Variant Covers: Are They Killing the Comic Book Industry?

Comments · 125

• JO

  @joejunjulas7917 · 1 year ago

  Variant comics are a hobby in itself ! I love seeing a new cover that stands out, and even if I don't read the series,  I will pick up a cover if I love the art. Sometimes, I pick up a book just because the cover looks amazing.

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• MA

  @MarioUcomics · 1 year ago

  Personally I still want my cover to reflect something in the story itself

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• WH

  @WhatTheRead · 1 year ago

  As a comic cover collector, I love variants! I usually find the ones I like to collect in variants, not the main ones.

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• MA

  @markmetz9167 · 6 months ago (edited)

  I love variants! I especially love that DC gives the original cover under the variant. I wish All the other publishers would do the same.

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• MA

  @matthewdenton2658 · 1 year ago

  I don’t see the harm in them. They help the industry survive by selling more copies of the same books. Like you said some people just buy comics for the covers like giant trading cards. And if you just want the story then no need to buy more then one. I also don’t think there is a limit on great artists out there for the insides. The publishers just are just being cheap  on the insides sometimes which would happen no matter what. My only slight annoyance is when the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the book it’s on and that’s the only one on the shelf. And I guess it hurts speculators but that’s a problem that will self correct itself if they realize they don’t make money off them.

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• CO

  @comiccollectionagency7581 · 1 year ago

  Variants are actually boosting the comic industry, giving it new life, I wouldn't say it's fooling a lot of us into getting multiple copies of the same book because some main covers are lame and some variants be fire and jump in value, really good example is Mark Spears Monsters, I watched you when you promoted that book and I have a really good relationship with the owner of my LCS so when I told him about it, man he bought all the variants multiple main covers and yeah he's all smiles about that book, only thing variant covers are killing is our wallets!

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• TR

  @TruckCompany53 · 2 months ago

  I don’t intend on making any money so at that point I see it as mostly helping support more artists. If I get a cover I like and if if the stars align, I get the ratio covers

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• KU

  @kurtheilman3809 · 1 year ago

  Those of us who are older might remember the comic book bubble of the 90s involved some of these same type of speculative covers. I think this time it’s a little bit different though because there’s not as many people from outside the hobby coming in to buy purely out of spec. I think it’s fun like you said as long as you’re not thinking of it as an investment (especially long term) and as long as you’re enjoying what you buy.  I strongly agree though that for the health of the industry long term the interior is way more important than the cover.

• DA

  @DansComicCorner25 · 1 year ago

  I only get a variant cover if it is a superhero or villain I really like other then that I stick with the main cover

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• JI

  @jimmywalker4884 · 1 year ago

  Collect what brings you joy.  I honestly can say some of the books in my collection are only worth the cover price after having them in my collection for over thirty years but they are priceless to me.  Now with today's comics I will quickly decide not to buy the next issue if I don't like the interior artwork, I will give the storyline more time to develop.

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• AL

  @albamralba · 8 months ago

  I’m new to the comic hobby, I started collecting due to the TMNT X Godzilla. I got into because I love the covers, art work, story and nostalgic.<br><br>I’m definitely not doing it to gain a profit. Your video was very informative and thank you 🙏

• CH

  @charlielarson2407 · 1 year ago

  Kind of and kinda not back in the day there was only two variants newsstand and direct

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