The Collector's Report

The Collector's Report: Upcoming Variants

Greetings, art aficionados!

With a new season comes a fresh batch of variants! My name is Ambedo and I'm here with a preview of the art you can expect in the shop, with the Pass or by playing Limited-Time Game Modes in July. Bear in mind that the following data is datamined though, and therefore subject to change. 

Most Wanted

Below are the 5 upcoming variants I'm most excited about. Read on to find out why I'm dying to add these to my collection.

Daken by Viktor Farro

Another variant from my favorite artist? Hell yes! Farro is very talented, and consistent. His mixed-media art always takes you in. There's something dreamlike emanating from each of his pieces, and this one is no exception. I'm glad there's finally a better alternative to my Horseman of Death variant!

Destroyer by Andrea Guardino

Guardino rarely misses (see Diamondback and Fenris Wolf…). His Ares, Khonshu and Odin variants kick ass, and this Destroyer is in line with his best work for the game. It feels as epic as that character should. This will definitely replace my Steampunk variant, while I wait for Supja's or Stephanie Hans'.

Spider-Man Noir by Dave Rapoza

This is Dave Rapoza's second piece. His first one, Knullified Iron Man, turned a lot of heads when it first came out, and it is still one of the best knullified variants to this day. While his Spider-Man Noir doesn't reach the same heights stylistically, it clearly distinguishes itself from next season's lot with its saturated purple and bright red colorway. I tip my hat to the artist for avoiding the ruts of the Noir aesthetic with this one. (Chiola's variant stays untouchable though!)

Nightcrawler by Vincenzo Riccardi

Vincenzo Riccardi's variants are instantly recognizable for their prismatic, psychedelic interpretations of Marvel characters. His maximalist approach is reminiscent of fellow Marvel illustrator Maria Wolf's (see the Webshop Milestone variant below), with its texturizing lines and abundance of details. In Riccardi's work, however, one gets all the colors of the rainbow every time. While this constant usually suits the auras of heroes, it poses a challenge to those of villains in a… unique way—see Attuma or Zuma.

Moonstone by Meghan Hetrick

I'm the first to be surprised to find a Hetrick variant in my seasonal top 5. Her failures (Frigga is very awkward… and so is Kate Bishop's wide stance…) have always caught my eye more than her successes like Namora or the recent Medusa. If the style is at once recognizable, the artist lacks consistency in her creations to say the least. However, the recent release of her Silver Sable variant caught me off guard, and her interpretation of Moonstone has the same effect. Her ethereal style may be growing on me!

The Data

During the next season, Snap will reach the 4000 variant mark with the release of at least 97 illustrations, distributed as follows:

*Webshop Milestone Rewards, Conquest Rewards, Spotlight Variants (400 XP, 304 variants, 8%) and Miscellaneous (Album Rewards, Log-in Rewards, Twitch Drops, etc.

The Forgotten Five

Still no variant for Laufey, First Ghost Rider, Fantasticar or Mad Thinker, but Topaz is finally getting her first alternate art as a What If…? variant from Envar Studios!

The Ratio Issue

As you may already know, Snap uses a rarity system based on probabilities for Mystery Rare (RV) and Super Rare (SRV) variants. When opening a Premium Mystery Variant (PMV), one will receive a Rare Variant 9 out of 12 times. The other three times, a Super Rare (SRV) will be awarded. Thus, in an ideal world, there would be 3 RV released for each SRV (3:1 ratio). We're nowhere near that, as the table above shows. In fact, somewhat counterintuitively, there has been more Super Rare than rare variants available in the game for a few seasons now. And according to the developers, it will stay that way.

Next season's expected ratio is 3:4.5.

Seasonal Showcase: Anand Ramcheron

In July, SD set its sights on the young South African artist Anand Ramcheron. His name probably doesn't ring a bell: only two variants of his have been released so far, a X-23 and Disco Shang-Chi.

Here is some of his work that will be published during the month:

Ramcheron has talent, but he is hardly daring and reinventing nothing. Fortunately, the pass variants fare better: look at that original take on Vulture! His Mysterio looks great too.

The Ultimate Test

Do the new Ultimate variants feel as worthy of the title as this season's fantasy-themed Merlin? (He is obviously right at home in the Fantasy style, as is Black Knight.)

Gorr by Creative House Pocket

Not really. Not when there's a Guardino and a Farro variant out there for the God Butcher. Put the variant side by side with the base card art and the disappointment is inevitable.

Kingpin by Ricardo Drumond

Yes! There are few variants of Kingpin for a character that's been in the roster that long, and they're just OK except for the Noir one with its brass knuckles and floating bills. Drumond's approach efficiently renders his imposing build, and it's always the right move to have the logo colorway match the art. The stained glass in the background fills the remaining space, adding a splash of elegance.

Ryan Benjamin's Prowler and Spider-Punk

Double nope. Prowler feels dull, the cropping of the cape is weird, and the background feels like unfinished work. It's quite disappointing, and things get even worse with Spider-Punk and his saturated colors, background light and awful guitar. In the end, however, what makes this ultimate variant a flop lies elsewhere: there's nothing punk about this variant… He just looks like a member of Dazzler's backing band.

Webshop Milestone Variant 

Even before being pushed one milestone further (30k points instead of 20k), the Webshop milestone reward was a big spender's affair: a few seasons ago, it took $200 to reach the coveted variant. Now it will cost you $300. For that price, one would expect highly desirable, universally celebrated variants from popular artists or studios. Yet, despite very different resource requirements and acquisition paths, Conquest and Webshop Milestone variants often feel comparable in terms of aesthetic appeal. 

Next month, we're treated to a 10th variant from Maria Wolf (Instagram)! The maximalist artist's work is always intricate and memorable.

Her Spider-Man strays from her usual style, doesn't it? There's way more breathing space here. The character's posture is original, and so is the background with its sinuous clouds. It looks good, no doubt! I believe there's already plenty of variants for that character, though (26, 9th position)... and enough other awesome Wolf variants to hunt for.

Conquest Reward

In July, British artist Matt Dixon is back for a second month in a row. His fourth contribution to the Snap catalog is a Spider-Ham variant more faithful to his style than the cartoonish Morph currently on display. Dixon is also responsible for the cool season pass zombie versions of Devil Dino and Howard the Duck.

There are a few good Spider-Ham variants in the wild already - Wendell Dalit's and InHuyk Lee's being my favorite - yet this one will join the rotation in the decks I use him in. Unlike Julian del Rey's, scheduled for July 18th. 

New Blood

Here are the upcoming variants by new artists!

The depiction of Mrs. MacTaggert is the best one to date. I'll be keeping an eye out for this one. The same goes for ITO's Venom. As my appreciation of Farro's work suggests, I have a soft spot for mixed-media artists who incorporate painting into their process, thereby blurring the line between the noble art and modern illustration work.

New Albums

First off is Dan Hipp, Snap's second most prolific variant artist (behind G-Angle) with 195+ variants, about 5% of all variants published! He returns with an album of 12 pieces centered around the Spider-Man universe in time for the release of the new film. This will be his sixth album. All Rare variants as it is mostly the case with this artist, an 8,400-gold investment.

Next up is Derrick Chew (55th, 16 variants), to whom we owe the excellent Hazmat, Moon Knight and X-23 variants which are among the most attractive for these cards. Special mention to the weird Venomized and Savage Land Rogue featured in his album! A Viv Vision variant is awarded upon completion and it looks better than any of the multiple ones released. (On a more anecdotal note, it's also the first not to be Cyberpunk-themed!) All Super Rare, for 14,400g.

That concludes this first Collector's Report. See you in 4 weeks!