Gimmick or Good? – Sandman Special #1

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1991′s glow in the dark cover for Sandman Special #1…

Sandman Special #1 (published March 1991) – written by Neil Gaiman, with art by Bryan Talbot and Mark Buckingham. Painted cover by Dave McKean

In a break of tradition here at Gimmick or Good, I’m taking a step away from superhero books for a week and instead focusing on a single issue from one of the most critically acclaimed comic book series of all time. Gaiman’s Sandman is one of those series that transcends the comic book medium. I like to tell people it’s the one comic book that my wife enjoys more than I do (I grew up with a healthy diet of caped and masked crusaders, so I almost always gravitate back toward those stories). In 1991, in the midst of the “Seasons of Mists” arc (Sandman #22-28), DC/Vertigo published Sandman Special #1, an all-new story that was actually an adaptation of the classic tale of Orpheus. The comic was one of the first in the industry history to utilize a “glow-in-the-dark” effect on the cover. In this case, once the lights were out, Orpheus’ face was revealed, along with a message from him, “In Dreams I Walk With U.”

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Batman #497

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1993′s overlay cover for Batman #497…

Batman #497 (published August 1993) – script by Doug Moench, pencils by Jim Aparo, inks by Dick Giordano, cover by Kelley Jones

Eight months after shocking the world by killing off its most recognizable character in Superman, DC decided a major change was needed for its other global icon Batman. DC stopped short of killing Bruce Wayne, but still put him on the shelf for a considerable amount of time with a broken back thanks to the handiwork of a relatively new villain: the mysterious man-monster Bane. Though Batman #497 didn’t receive the host of gimmicks Superman #75 did (like a black polybag, collector’s editions armbands and Daily Planet obituaries), the comic did sport an overlay cover that turned back to reveal the full scene of Bane “breaking the bat” over his knee.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Iron Man #288 and 290

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1992/1993′s foil covers for Iron Man #288 and 290…

Iron Man #288 and #290 (published January 1993 and March 1993) – story by Len Kaminski, art by Kevin Hopgood and Mike Decarlo (#288) and Hopgood and Steve Mitchell (#290)

As more and more early 90s comic books were getting gimmick enhancements on the cover, it was only a matter of time before Marvel would give “Old Shellhead” some kind of metallic-looking treatment. In celebration of the character’s 30th anniversary in 1993, Marvel released two separate giant-sized issues, one featuring the silver War Machine on the cover, and the other with the traditional red and gold Iron Man. Both had metallic “foil” enhancements despite the fact that the two comics were not consecutively numbered issues. Oddly enough, around the same time, Marvel did a similar thing with its Avengers anniversary issues – every third comic between #360-#369 received a chromium embossed enhancement.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Amazing Spider-Man #358

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1992′s gatefold cover of Amazing Spider-Man #358…

Amazing Spider-Man #358 (published January 1992) – script by Al Milgrom, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Randy Emberlin

For the final installment of Gimmick or Good’s April gatefold cover month, I’ll take a look at Amazing Spider-Man #358, the final chapter of the six-part “Sidekick’s Revenge” arc that saw Spider-Man and a host of guest stars including Punisher, Moon Knight and Nova, take on the cyborg version of Moon Knight’s former partner Jeff Wilde, aka, Midnight. The special, three-part gatefold cover opens up to reveal all of the issue’s guest stars (all five of them) plus Spider-Man.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Captain America #400

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1992′s gatefold cover of Captain America #400…

Captain America #400 (published May 1992) – script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Rik Levins, inks by Danny Bulanadi

To commemorate the 400th issue of Captain America, Marvel busted out a number of gimmicks. Keeping with April’s “theme” for “Gimmick or Good,” the comic has a gatefold cover revealing vintage Captain America illustrations from the character’s earliest days. The comic also sports a “flip book” format, where if you turn to the book’s back cover and then flip it, you reveal another comic to read. With these giant-sized anniversary issues, the flip book format was a popular way to reprint a Silver Age issue, as Marvel did for Captain America #400, re-running Avengers #4, Cap’s first Silver Age appearance.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Infinity War #1-6

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1992′s gatefolded covers of Infinity War #1-6…

Infinity War #1-6 (published June-November 1992) – script by Jim Starlin, pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Al Milgrom

The next installment of Gimmick or Good’s gatefold cover month focuses on 1992’s Infinity War mini-series, a sequel to the successful Infinity Gauntlet cosmic soap opera from a year earlier. Starlin is back on writing duty and Lim takes the reigns on pencils for the entire run (unlike in Infinity Gauntlet where he took over for George Perez for the final two issues). As a bit of a showpiece for Lim, each of the mini’s six issues featured gatefold covers that expanded to show larger battle scenes.

But what about inside the comics? Continue Reading »

Gimmick or Good? – X-Men #1

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1991′s multiple-cover and gatefold cover X-Men #1…

X-Men #1 (published October 1991) – script by Jim Lee and Chris Claremont, pencils by Lee, inks by Scott Williams

The calendar may read 2013, but the gimmick cover is alive and well. Throughout the month of April, DC comic, as part of its “WTF” promotion, is releasing a number of comic books with special “gatefold” covers. In acknowledgement of how the comic book industry hasn’t evolved as far past the 1990s as it often cares to admit, during April, Gimmick or Good will focus on some comics from the past that also sported these special fold-out covers.

What better place to start a gimmick cover theme month than with arguably the most famous comic book of the 1990s and the greatest selling single issue of all-time, Marvel’s X-Men #1. By the early 1990s, X-Men had become Marvel’s most popular property. In an effort to draw even more attention to its newest “X” title, Marvel released the first issue of this series with four different variant covers that interlocked to create a larger scene. Marvel then released a gatefold cover edition of the comic (known by retailers/collectors as X-Men #1E) that featured the entire scene.

The marketing gimmick was historically successful, as X-Men #1 went on to (reportedly) sell more than 8 million copies – a record that will probably never be broken in any of our lifetimes. On the negative side, the comic’s runaway success set the standard so incredibly high for future #1 issues of different series, that the higher-ups at Marvel were inevitably disappointed when something like Silver Sable #1 only moved a few hundred thousand units upon its release – numbers publishers would kill for in today’s marketplace.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Amazing Spider-Man #400

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1995′s die-cut embossed “tombstone” cover of Amazing Spider-Man #400…

Amazing Spider-Man #400 (published April 1995) – script by J.M. DeMatteis, pencils by Mark Bagley, inks by Larry Mahlstedt

In an attempt to piggy-back on the enormous cultural and commercial success and impact of Amazing Spider-Man’s previous “centennial” issue (ASM #300), Marvel busted out a cavalcade of 1990s gimmicks for ASM #400. The front cover sported an embossed die-cut overlay in the shape of a tombstone, promoting a “death in the family” (Jason Todd was spared this time). And if that was not enough to titillate collectors, Marvel released a very limited edition variant cover with a snow white tombstone rather than the standard gray/off-white edition.

On a personal note, I will always remember how the release of this comic bought out the speculator in me. After kicking myself over the fact that my 7-year-old self destroyed the copy of ASM #300 I had picked up on the spinner rack when it first came out (forcing me to have to pay upwards of 30 times the cover price for a copy at a comic book show in the early 90s so I could own the first Venom story), I reserved TWO copies of ASM #400 at my local comic book shop months in advance: one for reading and one to preserve for the day it would inevitably accrue in value. I was ecstatic when the store owner called my house the night before the comic was released letting me know I could come by and get my copy AHEAD of everyone else. When I saw that tombstone on the cover, I was convinced that my college education would be paid for in no time.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Silver Surfer #50

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1991′s foil-embossed Silver Surfer #50…

Silver Surfer #50 (published June 1991) – Script by Jim Starlin, art by Ron Lim and Tom Christopher

To celebrate the 50th issue of Silver Surfer’s second series, Marvel unleashed one of its first embossed covers, adorning the titular character and the comic’s title in reflective silver foil. The embossed gimmick would go on to be used on countless other comic book covers throughout the 1990s, by both the “Big Two” and numerous independent publishers. Of course, in the case of this comic book, it actually made sense for the Silver Surfer to be … ahem … silver.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Superman #75

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1992′s black polybagged Superman #75…

Superman #75 (published November 1992) – script by Dan Jurgens, art by Jurgens and Brett Breeding

One of the most controversial and culturally significant comic books of the 1990s, Superman #75 is more popularly known as the “Death of Superman.” The release of this comic book garnered so much mainstream media attention, its shocking ending was reported by a number of broadcast news channels and national newspapers. Adding to the issue’s buzz was its packaging – special “collector’s” editions were wrapped in a black polybag sporting the iconic Superman “S” dripping in red “blood.” In addition to the comic, the bag contained a trading card, a Daily Planet obituary, a black armband, and other assorted paraphernalia. Of course, if you were lucky enough to score a first printing polybag, you would have been considered crazy to crack it open since everybody was convinced that this comic would one day be worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in its pristine, undisturbed form.

In the 20 years since its release, Superman #75 has become a lighting rod for angry comic book enthusiasts who essentially blame its mainstream popularity for sinking the industry and scores of local retailers in the late 1990s. Many people really only bought a copy as a dot com-esque investment, and when they were unable to get a serious chunk of change for it, they abandoned the comic book industry altogether.

But what about inside the polybag and inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Marvels #1-4

In this column, Mark Ginocchio (from Chasing Amazing) takes a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and gives his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We continue with 1994′s acetate plastic covered Marvels #1-4…

Marvels #1-4 (published January 1994-April 1994) script by Kurt Busiek, art by Alex Ross

This mid-90s Eisner-award winning mini-series re-imagines some of the greatest Golden and Silver Age stories in Marvel comics history like the birth of the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner in pre-World War II America, and the death of Gwen Stacy in 1972, through the lens of fictional photographer Phil Sheldon. The series is also famous for introducing artist Alex Ross and his painted covers and interiors to the mainstream comics consuming public. Still, rather than just letting the classic stories and wholly unique artwork speak for themselves, Marvel packaged each of the comics like commemorative books of artwork – complete with “protective” acetate plastic covers (which actually scratch more easily than standard covers) and a hefty (for the time) price tag of $4.95/$5.95 an issue.

But what about inside the comic?
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Gimmick or Good? – Spider-Man #1

I’ve written in the past about Mark Ginocchio’s blog, Chasing Amazing, where he writes about his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man ever made. Mark wrote me with an idea for a column where he would take a look at the gimmick covers from the 1990s and give his take on whether the comic in question was just a gimmick or whether the comic within the gimmick cover was good. Hence “Gimmick or Good?” We begin with 1990′s multi-cover Spider-Man #1…

Spider-Man #1 (published August, 1990) – script and art by Todd McFarlane

Superstar artist Todd McFarlane’s first foray into both scripting and illustrating his own series is also considered one of the prime contributors to the comic book collector speculation bubble that dominated the first half of the 1990s. McFarlane was fresh off a stint on Amazing Spider-Man where he truly made a name for himself as the illustrator responsible for the co-creation of Venom. After asking off ASM essentially because he was bored of doing artwork for someone else’s story (something McFarlane himself explains in the notes page at the end of Spider-Man #1), Marvel, in a show of appeasement, decided to make McFarlane the focal point of what was to be their fourth ongoing series dedicate to the Wall Crawler (fifth if you count the Marvel Tales reprint series). In addition to having McFarlane’s name and a “collectible” #1 issue tag to create buzz about this series, Marvel also published multiple variant covers using different ink colors (silver, gold, platinum, etc.). The variant cover idea became so popular, that retailers even took advantage of a printer error on some of the interiors, selling a “Blue Lizard” variant (with a price mark-up, of course) based on the poor mix of yellow and cyan on somebody’s printing press.

But what about inside the comic?
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