Collected since 1978 but recently returned to the hobby to discover a zillion cover variants for every issue! This same garbage killed the collectible card industry in the late 80's. The biggest problem is sheer exhaustion financially and emotionally. Lots of You tube channels play into this crap by showing all these books that just came out being sent into CGC because they will be worth millions!! RIDICULOUS. I think it is so sad that for many people this hobby has become a cover art speculator sport which has nothing to do with the story, characters, etc. If you just want to collect 'covers' then become an art collector. DC and Marvel should release actual art prints numbered and signed instead of all these variant comics. 'Nuff Said.
I've recently returned as well but am mostly interested in collecting Silver and Bronze Age. Current comics hold little to no appeal for me and the variant snake oil looks like a dwindling industry trying to sell the same product more than once to a shrinking customer base. I've seen the same thing with collectible coins.
100% agree. The sad thing is people are spending a fortune on all these variants without the past experiences of knowing where this leads. In contrast I think the 'extra' art work is great and should be sold as limited edition signed lithographs.
I think most people buying variant comics now days actually like comics though, from what I heard a lot of people were using comics as an actual investment in that time
Jack Schrold . I say this a lot, there very much is a pyramid scheme aspect to to those variant collectors. It's interesting to see/hear longtime collectors get sucked into the variant cover chase looking for a big score. Realistically, as you stated, I think the real things that threaten to kill the comic industry is the fans/collectors that actually purchase the variants.
I know Im randomly asking but does someone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account..? I somehow forgot the account password. I would love any help you can give me.
@Matthias Alonso i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and Im in the hacking process atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Variants will eventually kill the comic market. I drank the kool aid in the early days...but now there are 5, 10, 15 variants for single issues. Screw that. I've sold ALL of my variants, and almost all of my modern books lately. Only investing in gold & silver at this point.
Most issues dont have that amount, however they do it now and again for key issues, like ASM 800 and its absurd how many there were for that, totally over the top.
Over saturation of the same book. Its explained pretty well in this video. Basically, with that many variants of a single book its off-putting for a completionist like myself. Why would anyone in their right mind want to purchase 50+ copies of the new Fantastic Four 1? Its going to end up just pissing everyone off until they all stop buying.
I only purchase Comics published before 1986, and really focus on pre-1975 Comics. Anything published in the 1990s through today is utterly overpriced.
Tom and Russ...thanks so much for saying this. I started watching you guys a few months ago and am still going back and watching old videos and this really spoke to me. I collected in the early ‘90s when I turned 18 and had a job finally so that I could actually afford to buy them. Stoped around ‘99, then last year started looking at my old collection and missing the reading and collecting old storylines...so started picking issues up again. Thank you so much for saying that reading them is still more important than just slabbing them and looking at a pretty cover.
Love this episode already and I just started watching it. Variants drive me crazy, personally there are just so many of them and I cant keep track. And for the Comic shops I hate hate hate the hoops they have to go through to get them. And then they are stuck with all the regular copies they had to buy to get that One variant. Its not good for the shops and im to old to keep track of all of them.
Love getting my comics, been collecting for 44 years to read them. Buy the odd one to speculate and the odd variant cover but the number one rule is enjoy them. Great video
Great episode as usual! Keep it up. Also I dislike how many variants there are myself, but the covers are amazing on a lot of them. Just tough to keep up with.
I'm not a variant fan unless they highlight spectacular artwork. The Art Germ virgin cover for Lady Thor's "death" is a great piece of art and a worthy variant for sure. Sadly, most variants aren't on that level for me.
johntjameson and the great thing about that variant was it it was open to order and anyone that wants it can get it. No one had to buy 50 copies and lose out on selling 47 copies or spend over $100 resale. It's an amazing artist and a great book at a great price. If more were like this I think variance would be less frustrating...
I think this must be one of your best episodes. Variants have always haunted me. I have been collecting comics for 30 years. I do like variants, don't get me wrong, but when there are more then 3 variants (this is including the original cover) then it can get over whelming and not to mention very expensive. You are paying for the cover and not a different story. Now I will splurge on an awesome variant and I wouldn't turn back but I do that every 4-6 years so it is very rare for me. Good show guys!!! Keep up with the great content.
YES variants are so stupid Like if I have a first appearance of something but it is not the Jason Scott Campbell variant it’s not popular or Doesn’t hold any value I’m not into comics for reselling but you get my point or those damn 1:101:251:50 etc variants it’s ridiculous
I usually only buy them to re-sell (I'm part of the problem), but 1 in 4 I buy because I love the art or I want to have a complete run w/ all the variants. However, I do appreciate how DC Comics is doing their variants. As far as exclusives... If no one was buying them, no one would be selling them. Starting to feel that fatigue though.
I agree with Russ. I collect variants that I liked the cover art of, like the marvel lenticular covers. I don't necessarily have a favorite artist and I don't play the speculation game with variants. I readily admit I have Skottie Young "variant fatigue" ever since I've first started seeing his covers. I don't agree with tier variants but it's a way for marvel to sell more books. Most of the variants I have in my collection came from second hand shops like HPB and vintage stock.
I did like the way Batman 50 did its varient. They had the 4 main covers and the 1/100 sketch but also allowed stores to get their own books too. Not sure how many stores had to by, but at least it was the option of the store to do it.
Edward Gundrum normally when stores can get a variant they need to order 500 to a thousand (or more) which is why it's TFAW, Midtown, Fried Pie, etc... Bigger ones (but watch for the #Comictom101 walking dead day variant coming in October--you heard it here first!)
I buy much more DC than Marvel, but I usually pick up the variant (not the main cover) because the art usually appeals to me more. I look at it this way...my favorite artist of all time is Mike Grell. He still works in comics, but it’s usually variant covers for Green Arrow or Batman. I’ll do anything to support him staying active.
If you just buy comic books to read them, there's no reason to pay any attention to variants. Just buy the regular cover (which variants do not make it harder to get), enjoy it, move on. If you really like a particular variant cover, buy it. If it's too difficult to find/get, oh well. That's just how collecting works. Variants are for collectors (not just folks who want to read and enjoy). And that's okay. I collect variants when the cover art is amazing (and the most beautiful covers I have are variants - no two ways about it). If you don't like variants, just don't buy them. Their existence doesn't make it more difficult to enjoy the origin story of Cosmic Ghost Rider. The real fatigue here is for the variant collectors who have to wade through a huge number of variants each month and figure how best to get them.
I know I am super late to this one. But I just listened to this, and it was fantastic and just the information I was looking for. The one other topic I was wondering about was artist variants. I am still trying to get my mind around how those work. Lots of them are much more expensive, but some are really cool! Will they really hold their value over the long term? Thanks and love the show!
Overpriced store exclusives and unrelated qualifier variants by the publishers need to go. Order all you want, incentives and moderately price (14.99 or under) stores variants without three or four of essentially the same are ok with me.
This was a awesome video! I used to try and not get any variants I would only get the main cover but slowly I’d see a cool cover and grab it and then I saw how the value of variants would shoot up and price and I felt like I had to buy most of them it’s annoying
Once again, awesome topic 👍. Midtown comics is one of my lcs so the variant fatigue can be REAL. I'm always a fan of variants that pay homage to classic covers. Not a fan of Fried Pie variants 🤢
I don't collect new comics, but do watch many videos of weekly pick-ups by different people and they mention so many variants of everything they get. It seems like a money-grab by the publishers and I've read what retailers have to do to get these variants. It doesn't seem like something I'd like to have to go through as a business owner. To me, I'm getting the same feel I did in the early-90's. Besides the constant relaunches, cartoony art and horrible writing, the variant covers are just another reason to eschew the new comics. Sticking to the SA and BA stuff. Great video guys as always.
New to the channel - well done guys! I’m relatively new to comics and I think anything that draws attention (no pun intended) to the art/hobby is, generally speaking, a good thing.
I started collecting and read them. My collection grew so large that I couldn’t read them all. Now I collect for art and character. When variants were new I became a variant collector. I stayed away from the bigger titles and started focusing on independent titles. My collection is just over 50 long boxes. I stopped last year completely. I started back up 3 weeks ago. I still like variants. It’s one of the main reasons I buy comics. I started in the 80’s. My collection consists of late 70’s up to current. 😎👍
Awesome vid and great topic to hit. I back into comics about 5-6yrs ago and i was blown away on how big and crazy it has gotten since i was a kid. I have to say that I do like the variants just because some are awesome art work from awesome artists. But to be honest I mainly get the Reg covers or if i do get a variant i usually just get the variant. It just gets to expensive. Especially if you get a comic with a $5.99 or even $9.99 cover price on it. So for me cause i only get the comics that i Love to read I usually just get what i can afford and what i like. if a Cover A looks better than Cover B or vise versa, then im getting what i really want
Great video. I went thru the “must buy this because it may be worth something” phase just like most folks. Now I buy because of artist/writer appreciation. I wish there was a way to order variants from our favorite artists directly so as to avoid forced incentive or percentage buying on brick and mortar stores. I’d love to buy variants directly from artists or studios, but even site-specific variants are charging $15-$50 a book, so everyone in the Variant game is trying to get a piece of that pie, trying to get what they think they’re worth or owed.
When I started in comics back in the early 2000's, I considered myself a completionist. At the time, it wasn't too hard to complete a asm set because there were very little variants. The only time you had variants was when the series launched or for some type of milestone. Now there variants for every issues and don't talk milestones because you could have up to 50 now. Plain and simple buy what you want.
Great episode. I agree these variants may do to the comic industry what happened in the 90s. The baseball card market got wiped clean by upper deck,bowman,and fleer. I still collect newer stuff and some variants but it's getting scary how many are being thrown out there.
I know im late on this but i hate the way marvel does variants, but dc has it right. The shop owners can chose to buy most variants without buying 100 of the regular
A great vlog on an important topic! Yes, I miss the old days of one issue (or one variant, at most).. Variants like 1:50, 1:100., 50 different covers, etc. seem to be made for investors who want to make a “quick buck” and is not a reader of the book or even cares about the book. Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of pursing those variants.- if there is no demand, there would be no supply.
I had a comics shop in the 90s. Recently, I've started buying again, and now it seems I'm drawn in to the variants. I love the exceptional artistic covers. (But I do hope I can recoup the investment at some point).
99% of the time I don't care about variants, but every once in awhile I'll see a one with really cool artwork and then I'll want to get it. The most frustrating thing about variants to me is that there doesn't seem to be an easy way to keep track of them all. Also, I had no idea Marvel is planning on releasing that many variants for FF...that's just ridiculous.
i dont dislike variant covers, i just try really hard to buy the one i like the best. I usually go for my favorite artists cover, or the art itself, even if it isn't the most popular. I went to buy spider-man 800 ramos variant and i asked my lcs if they had a copy..they asked why i wanted that one because it was not as desired as some of the others. I do agree with the market being flooded with them, the recent ironman #1 had like 20 different variants that were literally the same cover just with a different suit.
I like some variants, but when they release 10+ for single issues its ridiculous, even if it is an ASM 800 or the like. Im not a massive DC fan but their cover B variants are constantly good, I generally buy them instead of the A Covers.
I love the virgin variants. Not a big fan of $100 mark-ups, but they’re beautiful and fun to collect. Good for the hobby if you asked me. Keeps things fun and fresh
I make sure to read and appreciate all of the books in my collection, but I am so OCD about keeping a crisp collection. So I will make it a point to read the books/series that I am interested in online and then have the floppy in my actual collection. You are absolutely right though, you should read and appreciate and understand the books themselves that are in your collection.
These variant floods could be a long term ploy to curtail people from making all this extra doe off their books... i dont know. Just seems so outrageous sometimes. 50+ variants for one title come on. Theres GOT to be a back door
I agree, about having way too many variants. It almost seems like it's getting to the point where baseball cards did 20 plus years ago. Too many Brands, too many chase cars, too much variety, to the point that is all overwhelming and can definitely burn people out. Took a long time for the industry to reset. I hope that's not what we're facing in comic books too.
Books n Things the problem I have now is that when someone drops the title all of a sudden I don't get the variant if I'm ordering one fewer copy or I'm losing money because I had to buy it to get the variant to throw on the wall. I have some people who specifically wanted specific variant for a specific comic that I can only get if I order over 10 copies of it.
Awesome video guys I watched from start to finish, You guys had my attention all the way through. It's funny I just came to a cross roads on this Variant issue Do I buy or not anymore. You guys cleared somethings up for me. IMO If I have to pay more for a variant books cover with the same pages inside ...The Cover better look F'ing AMAZING!
I love variants if it deserves a second look by breaking my neck but I still get another copy because I'll read that one while I make the other a show piece
I don't think fans or general collectors should hate variants. In my opinion, the only people that should HATE variants is the retailers with all the hoops the have to jump through and the inventory that have to get saddled with in order to appease customers desire for variants. I think the secret variants are better for the retailers vs the ratio variants. Getting a random cover for the fans to discover and benefit from is better than forcing the LCS take on extra inventory. I like how you discussed the pyramid scheme aspect of the speculator market.
I guess I don't mind variants, or I should say the one I really enjoy because I think the quality warrants it. Though at times I think variants dilute the market with excessive covers. Honestly it reminds me of the baseball card market with how many multiple inserts were created and completing a full set was nearly impossible.
I got back into comics back in 2016 for DC Rebirth. I initially collected only Regular A covers cause they were for US cover price (I'm in Canada so that's a big deal) and stayed away from the variant B covers cause the store would up the price by $1-$2 dollars depending on the artist. But recently I discovered a smaller LCS who charges $1 more for all books with a 15% subscription discount. So I started getting some of the DC variant B covers like Flash, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Batman to name a few and for some I'd get both covers. So I'm ok with a regular and a variant cover IF there is no additional charge to the store owner. As a comic book reader, I enjoy the story first, the art second and the cover third.
I like the DC variant choice that I see each month. I can choose either the regular cover or the variant that almost always has an extremely beautiful work of art style cover from some very talented artist in various art media. The 30 or more multiple variants are a bit too much but I understand this helps the LOC's financially. I don't hate them but they can be overkill in many cases.
I like variants, it's like getting a print of your favourite character the only thing I 'hate' is not having money or room for all of the Batman Who Laughs/Harley/Joker variants out there. DC has been doing 1:X variants since the 2000s, and remember that thye started the 'intentional' variant thing with Byrne's Man of Steel #1
I only search out variants if the artwork is on another level. Otherwise i'm just buying whatever cover is on the shelf. If there's multiple I choose the one I like best
Getting back into my collection after 12 years and I'm noticing how this variant problem is a potential issue. I've decided that I favor a few artists and will stick to those I love. If it doesn't mean anything personally to me I'm not gonna waste money on it.
Started collecting in the early 90s getting back into it and I have to say I believe one variant cover maybe two. I just looked at one comic 5 variant covers, it makes you crazy..
I blame the speculators for the crazy market for these damn variants. That being said I love taking advantage of all these speculators and flipping these books to them. I don’t mind cashing in at their expense.
I'm new to variants, but I have been collecting a slew of them. Mostly Marvel's Cable comic books because he's my favorite character. I don't particularly care for virgin variants. I just go for comic covers that speak to me, variant or not. Of course, by that point, I have already read them because the characters and stories matter more to me.
I compare the "variant" comic book market to the sports card collectible market.. now collectors open up hundreds of packs right next to a garbage can, so as soon as you open them you can throw almost all of them in the garbage can, and only keep that one or two "rare" variants/cards. That hobby was turned into such a business that there's absolutely no fun in it anymore.
Speaking of variants for myself, I do like the themed variants that Marvel does often and that D.C. did with the New 52 (i.e. the Loony Tunes, Selfies, Movie Posters, etc., etc.)
I LOVE VIRGIN VARIANTS! I dont know why some issues get 20 variants and why some get none but I have no problem with it. Don't bother me if they wanna make 50 variants bcuz I just buy the ones I like. I buy most comics based on the cover anyway, only certain keys do I buy if the cover isnt crazy. BOOM Studios is killing it with stuff like SIKTC and Image with DOT. SOUND ADVICE, I always say, dont get into comics to make money, do it bcuz u love it, just ask ANY LCS owner😉
Speaking of buying what you like...that's a reason why some books in a 9.8 will go for big money only once or twice and not consistently...or a random book goes for 20 bucks more over market...people buy what they like...and the factor of only seeing one copy on the net can influence price. I own a Tomb of Dracula 10 in a 9.8 white pages...I did pay good money for it, but I buy what I like. I'll pay extra for something I really want in my collection.
I'm in the variant-hater camp, especially when we're talking over 15 variant covers for one book. Variants are just a hustle for the comic companies to sell more copies of a single issue by duping people into buying variants. It's also a way to create instant retail and collectable value for certain covers when a popular or fan fave artist is doing the cover. Often such variants are produced with much lower print runs so that comic shops have to pay more, hus passing that expense on to consumers who get charged more. It's almost like a comicbook pyramid scheme.
Comics With Ya Boi Zack talked about this too. How do comic shops keep up? I as a collector have had my desire to collect diminished due to the excess. I miss the 1-3 variant days.
.. and not only are the 1st appearances are the way to go long term.. Star Wars.. so fewer printed than most ongoing series the last 20 years. And that franchise will never die.. hell after the last three movies that fan base is still ridiculously strong.. stood the test, and will stand strong forever.
I consider myself a comic book collector and aficionado BUT I have never told myself I want a new book because of its cover alone when I've already bought a copy of the book. I dont want two copies of a book PERIOD. The more I collect the more I buy books for the story/art alone.
I only view comics as a passion. I only buy things I want to keep and display in my house. My favorite character is Lobo and I'm hunting his entire appearence list. He has an appearance in Punchline's 1st appearence, and I was kind of pissed to see Lobo placed in that comic book because speculators did what they do at comic shops.... I hate the speculating side of variants, but I dont mind them. I know you get into the investment side of comics and it doesn't bother me. None of this was an attack on you, great channel, great content, keep it up.
I pick the variant I want because I appreciate the art and also appreciate the story. Love Donny Cates writing and I wish he was doing Amazing Spider-Man
I always try to buy the variant that I like the most of one issue buying every cover is too costly imo. I use the previews guide and pick the variant I want if I can,if not I just gamble and hope I find a good one at the shop that day its released.i refuse to pay more than cover for a variant unless it's really awesome like the ASM 800 variant by Gabrielle dell otto, for example.
buy trades...a lot of them have the variant covers in there anyway. My route is...I get the current comics in TPBs (there is a lot of cool content being produced) and I colect silver/bronze and gold in singles.
Mostly Late but idk. I only buy Variants when: 1. I can’t find the regular covers or 2. I hate the regular cover. The first variant I bought was Rise of Kylo Ren #1 and it was because I couldn’t find the regular cover. The second and most recent was Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 because I hated the regular cover. I don’t usually buy variants but when I do, it’s a special occasion.
Variants are just a way for the publishes to bolster their shipped copies numbers. Instead of just putting out a superior product that people will want to buy and drive the shipped copies numbers. Better products equals better sales not more crap on the store racks with different covers
george asuncion the quality of comics is better than it was in the 80s and 90s but it's not enough to justify a 399 or 499 cover price on absolutely everything. The artists are better, the writing is better, the paper is better, the color is better. There are so many things that are better about current comics and they still have to resort to gimmicks to sell them...
Maybe two or three variants but 10, 15 or more?!!!! I used to try and keep up when variants first started popping up for the sake of having a “complete” collection,but now I just buy the ones that have art that I love.
Variants are fine when it's big issues, like ASM 800, Action comics 1000, but for every issues it's just ridiculous. They should strive to make some solid covers like back in the day and no one would WANT a variant for a comic (unless a specific artist is doing one). I collect for the art inside and outside the book, including the story. If people want to collect money, well I don't believe there's anything wrong with that, I mean it's their choice, but they're missing out!
Only floppies I currently buy are variants more as pieces of art to show off (virgins and new dc minimal text). Without variants I would just be sticking to collected editions. But even I am annoyed with the amount of variants Marvel pushes for some issues lately. I find myself buying more DC variants because they are sitll regular price or close to it and can look amazing.
There are people who read the comics yet try to monetize their purchases to fund future purchases. I was hoping for a deeper dive into the variants and what it means to publishers and collectors.
Assuming that people have a budget - they are limited in how many comics they can buy. If they buy 5 copies of the same comic (due to cover variations) - that means they aren't reading 4 other comics. It doesn't server the READERship of comics. It serves the collectors market. That market is fickle and will abandon the hobby. Readers are invested in the stories. Variant collectors are interested in the object.
I personally like about 1 out of 100 variants but I sell a ton of them at my shop down here in TX. I try to keep my prices reasonable though so maybe that's why? But man, I'm OVER IT.
Teen titans #20 comes out first full appearance of Lobo’s daughter 3 different covers but the white one with her on it becomes the most valuable. The book came out this past Wednesday and it’s already selling for 40.00 so if I can’t get my hands on that what’s the use of buying any of the other variants???? It just makes the other variants worthless.
Okay, so variants are fun so long as they're not rare and sought after, if they're worth the same as the standard, then variants are fun. There are exceptions to this however, such as if its meant to be a limited time only thing
Collected since 1978 but recently returned to the hobby to discover a zillion cover variants for every issue! This same garbage killed the collectible card industry in the late 80's. The biggest problem is sheer exhaustion financially and emotionally. Lots of You tube channels play into this crap by showing all these books that just came out being sent into CGC because they will be worth millions!! RIDICULOUS.
I think it is so sad that for many people this hobby has become a cover art speculator sport which has nothing to do with the story, characters, etc. If you just want to collect 'covers' then become an art collector. DC and Marvel should release actual art prints numbered and signed instead of all these variant comics. 'Nuff Said.
I've recently returned as well but am mostly interested in collecting Silver and Bronze Age. Current comics hold little to no appeal for me and the variant snake oil looks like a dwindling industry trying to sell the same product more than once to a shrinking customer base. I've seen the same thing with collectible coins.
100% agree. The sad thing is people are spending a fortune on all these variants without the past experiences of knowing where this leads. In contrast I think the 'extra' art work is great and should be sold as limited edition signed lithographs.
I think most people buying variant comics now days actually like comics though, from what I heard a lot of people were using comics as an actual investment in that time
Jack Schrold
You are so right. Variants, gimmick covers & Todd McFarlane killed the industry faster than a kryptonite bullet.
Jack Schrold . I say this a lot, there very much is a pyramid scheme aspect to to those variant collectors. It's interesting to see/hear longtime collectors get sucked into the variant cover chase looking for a big score.
Realistically, as you stated, I think the real things that threaten to kill the comic industry is the fans/collectors that actually purchase the variants.
I usually get the one I like the most. Variant or not. Great video
I know Im randomly asking but does someone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account..?
I somehow forgot the account password. I would love any help you can give me.
@Sebastian Valentin instablaster =)
@Matthias Alonso i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and Im in the hacking process atm.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Matthias Alonso It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thank you so much you saved my account :D
@Sebastian Valentin you are welcome xD
read your comics!!!!!!!
Nope. Only interested in the art.
Way too many variants. Personally it's overwhelming to the point I refuse to buy any. They should just do no more than 3 variants per book.
Unless it's a special issue (like an issue 1 or the return of a beloved character), then one or two more is fine.
Wow after reading one of the comments below I went to clz comics app and saw that there are 60 covers for ASM 800!!! That is insane and over kill.
Variants will eventually kill the comic market. I drank the kool aid in the early days...but now there are 5, 10, 15 variants for single issues. Screw that. I've sold ALL of my variants, and almost all of my modern books lately. Only investing in gold & silver at this point.
Most issues dont have that amount, however they do it now and again for key issues, like ASM 800 and its absurd how many there were for that, totally over the top.
They have multiple artists draw multiple covers and print them all with the same inside pages.
Over saturation of the same book. Its explained pretty well in this video. Basically, with that many variants of a single book its off-putting for a completionist like myself. Why would anyone in their right mind want to purchase 50+ copies of the new Fantastic Four 1? Its going to end up just pissing everyone off until they all stop buying.
Well put mate! I'm sticking to older books too!
I only purchase Comics published before 1986, and really focus on pre-1975 Comics. Anything published in the 1990s through today is utterly overpriced.
Variants in comics kind of reminds me of microtransactions in video games 😆 great vid 👍👍
Tom and Russ...thanks so much for saying this. I started watching you guys a few months ago and am still going back and watching old videos and this really spoke to me. I collected in the early ‘90s when I turned 18 and had a job finally so that I could actually afford to buy them. Stoped around ‘99, then last year started looking at my old collection and missing the reading and collecting old storylines...so started picking issues up again. Thank you so much for saying that reading them is still more important than just slabbing them and looking at a pretty cover.
Love this episode already and I just started watching it. Variants drive me crazy, personally there are just so many of them and I cant keep track. And for the Comic shops I hate hate hate the hoops they have to go through to get them. And then they are stuck with all the regular copies they had to buy to get that One variant. Its not good for the shops and im to old to keep track of all of them.
Buellerrrrrr! Good to see ya here, breddah 👀
As a store owner, thank you so much for pointing this out!
do retail variants vs store variants
I like variants, but only the way DC does it, organized and practical.
Love getting my comics, been collecting for 44 years to read them. Buy the odd one to speculate and the odd variant cover but the number one rule is enjoy them. Great video
I have no problem at all with variants. A lot of my favourite covers and favourite comics that I own are variants.
Great episode as usual! Keep it up. Also I dislike how many variants there are myself, but the covers are amazing on a lot of them. Just tough to keep up with.
WOW! Autoplay brought me here after the latest Top 10. Crazy the production upgrades you guys have made with set position, mics, removing Russ' stash.
I'm here today retro-tripping too, it's crazy. I can't keep my eyes off the phone/camera that filmed Russ/myself, right next to Tom's face.
Do a variant of this video with each of you switching places.
Richard Nevarez 👏👏😆
I love variant covers. It gives us more of a choice, I love picking out what cover I think is cooler. Makes Wednesday's a bit more fun
I'm not a variant fan unless they highlight spectacular artwork. The Art Germ virgin cover for Lady Thor's "death" is a great piece of art and a worthy variant for sure. Sadly, most variants aren't on that level for me.
johntjameson and the great thing about that variant was it it was open to order and anyone that wants it can get it. No one had to buy 50 copies and lose out on selling 47 copies or spend over $100 resale. It's an amazing artist and a great book at a great price. If more were like this I think variance would be less frustrating...
I think this must be one of your best episodes. Variants have always haunted me. I have been collecting comics for 30 years. I do like variants, don't get me wrong, but when there are more then 3 variants (this is including the original cover) then it can get over whelming and not to mention very expensive. You are paying for the cover and not a different story. Now I will splurge on an awesome variant and I wouldn't turn back but I do that every 4-6 years so it is very rare for me. Good show guys!!! Keep up with the great content.
YES variants are so stupid Like if I have a first appearance of something but it is not the Jason Scott Campbell variant it’s not popular or Doesn’t hold any value I’m not into comics for reselling but you get my point or those damn 1:10 1:25 1:50 etc variants it’s ridiculous
I usually only buy them to re-sell (I'm part of the problem), but 1 in 4 I buy because I love the art or I want to have a complete run w/ all the variants. However, I do appreciate how DC Comics is doing their variants. As far as exclusives... If no one was buying them, no one would be selling them. Starting to feel that fatigue though.
I agree with Russ. I collect variants that I liked the cover art of, like the marvel lenticular covers. I don't necessarily have a favorite artist and I don't play the speculation game with variants. I readily admit I have Skottie Young "variant fatigue" ever since I've first started seeing his covers. I don't agree with tier variants but it's a way for marvel to sell more books. Most of the variants I have in my collection came from second hand shops like HPB and vintage stock.
Variants from the likes of Dell’Otto turned me from a casual comic book collector, into a die hard.
I did like the way Batman 50 did its varient. They had the 4 main covers and the 1/100 sketch but also allowed stores to get their own books too. Not sure how many stores had to by, but at least it was the option of the store to do it.
Edward Gundrum normally when stores can get a variant they need to order 500 to a thousand (or more) which is why it's TFAW, Midtown, Fried Pie, etc... Bigger ones (but watch for the #Comictom101 walking dead day variant coming in October--you heard it here first!)
Do a "mythbuster" about variants covers
Awesome content!!
Yeah variants can be overwhelming... that's why I usually buy 1 copy and that's it ... and only things I enjoy reading
I buy much more DC than Marvel, but I usually pick up the variant (not the main cover) because the art usually appeals to me more. I look at it this way...my favorite artist of all time is Mike Grell. He still works in comics, but it’s usually variant covers for Green Arrow or Batman. I’ll do anything to support him staying active.
Variant Hater here too!!!! I'm more story and inside art driven!!
I only collect variant covers because of the awesome beauty...🤘🏼💯✔️ Variant covers have all the beauty, and possess all the awesomeness...👍🏼
If you just buy comic books to read them, there's no reason to pay any attention to variants. Just buy the regular cover (which variants do not make it harder to get), enjoy it, move on. If you really like a particular variant cover, buy it. If it's too difficult to find/get, oh well. That's just how collecting works.
Variants are for collectors (not just folks who want to read and enjoy). And that's okay. I collect variants when the cover art is amazing (and the most beautiful covers I have are variants - no two ways about it).
If you don't like variants, just don't buy them. Their existence doesn't make it more difficult to enjoy the origin story of Cosmic Ghost Rider.
The real fatigue here is for the variant collectors who have to wade through a huge number of variants each month and figure how best to get them.
I know I am super late to this one. But I just listened to this, and it was fantastic and just the information I was looking for.
The one other topic I was wondering about was artist variants. I am still trying to get my mind around how those work. Lots of them are much more expensive, but some are really cool! Will they really hold their value over the long term?
Thanks and love the show!
Overpriced store exclusives and unrelated qualifier variants by the publishers need to go. Order all you want, incentives and moderately price (14.99 or under) stores variants without three or four of essentially the same are ok with me.
This was a awesome video! I used to try and not get any variants I would only get the main cover but slowly I’d see a cool cover and grab it and then I saw how the value of variants would shoot up and price and I felt like I had to buy most of them it’s annoying
Once again, awesome topic 👍. Midtown comics is one of my lcs so the variant fatigue can be REAL. I'm always a fan of variants that pay homage to classic covers. Not a fan of Fried Pie variants 🤢
great vid keep up the good work
I don't collect new comics, but do watch many videos of weekly pick-ups by different people and they mention so many variants of everything they get. It seems like a money-grab by the publishers and I've read what retailers have to do to get these variants. It doesn't seem like something I'd like to have to go through as a business owner. To me, I'm getting the same feel I did in the early-90's. Besides the constant relaunches, cartoony art and horrible writing, the variant covers are just another reason to eschew the new comics. Sticking to the SA and BA stuff. Great video guys as always.
I'm mainly speaking about Marvel when I talk about the negative qualities.
New to the channel - well done guys! I’m relatively new to comics and I think anything that draws attention (no pun intended) to the art/hobby is, generally speaking, a good thing.
I started collecting and read them. My collection grew so large that I couldn’t read them all. Now I collect for art and character. When variants were new I became a variant collector. I stayed away from the bigger titles and started focusing on independent titles. My collection is just over 50 long boxes. I stopped last year completely. I started back up 3 weeks ago. I still like variants. It’s one of the main reasons I buy comics. I started in the 80’s. My collection consists of late 70’s up to current. 😎👍
Awesome vid and great topic to hit. I back into comics about 5-6yrs ago and i was blown away on how big and crazy it has gotten since i was a kid. I have to say that I do like the variants just because some are awesome art work from awesome artists. But to be honest I mainly get the Reg covers or if i do get a variant i usually just get the variant. It just gets to expensive. Especially if you get a comic with a $5.99 or even $9.99 cover price on it. So for me cause i only get the comics that i Love to read I usually just get what i can afford and what i like. if a Cover A looks better than Cover B or vise versa, then im getting what i really want
Great video. I went thru the “must buy this because it may be worth something” phase just like most folks. Now I buy because of artist/writer appreciation. I wish there was a way to order variants from our favorite artists directly so as to avoid forced incentive or percentage buying on brick and mortar stores. I’d love to buy variants directly from artists or studios, but even site-specific variants are charging $15-$50 a book, so everyone in the Variant game is trying to get a piece of that pie, trying to get what they think they’re worth or owed.
When I started in comics back in the early 2000's, I considered myself a completionist. At the time, it wasn't too hard to complete a asm set because there were very little variants. The only time you had variants was when the series launched or for some type of milestone. Now there variants for every issues and don't talk milestones because you could have up to 50 now. Plain and simple buy what you want.
Great episode. I agree these variants may do to the comic industry what happened in the 90s. The baseball card market got wiped clean by upper deck,bowman,and fleer. I still collect newer stuff and some variants but it's getting scary how many are being thrown out there.
I know im late on this but i hate the way marvel does variants, but dc has it right. The shop owners can chose to buy most variants without buying 100 of the regular
A great vlog on an important topic! Yes, I miss the old days of one issue (or one variant, at most).. Variants like 1:50, 1:100., 50 different covers, etc. seem to be made for investors who want to make a “quick buck” and is not a reader of the book or even cares about the book. Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of pursing those variants.- if there is no demand, there would be no supply.
I had a comics shop in the 90s. Recently, I've started buying again, and now it seems I'm drawn in to the variants. I love the exceptional artistic covers. (But I do hope I can recoup the investment at some point).
99% of the time I don't care about variants, but every once in awhile I'll see a one with really cool artwork and then I'll want to get it. The most frustrating thing about variants to me is that there doesn't seem to be an easy way to keep track of them all. Also, I had no idea Marvel is planning on releasing that many variants for FF...that's just ridiculous.
Julia Alvarado if you use the app clz comics to keep track of your collection they do a fair job of showing all variants available.
Brenton S ok thank you! I’ll definitely check that out
I like the DC variants and I almost Always begrudgingly buy comics.
Ha
I prefer trades, Absolutes and omnibus. I like singles but just to display my favorites covers mostly.
i dont dislike variant covers, i just try really hard to buy the one i like the best. I usually go for my favorite artists cover, or the art itself, even if it isn't the most popular. I went to buy spider-man 800 ramos variant and i asked my lcs if they had a copy..they asked why i wanted that one because it was not as desired as some of the others. I do agree with the market being flooded with them, the recent ironman #1 had like 20 different variants that were literally the same cover just with a different suit.
I like some variants, but when they release 10+ for single issues its ridiculous, even if it is an ASM 800 or the like. Im not a massive DC fan but their cover B variants are constantly good, I generally buy them instead of the A Covers.
I love the virgin variants. Not a big fan of $100 mark-ups, but they’re beautiful and fun to collect. Good for the hobby if you asked me. Keeps things fun and fresh
I make sure to read and appreciate all of the books in my collection, but I am so OCD about keeping a crisp collection. So I will make it a point to read the books/series that I am interested in online and then have the floppy in my actual collection. You are absolutely right though, you should read and appreciate and understand the books themselves that are in your collection.
These variant floods could be a long term ploy to curtail people from making all this extra doe off their books... i dont know. Just seems so outrageous sometimes. 50+ variants for one title come on. Theres GOT to be a back door
I agree, about having way too many variants. It almost seems like it's getting to the point where baseball cards did 20 plus years ago. Too many Brands, too many chase cars, too much variety, to the point that is all overwhelming and can definitely burn people out. Took a long time for the industry to reset. I hope that's not what we're facing in comic books too.
My LCS only buys extra Star wars to get that variant. They have so many extra copies of the regular cover they'll never sell
Books n Things the problem I have now is that when someone drops the title all of a sudden I don't get the variant if I'm ordering one fewer copy or I'm losing money because I had to buy it to get the variant to throw on the wall. I have some people who specifically wanted specific variant for a specific comic that I can only get if I order over 10 copies of it.
Awesome video guys I watched from start to finish, You guys had my attention all the way through. It's funny I just came to a cross roads on this Variant issue Do I buy or not anymore. You guys cleared somethings up for me. IMO If I have to pay more for a variant books cover with the same pages inside ...The Cover better look F'ing AMAZING!
I love variants if it deserves a second look by breaking my neck but I still get another copy because I'll read that one while I make the other a show piece
I don't think fans or general collectors should hate variants. In my opinion, the only people that should HATE variants is the retailers with all the hoops the have to jump through and the inventory that have to get saddled with in order to appease customers desire for variants.
I think the secret variants are better for the retailers vs the ratio variants. Getting a random cover for the fans to discover and benefit from is better than forcing the LCS take on extra inventory.
I like how you discussed the pyramid scheme aspect of the speculator market.
I guess I don't mind variants, or I should say the one I really enjoy because I think the quality warrants it. Though at times I think variants dilute the market with excessive covers. Honestly it reminds me of the baseball card market with how many multiple inserts were created and completing a full set was nearly impossible.
Great shirt Russ!
Variants are the reason why I'm only collecting the old stuff. I have a few variants but not many.
I got back into comics back in 2016 for DC Rebirth. I initially collected only Regular A covers cause they were for US cover price (I'm in Canada so that's a big deal) and stayed away from the variant B covers cause the store would up the price by $1-$2 dollars depending on the artist. But recently I discovered a smaller LCS who charges $1 more for all books with a 15% subscription discount. So I started getting some of the DC variant B covers like Flash, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Batman to name a few and for some I'd get both covers. So I'm ok with a regular and a variant cover IF there is no additional charge to the store owner. As a comic book reader, I enjoy the story first, the art second and the cover third.
I like the DC variant choice that I see each month. I can choose either the regular cover or the variant that almost always has an extremely beautiful work of art style cover from some very talented artist in various art media. The 30 or more multiple variants are a bit too much but I understand this helps the LOC's financially. I don't hate them but they can be overkill in many cases.
I have the variant with Spawn stealing the Prowlers costume. Classic.
I like variants, it's like getting a print of your favourite character the only thing I 'hate' is not having money or room for all of the Batman Who Laughs/Harley/Joker variants out there.
DC has been doing 1:X variants since the 2000s, and remember that thye started the 'intentional' variant thing with Byrne's Man of Steel #1
I only search out variants if the artwork is on another level. Otherwise i'm just buying whatever cover is on the shelf. If there's multiple I choose the one I like best
Getting back into my collection after 12 years and I'm noticing how this variant problem is a potential issue. I've decided that I favor a few artists and will stick to those I love. If it doesn't mean anything personally to me I'm not gonna waste money on it.
Started collecting in the early 90s getting back into it and I have to say I believe one variant cover maybe two. I just looked at one comic 5 variant covers, it makes you crazy..
Great Episode.
I blame the speculators for the crazy market for these damn variants. That being said I love taking advantage of all these speculators and flipping these books to them. I don’t mind cashing in at their expense.
I'm new to variants, but I have been collecting a slew of them. Mostly Marvel's Cable comic books because he's my favorite character. I don't particularly care for virgin variants. I just go for comic covers that speak to me, variant or not. Of course, by that point, I have already read them because the characters and stories matter more to me.
I compare the "variant" comic book market to the sports card collectible market.. now collectors open up hundreds of packs right next to a garbage can, so as soon as you open them you can throw almost all of them in the garbage can, and only keep that one or two "rare" variants/cards. That hobby was turned into such a business that there's absolutely no fun in it anymore.
Speaking of variants for myself, I do like the themed variants that Marvel does often and that D.C. did with the New 52 (i.e. the Loony Tunes, Selfies, Movie Posters, etc., etc.)
I LOVE VIRGIN VARIANTS! I dont know why some issues get 20 variants and why some get none but I have no problem with it. Don't bother me if they wanna make 50 variants bcuz I just buy the ones I like. I buy most comics based on the cover anyway, only certain keys do I buy if the cover isnt crazy. BOOM Studios is killing it with stuff like SIKTC and Image with DOT.
SOUND ADVICE, I always say, dont get into comics to make money, do it bcuz u love it, just ask ANY LCS owner😉
Speaking of buying what you like...that's a reason why some books in a 9.8 will go for big money only once or twice and not consistently...or a random book goes for 20 bucks more over market...people buy what they like...and the factor of only seeing one copy on the net can influence price. I own a Tomb of Dracula 10 in a 9.8 white pages...I did pay good money for it, but I buy what I like. I'll pay extra for something I really want in my collection.
I'm in the variant-hater camp, especially when we're talking over 15 variant covers for one book. Variants are just a hustle for the comic companies to sell more copies of a single issue by duping people into buying variants. It's also a way to create instant retail and collectable value for certain covers when a popular or fan fave artist is doing the cover. Often such variants are produced with much lower print runs so that comic shops have to pay more, hus passing that expense on to consumers who get charged more. It's almost like a comicbook pyramid scheme.
Comics With Ya Boi Zack talked about this too. How do comic shops keep up? I as a collector have had my desire to collect diminished due to the excess. I miss the 1-3 variant days.
.. and not only are the 1st appearances are the way to go long term.. Star Wars.. so fewer printed than most ongoing series the last 20 years. And that franchise will never die.. hell after the last three movies that fan base is still ridiculously strong.. stood the test, and will stand strong forever.
Awesome discussion!!
I consider myself a comic book collector and aficionado BUT I have never told myself I want a new book because of its cover alone when I've already bought a copy of the book. I dont want two copies of a book PERIOD. The more I collect the more I buy books for the story/art alone.
I only view comics as a passion. I only buy things I want to keep and display in my house. My favorite character is Lobo and I'm hunting his entire appearence list. He has an appearance in Punchline's 1st appearence, and I was kind of pissed to see Lobo placed in that comic book because speculators did what they do at comic shops.... I hate the speculating side of variants, but I dont mind them. I know you get into the investment side of comics and it doesn't bother me. None of this was an attack on you, great channel, great content, keep it up.
I pick the variant I want because I appreciate the art and also appreciate the story. Love Donny Cates writing and I wish he was doing Amazing Spider-Man
I fucking love variant covers. Because not only are ya buying a good story, but buying works of art.
I always try to buy the variant that I like the most of one issue buying every cover is too costly imo. I use the previews guide and pick the variant I want if I can,if not I just gamble and hope I find a good one at the shop that day its released.i refuse to pay more than cover for a variant unless it's really awesome like the ASM 800 variant by Gabrielle dell otto, for example.
buy trades...a lot of them have the variant covers in there anyway. My route is...I get the current comics in TPBs (there is a lot of cool content being produced) and I colect silver/bronze and gold in singles.
Mostly Late but idk. I only buy Variants when:
1. I can’t find the regular covers or
2. I hate the regular cover.
The first variant I bought was Rise of Kylo Ren #1 and it was because I couldn’t find the regular cover.
The second and most recent was Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 because I hated the regular cover.
I don’t usually buy variants but when I do, it’s a special occasion.
Variants are just a way for the publishes to bolster their shipped copies numbers. Instead of just putting out a superior product that people will want to buy and drive the shipped copies numbers. Better products equals better sales not more crap on the store racks with different covers
george asuncion the quality of comics is better than it was in the 80s and 90s but it's not enough to justify a 399 or 499 cover price on absolutely everything. The artists are better, the writing is better, the paper is better, the color is better. There are so many things that are better about current comics and they still have to resort to gimmicks to sell them...
Maybe two or three variants but 10, 15 or more?!!!! I used to try and keep up when variants first started popping up for the sake of having a “complete” collection,but now I just buy the ones that have art that I love.
Variants are fine when it's big issues, like ASM 800, Action comics 1000, but for every issues it's just ridiculous. They should strive to make some solid covers like back in the day and no one would WANT a variant for a comic (unless a specific artist is doing one). I collect for the art inside and outside the book, including the story. If people want to collect money, well I don't believe there's anything wrong with that, I mean it's their choice, but they're missing out!
Only floppies I currently buy are variants more as pieces of art to show off (virgins and new dc minimal text). Without variants I would just be sticking to collected editions. But even I am annoyed with the amount of variants Marvel pushes for some issues lately. I find myself buying more DC variants because they are sitll regular price or close to it and can look amazing.
There are people who read the comics yet try to monetize their purchases to fund future purchases. I was hoping for a deeper dive into the variants and what it means to publishers and collectors.
Assuming that people have a budget - they are limited in how many comics they can buy. If they buy 5 copies of the same comic (due to cover variations) - that means they aren't reading 4 other comics. It doesn't server the READERship of comics. It serves the collectors market. That market is fickle and will abandon the hobby. Readers are invested in the stories. Variant collectors are interested in the object.
You guys are AWESOME 👏
I just saw this and I agree!!! So frustrated with all the variants. Thanks for doing this vid
I personally like about 1 out of 100 variants but I sell a ton of them at my shop down here in TX. I try to keep my prices reasonable though so maybe that's why? But man, I'm OVER IT.
Teen titans #20 comes out first full appearance of Lobo’s daughter 3 different covers but the white one with her on it becomes the most valuable. The book came out this past Wednesday and it’s already selling for 40.00 so if I can’t get my hands on that what’s the use of buying any of the other variants???? It just makes the other variants worthless.
"variant fatigue" LMBO give me a break. Variants are always awesome and we need more AWESOME. I'm a fan of the art.
I only read hard backs, while collecting variants, its cheaper / less space that way.
Okay, so variants are fun so long as they're not rare and sought after, if they're worth the same as the standard, then variants are fun. There are exceptions to this however, such as if its meant to be a limited time only thing
Only problem I got with variants is the fact that they cost more than the regular cover?