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Sam Houston Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 March 2005 Location: United States Posts: 1693
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Posted: 14 April 2014 at 7:45pm | IP Logged | 1
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As I no longer collect comics I am not sure how these work. For some time now I have seen images of variant covers for selected comics and selected issues. As an example ORIGINAL SIN #1 YOUNG VARIANT:
Having grown up in the 80's and collecting until the 90's I am all too familiar with the marketing of variant covers for a special issue or two, but it looks like in today's market that variant covers are almost the norm for any issue and there seems to be multiple variants. Are all of these truly printed? Some of the covers (like animal versions of Marvel heroes on some of the Marvel covers) seems, well, just stupid. Its like a funny theme is thought up and produced for all different books or for one book/issue. Or, for what would appear as a serious story line has variant cover designs that seem to mock it.
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Michael Roberts Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 14812
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Posted: 14 April 2014 at 9:50pm | IP Logged | 2
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Iceman puking up ice crosses the line and ruins the cover.
Most of these variants you are referring to are retailer incentives. Retailers get them 1 per 25/50/whatever issues ordered. Retailers often have a set of customers who specifically collect the variants, so they'll up their orders to get the variants and price the issues to compensate for the extra issues which might not sell. Marvel gets inflated sales numbers for issues that will likely end up in the bargain bin, and the retailers pass the cost to the variant collectors.
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Carmen Bernardo Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 08 August 2006 Location: United States Posts: 3666
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 4:39am | IP Logged | 3
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QUOTE:
Or, for what would appear as a serious story line has variant cover designs that seem to mock it. |
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Doesn't seem like they're taking themselves very seriously at all, does it? One more wish I have, is for someone else to come along and sweep nearly all the MarvelNOW! nonsense under the rug (except for those bits which appear to be more respectful of the Bullpen's characters).
Seems that history isn't just repeating. It's caught up in an infinite loop with all these variants and collectors and stuff.
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Stephen Churay Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 March 2009 Location: United States Posts: 8369
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 5:09am | IP Logged | 4
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I don't collect variants. I think the idea of paying $25 for a $4 comic that has the same content is BEYOND foolish. But I do recognize that for certain collectors, this has kept the hobby/ obsession, interesting. I do like the pencils only covers, but the only way I've ever bought one is when my retailer has run out of the regular cover and is willing to sell the variant at cover price
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Eric Jansen Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013 Location: United States Posts: 2280
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 6:22am | IP Logged | 5
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I get most of my DC and Marvel comics by subscription (for almost HALF the newsstand price!) and I don't mind them getting a little bent by the mailman or whatever. But recently I got the first issue of the newly relaunched SECRET AVENGERS with the cartoonish cover while the gorgeous, moody Mike Deodato variant was only available on the shelves. Argh! Am I going to pay another $4 to get that one? NO. Am I going to be more wary of what I subscribe to? Yes.
I understand the THINKING behind variants back in the speculation day, but I wonder if it really works now? If that Deodato cover is so enticing that it would make new readers buy the issue, don't you want that art on ALL the issues?!? If everybody buys up the GOOD cover and all the stores are left with are weird variants that don't sell (especially if you mark them up to $12 immediately), haven't you LOST sales?
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Anthony J Lombardi Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 January 2005 Location: United States Posts: 9410
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 6:53am | IP Logged | 6
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Iceman puking up ice crosses the line and ruins the cover.~~~~ Really Iceman puking crosses the line and ruins the cover? Oh Deadpool holding a set of eyeballs doesn't cross the line but ice puke does?
```
I'm not overly fond of variant covers. If they added something to the story that would be great. But as a marketing ploy. I don't much care for them.
Of course none of that doesn't mean I don't like the art better on some of the variants.
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Andrew W. Farago Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 July 2005 Location: United States Posts: 4067
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 12:33pm | IP Logged | 7
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No big deal. Those of us who don't buy them (and it sounds like that's most of us) get to see them online, and the people who do buy them pump more money into their comic shop's coffers.
The downside is that comic shop owners will order 25 extra copies of a number one issue or a big crossover thing and will neglect other books by doing that, but that's pretty much how the direct market operates anyway. A shop that orders an extra 100 copies of the next Marvel crossover wasn't going to order an extra 100 copies of Hawkeye or Saga or some self-published comic anyway.
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Michael Roberts Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 14812
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 4:24pm | IP Logged | 8
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Oh Deadpool holding a set of eyeballs doesn't cross the line but ice puke does?
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Yes. Giant cartoonish sparkling magical eyeballs lacking any viscera or realism are less offensive than puke.
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Brian Skelley Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 14 February 2012 Location: United States Posts: 231
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 4:44pm | IP Logged | 9
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Michael Roberts wrote:
Iceman puking up ice crosses the line and ruins the cover.
Most of these variants you are referring to are retailer incentives. Retailers get them 1 per 25/50/whatever issues ordered. Retailers often have a set of customers who specifically collect the variants, so they'll up their orders to get the variants and price the issues to compensate for the extra issues which might not sell. Marvel gets inflated sales numbers for issues that will likely end up in the bargain bin, and the retailers pass the cost to the variant collectors. |
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I've lately been convinced these variant for buying copies of the book is the reason Marvel seems so convinced the only way to make money is constantly relaunching the title.
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Andrew W. Farago Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 July 2005 Location: United States Posts: 4067
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 5:41pm | IP Logged | 10
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Yes. Giant cartoonish sparkling magical eyeballs lacking any viscera or realism are less offensive than puke.
They'd be less offensive to you if they had veins and blood dripping off of them?
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Wallace Sellars Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004 Location: United States Posts: 17659
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 5:53pm | IP Logged | 11
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Yes. Giant cartoonish sparkling magical eyeballs lacking any viscera or realism are less offensive than puke.
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They'd be less offensive to you if they had veins and blood dripping off of them?
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Andrew, I believe that Michael is saying the eyeballs are less offensive to him than Iceman's vomit BECAUSE they are cartoonish and lack veins and blood dripping from them.
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Anthony Dean Kotorac Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 05 September 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 832
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Posted: 15 April 2014 at 6:14pm | IP Logged | 12
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The good thing about collected editions is that they usually feature all the variant covers within to look at. I love some of the variant covers released which is sometimes better than the actual cover but I can't justify paying more than the regular price for the same issue with a different cover. I used to do it but I then realised how stupid it was!
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