We’ve seen some really cool variant cover series from the big two publishers in recent years, everything from the 1940’s retro pin-up style bombshells and classic movie posters tributes from DC Comics, to Marvel’s recent action figure covers and lil’ Marvel universe variants, featuring the Marvel heroes and villains as cute litle kids.
Now Marvel is taking on the world of music, as October’s series of variant covers pays homage to the world of hip-hop, with some fifty different covers doing superhero tributes to the likes of iconic artists like Dr. Dre, Lauryn Hill, 50 Cent, Eminem, and more. This series runs the gamut of hip-hop history, with Marvel paying tribute to the entire history of the genre, going back to the 1980s.  In a press release from Marvel’s Axel Alonso, he states “For years, Marvel Comics and Hip-Hop culture have been engaged in an ongoing dialog. Beginning this October, we will shine a spotlight on the seamless relationship between those two unique forces.â€
Among the classic album covers homages are Extraordinary X-Men #1 doing their take on 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul, with art by Sanford Greene, Invincible Iron Man #1 covering 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ with art by Brian Stelfreeze, Ms. Marvel #1 taking on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill with art by Jenny Frison, and Doctor Strange #1 paying tribute to Dr. Dre’s classic The Chronic, with art by Juan Doe. Maybe the best of these however is Howard the Duck doing his impersonation of the late, great O.D.B., with Juan Doe’s version of Return to the 36 Chambers. Other well known hip-hop artists in this series include the Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G., and many more. Check out our gallery of the covers Marvel has released below:
