Dirty D's F.O.C

[LanLubber]

This is the solicitation for ASM #15 not ASM #19…

THE SECRETS OF SPACE REVEALED! Spider-Man takes on a challenge of single combat to save his new crew and finds himself between a rock and a GIANT ALIEN BEAST INTENT ON HIS DEATH! Not only does Spider-Man learn aspects of his quest that he didn’t expect, but his companions learn things about Spider-Man that THEY didn’t expect. **Witness the first full appearance of a new major character!

ASM #19 - SPIDEY VS. HELLGATE, ROUND TWO! The spacefaring SPIDER-MAN heads back to Earth - only to find HELLGATE standing in his way! Spider-Man’s finally strong enough to beat the most powerful foe he’s ever faced…right?!

[D-Rog]

Uh oh. Did I F@&$ up?

Had to eventually happen, right?

I’ll look into it. I usually take the write-up right from Covrprice FOC…but sometimes they don’t have it and I grab it off what 3rd eye’s link posts.

[D-Rog]

@BatmanFan

I think Cap 6 may be a sleeper.

The aftermath of ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM has brought Latveria to the brink of civil war. Captain America deploys to protect civilians and investigate rumors of a weapons stockpile - but when the United Nations Security Council adds their own loyal Super-Soldiers to the mix, it becomes clear that everyone wants a piece of Latveria - no matter the cost. With warring factions tearing the country apart and a team of Captains pursuing their own agendas, can Captain America hope to bring peace to Latveria? And is that even what his handlers want?

Is the bold what you’re referring to? A group of new super soldiers? Or is there something else?

My thoughts on the matter are villain spec, unless associated with Batman or Spider-Man, is significantly more miss than hit. Plus it sounds like a “team” or even potential clones…it’s possible these are one and dones…whatever they are.

But I’ve missed spec before. In fact, I deserve to be fired for missing/not highlighting Absolute Batman first prints.

I think @SpicyWasabi would be much better at this, should be my successor… .

[infinityG]

I was thinking the Cap 6 could be a sleeper as well (Zdarsky writing) but Marvel has been pretty bad overall aside from the Ultimate Spider-Man series. Also a lot video game type titles getting published. Another Ultraman series too? Is anyone reading Ultraman these days?

Speaking of Ultraman, we get a 1st appearance in Worlds Finest 48. Also Spears is doing the Joker playing card on this one. One to keep an eye on in my opinion.

[agentpoyo]

@D-Rog

But I’ve missed spec before. In fact, I deserve to be fired for missing/not highlighting Absolute Batman first prints.

We all do, that’s why it’s called “speculation”… I wouldn’t have picked Absolute Batman as a spec either… higher print run (not that that matters though since demand is driving force but usually the new #1 main character spinoff titles don’t become winners for the most part), we got how many Batman related titles already? It’s not the main title… etc, etc.

[D-Rog]

@D-Rog

I’ll look into it. I usually take the write-up right from Covrprice FOC…but sometimes they don’t have it and I grab it off what 3rd eye’s link posts.

Here’s what likely happened. There’s no description of issue 19 on Covrprice or third eye…And in search of it I may have inadvertently confused the 2nd print (15) when searching for it, and selected it unknowingly because they are listed together/adjacent.

@anthony, feel free to update the article and remove ASM #19 to prevent misinformation. I concur.

[agentpoyo]

Their site isn’t very good to navigate but maybe for Marvel, grab the solicitations directly from the source itself, either Marvel’s site or Penguin’s site.

The only thing I think Diamond provided when they ruled as a monopoly was, the one stop place for all books and their solicitations. Everything else about Diamond pretty much sucked…

[D-Rog]

@agentpoyo

grab the solicitations directly from the source itself, either Marvel’s site or Penguin’s site.

You’re asking a lot of me to go through dozens of publishers looking for their solicitations…

I can barely get my sh!t together when it’s spoon fed to me…

[agentpoyo]

Slacker… does @Anthony need to chain you up also in the basement to get your priorities straight?

[Sulfur_Server]

@D-Rog

But I’ve missed spec before. In fact, I deserve to be fired for missing/not highlighting Absolute Batman first prints.

I think @SpicyWasabi would be much better at this, should be my successor… .

Dirty D’s FOC has been good. Not many misses.

[Anthony]

Dirty D’s F.O.C. 11/30/25

[Anthony]

Dirty D’s F.O.C. 12/7/25

[LanLubber]

I’m not seeing any DC this week on Lunar… wonder what’s up?

[monopolyjackson]

This weeks FOC books were on FOC last week for DC

[D-Rog]

I think Marvel and DC make efforts to consolidate multiple FOC weeks into one or two weeks the final 6 weeks of the calendar year. That’s why you see January/February release dates on many Nov/Dec FOC books….

[D-Rog]

DIRTY D’s F.O.C. PICKS - 12/14/25

Getting this one out a little late. Later than my usual late. Which is very late.

Busy weekend of x-mas shopping, then shoveling snow, then packing up gifts to send to friends and family. Decorating the house in between all that.

So going to run through this quick so I can send in my pre-orders and get to bed.

Covers

Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #47 (Punk Rock Variant)

You know…we all thought the workout, swimsuit, sweater weather and pumpkin spicy variants were silly too…and some of them hit…You gotta give DC some credit for trying different things. I mean, Spider-Punk is pretty popular, so why not?

At least they’re not putting random Disney mashup characters in homage covers that aren’t even from the same title…Expect more punk rock DC superstars in the coming months…(I think this should be the next event mini-series, like

Superman with a mohawk…how can you not buy that? Dirty D’s Cover of the Week!

Catwoman #83 (Sweater Weather Variant - Tula Lotay)

Speaking of Sweater Weather…Meow!!! Not Lotay’s best work, but I like it.

Nightwing #134 (Sweater Weather Variant)

Aaaaaand speaking of Sweater Weather…Nightwing issues in general seem to be the ones that increase in value (check out his Pumpkin Spicy…the variant, I mean…). So here’s another one that may just slip under the radar…Giving Stupid Sexy Flanders a run for his money…

Absolute Batman #16 (Cover A)

I don’t think I’ve ever heard “Go To Hell” posed as a question…Is he asking her out on a date to the underworld…?

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (Dell’Otto Variant)

How many Annual #1’s of ASM are there now? Would prefer is they just listed the year instead of the number. Dell’Otto does draw a great Spider-Man though.

Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #47

Fusion (Batman/Superman mashup) vs. Merger (Joker/Luther mashup). Yeah no real spec here, but it’s a fun cover

DC’s Supergirl Next Door #1 (Lozano Variant)

One shot/anthology of Supergirl looking for love…dating and Valentine’s Day stuff…highlighting this for the cover as it would pair nicely with Summer of Superman Special #1…and she doesn’t look quite as young here.

NOTABLE REPRINTS

Absolute Batman #1 (10th Printing - Cover A)

Cover A is in the stratosphere. Most of the reprints have been pretty quiet. The exception are the ones that are essentially re-using the first print Cover A art (i.e., 6th and 7th printings). So here we have the 10th printing…could it follow the same course? ABM is unpredictable, so don’t count it out.

Absolute Batman Annual #1 - 2nd Print Foil Variant

I’d much prefer the Batmobile B&W in a foil. There are a few regular and foil variants.

Batman #676 Facsimile Edition (Foil Variant)

You can get this book for cover or less in NM. But it is a great Ross cover…so I can see a foil of this looking pretty cool.

Love & Rockets - Facsimile Edition

Punisher #1 - Facsimile Edition (Foil Variant)

Transformers #22 - 2nd Print Cover A (Decepticon)

Transformers #22 - 2nd Print Cover B (Autobot)

I think the Decepticon is Mixmaster…and I don’t know the Autobot other than he’s one of the Aerialbots…don’t have time to verify the names this week! I just like the Jason Howard covers of G1 characters!

GIMMICKS

Exquisite Corpses #9 (Polybag/Trading Card Variant)

Not sure what the cover looks like for this one. Comes with exclusive playing card (as have the previous 8 issues).

PICK OF THE WEEK

Sonic the Hedgehog #84 (1:15 Retailer Incentive)

Sorry the link is to a sold out listing…and I don’t normally highlight incentive ratios, but if you can find this for ratio it is likely worth the $15 invested. Sonic’s incentive ratios typically command an aftermarket premium, but when they debut characters (and the character is on the cover) they tend to do very well.

The new character, Sage, isn’t new to the Sonic Universe, but this is her comics debut from what I can tell. She’s in "shadow on this cover, but featured on Cover A and Cover B (and the Cover C foil variant). So there are other options which have potential just because they’re better covers. And I don’t recall sonic ever having a foil variant…but feel free to fact check me on that.

Anyway…all the above makes this book (and it’s open order variants) the Dirty D Pick-of-the-Week!

Parting Thoughts.

Don’t have none…already past midnight…so I probably should have called this the 12/15 FOC…have a great week!

[D-Rog]

FYI…very few books on FOC this week. Nothing worth mentioning, I believe.

[D-Rog]

Happy New Year, my CHU friends!

Getting late in the evening, and there wasn’t much to get excited about on FOC this weekend. But here are the books that stood out to me.

Absolute Wonder Woman 16

A NEW STORY ARC BEGINS AS DIANA CONFRONTS ZATANNA! The Season of the Witch arc begins here! After her exploits in the Area 41 maze, Diana has resolved to not let her personal mission overwhelm the one she was sent to the surface world to fulfill. But a new threat has emerged in Gateway City, and it turns out the best thing to send to kill Wonder Woman is…another witch! Zatanna is here, and Diana’s life will never be the same!

Not sure if Zatanna will cameo in issue 15, but I believe this is her on the cover.

DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1 (2nd Print - Jimenez/Mora Variant)

First cover of Dead-Bat.

Malevolent #1

Thirty years ago, we unleashed demons into the world. But humans can adapt to anything, even a demon haunted world. But now, humanity has created something new. A weapon that can kill demons. If she doesn’t kill us first. New ongoing by Justin Jordan. John Bivens and Felipe Sobreiro of Spread

Indy pick of the week.

[davidbitterbaum]

We need more Dead-Bat, STAT!

[monopolyjackson]

Zatanna has a 1st unnamed appearance in issue #14