EXCLUSIVE: Matt Kindt’s SPY SUPERB gets ‘paper bag’-style variants

Last week, Dark Horse Comics announced Spy Superb, a new series from writer/artist Matt Kindt and colorist Sharlene Kindt. The new series follows an average man who believes he is secretly a sleeper agent spy. In keeping with the top-secret nature of the series, in addition to traditionally illustrated variant covers by artists including Martin Simmonds, Tula Lotay, and Christian Ward, The Beat is excited to exclusively reveal that each issue of Spy Superb will be available with a ‘paper bag’-style variant cover.

Here’s how Dark Horse describes Spy Superb:

In SPY SUPERB, a secret organization identifies the ultimate asset: a man named Jay, who is what they call a “useful idiot.”  Jay is sent on missions without even realizing he’s on a mission. Until he picks up the wrong phone with the wrong secret intel and now Russian hit-squads and elite assassins are after him. But Jay believes he was a sleeper agent—and really is the “spy superb”. His complete obliviousness and lack of survival skills may be the only thing that saves him in this globe-trotting espionage tale …where nothing is what it seems…but also…kind of actually is what it seems.

The ‘paper bag’ variant cover will look exactly like it sounds – like the issue comes in a brown paper bag, hiding what it is, but with special trade dress. Here’s a mock-up of the ‘paper bag’ variant for the first issue:

Talking about the variants with The Beat, Kindt described his inspiration for the unique covers:

“We want every Flux House publication to stand out on the stands. However, Spy Superb is so super secret we are smuggling it into your hands via a brown paper bag. Spotting this comic on the shelf will be half the fun.”

The new series is the latest from the Kindt-created Flux House imprint at Dark Horse. The imprint’s first release, Mind MGMT Bootleg, is a continuation of Kindt’s popular creator-owned series, and features writing by Kindt and art by an all-star lineup of artists.

Check out the other variant covers for the first issue by Simmonds, Lotay, and Ward below. Look for Spy Superb #1 to arrive in stores in January 2023.

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