7/15/2023 0 Comments Mighty goose unlockables![]() ![]() Variant covers that are regular price and freely orderable.Įxample: The variant covers most Image books do where you have a cover by a different artist that are still normal cover price. So when we’re talking about variants, what are we talking about? For an answer, here’s Bruno Batista of Big Bang Comics. But they weren’t! They were a gimmick, not a variant. I bet if you asked a comic fan who has been around since the 1990’s, they might say the old hologram covers on the X-Men crossover Fatal Attractions were variants. Variants are so convoluted even deciding what to include when discussing them is a mess. ![]() What’s included in the term “variant cover?” Once all angles are considered, perhaps we can come up with a proper answer.īut let’s provide framework for the discussion to start. We’ll do it by getting perspectives from the three main players involved: readers, retailers and publishers. So the question circles back to the beginning: is that such a bad thing? Again, it depends on perspective, but today, we will try and suss out an answer. It’s hardly a stretch to say the recent growth in industry sales numbers is connected to the increased presence of variants. These once novelty items have grown almost every year since 2004, and here’s the wild thing: if you just look at comics – not including collections – there are actually 12 more variants than titles in April. They’ve become so commonplace there are over three variants for every five comics released this April. It shows the stunning abundance of variants. While April 2016 was calculated by myself through the most recent Previews, the rest of the chart was all him. Before moving on, a quick shout out to Peter Bickford and ComicBase for sharing the data. What the chart above displays is the ratio of total variants – meaning the total variant covers, not just comics with a variant – to total releases in comics (including collections) mapped out from 1970 to 2016. Variant to Releases Ratio based on data from Peter Bickford and ComicBase as well as Previews #331 But what happens when they aren’t so special anymore? When they become the new normal? That’s the quandary we’re in these days, because variants? They’re as ubiquitous in comics as spandex. Many publishers love them as they create more product with limited overhead while giving retailers a reason to goose orders.Īs special items, the appeal of variant covers is obvious. For retailers, it could be beneficial to have rare artifacts to sell to collectors. ![]() Providing readers a choice of the art on the comic they’re buying is an attractive idea. “They’re predatory!” “They’re a boon to the industry!” “Maybe they’re both!” It’s a subject no one can decide on because it’s dependent on perspective.īut in theory, variant covers are neat things. Depending on who you ask and what day it is, they could be godsends or bringers of the apocalypse. It’s hard to keep up.īut one of the greatest, most divisive subjects is the value of variant covers. Everything from sales minutiae to the cliché conversations about “which character is stronger” can lead to lengthy debates. Just go on Twitter for a day and drink it in. The world of comics is filled with polarizing subjects.
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