth girl with Bad Guy Powers, and assume that she simply must be huge in the comics, with lots of art to pull from: spoilers, she’s not, and spoilers, there’s not, but with artists like Tianyou joining SNAP that just might change, one great variant at a time.
And for 700 gold? Hide your wallets.
12/16
Frank Brunner And Co.’s OG Comics Doctor Strange
Artist: Frank Brunner/Dick Giordano/G. Wein
Source: General Pool (Super Rare)
And I’m happy to close out on a classic note, with a new Bronze Age variant for the good Doctor. Hailing from Doctor Strange (1974) #1, this is a bona fide OG pull; and Giordano’s inks and Wein’s colors help craft that classic moodiness combined with the poppy Marvel drama that made those comics classic. I love that the variant has managed to keep the tentacled beast huge and encompassing, making Strange’s really that much more dramatic, and the SNAP templating manages to keep the entire spirit of the cover in a tasteful way. Huge get for any oldheads out there— or anyone that just wants a great piece of the Master of the Mystic Arts.
Wrapping Up
RIVALS is capitalized. SNAP is capitalized. And I’m wondering if I should change the title of this last conclusion section week to week. What’s a writer to do? Oh, and the variants this week are great. I wanna hear, though— which ones are your favorites? Are they different from mine? Or do you agree with my every word? I’d love to hear both, but it’s always a little selfishly affirming to hear the latter from strangers on the internet. Either way, thanks for sticking out another forecast: hope you’ve got some faves this week, and I’ll see you on the next one!