I got into a huge argument at a comic shop in Austin about variant covers

This was about six months ago at Dragon's Lair. I said the whole chase for rare covers was killing the hobby for regular readers. A guy buying three copies of the same book just for different covers got mad and said I didn't get it. He said collecting the art was the real point now, not the stories. That moment made me stop buying new books from the shop and just stick to back issues online. Has anyone else just given up on trying to keep up with new releases?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_singh11mo ago

Man, that whole thing at Dragon's Lair sums it up perfectly. I've pretty much given up on new releases too. It's not about the stories anymore, it's all about the chase for a cover that might be worth something down the line. Feels like you gotta be a stock trader just to buy a comic now. I just hunt for cheap back issues online and read the old runs I actually like. The art should serve the story, not be the whole reason you buy the book.

spencer_sanchez672mo ago

That guy basically admitted comics are just trading cards now.

paige5142mo ago

Ugh, @spencer_sanchez67, that's so true and it's honestly sad. The whole chase for a rare cover has totally taken over the actual stories. Feels like the art got lost somewhere.