Blog @ Canadian Geek

Yes, we’ve been down this road and while I don’t have a huge issue with variants I will ask comic companies that the very least - THE VERY LEAST - they could do is make the variant cover either;
A) Good
B) Interesting
C) Relevant

Case in point, and to show I’m not picking on a specific company or character, Justice League of America #3.
Regular cvr
Variant cvr
While techincally the art is okay, the pose and imagery is anything but spectacular. It’s hardly intersting and it’s not relevant to the story. And trust me, I like Superman so this hurts a little.

So, what makes a good variant? Again to show my unbias, lets use Wolverine Origins #2.
Regular cvr
Variant cvr
Okay, the quality of art is there and it certainly is interesting, regardless if you’re American or Canadian (but it’s freakin’ awesome if you’re Canadian), but is it relevant? Beats me, never read the issue but I know I won’t sell the copy I have cause it’s very, very cool! In a manner of speaking, it exceeds relevance because it’s so interesting that non-readers will be drawn in if they see the two covers side-by-side.

Coming at it from another angle, the JLofA cvr was easily available as it was 1 for every 10 issues. The near commonality coupled with the lack of, shall we say ‘pizazza’, makes the book mediocre at best. The Wolverine? 1 for every 100, making an already cool book highly collectible to boot.

Now, I’ll never scream from the rooftops that comics are ‘collectible’ but they are as much as they are readable and enjoyable. So for all you comic companies out there, if you want to create a buzz about your book and give the little fanboys and fangirls an extra treat, THINK about the variant you are about to slap on your cover and make sure it’s worth the while.

The Shpeherd