Superman Promises to Give YOU Heat Vision in Hilarious New Cover (Yes, YOU!)

If you’ve ever wanted one of Superman’s greatest powers, you’re going to want to pay attention to this amazing new variant. Sure, Kryptonian physiology allows them to shoot beams of heat from their eyes, but a comedic cover offers fans a novelty that promises to give anyone heat vision like the Man of Steel.

I love variants and nothing’s better than a cover that tries to make you laugh. In November’s batch of solicitations, there’s a variant for Superman #20 that’s sure to tickle the funny bone of any reader by offering them something any comic book fan would love.

Dave Johnson’s cover is designed to look like the ads that used to be in the back of comic books. But rather than a sea monkey colony or a pair of X-ray specs, this ‘ad’ shows off a pair of Superman-branded ‘Heat Vision Glasses’ (along with a warning to not stare into the sun).

We’re all used to seeing ads wedged in between the pages of our weekly comics. But long before many of our time, there used to be ads in the back of comics that offered up almost anything under the sun. Sometimes they’d be advertising innocuous little items like pet rocks or boomerangs. Other times they’d sell items with dubious claims like ‘How to Hypnotize’ instruction books or a functioning nuclear sub. But good or bad, these kinds of advertisements were a staple in comic books until they were phased out and replaced by more conventional forms of advertising.

Sadly, this offer of Heat Vision Glasses isn’t real. And even if it was, they wouldn’t grant heat vision any more than vintage ads would give kids life-sized robots. But this cover is a fun throwback to the olden days of comics. There’s no doubt older Superman comics were lousy with these kinds of ads and it’s honestly kind of surprising DC never cashed in by making something like this (though there are old ads for ‘kryptonite rocks’ floating around online). Regardless, this Superman variant cover is a fun way of honoring a more innocent period of comic book history.

Superman’s Latest Variant is the Perfect Tribute to Older Comics

Sure, everyone would like Superman’s powers. And if an ad like this popped up in real life, even I would probably be sending in a few bucks, if only for the novelty. But while Heat Vision Glasses aren’t a reality, this Johnson’s cover still works as an amusing throwback. I’ve never much cared for the ads you see in comics, but there’s always been a fun appeal to the over-the-top promises of ads found in older comic books. We may not be getting Superman’s heat vision anytime soon, but at least this variant is good for a laugh.

Superman #20 is available on November 27th from DC Comics.