Kicking off September 23rd is X of Swords Creation #1. This is the start of a huge event that is going to cross into many current X-men character's stories and links them up. Stretching across 22 suspense-building chapters, X of Swords is promising to forever change the lives of some of our favorite mutants. "For there is an apocalypse coming" -Mysterious Figure

Being a long event series, there are most likely going to be plenty of key firsts, events, and probably deaths. So, inevitably, we're going to see demand for these books. First covers are always going to be a popular go-to for beginner and veteran collectors. So when it comes to adding some rarity to that speculation calculation, I vote variant.

Brooks Wraparound

 

The first variant I would look at is the Brooks Wraparound. The sheer amount of characters on this cover alone are enough for me to bond with it right away. Then you kind of see each character individually and they are each striking. It's covers like this that really makes me appreciate variants sometimes; especially when they are done so well and they draw you in like a superb cover should.

There is a Black and White Sketch Brooks Wraparound as well. Which gives you the same scene, but in a completely different light. Forgive me, I'm quite the sucker for B&W Sketch variants, and this one is on a whole new level. Sales for the two are at very different prices though. Original Brooks is running around $10. While the B&W Brooks is $90+. It is a 1:100 variant though, so that stands to reason. Fear not, though, as we have more in store.

Mercado Variant

 

The Mercado Variant was going to be an honorable mention in this Variant Guide but look at that cover. Something about the color of her sword and the movement pattern like its gliding across the page. Magik in a stellar fencing pose. The background of grays and greens just drawing your eye straight to the tip of that blade. A murky cave in the back, with a single spotlight on Magik. It's just really cool.

Being about a $5 - $10 pickup, I would say it's well worth a grab. If this event gets as big as Marvel wants it to be, this will be one of those covers that will become harder to find in better grades as a huge chunk is a black/darker color. So color rub, light scratching, prints, or marks of any kind will become highlighted that much easier. Personal collection pick if nothing else.

 

Peach Momoko

 

Here we go, Momoko is at it again. Hard not to instantly fall in love with the art, the colors, and of course; Magik atop a pile of skulls. Trade variant limited to 3000. Virgin variant limited to 1500. This is the big boy when it comes to cover collectors and Momoko fans alike. If you are wanting a rare cover of X of Swords, then look no further.

Being a limited item there could be a small bottleneck if the demand for this title gets going. As of 9/22, the price of the Trade variant is around $25 pre-sale, the Virgin variant is about $80 pre-sale. If you can, find a bundle. Grabbing both at the same time could yield you a significant discount.

This is a #1 for a very huge event, Peach Momoko, and is a limited run print. The checklist for growth potential on this cover set is getting long. If we get a first appearance or cameo in this book, it could be quite the hot set.

Honorable Mention

The 1:10 Larraz design variant is one that should be talked about as well. Very cool design cover, as we have thickly shaded characters on the front with a nice neutral gray background. I mention it because this seems like that gem cover that could fall through the cracks with all the other versions running up views and demand.

Final Remarks:

Creation is going to be a crazy issue, and the 21 chapters following are promised to be just as good. Even if you're not into playing the cover collection game, it would be worth your time to pick up at least the original cover. I believe this event is going to shake the X-men world to the core and what comes out the other side is going to be a very different entity than what we know now. To me, that spells prime investing opportunities.