Worst Comic Book Gimmicks

[Timely]

Worst comic book gimmick? easy...

 

"Death" of Superman.

[Bonds25]

Gay Kid Colt?

 

I think you mean the Rawhide Kid.

 

They're both gay.

 

Not that's there anything wrong with that!

[Bonds25]

I totally agree with the first list and its almost word for word why I quit buying comics in the 90's. Now I'm faced with the fact I may have to quit buying comics again because of the trashy stories.

 

Here is a new concept - don't buy the comics with trashy stories.

[Smokinghawk]

I totally agree with the first list and its almost word for word why I quit buying comics in the 90's. Now I'm faced with the fact I may have to quit buying comics again because of the trashy stories. I don't want to read about some chick being badly raped and if I wanted to see porn I would go to a adult book store. not a LCS.

 

Forgive me, but that's the most backwards statement I've ever read on these boards.

 

Yeah Identity Crisis is right up there with other "porn" classics like the film "The Accused."

 

Merely having rape be a plot element now makes a comic PORN? The rape was implied? Nothing was shown AT ALL. But it's PORN? WTF?

 

I guess there's a lot more porn out there than I thought. Better lock up your Shakespeare and work your way down...

 

 

Totally agree. I know this gets off-track, but the notion that rape is a seedy behavior of sexual provacateurs is just plain wrong.

 

But to get the discussion BACK on track, I find it ironic that a stoic, non-salacious acknowledgement of the fastest-growing violent crime in America qualifies as "porn," while we wax nostalgic for the "good old days" of super-villians...you know, those harmless guys who just wanted to slaughter entire worlds, etc., or the Golden Age where Nazis were the comical enemy.

[read_em-migration]

Five star thread!

 

Misleading comic covers that have nothing to do with the story inside - we see Wolverine dead on the cover, but, of course, this never occurs inside.

RRP books.

2nd print "sketch" covers.

Marvel's double numbering, and going to the old numbering when convenient (i.e. FF # 500, Avengers # 500).

Anything by Dynamic Forces.

 

Unintentional gimmicks (aka variants)

Marvel's 30/35 cent covers.

Inserts in the center (Mark Jeweler, the Identity Crisis "Sky Capt" poster, etc).

 

One gimmick I did like, however, was the fold-out pop-up cover for Mighty Magnor # 1. That looked cool.

 

Give me a break, isn't the main reason for purchasing new comic books is so they can be read?!

 

Uhhh... nevermind, too easy here.

[Kevin Boyd]

I totally agree with the first list and its almost word for word why I quit buying comics in the 90's. Now I'm faced with the fact I may have to quit buying comics again because of the trashy stories. I don't want to read about some chick being badly raped and if I wanted to see porn I would go to a adult book store. not a LCS. I feel for anyone as a kid or taking there kids into a comics store only to find their titles surrouned by porn. I think God my town didin't and still doesn't allow this stuff. You can buy some porn here but its is a seperate section from comics. This comes in handy since now days you can't tell the difference between covers of a comic book or a porn book. Well atleast Animation for now.

 

Listen, while I can appreciate your concerns about adult situations in comics I think you are overdoing it by comparing most comics to porn.

 

Maybe I'm sheltered up here in Canada (most shops do not carry porn comics such as those published by Eros/Fantagraphics because of the border), but comparing DC and Marvel comic books to porno mags?

 

When I'm at my LCS (or any shop here in town), I don't see the aisles filled with comics that I consider pornographic, or even provocative. Occasionally I will move a Vertigo book with inappropriate language out of a location where a kid could get a hold of it. Then again, my LCS is in a residential neighbourhood and depends on having a strong and friendly relations with the people in the area, particularly the kids who come in and buy Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I'm sure that if the store was a downtown with few families around they might stock more adult material..

[rob_react]

 

Unintentional gimmicks (aka variants)

Marvel's 30/35 cent covers.

Inserts in the center (Mark Jeweler, the Identity Crisis "Sky Capt" poster, etc).

 

Why do they bother you?

[PovertyRow]

Well - another thing that stopped me from buying modern Marvel superhero comics - honestly not sure when but mid-late 90's? The "heroes" strated having these tiny heads on these insanely huge impossibly musular bodies. They were just laughable.

 

As has been noted, the "death" gimmick - really despise this. Actually, it was an X-Men issue from the 80's that declared "This Isuue! EVERYBODY DIES!" that made me stop collecting anything modern and totally commit myself to older books. Although I am given to understand (never read the book - the cover just "did it" for me) this was some sort of spoof, it really made me realize how "collector oriented" comics had become. I loathe manufactured collectibles and such things ARE manufactured collectibles - at least to the uninitiated.

 

As has also been noted, covers that have no relevance to the interior. I, too loathe that. But, I am gonna post a couple of scans here from my latest Charlton BA Horror book. Just recieved today with some others. I was shcoked, stunned and delighted to see the following! Yee haaaaaa!

 

First the cover:

 

Then the story page:

 

 

Excellent job!

[Darthdiesel]

I was wondering, over the years, which comic book gimmick really got under your skin and made you want quit reading comic books altogether.

 

It not so much the gimmicks that made me want to quit once, but more the prevailing attitude that older books were gospel and the new modern stuff is just crahp so I'm an insufficiently_thoughtful_person for even being interested in it....hey what do you know...not much has changed...

[Darthdiesel]

In some ways the 70s was the best of all worlds. Lots of comics on the racks for kids in every drugstore, but still there were comic shops in college towns where there was a corner for 18 and up. Now many stores just throw all the new books onto a common counter. The comics industry is simply pillaging and strip-mining what the pioneers have created.

 

Ah, the 70's... what an idyllic time. A comic for every kid who wanted one, it was nirvana.

 

There still a comic for every "kid" that wants one = there are just less kids that actually do want them

[read_em-migration]

 

Unintentional gimmicks (aka variants)

Marvel's 30/35 cent covers.

Inserts in the center (Mark Jeweler, the Identity Crisis "Sky Capt" poster, etc).

 

Why do they bother you?

 

$250 for a $3.95 book because it has a Sky Capt. poster inside that other copies don't??

People pay hundreds of dollars extra because a book's price says 30 cents instead of 25 cents, or has a 35 instead of a 30, (esp. these, since the logo is exactly the same except for one number)?

 

What should I call these? Retroactive or unintentional gimmicks? Am I off topic mentioning these? Merriam Webster defines a gimmick as "an ingenious and usually new scheme or angle". I'll admit, this whole price variant thing is an ingenious way to get $200 for a $2 book - and it's also quite the scheme.

 

It's also the attitude of some that your collection isn't complete without these books, which was one topic discussed here:

http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=87309&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

[read_em-migration]

I was wondering, over the years, which comic book gimmick really got under your skin and made you want quit reading comic books altogether.

 

It not so much the gimmicks that made me want to quit once, but more the prevailing attitude that older books were gospel and the new modern stuff is just crahp so I'm an insufficiently_thoughtful_person for even being interested in it....hey what do you know...not much has changed...

 

Darth, I agree with you. Anyone who says there are absolutely no good books being published today has already made up their mind that they all suck and will never accept that there are some great reads out there.

But to do a 180 back to the topic - what gimmicks do you consider the worst?

[rob_react]

 

Why do they bother you?

 

People pay hundreds of dollars extra because a book's price says 30 cents instead of 25 cents, or has a 35 instead of a 30, (esp. these, since the logo is exactly the same except for one number)?

 

What should I call these? Retroactive or unintentional gimmicks? Am I off topic mentioning these?

 

I'm not really thinking about that on-topic off-topic question (although an "unintentional gimmick" doesn't really seem to fit the spirit of the original question.) What I want to know is why price variants bother you so much. Your avatar for a while made it known to the world that you think they're the "dumbest thing to collect" and I, for a long time, was wondering why. What about them bothers you SO MUCH that instead of an avatar that somehow expresses something about you, you chose one that expressed something totally negative that was basically a slap in the face to a bunch of people on these boards.

 

Are they not rare? Are they not part of comics history? Were they not a legit part of Marvel's market research? Is your problem that the differences aren't major enough to make a difference or is it that paying anything extra simply because one copy is different than another is wrong? If so, do you feel that paying more money for a Mint copy than a Good reader is also idiotic? That's the sort of thing I'm looking for... I'd love to hear your reasoning.

[BradleyX2]

I'm not a big fan of variant covers, but the one gimmick that *really* ticked me off- variant interiors.

 

You may remember a series from Marvel about 5 years ago called SLINGERS. It was a team book with 4 members. For the first issue, there were four different versions, with the middle 12 (or something) pages all different, focusing on an indivdual team member.

 

You want the whole story? You gots to buy 4 different copies of # 1.

 

That instantly made me go out of my way *not* to read SLINGERS.

 

 

[Darthdiesel]

Read 'em explained his thoughts on price 'variants' in that post above he linked to:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=87309&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

 

There are some missing facts where from two years ago, he was unfamiliar (at the time) as to what the difference was between the more common regular 25 version in 1976 and the 30 cent price variant, or the 30 cent logo and the 35 cent variant price logo (actually exact duplicates of the 35 cent logo used on the early Giant sizes and not the same font and pitch as the 30 cent regular versions from 1977). The part about them being test distribution copies limited to random (or specifically targetted - we may never know as Sal Brodsky may have taken the motive with him to his grave (?)) markets, thus harder to find than the regular copies is not enough reasoning for him to consider them rare or a variant. Just something i've learned to accept/expect when reading his posts

[Darthdiesel]

But to do a 180 back to the topic - what gimmicks do you consider the worst?

 

 

Never really thought about this as I pick up all kinds of stuff all the time, and yes my horizons have expanded because of this board and the suggestions of the members over the past few years, but for READING preference I still like new books or books from 1979 - 1989 - when I started collecting and reading and books from 1999 to present when I got back into comics after a long hiatus due to school and paying for my own education.

 

I don't like multiple covers because the art freak and obsessive completist in me makes me pick up all of them: titles like Street Fighter, Top Cow would be much cheaper to pick up if I didn't have to have the foil covers and the alternate convention covers. I guess that is the one I dislike the most and have actually decreased the frequency of picking up DF vars and Graham cracker vars. But now that the titles that Marvel and DC that I read are doing it, I find myself in a similar boat.

 

I never got a chance to buy these off the stands but I probably wouldnt have liked the polybagging and card insert issues. I did experience the tatooz thing with ASM 238 but thought nothing of it. I find myself seeking out the 90s gold 2nd print books when completing my x-men run. I'm half hearted about picking up certain variants more than others.

 

you may want to consider printing errors or things like that FF 110 green "variant"

 

As for the Marvel Price variants - there is nothing I have enjoyed more than attempting to complete this set. I have met a network of contacts (dealers, buyers, sellers) and friends in this endeavor that I would not trade for anything. I have seen guys complete collections, start new ones, find new contacts and friendships and knowing I had a hand in it makes me feel good. I'll never apologize for the way I collect and I will be more considerate before I seriously (I kid mostly) say anything derrogatory about what anyone collects, since I have found that sooner or later, I may actually be collecting the same things when my mood changes or interst is completed.

[Darthdiesel]

Fathom 1 from 1998? did the same thing - 3 covers and 3 different interiors told from the perspective of the person on the cover, eventually all had the same POV by the middle of the story...but yeah the reader felt gypped if they did not get the whole story...

 

great example...Slingers...

[The Brain]

Darkness # 11, 11 differant covers, 11, and guess who just had to have ALL 11, and NOT just

 

once,NO , I went 2 sets, oh yea,one to have, and one set NR(so when it went up $$,I'ed cash in)

 

 

NEVER AGAIN

[Darthdiesel]

Darkness 11 had 12 variants

 

there was the holo-plaid chrome cover - it was just the same thing as the chromium cover with this extra gridlike sheen overlay - it doesn't show well on a scan from what I recall...I'll have to dig it out...

[The Brain]

Darkness 11 had 12 variants

 

there was the holo-plaid chrome cover - it was just the same thing as the chromium cover with this extra gridlike sheen overlay - it doesn't show well on a scan from what I recall...I'll have to dig it out...

 

12 12 MUST YOU MAKE ME EVEN MORE A FOOL....NO....NOO

 

I WILL NOT ,I SHAL NOT , I CAN NOT, EVEN TO THINK THAT ,THAT ONE SLIPED BY....

 

 

IT.. IT CALLS TO ME ...EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME...BUY ME,,,BUYME.. YOU WANT

 

A FULL SET...YOU MUST HAVE A FULL SET....HELP ME...PLEASE...HELP..ME......

 

 

 

 

YOU BAD ....YOU VERY...VERY BAD...