Posted in: Comics | Tagged: C.B. Cebulski, c2e2, diamond, HRL, legacy numbers, marvel, retailer summit

Marvel's Fresh Start Brings a Fresh Trade Dress, Dual Numbers

Published Thu, 05 Apr 2018 15:05:59 -0500

It's rough to be a comic book collector nowadays. A never-ending cycle of reboots, launching a new volume of a popular comic with a new #1 issue, interspersed with various periods of returning to the first volume's number for "legacy numbers," has made keeping track of your collection a real mess. Looking to get your hands on Captain America #1? Okay, do you want the one from 2018? 2016? 2015? 2013? 2005? 2002? 1998? 1996? 1968? And don't even get us started on how you're supposed to keep these organized in your longboxes. Well, Marvel has the solution: they're just going to print both the original volume's legacy number and the constantly rebooted number on the cover of the book, as previously rumored, now confirmed.

Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski revealed the news at Marvel's presentation during the Diamond Retailer Summit at C2E2 today. According to Cebulski, starting with Avengers #1 and running throughout all of Marvel's fresh, shiny #1 issues, Marvel will introduce a new trade dress featuring the dual numbering. Cebulski specifically called out the move as geared toward collectors. The trade dress will also reduce the size of the UPC box and prominently feature the creative team.

Of course, a better solution might be to simply stop constantly rebooting the comics, but that's just crazy talk, we guess.