Detective #474 color variants?

[jawn]

I have done a bit of digging and haven't been able to find anything so I'm hoping some boardies may know something about color variants or printing errors on Detective #474. I have been picking these up, as many have in anticipation (ok some speculation) of the Suicide Squad movie. I have seen some color differences in the past between a mostly solid red cover, to those with more of a red and orange mix. Until recently those were the only cover color differences I have noticed. Then I saw an almost entirely yellow cover and picked it up. It was listed as being faded, and though it may have some slight fading, it is almost as if the red was replaced with yellow in the printing process. Does anyone know anything about this? I will get some pictures up if that helps shortly.

Thanks for the help

[jawn]

 

 

[iggy]

It looks like the magenta ink wasn't printed. The yellow and magenta inks make up the dark orange and red colors. The yellow looks too even to be faded, but to be sure, is it a glossy copy? I would think the sun would kill the gloss too if it wiped out the magenta ink...?

[jawn]

Thanks for the response. The yellow is still glossy. Also the DC logo and green have no fading at all in comparison with the rest of the cover. It just looks faded in the upper right where the price and issue # are because of the yellow. Any idea if it would be a whole run of books printed without magenta or could the magenta run out during a run?

[rjpb]

check the back cover, if it lacks reds as well then it's probably a printing error

[iggy]

Good suggestion, rjpb!

 

If you can, post a pic of the back covers of both copies...

 

Any idea if it would be a whole run of books printed without magenta or could the magenta run out during a run?

 

Most likely the magenta ink ran out with not many, if any, more copies released to the buying public. So assuming it's an error, it's a cool, maybe unique one... I would think lots of collectors would find it desirable! (thumbs u

[MR SigS]

... the DC logo and green have no fading at all in comparison with the rest of the cover. It just looks faded in the upper right where the price and issue # are because of the yellow.

 

The reds fade faster than the other colors, but rjpb is right. If the reds on the back are present and bright, the problem is fading.

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

Also the DC logo and green have no fading at all in comparison with the rest of the cover.

Different inks will fade differently, If the problem is fading, it's primarily with the magenta ink. There would be little or no magenta in the green, and plenty in the red/orange.

[divad]

Good suggestion, rjpb!

 

If you can, post a pic of the back covers of both copies...

 

Any idea if it would be a whole run of books printed without magenta or could the magenta run out during a run?

 

Most likely the magenta ink ran out with not many, if any, more copies released to the buying public. So assuming it's an error, it's a cool, maybe unique one... I would think lots of collectors would find it desirable! (thumbs u

 

Yep, it looks too consistent to be fading. Kinda cool, but not THAT cool.

[imabat]

I think there's a third color that's darker than either of the examples here. It's more of a blood red:

[jawn]

 

 

 

Well the back covers look nearly identical. So it reads like the consensus is fading? It just seems like very extreme and consistent fading. Would it simply be sun bleaching if left in direct sunlight for long periods of time? I've never seen a book that's still glossy with the all of the other colors not being faded. I am in no means a printing or color expert, but from some of the comments different colors must fade differently possibly in spectrums of light? Thanks again for the responses and feedback, and if anyone knows anymore or can educate me, it's appreciated. For now I'm thinking I have a sun bleached copy

[RockMyAmadeus]

It's fading.

 

As others said, the reds go first.

[MR SigS]

For now I'm thinking I have a sun bleached copy

 

I imagine direct sunlight would have caused a stronger fade, so it could have just been kept in a brightly lit (with sunlight) room. This is common with some books stored on the wall of comic book shops for a long time, or even in the home if the room lets a great deal of sunlight in, and maybe electric light in the evenings.

 

Many collectors avoid this by framing/displaying full size, high res scans of their books, while keeping the books stored under proper conditions. UV protected glass is another option.

[electricprune]

I'm going to chime in on the no way that's fading side. It's just too uniform. My guess is that it came at the very end of a printing run and one of the pigments was depleted.

 

Where's Dice X? He would likely have a very educated opinion on this.

[divad]

As rjpb said the back cover is telling - the cover is printed as one sheet. It can't be a printing error.

[Topnotchman]

It's fading.

 

As others said, the reds go first.

 

Looks faded to me from the pics.

[Silverdream]

It's fading.

 

As others said, the reds go first.

 

Looks faded to me from the pics.

 

I 3rd that.

 

Looks like sun fading to me. It was probably in a store window at some point, or on a wall where the sun hit it. It looks pretty even of a fade, so it was in the same place for some time.

[Broke as a Joke]

Somebody try putting a hulk 181 in the sun and see if we can get a total yellow variant.

[Jimmy Linguini]

Somebody try putting a hulk 181 in the sun and see if we can get a total yellow variant.

 

Isn't that what kickstarter is for?

[RockMyAmadeus]

Somebody try putting a hulk 181 in the sun and see if we can get a total yellow variant.

 

Ok. Send me one, and I'll do it, and take pics every day.