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cgallagh44
03-02-2012, 04:23 PM
Couple questions about collecting comic books:

1. Do comic books have 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc editions?
2. Why are there so many variant covers for some type of comics and not others?
3. I can you tell you have the original release of a comic?

Thanks

Merlin1958
03-02-2012, 04:31 PM
Not trying to be a "smart-ass", but when King went here I suppose he caught a lot of collectors off guard. So, I collected them extensively up to the point where he was re-hashing novels in comic form. My answers may seem stupid, but worked for me.

1. Get a "Subscription Box" at your local Comic shop and buy 'em when first delivered.
2. I can't answer reasonably except to say, cause they can.
3. See #1

I have since moved on to the bound "Graphic Novels" which puts you in a little more familiar territory. Especially since most of the Comic titles I was collecting have moved into "Published" territory. Remember, every collection is subject to rules. The ones YOU make!!!!

cgallagh44
03-02-2012, 04:41 PM
Yea, collecting these comics can be fun, frustrating and definitely expensive...

First you get your Original Copy, followed by Variants, followed by the Graphic Novels followed by the TPB and finally the Omnibus.

Can't wait to see what they offer next to add to this madness...Its just so addicting-I'm an idiot!

Merlin1958
03-02-2012, 04:45 PM
Yea, collecting these comics can be fun, frustrating and definitely expensive...

First you get your Original Copy, followed by Variants, followed by the Graphic Novels followed by the TPB and finally the Omnibus.

Can't wait to see what they offer next to add to this madness...Its just so addicting-I'm an idiot!

Hey, don't feel bad. So was I and a lot of folks. We got swept up with the "New Material" idea and then came to reality with the Graphic novels and on. You just have to make your own "collection rules". Some are/were better at it than others, but regardless, you are not alone.

ELazansky
03-02-2012, 06:04 PM
Couple questions about collecting comic books:

1. Do comic books have 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc editions?
2. Why are there so many variant covers for some type of comics and not others?
3. I can you tell you have the original release of a comic?

Thanks

I'll try to venture into my time when I really collected to try to answer your questions:

1) Individual issues rarely have more than first printings. Since they are produced monthly, after it hits the newsstands and comic shops, it is on to the next one. However, some books did go into multiple printings. For example, Kingdom Come (one of the best miniseries EVER) did have second printings. You can see by this listing here that the second printings are marked on the copyright page - http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=551641

2) Variant covers were usually created as an incentive to retailers. If they order 50 copies of a book, they were sent a variant cover for themselves. Not sure how it is done these days. Jetpack Comics has a ton of variant covers for Locke and Key made specifically for them. Many times, second printings will have variant covers to distinguish them from the first printing.

3) That I couldn't say. I'm sure there are databases online that track what the "first" cover looks like, etc.

Hope that helps.

cgallagh44
03-02-2012, 07:37 PM
Thanks ELazansky for taking the time to explain this, I think I'm starting to understand how this works.

Thanks again

ur2ndbiggestfan
03-03-2012, 03:58 AM
I think the variant covers are produced so people pay more money to the comics publishers and they can make a bigger profit. I used to be heavily into this but I saw the light (shining through the moth-holes in my wallet) and quit buying them. I still have 16 long-boxes stuffed with comics I no longer collect, but I just can't get myself to sell them.

pixiedark76
03-09-2012, 05:18 PM
Yea, collecting these comics can be fun, frustrating and definitely expensive...

First you get your Original Copy, followed by Variants, followed by the Graphic Novels followed by the TPB and finally the Omnibus.

Can't wait to see what they offer next to add to this madness...Its just so addicting-I'm an idiot!

I agree it can be very addicting! My husband calls it an obsession! For collecting Variants I usually just collect the #1 covers. With the rest of the variants, I pick and choose which covers I like the best. After "The Battle of Jericho Hill" there were no more variant editions in the Dark Tower series. I like to collect the sketch covers, Jae Lee is such an awesome artist!

I like to collect the Graphic Novels even though I collect the individual comic issues. I think the Graphic Novels are beautifully made and a great edition to my Stephen King book collection.

When it comes to the TPB I don't collect them. The HC graphic novels are so much nicer! I have noticed that the TPB's are not that much cheaper than the HC's As for the Omnibus, I could care less! I already have everything, I don't need to spend more money on it!

Merlin1958
03-09-2012, 06:19 PM
Yea, collecting these comics can be fun, frustrating and definitely expensive...

First you get your Original Copy, followed by Variants, followed by the Graphic Novels followed by the TPB and finally the Omnibus.

Can't wait to see what they offer next to add to this madness...Its just so addicting-I'm an idiot!

I agree it can be very addicting! My husband calls it an obsession! For collecting Variants I usually just collect the #1 covers. With the rest of the variants, I pick and choose which covers I like the best. After "The Battle of Jericho Hill" there were no more variant editions in the Dark Tower series. I like to collect the sketch covers, Jae Lee is such an awesome artist!

I like to collect the Graphic Novels even though I collect the individual comic issues. I think the Graphic Novels are beautifully made and a great edition to my Stephen King book collection.

When it comes to the TPB I don't collect them. The HC graphic novels are so much nicer! I have noticed that the TPB's are not that much cheaper than the HC's As for the Omnibus, I could care less! I already have everything, I don't need to spend more money on it!

I kinda stopped when they started re-hashing material from the novels as comics, but I noticed that you seem to lose material available in the original comics in each different binding.