ASTONISHING X-MEN VARIANT DISPUTE @ MARVEL

[MattBrady]

While variant covers may be coming back in vogue in a big, big way lately, not everyone is thrilled with their return. Fans may grumble, but according to sources, not everyone at Marvel is sold on the idea as well.

While Marvel informed retailers that they would be offering a second variant cover to Astonishing X-Men #1, they had yet to announce the artist. However, sources have told Newsarama that the cover will be painted by Gabrielle Del’Otto.

The second variant cover is based on qualifying orders placed on the book – retailers whose orders for Astonishing X-Men #1 (placed by May 6) exceed their total invoiced quantities for Ultimate Fantastic Four #1 will receive those additional copies of Astonishing X-Men in a 50/50 split - the regular cover and the Del’Otto variant cover.

According to a sources at Marvel though, there’s been a deep schism between the upper management over the use of multiple covers for the same issue, focused specifically on the variant cover for the upcoming Astonishing X-Men #1 by Del’Otto.

At a meeting today at Marvel, Joe Quesada who has pointedly said that he doesn’t want the return to variant covers, was trying to make a beachhead of the Del’Otto cover. Quesada is, reportedly, taking the stance that Marvel is being forced to move back to variant covers by DC’s recent variants. But – if that was where the market was headed, Marvel should answer with another variant cover for Astonishing #1.

Although Quesada had been recently strictly opposed to variants as a matter of course, President of Publishing Gui Karyo is now the one with his finger on the stop button, with reports of Karyo keeping an eye on the bottom line, and not wanting to put unnecessary inventory in the marketplace as a matter of course.

Publisher Dan Buckely, reportedly took the middle ground in the meeting over the variant cover, which was at times heated, saying that some fans will want the cover, and, if treated as a incentive for retailers, it rewards retailers who take a strong position on the book.

Since the variant cover was already announced to retailers, it won’t be pulled, according to sources, despite the disagreements in upper management.

A source sent the following images to Newsarama, reporting that Marvel had narrowed its choice to one of them.

[gwangung]

I predict that some folks around here will still manage to blame Quesada for this anyway.

[SuperStories]

Yeah for Joe Quesada for standing against Varient Covers. I definatly appricate it. I can see an alternate cover for a reprint collecting the first couple of issues of a run, but not just the standard #1 with how many #1 they are coming out with.

[KSChris]

I have never really minded variant covers.. infact, I've actually liked them.

[Act of Thought]

that Marvel is thinking a little bit deeper about what this kind of thing does to the industry as a whole versus the quick buck.

(Those covers are nice though )

[HBKShowstoppa]

I like the idea of variant covers. Its only a few extra bucks and I find that they look cool if you are trying to make a collection of a certain book

[Bryan]

How do reports of internal schizms in Marvel meetings make it to us? Either it was leaked on purpose, to go along with the images to get interest up, or it was leaked without permission, and the disagreement at the internal meeting will lead to some heated words.

My take on variant covers: dont make em limited. Do a 50/50 split like Wildguard did, letting the reader decide which cover they want, with the assurance that the even distribution will keep each at a similar value down the road.

[xpositive]

How the hell could you be against variants? It's like "oh on, we can't go back to that good old stuff that used to sell books, create incentives to the retailer and buyers, and just plain make it all fun!" Remember back in the day when comics sold? I've noticed that publishers have been fighting hard to stray from the model that made the books popular to many in the first place. Some of it can be written of as changin with the times, but what about those things like the little asterisk that refers back to a back issue (that one might then go buy!), foil covers, or uhm ... continuity?

[Kerouac]

Y'know, I've just never understood the hatred for variant covers that fans have. It's not as though the content is any different, so you're in no way being forced to buy them. Just pick the one you like and go with it.

Now, as a retailer, it's kind of a pain, because you have to try and guess how many of your customers are going to buy every variant. It's even harder when you're not given a chance to see all the covers beforehand, as is sometimes the case. At least DC does even distribution of the variants, not this bullshit that Marvel pulls where it's tied to your order for an entirely different book.

But anyway, I just can't see how this is a terrible thing for the fans...

Matt

[Ethan Van Sciver]

There's no issue about variant covers as far as I can see. The whole thing is silly. Variant covers are great, not because they force the fans to buy all of them, but because they offer a CHOICE. I can get the Jim Lee one or the Mike Turner one. Whichever I like best. And if you ARE a collector type, it's just something else you might like to collect. So where IS this downside? I don't get it.


-Ethan

[byoung2814]

I don't buy the variants (one copy at 2.50-2.99 is enough for me, thanks!), but I can appreciate those who like to have them or want the choice in covers. But I agree with the previous poster and would love to see the return of "X happened in Y issue" boxes -- when I was a kid, I would always try to search out those issues.

b.

[Act of Thought]

Originally posted by xpositive
How the hell could you be against variants? It's like "oh on, we can't go back to that good old stuff that used to sell books, create incentives to the retailer and buyers, and just plain make it all fun!" Remember back in the day when comics sold? I've noticed that publishers have been fighting hard to stray from the model that made the books popular to many in the first place. Some of it can be written of as changin with the times, but what about those things like the little asterisk that refers back to a back issue (that one might then go buy!), foil covers, or uhm ... continuity?

I think the problem with variant covers (and Marvel's no reprint policy, for that matter) is that they view comics as a collectable over an entertainment. And nothing can survive strictly as a collectable (not beanie babys, not baseball cards, not anything). The people who tend to buy limited edition covers are people who are going to be looking to sell them at a profit. This creates a short term profit for the company, but when used excessively creates a long term loss when all those fans who used to buy comics for the different covers try to sell them at the same time, find out they aren't worth anything (which was their original purpose in buying them) and then stop reading comics (if they ever did).

For most comic fans, the content is more important than the package but their is still the urge to get variant covers because many (myself included) also have a collector's (gotta get them all) mentallity. The result is that if this "trick" is used too often then the fans get mad because they are being "forced" to spend their money on things they don't want or can't afford.

So, in closing, variants used occasionally are not to bad, however, if the accounting department sees a rise in sales due to such a trick they are going to want to do it as much as possible, which in the long run damages the industry.

[phoenx]

I'll wait and choose which one I'll be getting, but my choice right now is probably going to be the solo Wolverine cover by Dell'Otto.

[murphys_law]

I'm all for a variant cover here or there, because it gives me the choice of what cover to buy. I will not however get into the habit of spending another $2.50 or $3 for a second copy of the book just because of the cover. Hell no...same content - just pick which cover looks better.

I guess that is why I don't understand the hub bub over variant covers. Simply stop purchasing each variant cover - let the market dictate whether or not it is profitable for them to produce variants.

As for retailers, one of you made a great post in your assessment of the headaches variants can cause. But for the love of comics, it can't be a bad thing, unless it creates a tidal wave of speculation that harms the industry.

[EMeadow]

Originally posted by Ethan Van Sciver
There's no issue about variant covers as far as I can see. The whole thing is silly. Variant covers are great, not because they force the fans to buy all of them, but because they offer a CHOICE. I can get the Jim Lee one or the Mike Turner one. Whichever I like best. And if you ARE a collector type, it's just something else you might like to collect. So where IS this downside? I don't get it.


-Ethan

I think most people are just worried that all these new variants coming in can bring back the speculators with their "buy 5 copies and I'll pay for my kid's college fund" mentality that helped put the industry in the freefall its now on its way out of.

As long as people buy the cover they want hopefully for the sake of reading it (with occasionally maybe buying another cover to get signed by the creative team for your personal collection) then all should be well.

But the last thing we need is to back to the heights of the 90's waiting for the next collapse.

[Wolverine]

Man I totally stand with Quesada on this one. we don't need alternate covers to sell a comic. just a great story. At least quesada is still standing by some of the 2001 promises he made. now we need him to for, go back to his policy of not flooding the market place. and loosen up. don't be as concervative as buckly has been.

[toolverine]

Originally posted by Ethan Van Sciver
There's no issue about variant covers as far as I can see. The whole thing is silly. Variant covers are great, not because they force the fans to buy all of them, but because they offer a CHOICE. I can get the Jim Lee one or the Mike Turner one. Whichever I like best. And if you ARE a collector type, it's just something else you might like to collect. So where IS this downside? I don't get it.


-Ethan

This is the cover man at DC these days. I will at least look at a book that Ethan draws the cover for. I imagine it's mmuch the same for others.

[AdamYJ]

I like variant covers when there's a point to them. Like when they reprinted Teen Titans #1 a few times and used a different cover for each print run. That made a certain amount of sense. The one thing I don't get is the really gimmicky covers. Die-cut covers, holographic covers, foil covers (why were they wrapping our comics in foil? We already seal them in plastic. I doubt they're going to spoil). They seemed cool when I was younger, but I really don't see the point now.

My real problem is comic covers that are generic. I bought Cable and Deadpool #2 on Wednesday, and I swore the cover looked exactly the same as for issue #1. I didn't notice it was a little different until I got home and put it away.

[bumpusth]

i feel sorry for the retailers in all of this...they are being pressured to up orders on titles that could very well eat into their store profits and force smaller books ::cough:: wildcats ::cough excuse me:: off the shelves.

No matter what it looks like the big guys at marvel and dc always win.

[dogofwar]

Variant covers ?
I don't mind, i just pick the one i like and that's it.
Just as long as they don't bring back holofoils ,glow in the dark,d ie cuts ,wrap around,pull outs vanilla flavor,lemon twist covers or polybagged issues...

[Padding]

Originally posted by dogofwar
Variant covers ?
I don't mind, i just pick the one i like and that's it.
Just as long as they don't bring back holofoils ,glow in the dark,d ie cuts ,wrap around,pull outs vanilla flavor,lemon twist covers or polybagged issues...

Marvel should release a scratch and sniff cover of Emma and Kitty

Yes, I am evil

[Monkey in a Wheelchair]

Originally posted by EMeadow
I think most people are just worried that all these new variants coming in can bring back the speculators with their "buy 5 copies and I'll pay for my kid's college fund" mentality that helped put the industry in the freefall its now on its way out of.

As long as people buy the cover they want hopefully for the sake of reading it (with occasionally maybe buying another cover to get signed by the creative team for your personal collection) then all should be well.

But the last thing we need is to back to the heights of the 90's waiting for the next collapse.

The comics fan is the same guy who got burned on the Jim Lee X-Men 5-cover #1. Not many new fans. So we probably won't fall for the crazies who say we'll be millionaires we buy a few more.

re; Jim's X-Men:
I bought a crappy normal one, then a few months later I bought the premium, gatefolded cover cos it had glossy paper. I'm a millionaire now.
-- chip

[Raphe Cheli]

It seems like most people feel the same way that I do... either you buy the one you want or you buy them all. I don't see the harm in it. There is nobody standing there behind the counter of the comic shop, gun to my temple, forcing me to buy more than one copy of a comic.

It's difficult to compare this with what happened in the early 90s, though, because the industry then, even before the huge upswing caused by various X #1 and the Death of Superman, was already pretty healthy. Now, DC is focused on doing variants for second printings for the most part, and Marvel is doing incentive covers... where's the harm?

While so many people want to blame the speculation boom of the variant cover era as the direct cause of the bust, I have to think it was the content between those fancy covers -- it stank.

[COREMARK]

I don't mind variants at all, as long as they keep the price point the same. I do enjoy having the choice to buy a cover that I may like better, sometimes I buy both and I don't feel the least bit guilty about it.

[FIG]

Don't you guys get it?-Variant covers are the ground work for bringing back all the lame covers. Man, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put 2 and 2 together that this would prompt Marvel and other companies to revive that dinosaur. I hope Marvel decides against this becuase whats inside is whats important.