Jim Cheung sketch headshots is latest Marvel variant cover theme

Jim Cheung sketch variant covers — (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Be it iconic couples, MCU films, or supervillain mash-ups, Marvel Comics always has a few concurrent variant cover themes going at any one time, and in January 2022 artist Jim Cheung gets the spotlight on a series of eight variant covers showcasing sketch art headshots from the fan-favorite illustrator.

According to Marvel the 'headshot sketch variants' show the raw talent of Cheung and will feature Thanos, Daredevil, Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), Hulk, Shang-Chi, Silver Surfer, Loki (in the character's decidedly female incarnation), and Rogue.

The sketch covers feature art Cheung has posted to his Instagram page.

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Eternals #9 (Thanos), Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #3 (Kate Bishop), and Thor #21 (Loki) will go on sale on January 12.

Hulk #3 (Hulk), Silver Surfer: Rebirth #1 (Silver Surfer), and X-Men #7 (Rogue) go on sale on January 19.

Finally, Devil's Reign #3 (Daredevil) and Shang-Chi #8 (Shang-Chi) go on sale onJanuary 26.

Here's a look at all eight sketch covers.

Image 1 of 8

Cheung has worked at CrossGen Comics and has a few DC credits to his name (including a series of Royal Mail postal stamps), but he is largely known as a Marvel Comics interior and cover artist, including covers for the 12-issue Avengers vs. X-Men series.

For Marvel interiors, he drew two and three issue runs on X-Force from issue #82 through #100 in 1998 through 2000, and drew 10 of the first 12 issues of writer Allan Heinberg's Young Avengers 2005 series and all nine issues of the 2010 follow-up limited series Avengers: The Children's Crusade.

Look for more from Marvel's January 2022's solicitations later this week on Newsarama.

Avengers: The Children's Crusade was a consideration but just fell short of inclusion in Newsarama's recommended best Marvel Comics stories of all time.

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.