Tomb Raider 22 and other Newsstand Imposters! 1 1

[BuraddoRun]

So I just picked up Issue 22 of Tomb Raider, which appeared to be a newsstand, but when I opened it up, there was a Direct Edition UPC on the inside cover. Don't worry, I found it at HPB for half of cover price, so it's not like it was misrepresented to me by a seller or anything. But it's weird, right? I looked the book up on Mycomicshop, which of course has cover scans of comics, usually the Direct Editions. Their pic for TR 22 also shows the newsie-looking UPC on the front. In my comic book collection app from Collectorz, they often have pics for the Direct Edition entries but not always the newsstand ones. For this issue, they have this cover listed as the newsstand variant, but don't have a pic under the Direct Edition entry.

My guess: they accidentally printed the front cover for the direct with the newsstand UPC. Question is, is there an actual newsstand variant that doesn't have the Direct UPC inside the front cover? Or maybe the version sold at comic stores and newsstands were the exact same for this issue, with instructions maybe given out to retailers on which UPC to scan? There are definitely Tomb Raider newsstands out there, as I also found a true newsstand of Issue 14 at HPB that same day.

Anyone have any input? Also, are there other examples of Direct Edition books you know of that disguised themselves as newsstands?

[godzilla43]

Interesting 21 or 23 has only that inside cover direct barcode. If keycollector people/youtube hot 10 people are reading please don't make this a trend fake newsstand comics.
Any other people here collect Tomb Raider? I have the whole 1st volume plus Tomb Raider Journeys plus some variants.

Edited February 13 by godzilla43

[BuraddoRun]

So I did a search on ebay today and found a newsstand copy for auction. It had a sticker over the UPC. The seller said in the description that all copies, newsstand and direct, of that issue have the same cover inside and out, but that the ones distributed as newsstands got that sticker placed on them. So that explains this one.

[Lazyboy]

I take it you've never seen this thread and its offshoot(s)?

Also, adding a sticker to a comic only damages the comic, it does not change what it is. Anybody can make a sticker, anybody can attach a sticker to a comic and these can both be done at any time.

[BuraddoRun]

On 2/14/2024 at 12:17 PM, Lazyboy said:

I take it you've never seen this thread and its offshoot(s)?

Also, adding a sticker to a comic only damages the comic, it does not change what it is. Anybody can make a sticker, anybody can attach a sticker to a comic and these can both be done at any time.

Nope, but I'll go check it out. Thanks. As for the sticker, yeah, I guess it is the same comic. But a manufacturer's sticker is different than a retailer's sticker, assuming one could tell the difference. Regardless, I just thought it was interesting.