Seems like there was a bit of demand for Gunslinger Spawn for Issue #309 Variant B that everyone wanted a piece of the action on, possibly for quick flipping.
Read more of the press release by clicking “Continue Reading…”
Image Comics will rush company President Todd McFarlane’s Spawn #309 back to print in order to keep up with overwhelming demand. Since breaking the Guinness World Record with his milestone Spawn #300, interest in the series has spiked with every issue and reorders placed for the most recent #309 weigh in at five figures.
The MYSTERIOUS and DANGEROUS army of Spawns continues to grow. First She-Spawn and Reaper! Then Medieval Spawn! Now Gunslinger Spawn has made his presence known. But who is a hero and who is a villain? And is Al Simmons strong enough to control them all? Maybe his new armor will help! McFarlane and Ken Lashley continue their epic tale!
Spawn #309, second printing (Diamond Code JUL208922) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, September 23.
Gunslinger Spawn made his first appearances way back in Spawn #174 and Spawn #175, which go for a decent penny nowadays. With all this renewed interest, might see these spike up a bit more? If you’re needing these and already dug through the back issue bins at all your local shops hoping to find a copy tucked away.. well, now’s the time to try and snag at lower price as these might just start the upward ticking in value..
For anyone wanting all of Gunslingers appearances, his actual 1st cameo took place way back in Spawn #119.
Ah yeah, thanks for bringing that up. Still doesn’t command as much as #174 and #175 but still a key book.. Spawn #119 still in the affordable range for most who don’t want to fork over the dough for the others..
Will be interesting to see what we get for a 2nd print cover on #309.
2nd printing sounds like there’s gonna be more than the first printing.. 😉
So the 2nd print will reuse the MacFarlane cover?
I’m assuming so. The other covers are still available at Diamond I believe so they’re reprinting the Gunslinger cover.
I pre ordered one just in case it does something in the secondary market.
Wonder if the 2nd print will have a larger run than the B cover first print,,,
Looks like same cover but they changed the title green.
Good catch. I thought the image posted was the 1st print. Didn’t notice the logo color change from red (1st) to green (2nd)…very subtle.
As an aside, I was happy to score covers Ax1, Bx4, and Cx1 for 1st prints. Most stores in my area only got a small # of all the covers. I lucked out with a little advance planning and a few well-timed calls. Thanks, CHU, for the heads up!
Yeah, I only posted what the press release sent.
A and C covers won’t be keys like the B cover. I grabbed 6 B covers. Stoked. The 2nd print may do something, but with the print run possibly higher than the 1st print I would doubt it. If you want a 1st print pony up the $25 and grab one while you can. I’m thrilled people had no idea about this book prior to pre order and the print run was low low low! McFarlane is still the king.
“I’m thrilled people had no idea about this book prior to pre order and the print run was low low low! McFarlane is still the king.”
Actually, if you visit the forums, this book was brought up on August 3rd (before FOC that night) that it was going to be a Gunslinger cover.
https://forum.comicsheatingup.net/t/spawn-309-mcfarlane-cover/1410
If people visit and hang out on the forums more often, you might just get a heads up on most stuff going on in the comic book world.
I disagree that McFarlane is King though.. King of Spawn maybe but that’s about it..
I guess you weren’t 16 in 1988 when he took over ASM. His art style changed everything and who’s better? McFarlane is king of anything he wants to draw. His Quasar #14 cover (super undervalued and low print run), his Conan 241 (all black cover, super undervalued and low print run) and of course Batman 423 which is now approaching $1000 in 9.8. Since he debuted the industry can’t get enough McFarlane. His toys are the best. If McFarlane isn’t king, why did he just grade 13,500 books at CGC? Everyone else’s in house signing numbers weren’t even close. A few hundred books for the other creators. Some creators cancelled because there wasn’t enough books to make it worth while. The Toddfather is king. Since 1988 the industry keeps trying to find someone better and it still hasn’t happened. Jerome Opena is awesome. Tony Moore rules. Steven Platt has even came out of retirement and his style is completely different. Alex Ross is just as good as Todd in a different way but not better. Jim Lee, ditto. Kirby is awesome but not better than McFarlane. Kirby’s faces were pretty awful. Please let me know who you feel is better than McFarlane. Wrightson and Adams? Todd is just as good. Todd had the same if not greater impact on the hobby as Bernie and Neal. They just did it 20 years before Todd. Alex Schomburg maybe? Foster or Frazetta? I like Bernie, Todd and Schomburg personally. Frank Miller is my all time favorite. Love Gene Colon too.
The gunslinger cover having been brought up the day before, how many more orders do you think that added? It’s print run is probably 10,000ish since Spawn’s print run is around 30,000 usually. Is this the first book in history to have a 2nd print run higher than the first? Thanks AP! Keep up the good work!
“I guess you weren’t 16 in 1988 when he took over ASM.”
What does being 16 have to do with anything? I wasn’t 16 in 1988 but I was reading and collecting ASM then myself. Art is subjective. As I do like most of his work, there’s simply better artists out there as well in my opinion. McFarlane had a decent 2 year run on ASM, then went on to have a sub par run with Spider-Man Marvel handed him.. it was sloppy, messy and was the start of the downfall of the 90s for comics.
He went on to do Spawn after starting Image with the others, which is pretty much the only comic he’s done since that’s noteworthy, focusing most of his other work on his McFarlane Studios for toys and such. If you look at his actual comic book portfolio, it’s rather small compared to a lot of the other well known artists and writers out there. Still not sure why people claim he’s the king from his small run on ASM.
“His toys are the best.”
That’s pretty bold. I know a seasoned toy guy who would disagree and thinks most of the McFarlane toyline is garbage in comparison to others out there.
“McFarlane isn’t king, why did he just grade 13,500 books at CGC? Everyone else’s in house signing numbers weren’t even close. A few hundred books for the other creators. Some creators cancelled because there wasn’t enough books to make it worth while.”
That doesn’t make someone king, that just means people want his signature on his books. That doesn’t mean he’s actually better.. Neal Adams is a great artist and he did a signing at a local shop long ago and hardly anyone showed up. Does that mean Neal Adams sucks at comic book art?
Is Neal Adams still charging $50 for a signature? I wouldn’t show up either,
Probably but at this event, first 3 items were free I believe from what I recall.
You didn’t mention anyone. You mentioned Neal Adams, whom I mentioned, and Neal has sucked since around 1987. These garbage digital cover artists today can’t keep up with Todd. This Gunslinger Spawn cover is great. I think Spawn is a crappy book, and haven’t read it since issue 13 or so. But I love Todd’s art, and obviously so do a legion of fans.
The reason there are better toy lines and high end toy lines is because McFarlane raised the bar for toy lines 30 years ago. Before McFarlane Toys action figures sucked.
People don’t show up to Neal Adams signings because he tries to sell them everything under the sun and talk to them about middle earth. And charge $600 for a sketch.
I want one person to tell me who’s better than McFarlane. Jeremy Bastian?
Todd McFarlane is the current King. Stan Lee is gone. No one draws the attention he gets. No one. No one is even close. Todd is the current living legend Enjoy it while we all can.
The amount of people who show up for signings doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the king of art though. Sounds like a middle age comic book nerds who idolize a self proclaimed asshole (his own words) is more like it. McFarlane is the King of long line waiting I suppose. Sounds like a waste of life if you ask me.. I’d rather watch paint dry on the wall than stand in line for McFarlane. 😉
Living legend? Pfftt.. of 2 or so years on Amazing Spider-Man and.. wait.. wait for it.. Spawn. Spawn is dying, it got a little revival but now he’s just throwing in additional covers that get the fanboys and speculators buying just to flip. The book should have died a long time ago.. he’s just beating the dead horse nowadays! McFarlane toys are still garbage though. Maybe they set the bar 30 years ago but they suck now..
Neal Adams, yes, he sucks because of how he acts and charges for signatures now but that wasn’t my point. People don’t show up because of that, not because his art sucks. There’s plenty of reasons why people will stand in line to meet and get a signature. Heck, Bendis had a 5+ hour long line once in my hood.. it was ridiculous cause Bendis sucks. The only reason I stood in line was I promised signatures for others. It’s hours of my life I’ll never get back.
“Is this the first book in history to have a 2nd print run higher than the first?”
Didn’t the 2nd print of TMNT #1 double that of the first print?