I'm tired of ALL the gimmicks. Why does a comic book need an "alternate"
cover?
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As long as the alternate cover doesn't increase the cost of the book, I don't
have a problem with it. Heck, this is an alternate cover by the artist of the
book! Besides, there isn't a requirement to purchase both of them.

Impressive! Mouse or stylus?

And here's the scary part (at least, it was for me!): this was done entirely without any underdrawing. No tracing over pencils, or anything of that kind. Just straight in with the colors.

Lucky it worked, huh?

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"Ya, got talent, kid.  Keep it up, you might go somewhere!"

In all seriousness, I really like the effect the cover embodies.  I'm definitely looking forward to this series!

And here's the scary part (at least, it was for me!): this was done entirely without any underdrawing. No tracing over pencils, or anything of that kind. Just straight in with the colors.

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Impressive! Mouse or stylus?

••

Mouse. I have not been able to find my "comfort level" with a stylus.

Love this cover. Waiting for this book is easing the sorrow Next Men is ending next month.

In regards to incentive covers. Retailer incentives are a way to ease the financial burden of a retailer trying out a title. They can easily break even on costs when selling one variant. Making nothing but pure profit on the rest of their inventory of said title. Is it a perfect solution? No. But it does help retailers sample out titles they normally wouldn't. Meaning they will have more copies of COLD WAR (or insert another comic) to offer the casual impulse customer.

Look at sales of Next Men. They have either remained steady or have gone up from month to month. I assume many retailers bought issue one to qualify for a sketch cover. In the end that allowed more over stocking of the book. Which gave more shelf time for Next Men # 1. In the end more people walking into comic shops found out it had been released. That resulted in more readers picking up the book. Which is what in the long term, I believe, helped out for the steady sales of the title. Had there been no sketch variant who knows if comic shops would have initially bought as much as they did. Which would also have meant more readers may have missed out on the book.

To sum up my long winded rant. It may not be the best senario. However, instead of variants being done to milk more money out of the collectors it can also be a way to help saturate a title to help find the real readers.