The Collector's Report: August '26

Welcome to another edition of the Collector's Report! To first time readers, I am Ambedo, avid variant collector, and I write seasonal op-eds regarding new art coming to Snap here at Fourth Location! 

Remember that the information herein is datamined and therefore subject to changes.

Best New Art

Let’s kick things off with a few words on the top 4 illustrations to be released in the upcoming Fractured Frontier season. Let me tell you I need to get my hands on the variants featured above!

Hellion, by Creative House Pocket

Finally, a second variant for the telekinetic powerhouse! For too long the card has been in a unique situation where the base art looks a lot better than the only alternate art available, Paul Mafayon's kid-friendly one. Framed up close and personal, Hellion as designed by the prolific Creative House Pocket studio looks appropriately menacing!

Iron Man, by John Giang

What is it about the tech genius that drives Snap illustrators to often favor dramatic depictions of the beloved character? Indeed, many of them opted for intense renderings of Iron Man where he appears either all-powerful and menacing or especially vulnerable. In any case, Giang went for the former when he delivered this luminous, godlike Tony Stark for a 2024 Invincible Iron Man issue.

Sabretooth, by Salvador Larroca

Sabretooth is one of those few characters with only good-looking variants or very nearly so, and this one is no exception! Logan's foe shines best when his feral nature is put front and centre. Larroca's third release takes that route, infusing the character with a lycanthropic look that suits him perfectly! 

Coincidentally, this variant also comes from a comic cover! The repurposing of work from Marvel's colossal catalog into alternate art for its core element is the kind of distinctive feature that really sets this game apart from its peers.

Zombie Captain Marvel, by Fireball Studio

Just like Envar, Grafit and Arttree, Fireball Studio deals in run-of-the-mill variants. The only one I enjoy – and bought upon release! – is Zombie Scarlet Witch, a clear departure from their usual style. Not only does ZCM follow in the Witch's path, but it also hits even harder! Both the chosen perspective and the character's pose are original, and the ensemble feels deliciously evil. This is August's top variant right here if you ask me!

Fractured Frontier Season Roundup

Ninety-six variants are expected to be released next season, distributed as follows: (One datamined variant is of an unknown type so it doesn't show in the table.)

*Any other variant type, including Conquest, Webshop Milestone, Album Reward and Spotlight

Showcase

It is Dardo Studios' turn to be the showcase… for the second time in less than twelve months! Indeed, they received the same honors in September. Back then, they were still newcomers: players only had the opportunity to discover them two months prior with the release of Grand Arena's first Champions. They have designed all of them since, except for the bad Black Panther and the Cosmic Invasion pixel variants. Like them or not, they are easily recognizable with their oily texture, oversized armors, and rounded angles!

So far, Dardo's work has been mostly Champion and Cyberpunk** variants. Beside those, their Horsemen pieces are slick. Their Stryfe is also the best one yet. I'm a fan!

Here is a sample of the studio's work to be released next month. As you can see, they chose to treat their variants like a series defined by a specific colorway. If that approach does tie them together nicely, it makes it difficult for any of them to stand out. Anyhow, hope you enjoy neon pink! 

** SD uses the term as a catchy synonym for futuristic which is incorrect, or rather incomplete, the Cyberpunk style being defined by a fusion of low-life and high-tech aesthetics. All those Cyberpunk variants out there are missing that Post Apocalyptic Deadpool or Wastelands Cable worn-out look. 

New Artists

Here are the variants designed by next season’s new blood! I am even more excited by the arrival of Sienkiewicz and Nguyen after checking out their portfolio. Readers who had the opportunity to read my previous report already know that I have a soft spot for artists whose style takes us as far as possible from the base art. Props to both for virtually forgoing the use of background too!

Zabu is, for lack of a better word, fine, and there is nothing stylistically wrong with Southam's Stryfe either, yet I feel like the game offers enough manspreading on the throne pieces as it is. As for Hellcow FF, Mana Studios' naive style reminds me of Sean Galloway's. Definitely not my cup of tea!

Conquest Shop Reward

Ron Lemen makes his entrance through the Conquest door with a Vulture variant that looks like your friend's dad who is really into cosplay. Ramcheron's excellent take from the ongoing season aside, Vulture has had no luck getting cool or beautiful variants. Definitely a bold choice to get players into Conquest!

New Albums

Mostly known for their Fantasy variants as well as their Pantheon and Nightforged series, all three with different stylistic signatures, ADIA rubbed shoulders with yet another theme for their third album, the pretty flexible Anime. Flexible, indeed, as the term does not mean as much… when the art is not animated. OK, but does the album contain interesting, desirable pieces you should know about? Let's just say Tarantula is the best of them:

On the upside, most of its variants depict new or recent characters, and despite what I said about Hellion earlier I definitely adhere to the Any alternate art is better than the base art school of thought!

Next up is Wild Blue. This will be the studio's second album following the humorous Even Heroes Get Hungry released almost two years ago. Named in reference to the Art Nouveau style that flourished in the late 19th century, this one is more serious and rewarding! It follows the release of the best Hood – with its matching Demon! - yet as well as an Apocalypse variant earlier this year, the latter of which is part of. Despite some of its pieces having little or nothing to do with the style, Wild Blue's new album is as stylistically coherent as it is appealing, with its fresh takes on well-known characters. See for yourself!  

New Ultimate

Another season, another unpredictable selection of Ultimate variants! Oh, how I'd like to know the developers' selection process for those… Especially when they pick artists that have not had more than two variants released so far, as it is the case here. At this point, my money's on hat draws.

Yellowjacket, by Phil Saunders

If you have already come across Saunder's only released variant, a mediocre Doom 2099, this Ultimate Yellowjacket should come as a surprise for you too. (Both come with a Cinematic label. Is that because Sounders works on the MCU?) The decision to give YJ the Ultimate treatment is also confounding when considering the card's play rate and the fact that so many popular characters still do not have a five-thousand-token variant to their name. Despite all that, it is destined to be the best YJ variant out there–if you are not a Nikola Čižmešija enjoyer. (I am!)

Shang-Chi, by Bosi Art Studios

This third offering from Bosi comes with the same Eastern Fantasy label as did its predecessors, a weak Surge followed by… an exquisite Dragon of the Moon! Shang-Chi carves himself a place out between the two. It is not worth the tokens, especially when there are already epic variants available for the character, notably a Demonized and a Knullified one, as well as Farro's Jackie Chan!

Werewolf by Night, by Aaron Bartling

Bartling really caught my attention with the release of his second piece, a very slick Mystique. With its excellent light work, smooth surfaces, and exotic backdrop, it is one of the best variants for her out there. The illustrator's upcoming WbN distinguishes itself from his previous work with an emphasis on dynamism and depth. Unfortunately, the shapeshifter looks more like a juicing Fenris with shaven limbs here than the Werewolf we know.

Am I tough on Ultimate variants? Of course I am. Those are cosmetics sold for the price of a Series 5 card! I expect them to woo me.

Anything Else?

In case you had not noticed, there are now more than 4,000 variants in Snap's collection, spread across 450+ artists and studios!

More Spiderwebs?

SD discreetly released two new borders before Brand New Day's season, a purple and a yellow spiderweb one, and players are understandably scratching their heads. The black and red spiderwebs never took off, but at least they allowed for a few interesting pairings with Spider-folk variants. Unfortunately, the new additions will most likely gather dust cluttering the shop rotation. What collectors need is more matte options, the capacity to get rid of unwanted borders, and the return of that gorgeous Antique Frame one!

Wanted Posters

We must give the developers credit for coming up with flavorful, out of left field ideas every now and then : Jet Ski Mobius, the ridiculous Arena Grande event, Peach Momoko’s Nightmare and Horror series… The recent Hieroglyphic series is one of those ideas too, and so is this one! Both were designed by Mooncolony. Yet, if the former is a creative home run, the latter is, strangely, a major dud. All the pieces are forgettable depictions obstructed by the poster in question, like so:

The Forgotten Five Four!

Topaz just received her first variant. Huzzah! Still no expected variant for the Series 4 Laufey, Fantasticar, Mad Thinker or the First Ghost Rider, though. Where did that datamined Leo Chiola Laufey go anyways?

That's all for now, folks! See you in a month! Special thanks to Snap.Fan and Snapcomplete for art and informations featured in this article.