? Now THAT is funny.
For those curious about the actual history of things, and not just what people want to believe are real, the Wizard list was very much like what you see today. All based upon someone trying to make money off of comics, the truth be damned.
In fact, thanks to early Image's horribly late printing schedule, there were times a book would appear in Wizards Top Ten hottest comics, when in actuality that book hadn't even been released yet.
Publisher's PAID them to have their books promoted. It was probably the most gratuitous example of taking advantage of consumers' greed and stupidity to feed a publishers greed that I've seen in the history of comics.
And it led to the market shrinking down to it's worst numbers ever.
To think for even one moment, that Wizard Magazine's intentions were pure or honorable, is completely blind. They saw an opportunity to take advantage of the marketplace and they did so with cunning and precision, and unfortunately with a carless regard for how it would impact the industry and the hobby.
This is why people see flippers as bad for the hobby. It undermines the essence of what comics should be about - the writing and the art, and instead turns it into a product, a commodity; something to be bought low and sold high for the sake of money.
Exactly