At my last con, the talk was all about covers, not characters.

At a recent comic con, I saw fans flock to variant covers but ignore story talk. The popular idea is that collecting rare editions is what fandom is about. I disagree. I got into comics for the plots and character growth. Now, many just show off their expensive finds. This makes real chats about art and writing rare. I still discuss arcs that moved me, but few care. We're losing what made comics special.

3 comments

3 Comments

wade9152mo ago

That Alex Ross Avengers #1 variant from last year was insane lol. Hunting for those rare covers gets new people into shops and keeps artists paid. It's just a different way to love the hobby.

shane2441mo ago

Remember when I thought variant covers were just a cash grab? I saw a kid in my local shop last month, maybe twelve years old, completely lit up because he found a Peach Momoko cover he'd been saving for. He was telling his friend all about the artist's style. That's when it clicked for me. It's not just about the story inside anymore, it's a whole other door into the art.

finley_craig532mo ago

Totally get that shift, honestly. (Reminds me of digging through dollar bins as a kid, just hunting for the next chapter of a story I loved.) Found a super beat-up issue of Uncanny X-Men once, but it had this wild cliffhanger that had me hooked for months.