Opinions on Alternative Covers

[Rubezahl]

So being a comics fan through the 'dark times'... Yeah, okay fine, the '90's, I have long been wary of the gimmicky nature of alt. covers. but since I've been getting into a number of Dynamite titles and P:SP in particular I've actually found myself quite enjoying collecting the alt. cover variants of each issue.

Now admittedly doing so these days is flat-out easy compared to back in '93 or whenever. e-bay cuts down the work to something a sane man can manage without losing his job and girlfried, hehe. Further I don't bother paying big money, though a couple of pound extra is okay, thankfully that seems to be what most places I visit online regularly sell for anyhow.

So how about anyone else? Avid collectors or total gimmick haters? Do you reckon they're a good thing for P:SP?

Personally I can't say anything but yes! I first noticed P:SP stuff precisely for the Black Terror and Msquerade "golden age look" covers in local comic store, but I could well be the exception. I also enjoy the sketch-style covers.

What about anyone else?

[comixfan1980]

So being a comics fan through the 'dark times'... Yeah, okay fine, the '90's, I have long been wary of the gimmicky nature of alt. covers. but since I've been getting into a number of Dynamite titles and P:SP in particular I've actually found myself quite enjoying collecting the alt. cover variants of each issue.

Now admittedly doing so these days is flat-out easy compared to back in '93 or whenever. e-bay cuts down the work to something a sane man can manage without losing his job and girlfried, hehe. Further I don't bother paying big money, though a couple of pound extra is okay, thankfully that seems to be what most places I visit online regularly sell for anyhow.

So how about anyone else? Avid collectors or total gimmick haters? Do you reckon they're a good thing for P:SP?

Personally I can't say anything but yes! I first noticed P:SP stuff precisely for the Black Terror and Msquerade "golden age look" covers in local comic store, but I could well be the exception. I also enjoy the sketch-style covers.

What about anyone else?

I enjoyed variant covers more in the late 90's than I do now, back then I didn't have as many bill's and I was focusing more on single issues than on TPB's like I do now and I thought the "thrill of the hunt" was so fun when tracking them down at comic shops. Now a days I don't buy variants at all.......

[Crimsoncrusader]

I like the variant covers because it gives you a choice and the cool thing is that the TPBs have galleries of all the alternate covers so you can still enjoy the artwork. My favorite covers are the ones that combine to create a larger image.

[Ghornet2]

I like the varients, but usually only pick up my favorite. If I'm undecided I usually go with the rarer of the covers. I almost never buy all of them at full price (Masquerade #1 was the recent exception).

My LCS runs two or three $1 back issue sales a year. I keep track of any of the other covers I might want and pick them up then. Halloween is usually one of the days they run the sale so I'm getting ready.

[MadMikeyD]

I'm opposed to variants for the most part, although alot of the PS ones are nice looking. My budget barely allows for me to pick up one comic, let alone 10 of the same issue. (I do like the #0 connecting covers, however.)

I am surprised my friend Ranger01 has not replied yet...

[Ranger01]

Hi Mikey,

OK when Mikey D speaks I listen..but I'd first like to announce the birth of my (my wife's) first grandchild, Benjamin, who arrived about six hours ago)

ATHENA
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
DRACULA
GREEN HORNET
BLACKBEARD
BUCK ROGERS
THULSA DOOM
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
JUNGLE GIRL
THE MAN WITH NO NAME

LONE RANGER
LONE RANGER AND TONTO
DEAD IRONS
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS
BLACK TERROR
DEATH DEFYING DAREDEVIL
MASQUERADE
ZORRO
BATTLEFIELDS
SHERLOCK HOLMES
SP: MEET THE BAD GUYS
RED SONJA

The above lists all the DYNAMITE titles in my collection, as of this writing 372 books...at least that many anyway.

Except for High End foils I have every variant, exclusive, convention and incentive book available, so yes I'm a BIG fan of the practice but basically only Dynamite titles, that said I also have every trade and HC available for the titles above.

Red Sonja, I have just a couple of (sexy?) cover art issues, Jungle Girl is on the way to being completed.

I tend to look at the cover art as just that ... art, and I enjoy being surronded by this artwork as I sit here in my "mancave" adding to my will, I'm leaving all this to little Benjamin...so he can take over the collection.

Now if someone "comixfan 1980" can convince Joe Rybandt that the thousands I've spent on this collection warrants a few HIGH END FOILS AS REWARD...I'm OK with that!

All in all it's just a lot of fun trying to get the complete sets together.

RANGER01

[TheTerror]

Ugh, the collector in me wont let me leave the store without them when my favourite series has multiple covers of the same issue. I MUST coMPLETE them all!!!!!!

[bchat2]

I've always felt that the '90s were an interesting time to be reading comics. Certainly there was a lot of garbage being produced, but there was some neat stuff, too, that probably wouldn't get published in today's comic world.

The problem I had with gimmick covers back then was that you usually didn't get a choice to avoid them if you were a regular reader. I understand that from a business stand-point, you want to do something to get comic fans' attention & help boost sales, and the gimmick cover was the easiest way to do that. Problem was that the gimmicks rarely served a purpose and they became predictable, and in some cases, downright boring ("ooo, look, a hologram! wow, silver foil!"). I've always felt that the best gimmick cover was Malibu Comics "Protectors # 5" because it reflected what happened in the story and wasn't just a gimmick for the sake of having a gimmick.

I like the fact that DE is using variant covers the way they have because, like others, I like the ability to choose which cover I want in my collection. There were a couple of Black Terror issues where I bought the Mike Lilly cover because I thought it looked better than the Ross cover.

[Rubezahl]

I will avoid all temptation to go into a vitriolic rant about just how terribly the '90's screwed up comics for fans and collectors, either folks don't know, won't care or have their own view on it.

The difference now though is that I am happy to collect the alternatives that do (most, not all, certainly not the pricey ones too often) because I enjoy the artwork and I am entirely free to not bother if I feel disinclined with a particular alt'.

Alt covers obviously help Dynamite financially, since a small but loyal readership that is happy to buy alts is paying for the same comic twice or more... Like I've said, it was an alt' of Blak Terror that got me into this whole deal, I assume I'm not entirely alone in having an eye-catching cover draw me in.

[Ghornet2]

I've always felt that the best gimmick cover was Malibu Comics "Protectors # 5" because it reflected what happened in the story and wasn't just a gimmick for the sake of having a gimmick.

For those who don't know or remember, in Protectors #5 a character called Nigthmask was killed by a laser that burned a hole through him. The cover and the whole comic had a hole in it.

They also did Ferret #1 which was die cut in the shape of the character's head in profile. two of my favorite gimmick covers. It should also be noted that the Malibu/Protectors line used many Golden age characters, I think from the Centur line, including Man o War.

[Captain Canuck]

For those who don't know or remember, in Protectors #5 a character called Nigthmask was killed by a laser that burned a hole through him. The cover and the whole comic had a hole in it.

They also did Ferret #1 which was die cut in the shape of the character's head in profile. two of my favorite gimmick covers. It should also be noted that the Malibu/Protectors line used many Golden age characters, I think from the Centur line, including Man o War.

Man, I was so into that series back then...Nice to see Man of War back in some form...

[bchat2]

Man, I was so into that series back then...Nice to see Man of War back in some form...

I'm still a big fan of the books. It's a fun series to read, even though some of the subplots were left unresolved due to Malibu cancelling the line.

[leonmallett]

If my LC gives me a variant of a PSP comic for my pull list, I pay the normal price, and so take it. In which case I will normally pick up the Alex Ross cover as well, or at some time later.