Marvel Comics meets the NFL on a special variant cover for November's Black Panther #1.
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley joins T'Challa on the variant in question for the first issue of Academy Award-winning writer John Ridley and artist Juann Cabal's Black Panther title. The cover shows the duo performing the Wakanda Forever salute on a football field, with thousands of fans behind them. Drawn by comic book legend and Infinity Gauntlet artist Ron Lim, the cover is Marvel's first collaboration with hustl., a sports and entertainment agency that aims to create one-of-a-kind collectibles. While this cover isn't literally one-of-a-kind, it is exclusive. Fans looking to pre-order it can only do so through hustl.'s online store, where it is currently available for $29.99.
Saquon Barkley was drafted to the New York Giants as part of the 2018 draft and quickly became one of the most popular running backs in the NFL, being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Since then, he has broken multiple Giants records and has participated in the NFL Pro Bowl. However, for all of his gridiron success, nothing compares to being in a comic book for the first time. "I've been a Marvel fan my entire life, so appearing on a Marvel comic cover side-by-side with T'Challa, the Black Panther is absolutely a dream come true," Barkley said. hustl.'s Chief Operating Officer Keri Harris echoed the RB's remarks, while also teasing that the company will offer a line of "exclusive, specially designed Marvel variant covers" in the future.
Originally announced in May, Ridley and Cabal's new Black Panther series is an espionage-superhero thriller with elements of a love story. It follows Ta-Nehisi Coates' run on the title, which took T'Challa to space and created the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. Ridley will be using the new book to have difficult conversations that tie-in with the world's recent political upheaval.
Saquon Barkley now joins a long-line of real-world personalities to be featured in Marvel comics. Over the summer, the X-Men's Hellfire Gala had multiple actors, celebrities and athletes appear, including New York Mets infielder Pete Alonso. However, many fans will forever associate sports/comics' crossovers with NFL Superpro, an infamous Marvel title that was created alongside the NFL to create a new superhero sports star. It failed to find an audience and remains one of the more memorable failures of the '90s comics boom period.
Written by John Ridley and illustrated by Juann Cabal, Black Panther #1 goes on sale Nov. 10 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel Comics; hustl.