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That variant cover trend I rolled my eyes at back in 2018 has really grown on me

I remember when stores started pushing those exclusive variant covers for every big event. I thought it was just a cash grab, especially when my local shop had 5 different versions of the same Batman issue. But after picking up a Skottie Young variant for $15 at a convention last summer, I finally got it. The art tells a different story sometimes, and it makes hunting for back issues more fun. Now I check eBay every month for older variants I missed, especially the ones from smaller artists who got their big break later. Has anyone else switched their stance on variant covers after seeing one that really clicked with them?
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2 Comments
cameron426
The art does pop on some of those variants, I'll give you that. But for me, it still feels like a money grab when publishers drop 8 covers for a #1 issue that might get cancelled after 6 months. I saw a shop mark a standard variant at $30 because it had a 1 in 25 ratio and the artist was trending on Twitter that week. That kind of pricing just turns new readers away from jumping on board.
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cameron426
The secret angle nobody talks about is how variant covers let artists experiment with styles their monthly books would never allow, that Skottie Young Baby Variant was a gateway drug into his actual horror work.
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