Question about Deathmate White covers

[Vansau]

*waves hello*

Hey, everyone! I'm new to the boards but have been a Valiant fan since ~1992. I'm doing some research for a podcast episode about Deathmate, which I've always had a big soft spot for (sorry, I know). I'm trying to figure this out: Were the white cover issues due to printing errors or were they special editions? I haven't been able to find anything official, but Comic Book Realm lists Epilogue 1c as an official variant.

I'm aware 1993 was a helluva drug in terms of comic collecting, and Deathmate's various editions are particularly bonkers. Anyway, thanks in advance for any light you can shed on the topic!

[nycjadie]

There have been a few printing errors with a white cover where the foil was not applied, or not applied properly. These are printing errors and they surface from time to time. They are not official, nor is there a consensus that this is a common error that merits something like a CGC notation (e.g. Magnus 57 has a common printing error, as did X-O 0). These are very uncommon printing defects. I do not think they are particularly valuable either. Maybe a $10-20 curiosity.

There is a white Deathmate cover that was printed for purposes of obtaining signatures. I would refer to this as a comic flat. It's not actually a comic, but an unbound cover folded in half. I don't recall exactly where they were distributed, but there was a convention where they were given out and fans could get the Image and Valiant folks to sign them. They are relatively common and often come with signatures on them. I do not think these are very valuable as well. I buy them when they are less than $10, but I think they go for less than $20, typically.

[Vansau]

Thanks very much! There's a lot of information about the crossover on the web, but a lot of it seems unverified so I'm trying to confirm what facts I can.

[nycjadie]

Thanks very much! There's a lot of information about the crossover on the web, but a lot of it seems unverified so I'm trying to confirm what facts I can.

FWIW, I have all the Deathmate books in CGC 9.8 save 2. There is only one Deathmate Orange in 9.8. Someone on these boards has it, but I can't remember who. Because they were bound in Previews or Advance Comics (I can't recall which), there has only been one 9.8 candidate to date. That copy came from CWB on these boards.

The other book is Deathmate White. I have a 9.8 candidate, but CGC won't grade it, presumably because it is only a flat. It's too bad. I think they should grade anything that comes their way, but there you go. I have a fan made book that they won't grade either. I'm not sure why it matters whether the book is produced by a fan or a large publisher.

[Chiclo]

FWIW, I have all the Deathmate books in CGC 9.8 save 2. There is only one Deathmate Orange in 9.8. Someone on these boards has it, but I can't remember who. Because they were bound in Previews or Advance Comics (I can't recall which), there has only been one 9.8 candidate to date. That copy came from CWB on these boards.

Previews. The same issue as the Defiant Plasm 0 issue.

[ckb]

That CWB guy must be a real character!

[magnus20009]

Vansau:

You can check out the following as well:

http://allthingsvaliant.blogspot.com/20 ... -blue.html

http://allthingsvaliant.blogspot.com/20 ... te_10.html

[Vansau]

Vansau:

You can check out the following as well:

http://allthingsvaliant.blogspot.com/20 ... -blue.html

http://allthingsvaliant.blogspot.com/20 ... te_10.html

Thanks so much! Now I want to find copies to add to my collection

[Sunlight on Snow]

So is there a white manufacturing error of each and every regular Deathmate issue or are the two linked the only known ones; blue & epilogue?

[magnus20009]

So is there a white manufacturing error of each and every regular Deathmate issue or are the two linked the only known ones; blue & epilogue?

I don't think every deathmate exists in white but more than just those 2 were found. Pretty poor quality control (or knowing and just not caring at all) to have the metallic ink run out and still ship the books out.

[ckb]

So is there a white manufacturing error of each and every regular Deathmate issue or are the two linked the only known ones; blue & epilogue?

I don't think every deathmate exists in white but more than just those 2 were found. Pretty poor quality control (or knowing and just not caring at all) to have the metallic ink run out and still ship the books out.

Metallic foil more likely...

I would err the other way and assume there are missing foil misprints of every book from the era that had foil applied in that manner. They were printed in such vast numbers. So vast there is probably a significant portion of the print run that never made it out of the shipping boxes from the printer.

And if you were a retailer and got some of these, a lot of the time they are going to go back to Diamond as damaged/unsaleable. These were high cover price books.

[Vansau]

Funnily enough, I just started to actually organize the blind boxes of Valiant books I picked up from a local comic shop and found this in one of them.