X-O Manowar #5

[cjv]

... I hope that flooding the market like this, with multiple variants each month, doesn't sour the ... readers.

You can't sour the readers with variants because true readers don't care which cover they get.
If they care, they're no longer "readers", they might be "collectors and readers" (like me)...
but pure readers shouldn't care if there are 100 variants as long as the stories and art are quality.

Are most readers also collectors?

I don't know very many people who would spend $4 on a comic book, and then not worry about keeping it in good condition.

I do agree we fans here are more obsessed than a normal collector, so we probably don't represent the mainstream, but I think every comic book buyer is a collector to some degree. Even when I was 15 and 16 years old, buying my X-men and Avengers comics, after reading them I would store them in bags, buy boxes to keep them in, etc.

I wonder if there really are people who are what you would call "true readers" anymore. I think the starting price point almost negates that (not just for Valiant).

Chris

[greg]

You said that all the variant covers might sour the readers.

I'm saying is that readers don't worry about getting all the covers... so it doesn't matter if there are 2 or 20.

Walking Dead has a HUGE following of readers and they just put out 15 covers for Walking Dead #100.

Why would they hurt themselves like that? Because it doesn't hurt them.

[cjv]

You said that all the variant covers might sour the readers.

I'm saying is that readers don't worry about getting all the covers... so it doesn't matter if there are 2 or 20.

Walking Dead has a HUGE following of readers and they just put out 15 covers for Walking Dead #100.

Why would they hurt themselves like that? Because it doesn't hurt them.

True. But Walking Dead is also not putting out variant covers for EVERY issue. (Did they really put out 15 covers? I thought it was 10 or something).

Plus, when Walking Dead started, they didn't have multiple variants for each issue. The people reading it only had to buy one issue to be both collectors AND "regular" readers. So they could develop the huge following - and maybe some of those casual readers, who have every issue, will then decide "what the heck, I will buy the variants so I can have a complete collection". Poof, changing them into collectors. Aside from 2nd prints, the first Walking Dead variant was issue 50.

I don't remember what my point was when I started writing that paragraph.

Chris

[rjrjr]

Then Valiant should stop producing so many variants. If Valiant needs the variants to stay in business, then maybe they don't deserve to be in business.

Walking Dead #100.

"If all your friends jumped off a bridge then would you too?"

[400yrs]

Then Valiant should stop producing so many variants. If Valiant needs the variants to stay in business, then maybe they don't deserve to be in business.

Walking Dead #100.

"If all your friends jumped off a bridge then would you too?"

If we were bridge jumping, hell yeah!!

[SnotDrip]

Mars Attack #1 had 58 different covers so it could be worse

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/05/10/ ... ohn-mcrea/

[etos45]

Then Valiant should stop producing so many variants. If Valiant needs the variants to stay in business, then maybe they don't deserve to be in business.

Walking Dead #100.

"If all your friends jumped off a bridge then would you too?"

Bungee jumping?

[R Daneel]

... I hope that flooding the market like this, with multiple variants each month, doesn't sour the ... readers.

You can't sour the readers with variants because true readers don't care which cover they get.
If they care, they're no longer "readers", they might be "collectors and readers" (like me)...
but pure readers shouldn't care if there are 100 variants as long as the stories and art are quality.

Are most readers also collectors?

I don't know very many people who would spend $4 on a comic book, and then not worry about keeping it in good condition.

...

I wonder if there really are people who are what you would call "true readers" anymore. I think the starting price point almost negates that (not just for Valiant).

What do you call someone who buys the digital copies and hasnt tried to get any of the variants?

[LABRADORIAN]

You said that all the variant covers might sour the readers.

I'm saying is that readers don't worry about getting all the covers... so it doesn't matter if there are 2 or 20.

Walking Dead has a HUGE following of readers and they just put out 15 covers for Walking Dead #100.

Why would they hurt themselves like that? Because it doesn't hurt them.

How is just over 4000 copies of an issue sold = a huge following of readers? What would that make X-O and Harbinger
Walking Dead #98 - 4099
http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 12-06.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
#274
and it was 10 different covers, 11 I think counting the 1 in 200 Variant.

[Chiclo]

You said that all the variant covers might sour the readers.

I'm saying is that readers don't worry about getting all the covers... so it doesn't matter if there are 2 or 20.

Walking Dead has a HUGE following of readers and they just put out 15 covers for Walking Dead #100.

Why would they hurt themselves like that? Because it doesn't hurt them.

How is just over 4000 copies of an issue sold = a huge following of readers? What would that make X-O and Harbinger
Walking Dead #98 - 4099
http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 12-06.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
#274
and it was 10 different covers, 11 I think counting the 1 in 200 Variant.

I believe that figure is for reorders of the previous month's issue.

[SnotDrip]

correct

WD98 was approx 49,974 not including reorders

[erwinrafael]

... I hope that flooding the market like this, with multiple variants each month, doesn't sour the ... readers.

You can't sour the readers with variants because true readers don't care which cover they get.
If they care, they're no longer "readers", they might be "collectors and readers" (like me)...
but pure readers shouldn't care if there are 100 variants as long as the stories and art are quality.

Are most readers also collectors?

I don't know very many people who would spend $4 on a comic book, and then not worry about keeping it in good condition.

...

I wonder if there really are people who are what you would call "true readers" anymore. I think the starting price point almost negates that (not just for Valiant).

What do you call someone who buys the digital copies and hasnt tried to get any of the variants?

One of the masses, apparently.

[400yrs]

correct

WD98 was approx 49,974 not including reorders

Yep. And the June re-orders on 98 was 4,099 (#274 in June on a book put out in May - you don't often see that).

The TWD issue that came out in June was #99 and sold 55,710 (#30).

For issue 100, they are talking about it being the biggest sales book of the year..... they are talking over 300K.

[Chiclo]

correct

WD98 was approx 49,974 not including reorders

Yep. And the June re-orders on 98 was 4,099 (#274 in June on a book put out in May - you don't often see that).

The TWD issue that came out in June was #99 and sold 55,710 (#30).

For issue 100, they are talking about it being the biggest sales book of the year..... they are talking over 300K.

But that only averages out to like 25K per cover.

[400yrs]

correct

WD98 was approx 49,974 not including reorders

Yep. And the June re-orders on 98 was 4,099 (#274 in June on a book put out in May - you don't often see that).

The TWD issue that came out in June was #99 and sold 55,710 (#30).

For issue 100, they are talking about it being the biggest sales book of the year..... they are talking over 300K.

But that only averages out to like 25K per cover.

Yep. I don't think they'll ever be worth anything at all. I've heard that most of the covers have sold out at diamond. If they go back to print on these, that's just complete overkill. Most of the covers are terrible anyway.

[SnotDrip]

correct

WD98 was approx 49,974 not including reorders

Yep. And the June re-orders on 98 was 4,099 (#274 in June on a book put out in May - you don't often see that).

The TWD issue that came out in June was #99 and sold 55,710 (#30).

For issue 100, they are talking about it being the biggest sales book of the year..... they are talking over 300K.

But that only averages out to like 25K per cover.

Yep. I don't think they'll ever be worth anything at all. I've heard that most of the covers have sold out at diamond. If they go back to print on these, that's just complete overkill. Most of the covers are terrible anyway.

actual print run is estimated upwards 350K

[LABRADORIAN]

damn it!!
wrong again, I thought it was numbers for the actual issue, I was kinda surprised at the number but I said to myself whatta I know....apparantly nothing.

[grendeljd]

correct

WD98 was approx 49,974 not including reorders

Yep. And the June re-orders on 98 was 4,099 (#274 in June on a book put out in May - you don't often see that).

The TWD issue that came out in June was #99 and sold 55,710 (#30).

For issue 100, they are talking about it being the biggest sales book of the year..... they are talking over 300K.

But that only averages out to like 25K per cover.

Yep. I don't think they'll ever be worth anything at all. I've heard that most of the covers have sold out at diamond. If they go back to print on these, that's just complete overkill. Most of the covers are terrible anyway.

I bought the Brian Hitch cover, and that was it. Agreed on the covers - most were not too great. I could not care less about getting TWD variants, though I don't have a problem with an independent book making a big deal out of hitting a landmark issue like 100... I wonder how many completionists out there are trying to get them all. It's a great single month boost in sales for the book, but will it draw in new readers?

I could see individual covers being worth a little more depending on popularity & specific print runs, if there is any major difference among the basic 8. I can't believe that chromium one was going for a cover price of $9.99 - did it even have anything else extra in it??