52 New Variants!

[NewWorldOrder]

What's he supposed to say to that? Not that I disagree, but he's just going to spin it so that it makes DC sound good, just like his previous answer.

 

Sure, but at least I said my peace.

 

Back to the Silver and Bronze age I go. (thumbs u

 

Not trying to be a Negative Nancy. I think it's great to try to get him and other publishers into a dialog about it. It's too bad it's all marketing and gimmicks. I've love to hear him come out and say, "You know, we should go back to just making good stories."

 

For sure, and trust me I know what I have said Dan and DC Comics have heard a million times, but I asked him on facebook thinking what the heck.

 

I think one title per character or group would benefit the hobby in the long-term as well as money in their pockets.

[seanfingh]

 

But what about the punctuation??

[NewWorldOrder]

But what about the punctuation??

 

huh?

[mystrymachine]

After the crippling of the comic industry with these exact same tactics in the early-mid 90's I was positive that we wouldn't see this short sighted cash grab strategy again in our lifetime.

 

I guess "lifetime" in comics is less than 20 years.

 

Those 3,000 comic shops we lost back then have not been replaced. What will we lose this time?

 

I feel the same way. This is not good for the hobby. its getting out of hand and in the long run it will bite them in the dungaroos.

[DeliBebek]

They will make variants until variants don't sell.

[jerome34]

This makes me proud that I stopped getting the new comics

last January (after buying every DC title and every dratted

variant my LCS remembered to get for the past 25 years).

 

In fact it makes me think seriously of getting rid of ever

DC I got during during the 5 months from the start of the

52 upchuck to the end of January including the (approximate)

247 variants I have of the (approximate) 282 variants (I know

about) of the issues published in these 5 months.

 

I suspect that, had I continued, the current count of upchuck

variants would be about 885 for a total of around 700 variants

per year. Next year, it would be closer to 950 or 1000.

 

When they go digital, they can reach their apparent goal:

by randomly modifying colors, they can produce a comic

where no two copies are even moderately close to being

identical.

 

Of course, by that time there will be no collecting of the new

comics and as you upgrade your device, the device and all

comics stored on it can go to the landfill.

[HarrisonJohn]

I don't really see variant covers today as quite the same situation as what happened in the 90s. But I think multiple variant covers, and the constant renumbering of books, work to drive completists out of comic book buying/collecting habbits.

[Speedy-D]

I don't really see variant covers today as quite the same situation as what happened in the 90s. But I think multiple variant covers, and the constant renumbering of books, work to drive completists out of comic book buying/collecting habbits.

How do you see it differently?

[HarrisonJohn]

I don't really see variant covers today as quite the same situation as what happened in the 90s. But I think multiple variant covers, and the constant renumbering of books, work to drive completists out of comic book buying/collecting habbits.

How do you see it differently?

 

 

I dont think people today are collecting variants like people in the 90s collected 5 cover X-Men #1 etc. But then I also view what happened at that time to be more about subpar story telling. The variants of today just seem like a way to drive completists out of the hobby, if anyone is buying books to read them I don't think they care about the cover as long as they get a copy.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Not trying to be a Negative Nancy. I think it's great to try to get him and other publishers into a dialog about it. It's too bad it's all marketing and gimmicks. I've love to hear him come out and say, "You know, we should go back to just making good stories."

 

[dupont2005]

I don't really see variant covers today as quite the same situation as what happened in the 90s. But I think multiple variant covers, and the constant renumbering of books, work to drive completists out of comic book buying/collecting habbits.

How do you see it differently?

 

 

I dont think people today are collecting variants like people in the 90s collected 5 cover X-Men #1 etc. But then I also view what happened at that time to be more about subpar story telling. The variants of today just seem like a way to drive completists out of the hobby, if anyone is buying books to read them I don't think they care about the cover as long as they get a copy.

The variants are a cash grab, just as they always have been. Every time a comic with a ridiculous amount of variants comes out it's the number one seller at Diamond. People are stupid, and they always will be. Marvel and DC know this, and they know how to get their money. Good comics will never have 50+ variants. Good comics more often than not will also never be top sellers. Whoever is still buying comics, they're still buying with a 90's attitude. ISSUE 1! Campbell cover! 1/250 variant! First appearance of Who Gives A mess Man! Death of Who Gives A mess Man! Resurrection of Who Gives A mess Man! That's what sells. Eisner winning storytelling, not so much.

[Buzzetta]

I am very selective when purchasing a variant. The variant has to be a cover or group of covers that make sense.

 

I was VERY impressed with the Amazing Spider-man 692 variants as each of those represented a decade in Spider-man's history.

 

 

Humbly linking you to a boardie's hosted image.

 

Another one I really liked was the Amazing 648 variant in the Superman pose with his rogues gallery.

 

[Psithyrus]

I am very selective when purchasing a variant. The variant has to be a cover or group of covers that make sense.

 

Exactly. Couldn't agree more.

[Lebowski]

The variants are a cash grab, just as they always have been. Every time a comic with a ridiculous amount of variants comes out it's the number one seller at Diamond. People are stupid, and they always will be. Marvel and DC know this, and they know how to get their money. Good comics will never have 50+ variants. Good comics more often than not will also never be top sellers. Whoever is still buying comics, they're still buying with a 90's attitude. ISSUE 1! Campbell cover! 1/250 variant! First appearance of Who Gives A mess Man! Death of Who Gives A mess Man! Resurrection of Who Gives A mess Man! That's what sells. Eisner winning storytelling, not so much.

 

[cheetah]

And here I thought the 16 variant covers for Uncanny Avengers were entirely over the top.

[vader2001]

The variants are a cash grab, just as they always have been. Every time a comic with a ridiculous amount of variants comes out it's the number one seller at Diamond. People are stupid, and they always will be. Marvel and DC know this, and they know how to get their money. Good comics will never have 50+ variants. Good comics more often than not will also never be top sellers. Whoever is still buying comics, they're still buying with a 90's attitude. ISSUE 1! Campbell cover! 1/250 variant! First appearance of Who Gives A mess Man! Death of Who Gives A mess Man! Resurrection of Who Gives A mess Man! That's what sells. Eisner winning storytelling, not so much.

 

I agree, imo these chase variants will do the same thing as they did to sports cards.

[Ken Aldred]

I am very selective when purchasing a variant. The variant has to be a cover or group of covers that make sense.

 

I was VERY impressed with the Amazing Spider-man 692 variants as each of those represented a decade in Spider-man's history.

 

 

I quite like the purple cover. The characters are drawn at an angle, very similar to Avengers 4, and emphasising Spider-Man in the foreground just as Captain America was. Almost serves to bring the set of covers full circle back to the SA homage at the top. Nicely thought-out series of variants.

 

 

 

[dupont2005]

The variants are a cash grab, just as they always have been. Every time a comic with a ridiculous amount of variants comes out it's the number one seller at Diamond. People are stupid, and they always will be. Marvel and DC know this, and they know how to get their money. Good comics will never have 50+ variants. Good comics more often than not will also never be top sellers. Whoever is still buying comics, they're still buying with a 90's attitude. ISSUE 1! Campbell cover! 1/250 variant! First appearance of Who Gives A mess Man! Death of Who Gives A mess Man! Resurrection of Who Gives A mess Man! That's what sells. Eisner winning storytelling, not so much.

 

I agree, imo these chase variants will do the same thing as they did to sports cards.

I'm not sure it will have all that much of an overall effect in the long term. Not as much as printing costs and digital distribution. As long as print is around there will be people who read comics and people who collect comics. There is a lot of crossover, but the more the latter one is the more they are to fall for this type of thing. Even if it's been proven to them the comics will never be worth anything, some people need a complete set. It's a compulsion. Probably just one of many common traits that befall the type of personality that would enjoy illustrated fiction well into their adulthood. Not a guaranteed trait we all share, but not an uncommon one. The publishers that are publishing commodities and not stories will surely bank on that. When print comics finally do fall out of favor I expect to see reissues with improved coloring to become popular. So you can read a story arc and then a year later have the option of paying again for something in slightly better resolution with better colors. Kind of like the DVD crowd buying Blu Rays of movies they already own on DVD.

[ComicConnoisseur]

The variants are a cash grab, just as they always have been. Every time a comic with a ridiculous amount of variants comes out it's the number one seller at Diamond. People are stupid, and they always will be. Marvel and DC know this, and they know how to get their money. Good comics will never have 50+ variants. Good comics more often than not will also never be top sellers. Whoever is still buying comics, they're still buying with a 90's attitude. ISSUE 1! Campbell cover! 1/250 variant! First appearance of Who Gives A mess Man! Death of Who Gives A mess Man! Resurrection of Who Gives A mess Man! That's what sells. Eisner winning storytelling, not so much.

 

I agree, imo these chase variants will do the same thing as they did to sports cards.

Sports cards are actually a better bet with thier 1 out of 1 card. Comic books are always trying to catch up to what sportscards did.

Sportscards had holograms first, then comics copied.

Sportscards had autographs first, comics copied with sigs.

Sportscards had limited print runs first, now comics have limited print runs.

This is were comic books are making a huge mistake.

Sportscards were meant to be looked at,while comic books were meant to be read.

[dupont2005]

The variants are a cash grab, just as they always have been. Every time a comic with a ridiculous amount of variants comes out it's the number one seller at Diamond. People are stupid, and they always will be. Marvel and DC know this, and they know how to get their money. Good comics will never have 50+ variants. Good comics more often than not will also never be top sellers. Whoever is still buying comics, they're still buying with a 90's attitude. ISSUE 1! Campbell cover! 1/250 variant! First appearance of Who Gives A mess Man! Death of Who Gives A mess Man! Resurrection of Who Gives A mess Man! That's what sells. Eisner winning storytelling, not so much.

 

I agree, imo these chase variants will do the same thing as they did to sports cards.

Sports cards are actually a better bet with thier 1 out of 1 card. Comic books are always trying to catch up to what sportscards did.

Sportscards had holograms first, then comics copied.

Sportscards had autographs first, comics copied with sigs.

Sportscards had limited print runs first, now comics have limited print runs.

This is were comic books are making a huge mistake.

Sportscards were meant to be looked at,while comic books were meant to be read.

You sure? How would anyone know which had autographs first? I guess sports cards existed since the 1800's or so so they probably did end up getting signed first. But first to have limited print runs? I can think of plenty of comics from before my time with micro print runs.