More Marvel NOW! Variant covers - is this really necessary....?
IMO, I feel like we're back in the 90's when the comic book companies, (practically all of them), were releasing several different variant covers for the same issue - some foiled, some bagged, some with a hot artist, etc.
Fast forward to today, Marvel decides to flood the market with variant covers to several of their flagship books.
WTF...? I think, IMO, it's safe to say that the comic book market is NOT an investment vehicle any longer. The days of buying multiple copies of any title will most likely NOT get anyone rich beyond their wildest means by selling them back to the public at large for a premium.
Maybe that's not what it's all about, (most likely it's not about that).
It's Marvel's perogative to make a profit - I get that. But to create MULTIPLE variant copies to drive up the sales numbers for the month really irks me. To me, it's now NOT about the fans who are excited for some decisive changes to their characters, or the merits of a good story or jumping point for the books...it's to drive up the sales for the month so they can say they sold the most "units" over DC...Argh...!!!!
I'd be more comfortable with variants if it was done more how walking dead did the 100 issue. (Or my understanding of it). I could be totally wrong, but all the variants were the same initial price and I don't think there were any more of one variant than another.
I like this approach more, as it simply encourages you to pick your favorite one, without an inflated price, and Marvel would still sell more books as no doubt some people would still buy more than one simply because they like the different covers.
I think IDW does this too. They have a cover A and B and you simply pull the one you like more.
Marvel Now!.....More like Marvel Never Again
I am sick of hearing the phrase "good jump on point" I know Marvel is trying to attract new readers. Maybe part of the problem is that new readers don't quite have the smarts they used to have. When I "jumped on" in the late 70's, noone stopped the ride for me. There was no reboot. As I got older, I took it upon myself to research my favorite character's history. There was no internet, no wikipedia, no blockbuster Marvel movies. There was the occasional asterisk on the comic page that said something like "this happened waaaaay back in issue 5"...or whatever. That got me wanting to do a little digging into Marvel history. Then came along The Marvel Universe Handbook. I read up on everything. I learned tons. Comic shops were becoming a bit more mainstream then and I could go look for the storylines I had read about. I started filling in back issues. The more I found, the more I read, and the more I collected. That drove my desire for current stuff and expansion into other titles. This in turn fueled my need for merchandice...and continues today in the form of statues and such. It took a long time, but that is what shaped my love for this hobby. The characters became mine over a long period of time. I was in my LCS the other day and heard some younger customers stating that these Marvel NOW issues were "good jumping on places" What a load of crap. I have heard in countless interviews Stan Lee proclaim in the early days that he used to argue that comic readers are smarter than the industry gives them credit for....that readers can handle the kind of continuity that requires month to month reading. That thinking is gone. Now it is multiple flashy covers. Reboots or relaunches of major charaters....(what is this like the 5th or 6th time for some of these books?). I barely survived all this crap in the 90s as a collector. But despite my comic shop owners advice that I give it all a try, for the first time since I "jumped on" I've jumped off. He says that he is losing more Marvel customers than he is gaining. The old timers who spend the money are calling it quits and moving onto other things. The younger buyers who are supposed to be the next generation of Marvel consumers will prob hang in for awhile and then lose interest. When they ask me in the shop what they should buy....where are the good stories...I tell to get the old stuff. Go figure. Sorry Al...I feel like all my posts these days regarding comics just turns into rants. I'm only 39 but I feel like the old man yelling at kids to stay off his lawn. lol.
If you do not at least try it you will never know.
You can only hold on to the past for so long, and then you have to move forward.
I like some of the varient covers, then I can pick the one I want. I myslef am not interested in paying high prices for the rare variant covers but if some else is good for them.
If you do not at least try it you will never know.
You can only hold on to the past for so long, and then you have to move forward.
Correct & I am. After 40 years, I will no longer be buying Marvel Comics. They don't want my generation around anymore, so my money will be spent on back issues, statues, busts & commissions.
Marvel Now.1 had a 75/1 variant and a 150/1 variant. I think it was the biggest piece of money grabbing crap I have seen in a long time.
When the variants get to be out of control like that it's time to say goodbye to comics altogether. I hate the variants - especially when they are the "super rare" ones that don't hold any value. Marvel thinks they are reaching new readers - when in fact they are just chasing old readers away with gaining any new ones.
To be quite honest. I don't give a crap about variant covers. My LCS only have one cover of every book, so... If they can make money on this, I don't care. I choose only to buy one cover. And yeah, the time where comics will build in value is gone. It's the other way around. Most comics LOOSES value after bought. But I buy them cause I love them. I will buy comics from Marvel Now. I really enjoyed DCnU, and still enjoy it. I got me back into comics in a BIG way. I also buy Marvel titles now. I think Uncanny Avengers looks cool. I haven't read it yet, but I'll get back to you, guys.
I remember I used to buy variant covers but alot of the time they were same same price as the normal covers.
I picked up Deadpool Marvel now and saw that there were 4 covers on the shelf. because it was issue one I decided to jump on board. I bought:
Original 1) $4.50
Variant 2) $4.50
Variant 3) $5.95
Variant 5) $25
Went I got home I saw that there was another variant (i.e #4) and it was $50. I was thinking of still picking it up so I went to the comic book shop and saw that issue 2 came out and I saw that there were 2 covers for this:
Original 1) $4.50
Variant 2) $50
Fair enough they did it for the launching title but I do not want to spend these prices everytime a new issue comes out.
I am out! only buying 1 comic per issue from now on
More Marvel NOW! Variant covers - is this really necessary....?
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