BoognishRises

I have zero problems aside from wishing Marvel would have specifically addressed the 3 acetate covers. Because without them addressing those 3 specifically, David Gabriel's memo could definitely be taken the way that I was talking about. Just a warning to retailers who choose to do a store variant to not alter the book themselves. But if a top tier Marvel approved artist is working beside a store variant retailer and they want to do something like this, your odds of getting Marvel approval absolutely increase. But that memo makes zero mention of Blag Flag, the 3 books, Clayton Crain, etc.

Look how David Gabriel carefully chose to say no "retailer" may make changes after. No mention of an artist/creator. Remember what CGC said? They said the did what they did because it was created BY Clayton Crain. David Gabriel's memo might just be a warning to future RETAILERS to not get cute and try this themselves. But I'd bet anything they'd be on board if a well known artist/creator ran it by them first. They'll get the stamp of approval then.

The BIGGEST takeaway from all of this, something that cannot ever be forgotten... How much did those 9.9's and 10.0's cost Clayton Crain/Black Flag???

Marvel is just now updating the wording in the store variant contract since nothing in the original contract prevented Black Flag (or another retailer) from doing this. So Black Flag gets a pass, all 3 books will keep their value, more people will wind up wanting them (ugh), thus creating more demand.

Shhhh.... quiet... you hear that? That's the sound of things already blowing over.

Calling everyone dum-dums and suckers was pretty well played. Tip of the hat, Black Flag.

Clayton Crain being invovled from top to bottom is what has Marvel and CGC fine with this, and Black Flag gets to laugh all the way to the bank. Now they're slapping the general public in the face even harder by only selling the 2 new acetates to dealers/influencers in Boston. Lol!

Any truth to Black Flag only selling the 2 new acetates at Boston to dealers? Multiple people are saying they are not available to the public and just dealers were able to grab them.

Telling ya, Marvel is fine with it. Rich at Bleeding Cool didn't confirm squat. Prepare for the acetate invasion. Multiple retailers are already making plans to keep this trash going.

I'm not saying he was working with Marvel. I'm saying that he signed a contract and paid for those books originally, about a year ago. Those books are now the property of the retailer. They are free to do as they please with them. BUT..... they can't go and add something to it that represents Marvel without their permission. That would then be copyright infringement. But to add a generic acetate that has things printed on it that do NOT represent Marvel or their likeness... they're almost certainly safe.

They very well could. The contract stipulates that the books are yours to do whatever with. They become the retailer's property after the contract is signed and the books paid for.

Yeah, but that's Rich wanting clicks. He shows no proof that Marvel did not confirm this and/or has a problem with it. Many have reached out to David Gabriel and mum is still the word.

There's a strong possibility that Marvel will say that a retailer is free to do as they please with their store exclusive after they have completed the deal with Marvel. Once a retailer pays for the 3,000+ copies of a store variant, those copies become theirs to do as they please. They can sell them, hold them back and sell at a later time, raise or lower the price as they see fit, etc. Just don't be shocked if Marvel says what was done is totally up to the retailer since the books are their property after the contract is signed and the books are paid for.

I think an official Marvel announcement that there is nothing wrong with what was done will cause a big chunk of people to back off and speed up the process of moving on and forgetting about it. Would be a shame, but definitely something I see happening soon.

The twist will be a Marvel announcement saying they are totally fine with what Black Flag did. Call it a hunch.

Clayton Crain and Black Flag send in 30 books (3 different acetate frankenbooks, 10 of each) and get the same exact grades for all 3 books. Each of the 3 books got one 10.0, three 9.9 and six 9.8. So three 10's, nine 9.9's and eighteen 9.8's. Hahahahaha

Starting to look pretty obvious Clayton Crain and/or Black Flag got special treatment with those 9.9's and 10.0's. Everything under that acetate wrap has been laying around and handled for a year before having the plastic stapled on. Is CGC admitting that nothing under the acetate wrap was taken into consideration for grading? Get real

He survived with a couple fractures. His name is Roberto Carlos Fernandez.

Actually, fractured skull, fractured chest and survived. Roberto Carlos Fernandez is his name.

But that was done by Marvel at time of production. It wasn't a retailer adding an additional cover a year after production.

Sigh

Shots fired (and accurate)

And now we see how it's possible for three 10's and thirty+ 9.9's (between 3 of these abominations). Clayton Crain submits the books and gets impossible grades. These books were already released in the past, handled then, then handled again to staple acetate covers onto said books, handled again to send to CGC and then multiple 10's and 9.9's as a result. Clayton Crain must be a wizard.

This, this, THIS! This x10000!