Terminology Time: Variants and Printings

So you've decided to start reading comics. You've picked a title, studied up on the characters, and learned which volume and issue you want to start with. Hell, you've even gone the extra mile and looked up the cover online, just to make be sure you don't make any mistakes. After all, most (if not all) comic shops have a, "no return or exchange," policy, due to the condition-dependent collectible nature of the merchandise, so mistakes suck.

You arrive at the shop, stride confidently through the stacks, and sift through the issues to retrieve your prize. But wait...the title and number are right, but this isn't the cover you looked up. What sorcery is this?!?

Calm down, my friend. Odds are, what you have stumbled upon is a variant cover.

Variants are alternate covers to comic books, usually drawn by a different artist (or series of artists) than the one who created the original cover art. Typically, variants exist only for collectible purposes - the content of the issues themselves do not differ, regardless of the cover, unless otherwise noted.

In some cases, variant covers are used to distinguish later printings of an issue from the first run. These issues will usually bear some kind of banner or announcement of the printing number on the front (i.e. 2nd printing variant). Occasionally, later printings of popular comics will have some bonus material added to it, but the story pages generally do not differ from the original run.

Now, how does this affect you?

If you're like me and you're a little OCD about your comic collection, you'll want to pay attention to the covers. If I'm purchasing a comic, I want it to be a first print, regular cover. Sometimes, if I'm particularly taken with the artwork of an variant cover, I buy it as well. However, this can be a pricey hobby, especially since variants can boast a higher price tag, so I try not to make a habit of it.

A lot of variant covers will feature some sort of note identifying it as such. When in doubt, check the web site of the publisher to make sure.

If you just want to read and couldn't care less about anything else, opt for whichever cover you prefer (or whichever you can find). It will not interrupt your experience.