Comic book fans at my local shop got into it over variant covers - here's what happened

I was at Heroes & Fantasies in San Antonio last Saturday and this whole argument broke out between two guys. One was saying variant covers are a cash grab that ruin collecting, and the other was saying they're the only reason new readers even check out the store. Honestly, I can see both sides - I've spent $50 on a Skottie Young variant I loved, but I also hate seeing a $3 comic get a $25 price tag just for a different cover. Where do you guys land on this? Are variant covers killing the hobby or keeping it alive?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin_campbell361mo ago

Man, that exact same thing happened at my shop a few months back! I actually ended up talking to both guys and it kinda clicked for me. I used to hate variants too until I started trading with a buddy who specifically collects J. Scott Campbell covers. We made a deal where I grab the regular issues and he snags the variants, and we just swap. Now I get to read the story for cheap and he gets his pretty covers without breaking the bank. It saved me from being mad about prices and turned it into a fun thing instead.

grantl941mo ago

Take it from someone who once dropped $40 on a blank sketch cover I never even drew on - we're all part of the problem, @robin_campbell36. But that swap deal sounds smart, I bet those two guys could've solved their fight with some bartering instead of yelling about politics in funny book costumes. At the end of the day, variants are just expensive wallpaper for your longbox, and if you're not reading the story inside, you're basically just hoarding cardstock.