DC is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the original Super Powers line with eight special variant covers, replicating the appearance of a Super Powers figure in the original packaging.
Super Powers Variant Covers
Artist Alex Saviuk, who worked on the original Super Powers, returns to provide the packaging art. Cleverly, each comic has a matching back cover that matches the front. One highlight is Batman #151, which features a shirtless and capeless Batman with a sword. This recreates his appearance during his iconic duel with Ra’s Al Ghul, in Batman #244 (1972).
My personal favorite cover is Nightwing #117, which features Dick Grayson in the original Nightwing costume. Nightwing fans commonly refer to this look as the “disco costume. Villainess Poison Ivy takes the spotlight on the front cover of Gotham City Sirens #1, as she appeared in the 1980s.
We’ll also get books showcasing Nightwing’s fellow Teen Titans; Kid Flash (Wally West) on The Flash #12 and Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) on Titans #14. Rounding out the set are Green Lantern (John Stewart) on Green Lantern: War Journal #12, Power Girl on Power Girl #12, and a Gold-costumed Superman on Superman #17.
The back covers also sport an enticing Fortress of Solitude playset and two intriguing vehicles: the Cyborg Crawler and the Fist of Fate. Don’t go rushing to the toy store looking for these toys, though, as DC’s announcement gives the disclaimer, “All toys depicted on DC’s front and back variant covers are wholly digital and not for sale”.
The only one that actually exists is the Gold Superman, which is in McFarlane’s Super Powers line, minus the “power action flying leap” mentioned on the back cover. However, perhaps these covers might inspire Todd McFarlane to release the toys for real.
Meanwhile…
McFarlane Toys has announced a new Super Powers Gold Label 3-Pack set that should appeal to Batman Fans. “The set contains a Batman figure and two vehicles: the Batwing, and the Whirly-Bat.
“New” might not be entirely accurate to describe the set. The Batman figure appears to be a re-release of the Batman in a black costume released as part of the fifth McFarlane Toys Super Powers wave. The two vehicles are previously released toys that have been recolored from blue to black.
However, the black theme looks really snazzy. This set should appeal to fans of the Tim Burton movies. The black costume is quite close to Michael Keaton’s, and the Batwing appears much like it did when it first appeared. So, yes it does come in black.
The set is an Amazon exclusive, so you won’t find it on the McFarlane Toys Store website, or at Walmart or GameStop. It’s available for pre-order, with a release date of July 26, 2024. The price is listed as $49.00 US/$66.73 Canadian.
Will you be picking up any of these figures or variant covers? Please let us know in the comments.
Images Courtesy of McFarlane Toys and DC Comics