Marvel Comics appears to be reviving some of the excitement from the 90s behind comics by bringing back the Marvel Swimsuit Special.
As the comic industry has endured a lot of turmoil over the last few years, Marvel and DC Comics have tried a few stunts to garner interest in their struggling lines. So far, it’s been out-of-continuity books that bring back 1990s nostalgia to the consumer that have been at the top of the sales charts. Ultimate Spider-Man brought back the Spider-Man marriage long-time fans dreamed of, Absolute Batman turned Bruce Wayne into a strange Rob Liefeld muscles-on-muscles beat-em-up like so many 90s comics, and they’ve operated as massive sales successes.
This last week, Marvel Comics announced they’d be bringing back something else from the 1990s, the Marvel Swimsuit Specials.
The Marvel Swimsuit Specials (1991–1995) were a blend of fan service, humor, and artistic showcase. Artists like Jim Lee, George Perez, Adam Hughes, and Jan Duursema, among dozens of others, created memorable pin-ups, while writers and editors like Christian Cooper and Tom DeFalco shaped the series’ tone and direction. They had a Sports Illustrated parody format, thematic premises for eaxh issue (Savage Land, Wakanda, Monster Island, etc.), and while it started with exploiting the female characters, later issues added more male swimsuit representation
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X-Men Writer Chris Claremont was not impressed with the output, saying in an interview, “Right from the beginning, the magazine was problematic and plagued by the inherent disadvantage female characters face, always. We were trying to tell engaging stories in the comics. Meanwhile, they were slapping this thing [together] at the last minute.”
The original issues didn’t have cohesive writing, though some Marvel writers like Howard Makie and Fabian Nicezia were brought in to do “Features” and “ads” to act as a parody of the swimsuit magazines being produced at the time.
Now, Marvel has brought back this concept for Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes, And Rivals #1 coming out this summer. The solicit reads:
MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1
Written by TIM SEELEY & TONY FLEECS
Art by NICK BRADSHAW, NIC KLEIN, MARGUERITE SAUVAGE, LUCIANO VECCHIO & MORE
Wraparound Cover by ADAM HUGHES
Wraparound Variant Cover by MARK BROOKS
Variant Cover by TAURIN CLARKE
Variant Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
Virgin Variant Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
On Sale 7/9
THE SWIMSUIT SPECIAL RETURNS! Roxxon Comics is at it again when they release their own UNAUTHORIZED SWIMSUIT SPECIAL! Wasp is on the case and seizes the opportunity for Marvel's heroes to do their OWN swimwear fashion shoot all over the world! But fear not, True Believers, we know what you're REALLY here for! This super-sized special features splash page after splash page of gorgeous art, but with a story so you can pretend you're "reading it for the articles"…
"Throughout the '90s, fans enjoyed a lighter side of the Marvel Universe in Marvel Swimsuit Special, an annual one-shot that featured breathtaking artwork of Marvel characters in beach attire and swimwear. This unique and beloved special makes its long-demanded return this July in MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1!
"Primarily an artist showcase, Marvel Swimsuit Special presented pinups from the industry's top talents in a magazine-style format, complete with tongue-in-cheek articles and descriptions. Each year, a light-hearted plot brought the heroes to a different setting, from the jungles of the Savage Land to the shores of Monster Island. MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL: FRIENDS, FOES & RIVALS #1 continues the tradition with an overarching story written by Tim Seeley and Tony Fleecs and drawn by superstar artist Nick Bradshaw that stars Earth's Mightiest fashion designer, Janet Van Dyne, aka the Wasp! In addition to Bradshaw, fans can look forward to unforgettable, instantly-iconic imagery from top artists like Nic Klein, Marguerite Sauvage, Luciano Vecchio and more. The issue will also include designs for new costumes coming soon to the Marvel Rivals, the mega popular multiplayer video game from Marvel Games and NetEase Games.
Tying into Marvel Rivals appears to be an attempt to capitalize on the popular video game which has broken records for players and revenue. The game is hallmarked by its cheesecake art style which has had many on the internet praising the game and saying they’re doing a better job than western media at portraying their female characters as beautiful.
Of note is that writing duo Tim Seely and Tony Fleecs are writing this book, both known for their more pulpy, irreverent work within the industry, and it suggests that though this is artist driven, there will be a cohesive thread to it compared to the original concept.
Is this what comic book readers want in 2025? So far, online reaction from the video game community has been positive toward it as they’re praising the move, but those are not typically comic book buyers, so it remains to be seen.
What do you think of a new Marvel Swimsuit Special? Leave a comment and let us know.
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Wouldn't throw any of them out for eating crackers in bed, but their all ruffly the same hot girl body type with different hair. Where's squirrel girl or a shortstack? It's a good step don't get me wrong .
This screams of desperation. The monsters at Marvel don't deserve money even if they remembered just now that their primary audience is men.