Have all become Variant slaves?

Hello to everybody!

I decided to post about what I call the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VARIANT MADNESS. We have been seeing variants over variants of the same issues in the last few years... and I wonder:

DO WE NEED THEM?

1. I HATE THIS HABIT OF ARTIFICIALLY MAKING A VARIANT BOOK "RARE" JUST BECAUSE IT COMES OUT AT A 1:50 RATIO

2. DO ALL THESE SO CALLED "NEW ARTISTS" DESERVE TO DRAW AN AMAZING SPIDER-MAN COVER? I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT AN AS COVER SHOULD BE THE FINAL NOT THE INITIAL ACHIEVEMENT FOR A PENCILER!

3. ISN'T ALL OF THIS DAMAGING THE HOBBY? I MEAN... WHO'S EXCITED BY A VARIANT COVER NOWDAYS?

The following is a pretty complete list of all the AS issues (+ variants) from issue 525 to date...probably some DF versions are missing but I think it's quite complete....

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

525

525B Variant Cover

526

526B Variant Cover

527

527B Variant Cover

528

528A Wieringo Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 8

528B Spider-Ham Sketch Incentive Cover

529

529A Second Printing

529AA Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 50 Made) 2nd Printing

529B Third Printing Variant Cover

530

531

532

532A Second Printing Civil War Tien In

533

533A San Diego Comic-Con 2006 Sketch Exclusive

533B Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 181 Made)

534

535

536

537

537A Second Printing - Garney Variant Cover

538

538A Clayton Crain Incentive Variant Spoiler Cover. Limited to 1 in 50

538B Midtown Comics NYCC Exclusive Cover

538C Dynamic Forces signed by Ron Garney (only 150 made)

539

539A Las Vegas Comic Oasis MEDINA Variant Cover. Limited to 5,000

539A Las Vegas Comic Oasis MEDINA Variant Cover. Limited to 5,000. SIGNED by Medina

539B Second Printing -Yu Variant Cover

540

541

542

542A Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 100 Made)

543

543A Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 265 Made)

544 Joe Quesada Cover (One More Day Part 1)

544A Marko Djurdjevic Variant Cover (One More Day Part 1)

544B Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita (Only 50 Made)

544C Dynamic Forces Signed by Joe Quesada (Only 185 Made)

544D Dynamic Forces Signed and Remarked by Randy Emberlin (Only 499 Made)

545 Joe Quesada Cover (One More Day Part 4)

545A Marko Djurdjevic Variant Cover (One More Day Part 4)

546 Regular Cover

546A Bryan Hitch Retailer Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 10.

546B Steve McNiven Retailer Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 50

546C 2nd Printing

546D SuperRare "Book Market Variant" Not for resale Variant

546E Marvel's Greatest comics Variant

547

548

549

549A (1:20) Variant Cover by David Finch

549B Dynamic Forces Variant Cover (Only 2000 Made)

549C Dynamic Forces Variant Cover Signed by John Romita (Only 1500 Made)

550

551

552

552A (1:20) Adi Granov Retailer Incentive Cover

553

554

555

555A (1:20) Simone Bianchi Incentive Variant Cover

555B Dynamic Forces Signed by Bachalo & Romita (Only 20 Made)

555C Dynamic Forces Signed by Bachalo (Only 255 Made)

556

557

558

559

560

561

562

563

564

565

566

567

568 New Ways To Die Book One (John Romita, Jr. Cover)

568A Alex Ross Green Goblin Cover

568B John Romita, Sr. Retailer Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 25

568C Retailer Incentive Sketch Cover. Limited to 1 in 75

568D Dynamic Forces Variant Cover (Only 1499 Made)

568E Second Printing Variant Cover

568F Baltimore Comic-Con / Toronto Fan Expo Variant

568G Dynamic Forces Signed by Alex Ross (Only 999 Made)

569

569A Adi Granov Venom Cover

569B 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover

570 New Ways To Die Book Three (John Romita, Jr. Cover)

570A Luke Ross Peter Parker Variant Cover

570B Monkey Retailer Incentive Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10.

570C 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Wraparaound Variant

571 New Ways To Die Book Four (Romita Jr. Cover)

571A Variant John Romita Jr Anti-Venom Cover

571B 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover

572 New Ways To Die Book Five (Romita Jr. Cover)

572A Variant Bullseye Face Cover

572B 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover

573 New Ways To Die Book Six Romita Jr Cover (50/50)

573A Kevin Maguire Cover (50/50)

573B Stephen Colbert Variant Cover

573C Marko Djurdjevic Retailer Incentive Zombie Cover. Limited to 1 in 10.

574

575

576

577

577A Incentive Sal Buscema Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10

577B Dynamic Forces Signed by Paulo Rivera (Only 75 Made)

578

579

579A Incentive Shocker Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10

580

581

581A Incentive Molten Man Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10

582

583

583AA Dynamic Forces Signed by XXXXX (Only 199 Made)

583A Barack Obama Variant Cover

583B Phil Jiminez Recolored Barack Obama 2nd Printing Variant Cover

583C Phil Jiminez 3rd Printing Barack Obama Variant Cover

583D Phil Jimenez 4th Printing Obama Variant

583DD 4th Printing Dynamic Forces Signed by Tedd Naught (Only 200 made)

583E 5th printing

584

585

586

587

588

589

590

590A Wolverine Art Appreciation Paolo Rivera Variant Incentive Cover

591

592 Quesada Regular Cover

592A Wolverine Art Appreciation Paolo Rivera Variant Incentive Cover

593

594

595

595A Adi Granov Variant cover

595B Dynamic Force Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 175 made)

596

596A Second printing Variant cover

597

597A Second printing Variant cover

598

598A Second printing Variant cover

599

599A 70s Decade variant cover

600 Alex Ross Regular Cover

600A John Romita Jr. Regular Wraparound Cover

600B Joe Quesada Wraparound Variant Cover

600C John Romita Sr. Variant Cover

600D Dynamic Forces (Ross) (Only 3499 made)

600E 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover

600F Dynamic Forces signed by John Romita (Only 50 made)

600G Dynamic Forces signed by Alex Ross (Only 1499 made)

601

601A 70th Frame Variant Cover

601B Second printing Variant cover

602

602A 70th Frame Variant Cover

602B Second printing Variant cover

602C Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita (Only 100 made)

603

603A 70th Frame Variant Cover

604

604A Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 150 Made)

605

605A Dynamic Forces Signed by Brian Reed (Only 100 Made)

605AA Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 50 Made)

606

606A Long Beach Comic Con 2009 Cover

606AA Long Beach Comic Con 2009 Cover Signed by Campbell at Atomic Comics

606B J Scott Campbell Half Sketch Incentive Cover

606C Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 150 Made)

607

608

608A Marko Djurdjevic 70Th Anniversary Variant Cover

609

610

611

611A Second printing Variant cover

612

612A Adi Granov Varant Grav