MOST VALUABLE MODERN VARIANTS - THE RANKINGS 17 17

[jsilverjanet]

 

We'll see. Maybe people will be less inclined to get upset reading something they don't like if they have to make an effort to read it.

 

 

Unfortunately, panties will continue to be bunched.

 

 

+1

 

[ygogolak]

 

We'll see. Maybe people will be less inclined to get upset reading something they don't like if they have to make an effort to read it.

 

 

Unfortunately, panties will continue to be bunched.

 

 

+1

 

 

reported and reported

 

[Aweandlorder]

 

We'll see. Maybe people will be less inclined to get upset reading something they don't like if they have to make an effort to read it.

 

 

Unfortunately, panties will continue to be bunched.

 

 

+1

 

 

reported and reported

 

 

 

 

[OV]

Had some time this afternoon, so I updated Jay's list with images.

 

Okay gents after double checking GPA here is the updated Dirty Dozen:

 

 

 

#12- Amazing Spider-Man #688, J. Scott Campbell (2012)- Did you really think we'd get very far on this list without seeing a JSC? Typically known for his pin-up work, this cover by him is actually kind of scary, and has broken $1500 in a 9.8 as the folks who missed it when it first came out (or did not even realize it was a JSC cover) scramble to add it to their collections before it moves even further up the list.

 

#11- Amazing Spider-Man #700, Ditko (2013)- A ridiculous 1:200 ratio made this ridiculously expensive right out the gate, with some SS copies skyrocketing as high as $4000 upon its initial release. It has since settled down, but a recent uptick in prices, coupled with the strength of its past sales earns this the #10 spot.

 

#10- X-23 #1, Dell'Otto (2010)- Another great and hot artist lodges his first cover here. Combined with the fact that X-23 may be Marvel's hottest female character right now, a rumoured movie appearance, and a breath-taking cover, and you have a book that has been fetching $1300+ in a 9.8 and $600+ raw.

 

#9- Saga #1 RRP (2012)- Image's premier issue of its second best selling title gets the nod here. A signed copy has gone for as much as $1900, and its cult status should keep this book held in high regard for years to come.

 

#8- Walking Dead #100, Lucille/Red Foil Editions (2012)- The introduction of the iconic Negan in these crazy- rare issues has some people paying as much as $1800 for a 9.8 since word first leaked that he would (finally) be making his appearance in the show. Depending on how they ultimately end up depicting him there, these books could easily move up the list!

 

#7- Siege #3, J. Scott Campbell (2010)- A bizarre retailer incentive that involved destroying other comic books, a super hot artist, and one of Marvel's most trendy characters flossing on the cover are the perfect recipe to catapult this book to $2000+ in a 9.8.

 

#6- Spawn #185, Sketch (2008)- One of Image's original and longest running titles checks in here with its most valuable RI variant to date. Clocking in at $2750 the last time a 9.8 copy came up for sale publicly, the scant census numbers should keep rare variant chasers on their heels and this book in high value and esteem for the foreseeable future. Shout out to Topnotchman for pointing this awesome book out.

 

#5- Batman #608 RRP (2002)- The granddaddy of the RRP's (and possibly all modern variants) makes the top 5. And why not? It's Batman, a first appearance of a new villain, and Part One of a story line that put the Batman title back on top. Oh yeah, and it has Jim Lee art. With prices at well over $3,000 for 9.8's and copies seeming to have disappeared into personal collections, don't expect to get this one on the cheap ever again (if you can even find one).

 

 

#4- Uncanny X-Men #510 Partial Sketch Cover, J. Scott Campbell (2009)- Without a doubt the most valuable and hard to find convention book out there, 9.6 copies of these have sold for $2800, and only proves once again that Campbell + crazy rarity + beautiful pin-up art = salivating fans and $$$. All things considered, it wouldn't take much for this book to jump up higher on this list.

 

#3- Wolverine #1, J. Scott Campbell (2010)- Yet another JSC cover, this one his best, lands at #3. Featuring a stocky Wolverine bulging out of Deadpool's costume, this book easily commands $3k+ in a 9.8 and is very strong in all down grades, as well as raw. It was another "destroy comics" incentive to retailers, an incentive that was so derided in the industry that it has yet to be repeated, but resulted in a book with a very low print run and insatiable demand. It was the uber-high sales prices of this book a couple of years ago that really got the JSC train going at 100 miles per hour, and if it ever stops chugging along, people will still be paying big money for this book.

 

#2- Amazing Spider-Man #678 (2012)- This now classic and oft-reprinted and homaged cover features Mary Jane in mid-possession by the alien symbiote known as Venom. Its character mash-up and spoof elements made it an instant hit right out of the gate and it never looked back. A 1:50 variant released when ASM sales were barely cracking 50,000, this book has gone for $3500 in a 9.8 (on the rare occasion they're offered), and still breaks $1000 in an 8.5! Raw copies routinely break $1000 and its scarcity on the market, its "modern grail" status, and presence in the ASM run should keep it at the top of this list for a very long time.

 

#1- Amazing Spider-Man #667, Dell'Otto (2011)- Really? Like, what else was it going to be? We're talking about a book that sells in raw, 8.0'ish condition for $2500. Possibly one of the rarest books of all in the entire ASM run, this book is a completionist's nightmare, and a rare variant hunter's wet dream. Hardly ever offered for sale, in any condition, there have been rumours and reports that as few as ~200 of these were produced. Whether this is true or not, however few copies there are seem to have already disappeared into permanent collections, and it is a veritable feeding frenzy when a copy does find its way to market. If there is such a thing as "Golden Age rarity" in the Modern Age (whether that rarity is "manufactured" or not), the ASM 667 Dell'Otto has it, and at this rate, there could easily come a time when years go by without a copy seeing the light of day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***Waiting in the Wings***

 

 

Batman #1, Sketch (2011),

 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #1, J. Scott Campbell (2010)

 

 

 

Uncanny X-Force #20, Venom Variant (2012).

 

 

 

-J.

 

Very cool to see the books with the write-ups! First time I've seen several of them.

[Neeidea]

 

We'll see. Maybe people will be less inclined to get upset reading something they don't like if they have to make an effort to read it.

 

 

Unfortunately, panties will continue to be bunched.

 

 

+1

 

 

reported and reported

 

 

 

 

 

I hate Russian dolls, they're so full of themselves.

 

 

[Algo]

Hi noob here, forgive me if this has been mentioned already, but I'd like to add Walking Dead 100 comixology variant to the list. It goes for a pretty penny in high-grade (last CBCS 9.6 sold for $1000 on ebay in april) I'm in love with this cover it's my favorite for issue 100 by miles and only 500 were printed

 

Edited April 25, 2016 by Algo

[Jaydogrules]

Hi noob here, forgive me if this has been mentioned already, but I'd like to add Walking Dead 100 comixology variant to the list. It goes for a pretty penny in high-grade (last CBCS 9.6 sold for $1000 on ebay in april) I'm in love with this cover it's my favorite for issue 100 by miles and only 500 were printed

 

 

Hello, and welcome to the Boards !

 

We do already have two walking dead #100's on the list, and they go for much more than the otley sketch comixology store exclusive. So far that reason alone, it wouldn't make the Dirty Dozen at the moment.

 

Apart from that though, my gut tells me that store exclusives shouldn't be considered anyway since they are essentially commissioned and then distributed only by the purchasing retailer (correct me if I'm wrong).

 

Additionally, the early 1990's Maxx ashcan colour "variants" are a different animal than the other books on the list as well, and are not indicative or consistent either with the modern variants as we know them today. (Also what scant public sales figures information that there is would have them come up short in any case.)

 

-J.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

Additionally, the early 1990's Maxx ashcan colour "variants" are a different animal than the other books on the list as well, and are not indicative or consistent either with the modern variants as we know them today.

 

 

In what way? I have no idea what "not indicative with the modern variants" means. Could you clarify?

 

 

 

(Also what scant public sales figures information that there is would have them come up short in any case.)

 

-J.

 

 

There's scant information on several others in the list. Also, Danger Girl #2 Ruby Red is one of those books.

 

Is this going to be an accurate list, or just a personal favorites list?

 

[Jaydogrules]

 

Additionally, the early 1990's Maxx ashcan colour "variants" are a different animal than the other books on the list as well, and are not indicative or consistent either with the modern variants as we know them today.

 

 

In what way? I have no idea what "not indicative with the modern variants" means. Could you clarify?

 

 

 

(Also what scant public sales figures information that there is would have them come up short in any case.)

 

-J.

 

 

There's scant information on several others in the list. Also, Danger Girl #2 Ruby Red is one of those books.

 

Is this going to be an accurate list, or just a personal favorites list?

 

Ashcans are a sub-niche market. The Maxx books should be discussed in a context with other ashcans. And the only difference between the covers of the Danger Girl (as well as the Maxx ashcans) are different coloured covers or even just the title lettering. These are some of the hallmarks of '90's "variants" ( Legends of the Dark Knight or McFarlane' Spider-Man #1 similarly come to mind).

 

"Modern" variants have unique art oftentimes by multiple different artists across multiple different covers for a single issue. This is probably "the" largest and most significant defining characteristic of variants as we know them today, and is the DNA shared by the books on the Dirty Dozen list. Were there other isolated incidents of books like this prior to 2000? Probably so. But this list was not intended to examine "all variants from the modern age", just the top ones from the past 10-15 years or so when these types of variants as we know them now have collectively been such a big part of the hobby and publishers' marketing and distribution strategies.

 

-J.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

Additionally, the early 1990's Maxx ashcan colour "variants" are a different animal than the other books on the list as well, and are not indicative or consistent either with the modern variants as we know them today.

 

 

In what way? I have no idea what "not indicative with the modern variants" means. Could you clarify?

 

 

 

(Also what scant public sales figures information that there is would have them come up short in any case.)

 

-J.

 

 

There's scant information on several others in the list. Also, Danger Girl #2 Ruby Red is one of those books.

 

Is this going to be an accurate list, or just a personal favorites list?

 

Ashcans are a sub-niche market. The Maxx books should be discussed in a context with other ashcans. And the only difference between the covers of the Danger Girl (as well as the Maxx ashcans) are different coloured covers or even just the title lettering. These are some of the hallmarks of '90's "variants" ( Legends of the Dark Knight or McFarlane' Spider-Man #1 similarly come to mind).

 

 

 

 

That is not correct. The Danger Girl Smoking Gun covers were not just variants in terms of the logo (two of which....the Platinum and the Ruby Red....were FOIL variants)....but the actual cover art itself is a variation from the regular "bubbles" version.

 

I can accept your argument for the Maxx books, but the Danger Girl Ruby Red Smoking Gun...even if it wasn't, itself, a "unique cover"...belongs in the discussion. I don't recall anyone trying to claim that foil variants weren't really variants, but it's moot: the Smoking Gun IS a variant cover.

 

Here is the regular:

 

 

Here is the Smoking Gun variant:

 

 

By the way...the Smoking Gun variants were the very first "Hot JSC variant" ever made, for reasons that should be fairly obvious. The #5 bikini variants were the second.

 

 

 

 

"Modern" variants have unique art oftentimes by multiple different artists across multiple different covers for a single issue. This is probably "the" largest and most significant defining characteristic of variants as we know them today, and is the DNA shared by the books on the Dirty Dozen list. Were there other isolated incidents of books like this prior to 2000? Probably so. But this list was not intended to examine "all variants from the modern age", just the top ones from the past 10-15 years or so when these types of variants as we know them now have collectively been such a big part of the hobby and publishers' marketing and distribution strategies.

 

-J.

 

 

If you're going to define "variant" to mean something other than it has meant for the better part of 30 years to the comics community, and then change the parameters of your list after the fact, that's fine, it's your list, but you really should state that up front. The DG #2 Ruby Red is only 18 years old, and meets all the criteria of your original post.

 

Why would it not be included?

 

 

 

 

 

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

How is the Ruby Red different from a "sketch" variant? Both use existing art from other covers.

[Jaydogrules]

At least a "sketch" is a significant change to the actual artwork. There is no change among the various Danger Girl smoking gun covers other than the colour of the title font. That's closer to the '90's style of variants than the ones that define the current era of variants, although I did note in an earlier post that it looks to be a bit of a bridge or precursor to the variants of today.

 

This isn't "changing" the definition of anything. It's acknowledging that variants have changed and comparing apples to apples.

 

-J.

 

 

[HarveySwick]

I like the idea of the thread, but unfortunately I think there is a bias in the rankings and it really is more of a personal favorites list. I think #2 - #5 are more popular/desirable than #1. I've never even heard of #1 before this list.

 

How about a poll?

[Jaydogrules]

The list isn't based on poularity or desirability it's based on publicly closed sales (and I would personally never purchase several books on the list , though I can still respect and appreciate what they are and what they sell for).

 

-J.

[Sensei Ryan]

I think it's a pretty cool list, whether it's agreed with or disagreed with. It took some time to come up with it, so kudos for that!

 

With WD being my forte, and with JJ mentioning this earlier in the thread, I would have to state that the Hero Initiative (105 copies) #100 would by far surpass the Red Foil/Lucille variants in nature of value/scarcity so if a WD ish should be on the list, it should be the HI 100 variant. But that's just my and not intended to persuade JDR from changing the list, because I can see the arguments made on the WD 100 RF/Lucille front.

 

Thanks for compiling it!

[Jaydogrules]

I think it's a pretty cool list, whether it's agreed with or disagreed with. It took some time to come up with it, so kudos for that!

 

With WD being my forte, and with JJ mentioning this earlier in the thread, I would have to state that the Hero Initiative (105 copies) #100 would by far surpass the Red Foil/Lucille variants in nature of value/scarcity so if a WD ish should be on the list, it should be the HI 100 variant. But that's just my and not intended to persuade JDR from changing the list, because I can see the arguments made on the WD 100 RF/Lucille front.

 

Thanks for compiling it!

 

I agree the walking dead 100 hero initiative blanks are more rare and have at times sold for more than the Lucille/RF. But those were intended for original sketches and published with no variant art, and may not have even been intended to be released by the publisher at all in that form. It is the same reason I excluded recalled/error comics, as those are also a different beast than those on the Dirty Dozen list. The list is intended to be fluid, and I honestly did forget about Spawn 185, it should have made the original Dozen, but some of the more obscure or less applicable suggestions others have mentioned, I did consider and did not include because they honestly were not consistent with the others on the list (including the German Supergirl cover by Turner, which I did not include because it is a "foreign variant").

 

-J.

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

At least a "sketch" is a significant change to the actual artwork. There is no change among the various Danger Girl smoking gun covers other than the colour of the title font. That's closer to the '90's style of variants than the ones that define the current era of variants, although I did note in an earlier post that it looks to be a bit of a bridge or precursor to the variants of today.

 

This isn't "changing" the definition of anything. It's acknowledging that variants have changed and comparing apples to apples.

 

-J.

 

 

 

The Smoking Gun Ruby Red variant is a variant as you define it. It features a different cover than the regular issue. That there are other versions of the Smoking Gun doesn't exclude the Ruby Red from your list based on your parameters.

 

Variants aren't much different today than they were in the days of Adventurers #1, Justice League #3, and Firestorm #61...but if you exclude variants because they are "only" foil versions of a particular variant, that's changing the definition of what a variant is.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaydogrules]

At least a "sketch" is a significant change to the actual artwork. There is no change among the various Danger Girl smoking gun covers other than the colour of the title font. That's closer to the '90's style of variants than the ones that define the current era of variants, although I did note in an earlier post that it looks to be a bit of a bridge or precursor to the variants of today.

 

This isn't "changing" the definition of anything. It's acknowledging that variants have changed and comparing apples to apples.

 

-J.

 

 

 

The Smoking Gun Ruby Red variant is a variant as you define it. It features a different cover than the regular issue. That there are other versions of the Smoking Gun doesn't exclude the Ruby Red from your list based on your parameters.

 

Variants aren't much different today than they were in the days of Adventurers #1, Justice League #3, and Firestorm #61...but if you exclude variants because they are "only" foil versions of a particular variant, that's changing the definition of what a variant is.

 

 

 

 

 

Again, I acknowledge that the Danger Girl is a kind of precursor or bridge to the modern variants of today, but I just did not feel it made the cut based on the duplicate art across the multiple versions that were released (more of a '90's thing). And this isn't "changing" the definition of anything, unique art being published by multiple artists, even , at times, across multiple covers on the scale we are seeing today is what distinguishes the variants of today vs what has come before (which is also why I consolidated the walking dead #100 Lucille/RF into one data point on the list).

 

-J.

[RockMyAmadeus]

At least a "sketch" is a significant change to the actual artwork. There is no change among the various Danger Girl smoking gun covers other than the colour of the title font. That's closer to the '90's style of variants than the ones that define the current era of variants, although I did note in an earlier post that it looks to be a bit of a bridge or precursor to the variants of today.

 

This isn't "changing" the definition of anything. It's acknowledging that variants have changed and comparing apples to apples.

 

-J.

 

 

 

The Smoking Gun Ruby Red variant is a variant as you define it. It features a different cover than the regular issue. That there are other versions of the Smoking Gun doesn't exclude the Ruby Red from your list based on your parameters.

 

Variants aren't much different today than they were in the days of Adventurers #1, Justice League #3, and Firestorm #61...but if you exclude variants because they are "only" foil versions of a particular variant, that's changing the definition of what a variant is.

 

 

 

 

 

Again, I acknowledge that the Danger Girl is a kind of precursor or bridge to the modern variants of today, but I just did not feel it made the cut based on the duplicate art across the multiple versions that were released (more of a '90's thing). And this isn't "changing" the definition of anything, unique art being published by multiple artists, even , at times, across multiple covers on the scale we are seeing today is what distinguishes the variants of today vs what has come before (which is also why I consolidated the walking dead #100 Lucille/RF into one data point on the list).

 

-J.

 

 

Gen 13 #1 had 14 different initial covers in 1995. Unique art being published, by multiple artists.

 

What has changed is the scale...otherwise, it's just more of what was begun in the 90's.

 

Excluding the Ruby Red, simply because there are two other versions of that cover art, would be arbitrary because of those conditions, but it is your list. It is important to clarify these things.

 

 

[Jaydogrules]

At least a "sketch" is a significant change to the actual artwork. There is no change among the various Danger Girl smoking gun covers other than the colour of the title font. That's closer to the '90's style of variants than the ones that define the current era of variants, although I did note in an earlier post that it looks to be a bit of a bridge or precursor to the variants of today.

 

This isn't "changing" the definition of anything. It's acknowledging that variants have changed and comparing apples to apples.

 

-J.

 

 

 

The Smoking Gun Ruby Red variant is a variant as you define it. It features a different cover than the regular issue. That there are other versions of the Smoking Gun doesn't exclude the Ruby Red from your list based on your parameters.

 

Variants aren't much different today than they were in the days of Adventurers #1, Justice League #3, and Firestorm #61...but if you exclude variants because they are "only" foil versions of a particular variant, that's changing the definition of what a variant is.

 

 

 

 

 

Again, I acknowledge that the Danger Girl is a kind of precursor or bridge to the modern variants of today, but I just did not feel it made the cut based on the duplicate art across the multiple versions that were released (more of a '90's thing). And this isn't "changing" the definition of anything, unique art being published by multiple artists, even , at times, across multiple covers on the scale we are seeing today is what distinguishes the variants of today vs what has come before (which is also why I consolidated the walking dead #100 Lucille/RF into one data point on the list).

 

-J.

 

 

Gen 13 #1 had 14 different initial covers in 1995. Unique art being published, by multiple artists.

 

What has changed is the scale...otherwise, it's just more of what was begun in the 90's.

 

Excluding the Ruby Red, simply because there are two other versions of that cover art, would be arbitrary because of those conditions, but it is your list. It is important to clarify these things.

 

 

I stated before that there are probably earlier isolated books prior to 2000 that may have had alternate cover art, the difference now being that it is the norm and not an isolated incidence.

 

PS I looked at Danger Girl, and once I consolidated the listing as I did with WD #100 Lucille/RF, and calculated a weighted average of the three covers with the identical art, it still didn't make the top 12, as there is only one high sale in a 9.8 (yellow) and currently weak support in most down grades (I also did the same thing with the Maxx covers after you pointed those out too BTW.)

 

-J.