For this year’s AAPI Heritage Month, Marvel Comics recently unveiled four stunning variant covers illustrated by beloved South Korean artist Inhyuk Lee that will debut throughout May 2023, featuring iconic Asian and Asian American characters like the new Iron Fist Lin Lie and Nico Minoru of the Runaways in gorgeous new “streetwear” style costumes.
Every May the United States celebrates AAPI Heritage Month – also known as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – recognizing the historical and continued impact of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islanders on global society, culture, and history. Marvel has made it a tradition to commission beautiful and unique AAPI Heritage Month variant covers for several years now.
This year Marvel is stepping up its game by featuring not only these gorgeous variant covers by Lee, but also connecting each cover to a backup comic featuring the cover character, with art and writing by an Asian and AAPI creative team. This year’s covers by Lee feature breathtaking renditions of Iron Fist’s Lin Lie, Sister Dagger, Taegukgi of Tiger Division, and Nico Minoru of Runaways fame, all wearing beautiful streetwear costumes looking like they just came off a runway.
Nico, Esme, And Lin Lie Are Looking Fierce And Fashionable
Inhyuk Lee’s cover featuring Nico Minoru – also known as Sister Grimm and featured in the Midnight Suns series – is for Doctor Strange #3, which comes out May 31. The issue will feature a backup story focusing on an adventure of Nico’s early in her heroic career, written by Amy Chu with art by Tokitokoro. Lee’s breathtaking streetwear design of Sister Grimm highlights her Wiccan history, powerful staff, and iconic emo-like aesthetic. Unlike Nico’s two decade-long history at Marvel, Zheng Esme, the character featured in Lee’s cover for Wolverine #33 – out May 10 – only debuted in 2020 as the half-sister of Shang-Chi and one of the Five Weapons, “Sister Dagger.” Since her debut the French citizen Esme has helped out Shang-Chi countless times, and her backup story – written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Peter Nguyen – will feature Sister Dagger and Wolverine teaming up in Paris to take down a monster.
Lin Lie first debuted in 2018 as the new Sword Master, but he eventually claimed the new title of Iron Fist after Danny Rand lost it. He has since become a major hero, recently defeating the mystic dragon Shou-Lao, finally being formally accepted as the new Iron Fist. Inhyuk Lee’s cover, which features the new Iron Fist Lin Lie looking absolutely killer in a jacket emblazoned with the Iron Fist logo, is for Daredevil #11 – on sale May 10 – and features a backup story written by Jason Loo with art by Lynne Yoshii. The story will focus on Iron Fist and Daredevil fighting off a pair of water demons who have come to claim the shards of the legendary Sword of Fu Xi that are lodged in Lin Lie’s soul and arms.
Taegukgi Has Never Looked Better Than In Streetwear
Finally, Inhyuk Lee’s variant cover for Ghost Rider #14 – also out May 10 – features the premier South Korean superhero Taegukgi, made famous from his central role on the Tiger Division team, looking exceedingly handsome with no shirt on and a jacket featuring the South Korean flag. Taegukgi’s backup story – written by Jon Tsuei with art by Tadam Gyadu – will feature him teaming up with Ghost Rider in California to take down a “ghostly threat” with “ties to his past.”
While Marvel’s commemoration of this year’s AAPI Heritage Month is a wonderful celebration of both AAPI characters and creators, it sadly leaves out Pacific Islanders. There is not a single cover or story that features a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander character, proof that Marvel needs to continue working on its representation for all AAPI characters. Regardless, Inhyuk Lee’s stunning covers of Sister Dagger, Taegukgi, Lin Lie, and Nico Minoru of the Runaways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month are a beautiful way to honor the important month, and their Marvel Comics backup stories are a powerful way to uplift AAPI creators in the world of comics.
