InHyuk Lee variant Marvel covers to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

By Michael Doran
published

Marvel's second initiative to celebrate AAPI heroes and creators is a series of variant covers

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage variant covers
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marvel Comics' second initiative in what they're calling their celebration of May's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is a series of variant covers by artist InHyuk Lee that will be featured on titles on sale in August.

(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Lee's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage variant covers (AAPI covers) will, according to the publisher, "celebrate Marvel's ongoing, ever-expanding representation of the vastness of all Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Island cultures and identities with stunning depictions of Marvel’s most inspiring Asian heroes."

"Blending their modern superhero looks with bold streetwear, traditional cultural elements, and more," the covers will feature Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, Psylocke, Jubilee, Silk, Amadeus Cho, Jimmy Woo, and Armor. 

"I'm very proud to draw these eight Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage variant covers showing the iconic Asian heroes of the Marvel universe," Lee says in Marvel's announcement.

"Silk, Ms. Marvel, Psylocke, Shang-Chi… I love all these heroes so much and since I'm an illustrator and character designer, I proposed to renovate their outfits in a modern or tech-wear style, and Marvel liked my suggestion. When [Marvel editor] Emily Newcomen asked me about these covers, I had to accept despite my busy schedule because it was so meaningful. I've been working with Marvel for 10 years now and I’m happy to say we can always have fun working together."

The eight issues to get the special variant covers include:

August 4

  • Avengers #47
  • Immortal Hulk #49 
  • Hellions #14 
  • X-Men #2

August 11

  • Amazing Spider-Man #72
  • Captain Marvel #11
  • Marvel's Voices: Identity #1

August 25

  • Wolverine #15

Marvel has released five of the eight covers, which begin to go on sale with August 4 titles. Check them out in our gallery below.

Image 1 of 5
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage variant covers
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Marvel previously announced August 11's one-shot anthology special Marvel's Voices: Identity #1 as part of its late summer recognition of May's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. 

Speaking of Marvel's most prominent AAPI heroes, read how Shang-Chi is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's founding fathers.

Michael Doran

I'm not just the Newsarama founder and editor-in-chief, I'm also a reader. And that reference is just a little bit older than the beginning of my Newsarama journey. I founded what would become the comic book news site in 1996, and except for a brief sojourn at Marvel Comics as its marketing and communications manager in 2003, I've been writing about new comic book titles, creative changes, and occasionally offering my perspective on important industry events and developments for the 25 years since. Despite many changes to Newsarama, my passion for the medium of comic books and the characters makes the last quarter-century (it's crazy to see that in writing) time spent doing what I love most.