Following on the heels of Secret Wars will be a whole new Marvel U, and ushering it in are a swath of brand new #1’s. And Marvel fans will be taking center stage, right smack dab on the covers.
Cosplay has become a massive part of the comic book community and the rabid fandom that it embodies. Essentially just a fancy word for something that’s been around for years (though not to the current extent), cosplay is the art of crafting your own custom costume and then donning that super-suit at conventions and for photo shoots. In the last few years, the hobby has exploded and fans have taken to it like crazy, both by dressing as their favorite heroes and villains and by just gawking at the guys and gals who do.
With this new set of variant covers for the forthcoming lineup of new comics from Marvel, the publisher pays homage to some of the best of the best of the cosplay world. A total of 21 new books will have cosplayers on their covers, all of them #1 issues.
“Cosplayers are taking over,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Each convention I go to, it seems like there are more and more fans dressing up like their favorite Marvel characters. These homemade, hand-crafted costumes are so elaborate, it looks like they leapt off the comic page. The Cosplay Variant initiative is our way of supporting a community that supports us.”
No release date as of yet for these, but you can expect them to hit retail sometime later this year (and when Secret Wars is wrapped). Here’s your list:
1. A-Force #1 Cosplay Variant by Jay Justice
2. All-New Inhumans #1 Cosplay Variant by Yaya Han
3. Amazing Spider-Man #1 Cosplay Variant by Aaron Rivin
4. Astonishing Ant-Man #1 Cosplay Variant by SoloRoboto Industries
5. Avengers #0 Cosplay Variant by Michael Cox
6. Captain Marvel #1 Cosplay Variant by Judy Stephens
7. Daredevil #1 Cosplay Variant by Patrick ‘Rick’ Lane
8. Doctor Strange #1 Cosplay Variant by Allen Lee Hansard
9. Extraordinary X-Men #1 Cosplay Variant by Amanda Lynne Shafer
10. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 Cosplay Variant by Contagious Costuming
11. Invincible Iron Man #1 Cosplay Variant by Dale Oliver
12. Ms. Marvel #1 Cosplay Variant by Soni Balestier
13. Nova #1 Cosplay Variant by Cap Santiago
14. Sam Wilson Captain America #1 Cosplay Variant by Eddie Newsome
15. Spider-Gwen #1 Cosplay Variant by Kathrine Zan
16. Spider-Woman #1 Cosplay Variant by Yashuntafun Cosplay
17. The Mighty Thor #1 Cosplay Variant by Sarah Jean Maefs
18. The Mighty Thor #2 Cosplay Variant by Kevin Spooner
19. Uncanny Avengers #1 Cosplay Variant by Miss Kit Quinn
20. Uncanny Inhumans #1 Cosplay Variant by Kalel Sean
21. CLASSIFIED