First it was the poly-bag – a practice that companies haven’t really taken since the 90’s (and probably could have used during Siege, honestly…). Now Marvel has announced that there will be no overprint for Fantastic Four #587, which changes the Fantastic Four into the Fantastic Three. The idea here is that it’ll encourage retailers to order aggressively in response to the supposed media coverage an “event” like this will certainly garner.
Of course, the bad end of this news is that John Cassaday will be creating a Spoiler Variant. While it’s certainly cool to have more John Cassaday art, I can’t help but be a tad miffed on the concept of a “Spoiler Variant,” because it pretty much 100% solidifies that who is going to die in the issue will be “leaked” before the issue comes out. The idea in practice here is interesting as the spoiler variant will come out a week after the release of the issue, it is rather impossible for information not to leak in this day and age (and I can think of a few sites that would run the image on the front page, although I can guarantee you MC would not). Right now, the fact that literally any member could die (although Jonathan Hickman Freudian-slipped the word “he” into an interview he did with us) is creating extreme tension amongst the readers. If the Spoiler Variant leaks, it will certainly take away some of the inherent impact the issue will have.
Regardless, who do you think will die? I’d put my money on the Thing surviving (if only because a) he’s a member of New Avengers now and b) he’s died once already) and Reed dying (it’d fit well with the way Hickman has used the character as a leader since taking over the book), but it’s anyone’s bet at this point, truly.
(source)
