variant covers

PureInvasion · 11-13-2014, 05:29 PM

is there any website that actually shows what variant covers will be prior to their release?

Basic solicits show the usual 1:25, 1:50, etc by _______ artist, yet nowhere does it show what the actual cover will be.

The publishers (Marvel/DC) websites don't have the images up ahead of time. My LCS occasionally has the images up the week before the book is released, but nothing with any consistency. Even the 'huge' e-LCS' (Midtown Comics) usually don't even have the images of what the variants are until the day of release.

Is a buyer really supposed to blind buy these things? I know that many LCS' want to know if you want a variant cover for a specific issue well before the issue ever hits...but how can you order it without an image?

Maybe I'm missing something in this variant process...

moon_knight1971 · 11-13-2014, 07:24 PM

Not always available but DCBS has them displayed sometimes

SONICobra · 11-14-2014, 12:36 AM

i signed up for my lcs' weekly newsletter when i lived in Chicago and still get them. they have a list of every comic that will released the following week in the newsletter, list all the variants and usually have a picture of what it looks like

i gave up on caring about variants a looooooong time ago

PureInvasion · 11-14-2014, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SONICobra

i signed up for my lcs' weekly newsletter when i lived in Chicago and still get them. they have a list of every comic that will released the following week in the newsletter, list all the variants and usually have a picture of what it looks like

i gave up on caring about variants a looooooong time ago

I have little interest in them as well. I won't even glance at them unless I'm really drawn to a cover, I was already picking up the issue as part of my regular pull and its under $10.

Just curious about the whole process though as its seemingly run on blind pre-orders. I'd have thought in this day (with how far ahead things are done), the big 2 would have had the images up in their solicits.

Just seems weird that they want you to shell out for that 1:100 cover with absolutely no info on it.

protector2814 · 11-14-2014, 10:56 AM

Or freakin' Deadpool. I'm a member of a FB comic book sellers page & can not believe the number of variant Deadpool covers that are out there. Marvel slaps Deadpool on covers of comics that have nothing to even do with him. I never see these at my lcs, but am at a loss as to why this cat's everywhere, when it comes to variants. I missed the whole Deadpool boat & have little desire to climb aboard, but whay is he so variant worthy? Is he that popular a character? I don't get it. I'd go out of my way not to buy a book w/ him just randomly on the cover.

**wktf** · 11-23-2014, 03:37 PM

I'm with you. I don't understand the character, never read any of his stories, and just don't get his popularity at all.

ratchet · 11-27-2014, 01:46 AM

Agree completely - not only is Deadpool a mystery on why people actually like the character - but why they have to put him EVERYWHERE is something I will never understand. Are the fans actually buying every cover out there with him on it?

Simplyrob · 11-27-2014, 06:21 AM

Hmmmmm. Well, here's my take on variant covers. I'd say most collections either follow an artist or a title. If that's what you're collecting, would it matter what the variant looked like? I've been through all the cash grabs by the big 3, even the Image 0 coupons shenanigans back in the day, and Ive managed to wrangle my collection big time. My favorite artist, duh, is Ryan Ottley. He's been doing a lot of variant covers for all kinds of random titles lately. Keeping up with all of them is a pain in the ass. I usually only find out when I'm on eBay. My shop did pull 2 of the Ottley variants in Oct, but, I did give them a weeks advance. Each week I check comiclist.com for the drops and they list all the variant covers, not sure about images though.

DarkKni9hT · 11-27-2014, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PureInvasion

is there any website that actually shows what variant covers will be prior to their release?

www.comicscontinuum.com

Super source for all things comics related. I go there at least three times a week. Their monthly solicitations section usually covers the variants pretty well. Not sayin' they'll all be there, but you'll get a preview of most of them.

Y3E · 11-28-2014, 04:09 PM

Initially, when he first appeared Deadpool was a fun read but the jokes got tired fast and I stopped buying, reading his books years ago. Now, you see him on everything and I, like many of you, at a loss as to why he is so popular.

I also dislike variant covers of characters that have nothing to do with the book. Marvel does this a lot to coincide with some of the movies, like the last Wolverine movie, he was almost every cover that month.

STOP IT!!!

I rarely buy a variant covers now, but if I see a cover I really like and don't want to pay the absorbent price ($10 +), I just may d/l it from the web.