Posted in: Comics | Tagged: jim lee, marvel, variants

See All 29 Jim Lee Trading Card Variants That Will Move Marvel's Needle In July

Published Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:30:44 -0500

Last updated Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:41:29 -0500

Earlier this year, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso cast doubt on the ability of Marvel's stable of artist to "move the needle" when it comes to sales. Over at rival DC Comics, the company has announced a new publishing initiative spotlighting their artists, the DC Master Class. What to do? What to do?

If you're Marvel, you announce that the month of July will be marked by 29 comics featuring variant covers using old Jim Lee art from a trading card set made in 1990s. Lee, currently the Co-Publisher of DC, is one of the most needle-moving artists of all time, but the whole working for the competition seems like a drawback. And sure, this is all X-Men art, and many of the covers have nothing to do with the book they're on, but comic book covers haven't had to reflect what's inside the book since before these trading cards were originally made.

Besides, look at it this way: Marvel gets to move the needle with a superstar artist, and of course spike sales on their monthly comics to help make it to the next relaunch. Marvel readers get to remember how much fun it used to be to read Marvel comics. DC gets free promotion for their talent. Even Donald Trump is probably going to end up getting paid here. Everybody wins!

Bleeding Cool first reported on Marvel's plans back in April, but now Marvel has sent out the rest of the variants in a press release. Check them out below: