Ghost Rider, Black Widow, more get shady in new Marvel variant covers theme

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Newsarama has a sneak peek at a new line of variant covers Jorge Fornés is drawing for Marvel Comics. Readers unknowingly got a peek at the covers already with the previously-revealed Amazing Spider-Man #82 variant, but it wasn’t known at the time it’d be the first in a line of themed variants running into 2022.

These ‘Window Shade’ variants will feature major Marvel heroes (and maybe even a few villains) peeking through Venetian blinds, all shady-like. 

Here are the four ‘Window Shade variants’ we know of along with when and where to expect the variant covers, followed by a gallery of all that have been revealed:

• December 22, 2021: Amazing Spider-Man #82
• February 23: Ghost Rider #1
• March 9: Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #5 (of 5)
• March 30: Black Widow #15

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Marvel ‘Window Shade’ variant covers

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Additional covers by Fornés are expected to be announced soon.

The ‘Window Shades’ theme is similar to the Jane Dickson painting ‘Witness,’ but it also calls back to the use of Venetian blinds in film and crime noir. 

Whether we’re looking through the blinds at a character on the other side, or the light from the blinds is casting a shadow on someone (or something), blinds (and particularly Venetian blinds) is a narrative tool used in everything from Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity (opens in new tab) and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (opens in new tab) to comedies like Hanky Panky (opens in new tab) and Another Stakeout (opens in new tab).

The math of ‘Venetian Blinds + Marvel characters’ opens up even more possibilities for visual gags when you think about ideas like Cyclops peeking his visor between the blinds, or MODOK’s gigantic face peering through. Just sayin’.

Fornés is drawing these ‘Window Shade’ variants between the end of his most recent project (Rorschach (opens in new tab) for DC) and his next major project, which hasn’t been announced yet.

Comic books with variant covers are normally only found in comic shops. Don’t have a favorite one? Check out our guide to finding the comic shop that fits you.