Could These 2 Comic Covers Be VeVe & Marvel Future Digital Asset Grails?
My take on a pair of potentially hidden blue chips for those who love to collect “Firsts”
“You never have a second chance to make a first impression!” Digital and Traditional collectors alike all know 'firsts' generally yield stronger longterm values, and for those with the patience and a wee bit of foresight to actually HODL these items, the wait can be rewarding.
VeVe has now secured its rank as one of the top collectibles apps / websites around the world, consistently ranking in both the Apple & Google App stores as a top Entertainment app.
In terms of the ‘first’ digital assets they dropped in late 2020, there is no arguing Todd McFarlane’s 'Todd Batman' (the FIRST VeVe digital collectible & first for Todd/DC), The Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel's 1st NFT), Marvel Comics #1 / Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel's 1st Licensed Digital Collectible Comics) & Disney’s GOLDEN MOMENTS (R2D2 / C-3PO & WALT/MICKEY Digital Asset Statues) have all the ingredients for significant grail status from their first release status.
But, what if another hidden gem (or two) are still available that many digital asset collectors have yet to realise?
Enter FANTASTIC FOUR #13 (Rare & Ultra Rare): The VERY FIRST Marvel-Licensed, Exclusively-Made-For-VeVe Variant Comic Covers. Released for NYCC 2021 on October 5th, these 2 cover variants feature pencils and inks by Will Sliney and colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, again, designed specifically for VeVe.
What exactly, is a “Marvel-Licensed, VeVe Exclusive Digital Comic Cover Variant?"
It’s Officially Licensed by Marvel – The cover is fully authorized by Marvel, ensuring its legitimacy as an official Marvel product, just like printed comic variants sold in stores. It means Marvel approves VeVe as a partner that allows you to PURCHASE, share & enjoy to read or place in augmented reality, own and even sell your comics. This is UNLIKE Marvel Unlimited, where you basically pay a rental fee to enjoy the books, but which cannot be sold.
It’s Exclusive to VeVe – The cover does not exist in physical form and was created specifically for VeVe’s digital collectibles platform by Marvel artists. Unlike traditional variant covers, which can be sold in comic shops or online retailers, these are only available within VeVe’s digital ecosystem (with some additional exclusive physical books also available).
It’s A Unique Digital Variant – This is a new, original cover design that differs from any previous print editions of the same comic. Instead of reusing existing artwork, Marvel commissions artists (such as Will Sliney, Creees Lee, Chris Sotomayor and many others) to create brand-new covers specifically for the digital collectible release.
It’s Scarce & Collectible – These covers are released in limited quantities, designated as Ultra Rare (UR) & Rare (R) editions with pre-determined scarcity, which many comic and NFT collectors appreciate. With digital collectibles, a release may have 1,000 or 5,000 of something, and you’ll know exactly which one you own — mint number 839 or 19391, for example. You also know exactly how many exist, as that’s transparent data on the blockchain, and a huge technology advantage for collectors.
Essentially, these are newly created Marvel variants that exist exclusively in digital form, minted on a blockchain making them a new category of comic book collectibles that could hold historical significance as digital collecting expands. Plus, you can read 'em anytime, as often as you like since they NEVER DEGRADE!
🔥 FF#13 DIGITAL - WHY IT MATTERS TO HOLDERS:
True First: First-ever VeVe Exclusive Comic Cover, marking a new collecting category
True First: First-ever Marvel Licensed (A-OK'D) artists works for a new collectible asset class
True First: The first-ever minting of Fantastic Four #13 on the blockchain (Digital Asset Ledger)
Ultra Limited: Only 1,050 Ultra Rare Variant Covers exist - verified by blockchain data; cannot be altered or estimated
David Yu Endorsement: VeVe’s CEO himself suggested this could be more than a blue chip - it might be a grail, which he "had been waiting his entire career to release." Knowing the efforts David & Dan Crothers (co-founders) put into securing IP Partners like Marvel, Disney & LucasFilm, this was something many owners just can't ignore...
Key Issue First: Fantastic Four #13 is the first appearance of The Watcher, a key Marvel cosmic figure. It released January 3rd, 1963 with an April 1963 cover date
Future Relevance: 2025’s upcoming Fantastic Four movie, featuring The Watcher with the FF team should shed more light on the character, the team’s importance to Marvel and maybe…a cameo by RED WOLF who is featured in this book?
If you want an alternative opinion outside of comic collecting, whip over to BIBLIO.COM (the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with > 100M books), to add relevance to collecting digitally (blockchain asset verification) to support the bullets above.
How Much Can First Editions Be Worth?
As with any books, the value of a first edition is determined by its 1) collectibility (characteristics that make it desirable), 2) its scarcity (see what makes a book rare, and 3) its condition. Thus, the actual value of first editions can range from just a few dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars for very rare and collectible works. Markets always dictate value too, of course, but when combining ‘first of firsts’ with provable scarcity, there tends to be at least some advantage into looking at options like these.
VEVE ANNOUNCES MARVEL TO CONTINUE CREATING EXCLUSIVE VARIANTS
The original Medium article confirms this is VeVe’s first step into exclusive digital comic art with Marvel - a category that has become a major part of VeVe’s fandom, and future. Collectors have already begun chasing ownership of the full set of VeVe Exclusive + Original Title Covers, which in themselves will always be the first of their kind to release as digital assets.
Adding to its prestige, Will Sliney & Rachelle Rosenberg were a perfect pair of artists to launch VeVe’s exclusive cover series.
Longtime Marvel talent, Will Sliney is renowned for his work on Spider-Man 2099, Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren (he co-created Ren with Charles Soule) & The Mandalorian comics. Will's art blends dynamic action with striking visual storytelling, making his selection to design the first-ever digital-exclusive comic cover cements its importance, both as a historic NFT and a piece of Marvel’s evolving legacy.
Rachelle Rosenberg was the other outstanding choice to color Marvel & VeVe’s first-ever exclusive Rare cover for Fantastic Four #13. As a veteran Marvel colorist, Rosenberg has worked on major titles like X-Men, Captain Marvel, Star Wars, and Spider-Man, bringing a signature vibrancy and depth to her work. Her mastery of atmospheric lighting, dynamic shading, and bold color contrasts enhances every scene, making her a perfect fit to bring Will Sliney’s exclusive artwork to life. Her involvement in this historic release further cements its significance as a premium, VeVe-exclusive collectible.
DEVILISHLY CLOSE RUNNER UP COMIC EXCLUSIVE
While Fantastic Four #13 holds the distinction of being VeVe’s first-ever exclusive digital comic cover, a very close VeVe exclusive variant runner-up is Daredevil #1 (1964), which VeVe & Marvel also debuted at New York Comic Con 2021 just 3 days later on October 8th, 2021.
Featuring limited-edition covers by Marvel artists Creees Lee (pencils/inks) and Chris Sotomayor (colors), these editions brought a fresh, modern take to Daredevil’s legendary first appearance. With only 1,050 Ultra Rares and 2,350 Rares, this release mirrored the scarcity of FF13 and was among the earliest Marvel digital exclusives designed specifically for VeVe. The NYCC exclusivity further elevates its status, making it a sought-after digital collectible on the platform.
Both Creees Lee and Chris Sotomayor were ideal choices for this historic release. Creees Lee’s bold, high-energy linework has graced major titles like Marvel’s X-Men, Deadpool, and DC’s Batman. His ability to capture dynamic action and intensity makes him a perfect fit for Daredevil’s gritty, street-level world.
Chris Sotomayor, a veteran Marvel colorist, has worked on fan-favorite runs for Captain America, X-Men, and Spider-Man, bringing a depth and vibrancy to his work that enhances Lee’s striking compositions. Together, their combined expertise created one of VeVe’s most visually stunning and collectible digital comics to date.
"WHAT IF" WE WATCHER FUTURE POTENTIAL?
As of the date of writing this article, there are only (8) full color, Ultra Rare (exclusive Marvel-to-VeVe) editions of Fantastic Four #13 available in VeVe’s live marketplace. As a total of only 1,050 were minted (produced onto the blockchain for absolute ownership and edition count ledger-based authentication), that means less than 1% are up for grabs (0.76%, to be exact).
OPEN Your Own VeVe Account & Receive $10 USD to Start: VeVe.Me
VeVe’s FF13 current ‘floor price,’ (lowest price available in the market) is right around $200. Considering this comic dropped at its initial retail price of $6.99 back on October 5, 2021, this equates to an incredible $2,761% increase for those lucky enough to have landed one on drop day. Daredevil #1’s VeVe UR has just 11 in market of 1,050 total dropped, or only 1.05% with a current floor around $50 or a gain of 615%.
DA BEARS VS DA BULLS
For those of you who like to follow bull vs bear runs, since we’re somewhat in a bearish situation at the moment, check out the previous ATHs (All Time Highs) for these two exclusive cover variants alone (stats courtesy of https://my-nft-tracker.com/)
Fantastic Four #13 Ultra Rare ATH $1,425 (Jan, 2022): 20,286% gain & $186,000 Market Cap
Daredevil #1 VeVe Ultra Rare ATH $335 (Dec, 2021): 4,962% gain & $46,000 Market Cap
As the benefits of digital collectibles continues to bring more interest and audience (buyer) engagement, could additional potential features such animated covers, physical redemptions and deep artificial AND virtual reality enhancements grow these, and really all digital asset comic’s significance and interest into the entire comic collectibles space?
Always NFA of course, just listing the available facts...it is entirely possible these assets never again come close to their all time highs, but if VeVe is able to pull off their long term vision, aligning with their website's key message below, well...who knows!?
"The future of collecting is here. VeVe is the world’s home of premium collectibles, comics and artworks. Start your digital collection today and be part of the next evolution in collecting." (From VeVe HomePage)
DIGITAL ASSET SHOWROOMS HAVE ARRIVED TOO
VeVe just formally launched its’ VeVeVerse 'Version 1.0' metaverse ecosystem, easily accessed through your desktop - NO VR HEADSETS REQUIRED (though they'll likely be added in the future)!
A flood of users have jumped in from across the globe to create incredible showrooms of their digital assets, where users can invite anyone in to view, share and even chat together from anywhere in real time. The levels of pure utility are mind boggling, so it just really begs the question, what beholds the future potential of these VERY FIRST FIRSTS as adoption skyrockets?
And if NOTHING ELSE, it is simply undeniable that the creative efforts these Marvel artists have provided VeVe and its fans are DEVILISHLY FANTASTIC. IMHO, I also can’t deny it just feels pretty KingPin level to be one of just a small handful of people globally, who'll ever be able to own such assets. After SO ENJOYING the Daredevil series on Disney+ and eagerly awaiting the theatrical release of Fantastic Four First Steps, it's a thrill to just own a piece of these collectible firsts.
The Watcher IS Watching!!!
If you'd like to own your 1st LICENSED Digital Collectible from incredible brands like Disney, Marvel, Universal Studios, James Bond, Back-to-the-Future, Star Wars & 100s more, please enjoy a gift of $10 USD FREE towards your 1st purchase: click or paste this referral link into your browser: veve.sjv.io/vevecollecting (or scan QR code below), download VeVe's app & enjoy ! (T&C Apply, see details at their website).
Thanks for Reading!
