Marvel Should Follow DCs Lead With Variant Covers

The culmination of a 20-plus movies series, Avengers: Endgame officially opens tomorrow. As such as it doesn't quite feel right to pass along criticism to the House of Ideas that they should copy their Distinguished Competition. However, I heard today marked the deadline for comic book orders. See, comics are solicited three months ahead of their release. When I compiled my Previews Order (the name of said catalog), I noticed something while browsing through DC Previews.


DC provides a small image of the variant cover with the solicitation.


Marvel's not new to variant covers. They've been incredibly strong in offering them since the mid-00's. Marvel Previews include a list of variant covers along with samples of them. Whether or not a customer can order the variant shown within Marvel Previews is another matter. Quite often the order form doesn't include ANY of the variants. Sometimes, it'll include the variant shown such as was the case with Savage Avengers #1 with the Deodato variant. However, there are times a variant will be available for solicitation within the order form that wasn't shown in Marvel Previews. The Deodato variant for Savage Avengers #2 was available within this month's order form; but Marvel Previews did not show it.


What if a variant isn't on the order form? Well, you're going to have to request a copy from your FLGCS. Unfortunately, they may not be able to provide that copy to you. Many of those variant covers have conditions attached to them. Let's not get into comics shop politics here.


As for DC, they haven't really been good actors regarding variants either. Heck, for awhile they were worse than Marvel! Sure, a customer could order a variant from Previews. However, one had to order it blindly based on the artist listed. There was no picture of the variant was available among the solicitation!


I suppose the advent of DC Previews along with the decision to reduce its comics line by 10% led to the change. With titles to occupy pages within DC Previews, DC could provide a full page to an issue's solicitation. Granted, not every title can receive its own page. Just the better sellers. The one's that would have variants published.


Finally, I can make an informed decision on variant cover (cause I can see what it looks like) on whether or not to order.


Thanks DC!


Just wish Marvel would extend the same courtesy to Marvel readers with the variants they can order, which don't depend on the comics shop jumping through hoops.


Next time.