It is not often that DC does Ratio Variants but this one is one to possibly take note of. Batman #92, which will feature Punchline’s first cover appearance, is getting a 1:25 Punchline Variant that was just announced.
The Batman #92 1:25 Variant will be in stores on 4/1/20 along with the regular and the Artgerm Cover. The art for the cover has not been revealed yet. The cover is available for pre-order now.
This is the possible cover art being floated around right now.
I have a feeling my LCS is going to order 100 of each cover and they don’t even have a 100 customers. I know of several people ordering 10+ of each cover. I think things are a bit over-hyped; or at least they are in my bubble. The TFAW price for the 1:25 is probably a bargain right now, but I’m getting 1xA and 1xB and putting my head in the sand.
TFAW is already sold out. The price was good so I can see it moving fast Midtown has it for above ratio. Forget that!
I ordered one before I posted and then thought I would go back and order another one. Wouldn’t let me add more.
The print run on this is going to be disgusting. If she becomes ‘the next Harley’, the issues to get have already come and gone.
I agree that the ones to have, have already come out. However, I still ordered a copy of the 1:25
TFAW price $19.99
Midtown price $42.50…….hmmm
Midtown and Unknown have already kicked prices to 42.50 and 45.00. Got one on TFAW for 19.99. Thanks for the heads up.
did they sell out? It’s not popping up on the search in TFAW
Yes they sold out quickly.
I got the email from sanctum they were $25. When I went to their site they were $30.
Went to unknowncomicbooks and they were $22.50. Put a few in my cart to check out later….had to go to a meeting. 1 hour later they’re now $55.
Ridiculous. A lot of gouging going on for something that’s still an open order.
Back to sanctum they are $55.
Ebay there was one seller offering $35 shipped, though about it then they were out. Many copies selling for $40+ shipping now.
I’m stepping away from this craze….shops can just keep upping their orders for issue 92 until Monday.
My crystal ball says this will be available for $20 when released.
Well, going to list my Batman 38s now… 😉
Well, they do have to order 25 copies to order 1 variant. Most retailers get DC books at 35% off to my knowledge. So if they’re basing pre-orders on a ratio variant, that means if someone buys it at $55, they’re spending $65 (assuming Cover A at $4 retail price) to get it. Yes, they’ll likely still sell those 25 copies of cover A but still taking a chance if it’s beyond their normal pre-orders and pulls from customers.
So they could be charging way more for the 1:25 variant.. not necessarily price gouging as of yet if you ask me.
It’s not gouging. This is not a C cover, it’s a ratio variant. They have to order 25 copies to get 1. I’m the one who bought the first 2 at $25, automatically locking them into 50 copies. How many copies of a book with nothing but a cover appearance do you think they need to order? They don’t want 100 copies sitting on the shelf, so the price goes up to balance their cost of ordering books they can’t sell. That’s how ratio variant pre-sales sales work. Not even close to gouging, you should have been faster.
Most places initially offered it for $25 or less. The. Jumped to $55 within literally minutes.
Yes, I should have acted faster…but I had to run to a meeting and didn’t think this would be that popular (jump in price) given the high print run that was already anticipate…
Pffttt.. don’t you know comics are more important than meetings?
“Most places initially offered it for $25 or less. The. Jumped to $55 within literally minutes.”
So yeah, like TFAW. They list their 1:25 around the $25 range and then $19.99 after discount to pre-orders based on likely pre-orders they’ve already committed to that already qualified them. This is just bonus money for them. A lot of shops do the same. After their initial qualifying pre-orders, they’re taking the chance when taking pre-orders based on ratio covers cause it could result in a lot of unsold copies.
What is happening is the very definition of gouging. If the store felt it was a viable option to initially sell for $25, then that clearly indicates that they felt they could be profitable at that price. If they then mark up that price more than 2x what they had it at earlier that day. That is gouging. You have raised the price of your product simply because of greed. If it was a viable option for the stores at $25, then at $50 it must be gouging. Go to your LCS and ask if you can order 25 copies + 1 1:25, using their discount. It will be cheaper than the gouge price of $50/$55. Shops like Unknown (horrible store) buy their books at the highest diamond discount. They pay approx $1.50 per book. They do not need to gouge their customers at $50 a book.
I take back my gouging comment…it was harsh….it just surprised me the price jumped like it did in a short amount of time. It’s very much likely had a threshold of total orders for A/B covers which covered the initial 1:25 which they offered for around ratio, but once those were gone they are now ordering above and beyond their normal A/B copies to satisfy additional 1:25 orders….and they can do that until FOC on Monday, but 100% of the associated risk (cost) of over-ordering A/B covers now gets passed on to those ordering the 1:25.
Why should they carry that risk? I wouldn’t want to. And if you’re willing to pay their cost to acquire another 1:25 (whether they calculate it to be $40 or $55) then it’s on you. You don’t have to pay their asking price.
Gouging is really associated capitalizing on people’s desperation for life’s necessities due to unfortunate circumstances. This is just FOMO and really the accountability is all on the buyers.
If that is the case, which makes total sense, DRog, then the retailer should give you the 25 copies of cover A/B along with your $55 1:25 incentive. If the buyer is bearing the burden (damn alliteration) of the books, then let the buyer bear the fruit too. Or give the buyer 10 cover A/B’s. Give them something for their money, otherwise it’s still gouging, imo.
If people get an email for an item at a certain price, they should expect to pay that price, and not see the price more than double once they click on the link. Unless there is fine print stating that the price can change at any time, the price in the email should be the price they pay. Having the price change while it’s in the shopping cart is just messed up. Some of these companies are just greedy.
Punchline may be the New Darling, but I would caution anyone on paying top dollar, especially for books that have not even come out .. I would tend to think that a new Flavor of the Week will supplant this craze in fairly short order .. just my opinion .. it’s your money ..
Heh, it’s funny the craze people are doing for Punchline and she really hasn’t even done anything yet. Sure she’s shown up in two comics so far but barely. And it is Tynion writing. with a not so great track record on his writing abilities, there’s a good chance he goes and Wiebe’s himself.. 😉
When she tells a joke and reaches the punchline, anyone within earshot takes an uncontrolled shit .. that’s her power .. The Power of Poop .. 😉
Haha.. I can’t wait until Batman #92.. we’re getting another new character that Tynion promised and then another one called Clownhunter in #96.. Tynion must of been promoted to chief marketing officer at DC or perhaps I guess they gave him ultimatum.. start selling books or you off Batman faster than you can write’em. 😉
What’s wrong with Tynion’s writing? Something is Killing the Children and Batman are killing it! Batman/TMNT, Detective??? He’s one of the best writing right now.
I think Poyo is more bitter at Scott Snyder than Tynion. Every time Snyder has a book Tynion ends up stepping in and having to finish it.
Yeah and it effing sucks after that. Tynion is not a superior writer.
Why does everyone keep calling Punchline a she….? You all realize she’s a man, baby!
Do you really think Tynion wasn’t throwing the comic world a bone when he stated “she’s not a nice guy”?
Thats not being sensitive though. If she was a man who changed into a woman, he is now a she….. Still correct to refer as she.
guessing incentive print run will be around than 6k-8k
I thought that originally but with the Artgerm moving to #92 and now the announcement of the 1:25, I bet it comes in at 10k-12k
Madd typo up there but you get the gist
That would push the print run what.. 200k to 250k range? Doubt that’s going to happen.
I think the point is this 1:25 variant could have a higher print run than some is DC’s regular books…
Okay.. and?
And….I’m tired. Time for bed.
I have 45 Batman pull & holds, maybe 5-6 folks get A&B covers and I generally order 5 for the rack .. so, the math works out nicely for me .. it’s against my personal policy to buy into incentive deals .. at any rate, I’m thinking my two copies would make for a nice prize drawing for FCBD ..
Or, should I order an extra 10 copies each of A&B and get a third incentive cover .. ??
Nah .. my gut tells me the craze will fade .. but, I guess you never know ..
Do what you feel is right I suppose. I don’t think Batman #92 is going to be hard to sell. I think the print run is gonna be bigger for sure but it’s still gonna be easy to offload the copies, at least at first and depending on the Power of Poop character does a few months and issues down the beaten path. 🙂
Yeah, I just may go for it .. $4 cover / $2 bucks a book, it’s only another $40.00 and $2 for the incentive cover ..
Maybe Clownhunter will team up with Punchline .. I mean, it seems like a Comedy trend .. Clownhunter will gather up the crowds and Punchline will deliver the jokes .. it’s a win win .. then, Excrement Man will be tasked with cleanup duty ..
You heard it here first .. 😉
You should replace Tynion as writer, then I’d be inclined to actually read Batman again. 😉
I had a young woman come in the shop today and offer to work for me for free .. pretty good looking as well .. at 75, when a young woman even looks at you, well, it’s rare .. I politely thanked her, but said no .. she was quite serious ..
Then, I was feeling so good about myself, I took a couple hits .. (it’s legal in these parts, I had a medicinal card even before that) ..
So, that’s the key .. get blitzed and let your mind wander .. 😉
I’m not young or good looking but if I was in your area, I’d come work for you for free if you’re willing to share a couple of hits.. each day! 🙂
“So, that’s the key .. get blitzed and let your mind wander .. ?”
…that is one key that has been in my collection for decades…
I’ve always wondered what today’s modern Western societies would look like if the government had banned alcohol and let weed stay legal, back in the early 20th century. Such that, weed wasn’t stigmatized at all, and alcohol was heavily stigmatized…Still it, goes down smooth when I get a clean hit of the skunky, funky, smelly, green shit.
Sing my song, puff all night long,
as I take hits from the bong…???
Well they updated the cover and it’s purple. TFAW had 2 in stock and I was able to snag one. I feel dirty.
You can agree to selling one for what you paid if that helps you feel clean again… ?
Batman print run is what, around 60,000 per month? I could see the print run on 92 at around 100,000. That puts the 1:25 at about 4,000 copies. I bought three copies from midtown for 22 apiece before they jacked up the price.
I’m thinking Batman 92 will be more like 200k now with this incentive cover….it was going to be well above 100k before this debacle…
I bet you your most valuable comic it’s not over 200k print run.. 😉
Ill bet dollars to donuts that most of DRogs most valuable books all have print runs over 200k. Most titles had a print run around, or well over 200k in the late 60s through the 80s and into the early 90s. That would mean that all the SA keys probably have a print run well in excess of 200k.
Mmm… Donuts
Sacrilicious.
No….sacril-DE-liscious!!
the 1:25 variant has made the Artgerm variant worthless now
The Artgerm variant was pre foc and open order. It never had any value, MonopolyJ.
Artgerm + 1st cover appearance of Punchline = yea, it had some value, before the 1:25 was announced
Yeah, $3.99. ?
I may have paid over ratio for the 1:25, but at least I’m not hat guy that paid $20 + $6 shipping for the Atrgerm cover variant (back on 2/22)….!
?
Someone paid $20 for the Artgerm cover? You know, retailers can blame speculators/flippers (which is still odd since they turn around and sell at the same prices flippers are selling them for) all they want but honestly, the only people you can blame are the people infected with FOMO who are willing to pay such prices for books…
But Punchline was/is also on Cover A, which was suppose to be the first until they moved Artgerm from #94 to #92. I still say Cover A is the first, A comes before B and after the changes.. 😉
So is the 1:25 a C?, and therefore a third cover appearance? Or is it 1/25th the cover appearance as A or B?
Math and the alphabet are hard…
release date > date when cover is announced
But in this case, all 3 covers now for Batman #92 have same release date.. A comes first.. then B.. then ratio.. 😉
After release date, you then choose the smallest printing, which is the ratio 😉
But… but… A comes before B.. 🙂