Magic: The Gathering Goes Pulp With Hard-Boiled Thrillers Secret Lair (Exclusive)

The new Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair drop turns cards into murder mystery covers.

Magic: The Gathering is going pulp with its new Hard-Boiled Thrillers Secret Lair collection. ComicBook.com can exclusively reveal a first look at Josh Newton & Scott Okumura's artwork for the five-card Hard-Boiled Thriller Secret Lair drop. The set offers new versions of five Magic: The Gathering cards – Reconnaissance; Jace, Wielder of Mysteries; Black Market; Dire Undercurrents; and Obeka, Brute Chronologist – done in the style of covers to classic murder mystery novels. The Hard-Boiled Thrillers Secret Lair collection includes one copy of each card and is available in standard and foil editions. 

The set will be on sale in the Secret Lair website shop for a limited time, beginning February 5, 2024, at 9:00 AM PT and ending March 3, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT. Here's the product description for the Hard-Boiled Thrillers Secret Lair collection, provided by Wizards of the Coast:

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(Photo: Wizards of the Coast)

"Dirty puddles reflect blinking neon lights as some deep, urgent jazz tune hangs heavy in the air. A rain-soaked fedora sits in the gutter.

"'Was I double-crossed, or did I do the double-crossing?' the bruised detective asks no one but himself as he lurches to his feet. 'Maybe it doesn't matter—even the secrets have secrets in this town, and I ought to know better than to trust someone so lovely.' The bitter taste of betrayal always makes the truth even harder to swallow.

"Now there were only two things left to do. Make sure that two-faced gangster gets what's his, and don't forget the hat.

Art by Josh Newton & Scott Okumura

CONTENTS – Hard-Boiled Thrillers Foil Edition

  • 1x Foil Reconnaissance
  • 1x Foil Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
  • 1x Foil Black Market
  • 1x Foil Dire Undercurrents
  • 1x Foil Obeka, Brute Chronologist

CONTENTS – Hard-Boiled Thrillers

  • 1x Reconnaissance
  • 1x Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
  • 1x Black Market
  • 1x Dire Undercurrents
  • 1x Obeka, Brute Chronologist"
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(Photo: Wizards of the Coast)

What is Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair?

Secret Lair is a sub-brand of Magic: The Gathering that curates and sells high-end, exclusive collections of Magic: The Gathering cards. These collections are printed in limited numbers and sold for a limited time. The collections can sometimes include a crossover with other properties as part of Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond program, including Secret Lairs featuring Doctor Who and Jurassic World.

Per Wizards of the Coasts's Secret Lair website, "Secret Lair celebrates everything you (and we) love about Magic: The Gathering. Each drop puts a brand-new spin on your favorite cards and might even have something new entirely. Think collabs with all kinds of different artists, some with styles you've never seen on a Magic card before, others with different weird and awesome ways to celebrate the game. Keep your eyes peeled: you never know what's coming next with Secret Lair."

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