Comments on: What an Odd Celebration of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary

By: Ken Raining

Ken Raining — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:32:28 +0000

Every month, The Beat publishes a breakdown of Marvel and DC’s month to month sales, and every month, it’s clear that variant covers increase orders. People can say they are “tired of Marvel’s shenanigans”, but until retailers stop increasing their orders of variants, and customers stop making it worthwhile by paying extra for them, it’s only going to get worse.

By: Dalarsco

Dalarsco — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:43:45 +0000

Huh? How does a cover affect the speed of books? It’s one cover. And none of the people doing these covers are even the ones who are currently buying often late books.
But back on topic, I, like most, are disappointed that these are chase variants. But remember that the kickass double gatefold for X-Men #200 was going to be a 1:10 or something before Marvel changed it so that all three covers were in equal amounts. Show enough disappointment and maybe we’ll find that they suddenly become 50/50 variants.

By: TonyJazz

TonyJazz — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:28:03 +0000

Variant covers are hurting the collector’s market at a time when it is hurting already.

Marvel & DC: end the variant covers as most of us don’t buy them and we find them damaging to our interests! They will never have any longlasting collectors value and you are telling us the regular issues will be worthless, too….

…and Marvel: go back to $2.99 and we’ll go back to buying more of your books….

Don’t you think that the creator’s time wasted on these covers would be better spent on trying to get other comics back on schedule???

By: red Ricky

red Ricky — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:03:36 +0000

[...]the new border covers are celebrating 70 years of Marvel as as a publishing company in general. They started in 1939 as Timely Comics. Now, my maths aren’t the best, but thats 70 years ago by my reckoning.

Cheap, cheap, cheap.
In two years, they’ll be back celebrating their 50th Aniversary. Then they’ll wipe everything out and start over again with “a fresh” set of issues #1; just so they can be the New, new, nu, fresh, nu-marvel! The nu-west company on the block!

Hell, Marvel is starting to sound like a two dollar hooker…

“I’m as old as you want me to be, baby!”

Like I said… cheap, cheap, cheap! Next thing you know, Dynamite Comics is going to start claiming they publish the first American Superhero! –You know, on account that Zorro was created in 1919.
But then again, they probably already do… and people don’t care. So yeah… Marvel should remember that. So that when they actually get to 50, or 60; they don’t start bitching and moaning when we put them in a Retirement Home! (Yeah, I went there! Comedy with an edge!)

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:42:39 +0000

What’s funny is that Marvel actually did raise their prices just as their 25th Anniversary began.

Granted, just a 15.5% increase, but still!

By: Raskal66

Raskal66 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:14:40 +0000

I remeber the 25th anniversary clearly, but I didn’t remember 1:50 variants and a 33% price increase to herald the coming of a celebration.

By: DanLarkin

DanLarkin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:08:55 +0000

I think Puck and Dani Moonstar were hidden under the barcode.

By: Ted

Ted — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:38:01 +0000

What are you guys talking about? Surely an LCS who orders, say, 5 copies could justify the expense of ordering fifty times as many so they could get one variant. I don’t see the big deal.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:57:38 +0000

Man, don’t remind me – 1 in 250 variant!!!!

What the hell kind of incentive idea was THAT?

By: Neil Cameron

Neil Cameron — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:30:06 +0000

It would be a far finer idea if the art wasnt awful, and the artists involved have no relation to the book.

But I’m less offended by 1 in 10 variants then 1:50 and especially when there are 1:250 variants. Looking at you Batman and Robin #1.

-Neil

By: Alan Coil

Alan Coil — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:46:44 +0000

Marvel doesn’t care about the readers, Marvel cares about sales. If they can get some of the retailers to order 10-20-30 more copies than normal, that’s all good to Marvel.

By: AERose

AERose — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:51:45 +0000

It’s a great idea for a celebration except the fact that the covers are completely ass-ugly.

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:21:26 +0000

Molly’s in the border so I’ll have to at least get one of these.

By: Dan Felty

Dan Felty — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:54:43 +0000

Molly and her hat are awesome. Dan Bailey’s mouth is not a whore.

By: Michael P.

Michael P. — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:12:40 +0000

Somebody at Marvel is just plain variant-happy. Weird.

And Dan, you shut your whore mouth about Molly’s hat.

By: Bill Janzen

Bill Janzen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:24:24 +0000

In 10 years people are going to look back at the variants these days like we look back on the stupid foil and hologram covers from the 90s. They’re useless, greedy money grabs and nothing more.

By: cat skyfire

cat skyfire — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:01:53 +0000

The variant cover incentive is a bad idea. My friend works in a comic store, and he’s tired of marvel’s games. This is another of them. While some would want the variant, there’s just not enough demand for each title to make ordering more just to get the variant a profitable venture. “Woo hoo, I sold the two variants…but what do I do with the leftover 12 comics that aren’t selling?”

By: Sijo

Sijo — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:46:11 +0000

Marvel: The House of (Odd) Ideas.

By: T.

T. — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:09:02 +0000

I can’t believe Red Hulk is in there. Is that character really a classic one with staying power worth commemorating?

By: Chad Nevett

Chad Nevett — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:00:40 +0000

For some reason, I immediately focused on Norman Osborn not being in the border despite him appearing in more comics currently than any other character… I can’t tell if that makes me odd or the border art odd…