East Coast Comics Expands Exclusive Variant Lineup and Sets Sights on Publishing
North Carolina, USA , February 9, 2025 -- A Growing Market for Exclusive Comic Variants
In the fast-evolving world of comic book collecting, exclusivity is key. East Coast Comics has carved out a niche by collaborating with top-tier and up-and-coming artists to deliver limited-edition retailer variants. The latest covers, created by Franck Uzan for ThunderCats and Witchblade, showcase dynamic artwork that adds significant collector value. Artist 'NRG' also brings a fresh perspective to the company's growing lineup of exclusive covers.
'Comic book collecting is more than just buying issues—it's about owning something truly unique,' said Christopher Banks, Owner of East Coast Comics. 'By working directly with talented artists, we're offering collectors exclusive covers they won't find anywhere else. It's a way to celebrate both creativity and the comic book community.'
These exclusive releases are available in limited print runs, often featuring both trade dress and virgin variants, making them highly sought after by fans and collectors alike.
Curated Selections and Expanding Collector Services
Beyond its exclusive covers, East Coast Comics continues to build a strong presence in the collector market by offering a diverse selection of products and services:
Curated Selections featuring top publishers such as Marvel, Image, Dynamite, and IDW.
CGC-Graded Comics, ensuring collectors receive authenticated, high-quality issues.
Bundle Deals, providing themed comic sets at competitive prices.
Convention Appearances, including Emerald City Comic Con 2025, where fans can purchase exclusive covers in person.
By focusing on premium offerings and limited-edition exclusives, East Coast Comics continues to stand out in the competitive comic book retail space.
From Retailer to Publisher: A Bold Next Step
As part of its future vision, East Coast Comics is preparing to expand into publishing, aiming to release its own original comic book series. This move will allow the company to bring fresh stories and independent creators into the spotlight.
'Publishing is a natural next step for us,' Banks explained. 'We're passionate about comics, not just as retailers but as storytellers. Our goal is to introduce new narratives that resonate with fans while maintaining the same level of quality and creativity that collectors expect from us.'
The company plans to announce more details about its first original series in the coming months, positioning itself as a brand that not only sells comics but creates them.
About East Coast Comics
Based in North Carolina, East Coast Comics is an online comic book retailer specializing in exclusive retailer variant covers, monthly comic releases, and CGC-graded collectibles. The company collaborates with independent artists and major publishers to provide a unique selection of comics for collectors and fans alike.
Media Contact
Christopher Banks
Owner, East Coast Comics
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
Eastcoastcomics.net
Facebook | Instagram | X
Contact Info:
Name: Christopher Banks
Email: Send Email
Organization: East Coast Comics
Release ID: 89152575
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' ending and post-credit scenes explained: how does it set up 'Avengers: Doomsday' and more big Marvel questions answered
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Full spoilers follow for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The Fantastic Four: First Steps has achieved lift off in theaters – and I imagine you have plenty of questions about the Marvel movie's ending and its post-credits scenes. Below, I'll do my best to answer your biggest questions about the first Marvel Phase 6 project, including how it sets up the next Avengers film, aka Avengers: Doomsday. So, here's your final warning: major spoilers immediately follow for First Steps. Turn back now if you haven't seen it yet. What happens to Galactus and The Silver Surfer in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? They're transported to the furthest reaches of the alternate universe – designated Earth-828 – that The Fantastic Four reside in. Without his planet-devouring space vessel, it'll take the now-stranded Galactus millions of years to make his way back to the quartet's home world, and that's even if he's capable of doing so. So, how will the eponymous team prevent Galactus from destroying their planet? After all, they refused to hand over Reed Richards and Sue Storm's son Franklin, which would've spared their world. Galactus sees Franklin as his successor because, according to the terrifying space god, Franklin possesses the Power Cosmic, a source of unlimited energy that turned the former mortal man known as Galan into the immortal, never-satiated entity known as Galactus. Anyway, the gang aims to defeat Galactus by using a scaled-up version of the teleportation device Reed was working on earlier in the film. You know, the one that he used to move an egg from one transmat machine to another in his lab. With the help of every nation on Earth, Marvel's First Family initially builds a series of giant teleporters with the intention of moving their world to a different universe. That way, Galactus won't be able to reach them. However, that plan fails when The Silver Surfer destroys all but one of the devices. Reluctantly, Reed, Sue, and their Fantastic Four cohorts decide to use Franklin as bait to ensnare Galactus. They plan to place the baby in a carrier under the last remaining teleporter. Once Galactus steps inside its field range, the group will distract him by attacking, while one of them replaces the baby carrier with an empty one. Then, they'd activate the machine and flee the scene as a trapped Galactus is transported to whereabouts unknown. It's a plan that almost works, but before he steps into the teleporter's area of effect, Galactus realizes Franklin has been whisked away to the Baxter Building, aka the group's headquarters, and makes a beeline for him. Long story short: despite their best efforts, The Fantastic Four can't stop Galactus from taking Franklin. All hope appears to be lost until Sue Storm regains consciousness, after being knocked out when Galactus swats the Fantasticar into a building, and sees the immortal cosmic entity leaving with her only child. Summoning all her strength, which is heightened by her maternal instinct to protect her offspring, Sue uses her force field powers to slowly force Galactus toward the teleporter. The rest of the team, who have come to their senses after also being taken out by Galactus, rush to help. Ben Grimm uses his strength to knock down a building that Galactus is steadying himself on, Johnny Storm activates the device, and Reed uses his stretch powers to climb Galactus and rescue Franklin. With one final push, an over-exerted Sue shoves Galactus through the portal. Exhausted, she collapses to the ground. But, it doesn't seem to have been enough as Galactus starts to re-emerge through the portal. Johnny, who tried to negotiate with The Silver Surfer earlier and offer his services to Galactus in exchange for sparing Franklin and his planet, decides to make one last Hail Mary move. Aiming at Galactus, he flies towards the portal in a self-sacrificial move. However, he's knocked out of the way by The Silver Surfer. Clearly, the pair's earlier exchange appealed to her humanity, and The Silver Surfer makes the sacrifice to force Galactus back through the portal before it closes, thus stranding them both in the far reaches of this universe. With Galactus gone, Reed, Johnny, and Ben race to Sue's side, but try as Reed might to revive his wife, it seems he's too late. Sue has died. Or so it seems. A distraught Franklin wriggles out of Ben's and then Reed's arms to be with his mom. Lying on her chest, Franklin smiles and quietly places his hands on her. Miraculously, the fingers on Sue's right hand twitch, she gasps for air, and is resuscitated. Smiles, hugs, and happy tears all around. Does The Fantastic Four: First Steps have a mid-credits scene? The joy of defeating Galactus, plus the relief of Sue's revival, are somewhat short-lived, though, because of what happens in the first of two end credits stingers. In it, we learn that four years have passed since Galactus was banished. Sue and Franklin are sitting in the Baxter Building's living room and have just finished reading 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. Considering Galactus wanted Franklin to replace him as this universe's planet-consuming deity, it's quite an on-the-nose book for Sue and Franklin to have *ahem* devoured. Anyway, Sue walks away to find 'A Fly Went By,' another of Franklin's favorite books. Locating it, she returns to her son, but hears a strange noise as she does so. Activating her powers, Sue (and, by proxy, the camera) peers around the living room's central column to see that Franklin is not alone. A mysterious figure is not only squatting down in front of Franklin and holding his right hand to Franklin's face, but he's wearing a dark green hooded cloak and holding a metal mask in his left hand. Say hello to Doctor Victor von Doom, everyone! So, is that Robert Downey Jr playing Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? It's not confirmed, but I think it is. Let's break down what we know. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Downey Jr, the superstar actor who played Tony Stark and his heroic alter-ego Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) between 2008 and 2019, was confirmed to be playing fan-favorite Marvel supervillain Doctor Victor von Doom. It was an announcement few people expected, so there was shock, delight, and the odd eyebrow raised when the reveal was made. Downey Jr's return to the MCU came after Marvel fired Jonathan Majors in December 2023. The disgraced actor, who was found guilty of numerous crimes, including sexual assault, had been hired to play Kang the Conqueror, aka the Marvel Multiverse Saga's Big Bad. He even appeared in projects like Disney+ series Loki and Marvel Phase 5 film Ant-Man 3, so Marvel was all-in on Kang being this saga's primary nemesis. However, after Majors was found guilty of the allegations made against him, Marvel quickly moved to replace Kang with Doom. Latveria's most famous son, then, is the Multiverse Saga's new overarching antagonist, and will square off against our heroes in Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars. With First Steps being the precursor to that pair, fans began to question whether Doom would appear in this Phase 6 flick. However, director Matt Shakman consistently denied that would be the case. Indeed, he said it wasn't part of his purview and later told me that he never considered installing Doom as First Steps' primary villain. Ahead of First Steps' release, though, Shakman's tone has changed. Speaking to he confirmed that Joe and Anthony Russo, who are directing the next two Avengers films, shot First Steps' mid-credits scene. The siblings also filmed Thunderbolts* post-credits stinger, which has big ties to The Fantastic Four's latest big-screen adventure and Doomsday. So, is Downey Jr playing Doom in First Steps' mid-credits scene? That's unclear. We only see Doom from the back, and his hood is raised, so I can't say for sure if it's Downey Jr. The A-lister isn't credited with an appearance in the film's end credits crawl, either. For someone so synonymous with the MCU, you'd expect Downey Jr's name to pop up if he actually shows up in First Steps. That said, considering the Russos shot this sequence, I'm more inclined to believe Downey Jr is playing Doom in this scene. First Steps underwent some minor reshoots and pickups around the time that principal photography began on Doomsday. It's plausible, then, that the Russos filmed this scene prior to commencing work on Avengers 5, which would make it more likely that Downey Jr appears (albeit uncredited) in this footage. Is there a post-credits scene in The Fantastic Four: First Steps? Yes, but truth be told, it's a nothing burger (from an MCU impact, anyway) of a post-credits scene. Indeed, the main title sequence to The Fantastic Four cartoon series, which exists in-universe, is this movie's post-credits scene. It's a fun little sequence to include, and it's nice to see those who created it recognized for their work. As I said, though, it doesn't drop any hints about the future of Marvel's cinematic juggernaut, so it's ultimately not worth sticking around for. How does The Fantastic Four: First Steps set up Avengers: Doomsday? Potentially big spoilers follow for Avengers: Doomsday. Proceed at your own risk. Given what we learn in First Steps and Thunderbolts* post-credits scene – read my Thunderbolts* ending explained piece for more on the latter – some puzzle pieces appear to be falling into place. For one, we now know Franklin has superpowers. If we believe what Galactus said about Franklin, i.e., he's a being of unlimited power, he'll be one of the most powerful beings to ever exist. Franklin is immensely powerful in Marvel Comics, so that checks out. Thanks to Earth-828's various news agencies, it'll be public knowledge that Franklin possesses superhuman abilities, too. Rumors might also spread about what powers he has and/or how he resurrected Sue – well, if the general public finds out that he did. If they do, Doom will become aware of Franklin's powerset. Furthermore, if you believe online speculation about Doomsday's plot – read my Avengers: Doomsday hub for more information on its confirmed details – Doom may actually try to prevent the Multiverse's collapse (via those pesky events known as Incursions) by merging all known universes into a single reality. That's the basis of Marvel's two 'Secret Wars' comic book runs, which the Russo brothers told me they're taking inspiration from for Avengers 5 and its follow-up. If that's Doom's aim in Marvel's cinematic franchise, he'll need someone like Franklin to achieve his goal. In Marvel literature, Franklin has the ability to warp reality, manipulate matter, and create pocket dimensions. All of those powers would come in handy for an egotistical individual like Doom, who'd view himself as the savior of the multiverse and, as he does in 2015's 'Secret Wars' comic book storyline, install himself as God Emperor of the MCU's take on Battleworld. Okay, how does this tie into First Steps' mid-credits scene and Thunderbolts* post-credits stinger? The former makes it clear that Doom has found Franklin. The fact that he has means he'll have some grasp of the unlimited power Franklin possesses. Franklin's mom won't be pleased (to put it lightly!) that another supervillain has come calling to kidnap her child, either. My best guess, then, is that The Fantastic Four will collectively fight off Doom and, using the Excelsior and Reed's likely upgraded teleportation device, flee to another universe not unlike their own – i.e., the MCU. That's why we see the Excelsior emerging from a wormhole in the final Thunderbolts* end credits stinger. Of course, that doesn't mean they're safe. The MCU's take on Earth's Mightiest Heroes will want to know why a group of superpowered beings has suddenly shown up from another reality. They're used to extraterrestrial threats emerging out of the blue, and if they don't get an answer they like, you can bet a fight will ensue between the MCU's Avengers and The Fantastic Four. Considering Doom's own genius-level intellect, plus the plan of action he's put in place, it won't be long until he tracks down The Fantastic Four to Earth-616. Franklin may be temporarily safe from Doom's clutches, but it won't stay that way. Whether I'm proved correct or not, I'm convinced Franklin – and Loki, who currently sits at the center of the multiverse in an attempt to hold it all together – is central to Doomsday's story. Don't be surprised, then, if he becomes the human McGuffin that Avengers 5 revolves around and is the individual who contributes most to the soft reboot that Marvel President Kevin Feige confirmed to be coming post-Secret Wars. You might also like I watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it heralds a much-needed new dawn for Marvel's First Family on the big screen When might Marvel release The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Disney+? Find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr sparks new Avengers: Doomsday fan theory over possible dual role in the MCU movie, and I hope it's not true
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new Marvel fan theory about Avengers: Doomsday is circulating online Fans think Robert Downey Jr is hinting that he'll play two characters in the MCU film A recent Instagram post from Downey Jr is to blame Robert Downey Jr has sparked a new – and potentially huge – theory among Marvel fans about Avengers: Doomsday. Last Saturday (July 26), the superstar actor, who'll portray Doctor Victor von Doom in the forthcoming movie, posted a seemingly innocuous video on Instagram. For the most part, the footage shows Downey Jr hitting play on one of his son's (Indio Downey) songs on Spotify. Then, the A-lister briefly hovers his phone camera over a couple of Marvel comics, before turning it on himself to mouth along to the aforementioned tune. It's those comics that have whipped Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans into a frenzy. Well, one of them, anyway. The first comic we see is a copy of 'Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars', aka the 12-issue run created by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton that ran from May 1984 to April 1985. That's one of two 'Secret Wars' comic series – the second one coming from Jonathan Hickman and Esad Rebic from May 2015 to January 2016 – that Joe and Anthony Russo told me they're taking inspiration from for Doomsday and its sequel film Avengers: Secret Wars. The fact that Downey Jr is reading said comic series for research purposes, then, is no great surprise. It's the other literary work, titled 'Iron Man: Legacy of Doom', that's sent MCU devotees into a tailspin, though. Considering Downey Jr played Tony Stark and his superhero alter-ego Iron Man in the MCU between 2008 and 2019, some observers might think this is just a nod to the two iconic Marvel characters he'll have played by the time Avengers: Secret Wars arrives in December 2027. However, long-time Marvel fans are reading much more into it and have even crafted a new fan theory about Downey Jr's casting in the Marvel Phase 6 film – a hypothesis that I most certainly hope is wrong. Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for the next two Avengers movies. Turn back now unless you really want to know what fans are theorizing about. Is Robert Downey Jr playing two characters in Avengers: Doomsday? For the uninitiated, 'Iron Man: Legacy of Doom' is a four-issue comic series that features another showdown between the eponymous armored superhero and Doom. Okay, the latter is more commonly associated as an archenemy of The Fantastic Four, but he's also engaged in a few tussles with Stark in Marvel Comics. Indeed, 'Legacy of Doom' is he third time they lock horns on the page. The first came in a two-part Iron Man story called 'Doomquest', which landed on shelves in 1981, while the second occurred in 'The Doctor's Passion', another two-part narrative that was released in 1989. Okay, but what's this got to do with Downey Jr possibly having a dual role in Avengers 5 and its sequel, which is already one of 2027's most anticipated new movies? Some fans believe Downey Jr is indicating that he's either playing Doom and an Iron Man variant, or confirms his Doom is a variant of Stark himself. The latter is a theory that's circulated online ever since Downey Jr was revealed to be playing Doom in the MCU at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Indeed, some fans have queried why Marvel would hire Downey Jr to play Doom if he wasn't an alternate universe's Stark who hadn't seen the errors of his ways like the MCU's Stark did, and who might have found a way to master dark magic and combine it with his self-developed technology. Hey, Ironheart already proved magic and tech can mix, so it's not as if someone like an evil Stark couldn't work out how to blend the two. It's the other theory about Downey Jr potentially playing Doom and another version of Stark/Iron Man, though, that's got me worried. If – and it's a big if – Doomsday adapts some aspect of 'Iron Man: Legacy of Doom', we could have a situation where the aforementioned situation becomes reality. If it does, we could see Downey Jr's Doom and a Stark variant, who'd also be portrayed by the A-lister, fight it out to show how powerful Doom is and/or if Doom needs to acquire some tech that Stark has perfected. The other possibility is that Downey Jr will reprise his role as Stark/Iron Man in Secret Wars. There have been murmurings that Chris Evans may return as Steve Rogers/Captain America in the sixth Avengers movie, which is reportedly being billed as a celebration of every Marvel comic book universe to ever exist before the MCU undergoes its soft reboot post-Secret Wars. That includes 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchises, Sony's three Spider-Man universes, and the MCU. Should that prove to be the case, in Marvel's eyes, it wouldn't be a fitting commemoration without Downey Jr's Stark being a part of it. After all, he kickstarted the comic giant's cinematic universe. Nevertheless, bringing back Downey Jr as Stark in any form would undo his heart-breaking yet heroic sacrifice in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. In my view, that was the fitting albeit bittersweet farewell that he deserved, and I'd be loathe to see him return as Iron Man in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars because of it. This is one fan theory, then, that I don't want to see materialize. Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters on December 18, 2026. You might also like Here's how to watch the Marvel movies in order The Fantastic Four: First Steps ending and post-credit scenes explained: how does it set up Avengers: Doomsday and more big Marvel questions answered Spider-Man: Brand New Day's place on the Marvel timeline appears to have been revealed – here's when the MCU movie might take place Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Marvel fans think they've worked out when Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place, but I'm not convinced they're right
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Spider-Man: Brand New Day's position on the MCU timeline might have been revealed Filming will begin in Glasgow, Scotland in August A Marvel fan has snapped some set photos that indicate when it could be set Spider-Man: Brand New Day won't arrive in theaters until July 2026, but some fans think they've already worked out where it'll sit on the Marvel timeline. With filming due to begin on Spider-Man: Brand New Day in August, preparations have been underway in Glasgow for a number of weeks now. The Scottish city is being used a stand-in for New York City (NYC), so Glaswegians have seen their hometown receive a US makeover before the cameras start rolling. One eagle-eyed Marvel fan has wasted no time snapping images of the sets being erected for Spider-Man 4, too. Indeed, X/Twitter user lukec1605 recently uploaded some photographs that indicate what year it might take place in. As the above post reveals, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) version of NYC is being renovated, with numerous construction builds in progress. This might have something to do with events that occurred in Thunderbolts*, aka one of three new movies released by Marvel Studios this year. That film is set in the MCU's present, which is believed to be the year 2027. You can read more about what happened in that flick via by Thunderbolts* ending explained piece. But I'm getting off-track. Two of the images in the aforementioned post reveal that work is due to be completed on these renovations and new builds by December 2027. Cue MCU fans jumping to conclusions and convincing themselves that the next Marvel Phase 6 movie will take place in late 2027. I'm not satisfied this is the case, though. Those pictures only indicate that the buildings will be erected before that year ends. Depending on the size of said build, it can take multiple years to complete work on them, too. It's entirely possible, then, that Spider-Man's next outing in the MCU could be set in early or mid-2027, or even sometime in 2026. There's evidence that Brand New Day could take place well before December 2027 as well. Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, whose story is thought to play out between late 2026 and early 2027, sees Wilson Fisk become NYC's latest mayor. Throughout the Disney+ show's first installment, Fisk fast-tracks a number of developments in the city, so it's plausible that the ongoing construction work was greenlit by him. If that's the case, events in Spider-Man 4 might run concurrent to Daredevil: Born Again season 1. That said, Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher will a supporting role to play in Brand New Day. The last time we saw him, i.e. in Born Again's season 1 finale, he escaped captivity after being incarcerated in a secret prison facility patrolled by Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force. In order to show up in Spider-Man 4, he'll need to have broken out of jail before that film begins. This would mean Brand New Day has to take place from mid-2027 onwards. Hopefully, we'll get a better idea of when the film is set, plus who Stranger Things' Sadie Sink is playing in Spider-Man 4, when principal photography finally gets underway. In the meantime, find out why Spider-Man: Brand New Day's release was delayed or learn more about how its official title takes its cue from the most controversial moment in Spidey's comic book history. You might also like Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr sparks new Avengers: Doomsday fan theory over possible dual role in the MCU movie, and I hope it's not true Spider-Man: Brand New Day reportedly set to feature one of the first Avengers in a big role, but I hope it's not true for two huge reasons Find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order Solve the daily Crossword