multiple variants & such

[slym2none]

So, I see the new Valiant line is going pretty strong, even with all the variants and multiple covers that, back when Zoom Suit came out (and even before with Marvel,) I heard a lot of people griping about being a not-good thing.





-slym

[lorddunlow]

There has been plenty of griping. It's just died down a lot now.

[greg]

DC puts out 50+ variants. Valiant's 2 to 4 seems tame in this environment.

[GGSAE]

There has been plenty of griping. It's just died down a lot now.

What's this about variants...!? j/k....

[slym2none]

There has been plenty of griping. It's just died down a lot now.

Link?



-slym

[slym2none]

DC puts out 50+ variants. Valiant's 2 to 4 seems tame in this environment.

When one can sometimes be too many, 2-4 can be a travesty.



-slym

[Bubba]

DC puts out 50+ variants. Valiant's 2 to 4 seems tame in this environment.

two to four per title.

[kevinbastos]

I think that I have decided that I hate the variants, and still love reading new Valiant books.

[lorddunlow]

There has been plenty of griping. It's just died down a lot now.

Link?



-slym

These go back to the Summer of Valiant which is when most of the whining began. It died down by the end of the year.

http://www.valiantfans.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=37128

http://www.valiantfans.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=37467

http://www.valiantfans.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=38050

http://www.valiantfans.com/forum/viewto ... =1&t=38194

Heath's take was the most heated in the first link, but many shared his thoughts back then.

[Phantom]

At the time I was hungry for valiant. Wanted as much as I could get ~ same as when dark horse returned gold key charactors perviously used at valiant.

It was annoying, and exspensive ~ but I was happy to support valiant.

I still buy every title, but care less about every alternate cover. Unless its a cool cover at cover price.

[SJS4]

I still buy every title, but care less about every alternate cover. Unless its a cool cover at cover price.

Same for me. At the launch I bought all the variants because I was excited and wanted to support the Valiant launch as much as possible, but now I am just picking up my one issue per title per month, with an occasional variant that catches my fancy (and is cheap).

[Cyberstrike]

I've always hated varients even in 90s I hated them because they are stupid. I think doing an ongoing series with a variant covers for every issue is just downright stupid. The first 3-6 issues I can understand doing it, but beyond #7 it's just a complete and total waste of time, money, and trees. I have yet to see a book sell anymore with one cover than it does 20-100 covers. When Jay Faber launched Noble Causes as ongoing series for the first year he did at least 2 covers per issue and when he stopped doing it he said he didn't notice a drop or a bump in sales of the series and AFIK he didn't do anymore variant covers after #12.
Plus some companies like IDW, DC, Boom, and Dynamite have done this to the point of overkill and Valiant isn't far behind them. I don't support the pullbox or subscription varients because IMHO they're for the worse comic book collectors: the speculators the people who don't read comics they only want to re-sell the books and make a profit. These are the same people that damn neared destroyed comics in the late 90s. If Valiant, IDW, and Dynamite want me too support these kinds of projects then they should appeal to me: a comic book reader. Not someone whose only interest is too re-sell a book on eBay once they get it.

Now I get the idea that people like a choice between cover a and cover b (and I'll even admit there are times where I pick one cover because I didn't like the other cover but those are few and far between) but at the end of day, for me anyway, I'm buying what is INSIDE the book not the cover, and I would easily trade that choice for one cover per issue though.

[Phantom]

well said

[slym2none]

Interesting reading in those links.

Fair to say, I guess, that I am no longer a Valiant fan, then. I don't buy any of them...





-slym

[greg]

Fair to say, I guess, that I am no longer a Valiant fan, then. I don't buy any of them...

READ the books! (Ignore the cover... heck, rip it off even... but READ!)

[slym2none]

...sorry



-slym

[GGSAE]

...sorry



-slym

Don't feel bad, there's a quite a few people that haven't read the series...you should check them out, I think they're doing a deal on trades coming up, but not sure...just curious, have you been out of comics? Not buying anything....?

[slym2none]

Yes, I have totally been out of the comics-scene for years now.



-slym

[betterthanezra]

Yes, I have totally been out of the comics-scene for years now.



-slym

Yeah but many of us still Love ya!!!!

-Brian

[Phantom]

Fair to say, I guess, that I am no longer a Valiant fan, then. I don't buy any of them...

READ the books! (Ignore the cover... heck, rip it off even... but READ!)

Ummm, if you rip of the cover - you will miss part of the story on the inside cover.



They are a great read, try it sym

[IMJ]

I see this pattern where most of us start dropping the variants - maybe doing something like having collections of issues 1-6 with variants and then dropping the rest, and then any variants past that thresh hold will become sought after down the road.

But even predicting this, I don't care. There are way too many variants for it to be fun. It's just obsessive.

[Phantom]

Talking about variants, I got both of the current shadow man
Liked the dark and brown image so brought it along with colour version.
Honestly don,been know why - maybe to promote valiant at Forbidden planet. As now they are starting to Get more and more issues in for the shelf.

[hulk181man]

I see this pattern where most of us start dropping the variants - maybe doing something like having collections of issues 1-6 with variants and then dropping the rest, and then any variants past that thresh hold will become sought after down the road.

But even predicting this, I don't care. There are way too many variants for it to be fun. It's just obsessive.

Exactly. To be honest, variant overload has taken some of the fun out of it for me. I don't mind an occasional variant, but multiple covers of every issue gets silly after awhile. But I am still buying the regular issues and enjoying these new Valiant stories very much.

[400yrs]

I see this pattern where most of us start dropping the variants - maybe doing something like having collections of issues 1-6 with variants and then dropping the rest, and then any variants past that thresh hold will become sought after down the road.

I think any past issue #1 will be tough to find. However, the more variants that they keep cranking out, the less interest there will be for them down the line. Water-down effect and all.

[GGSAE]

I see this pattern where most of us start dropping the variants - maybe doing something like having collections of issues 1-6 with variants and then dropping the rest, and then any variants past that thresh hold will become sought after down the road.

I think any past issue #1 will be tough to find. However, the more variants that they keep cranking out, the less interest there will be for them down the line. Water-down effect and all.

At 4-5 titles, the variants won't seem nearly as many as with 8-10 titles. And if there's that many titles pumping out variants, what you'll see is some titles people just won't give a *SQUEE* over. I really don't see the point of these 1:50 title-variants...those things will go unsolicited.