Last week Image Comics poked a little fun at Marvel for their frequent use of their Marvel NOW! teaser images, and this week it’s Marvel’s turn to have a little fun with the marketing efforts of a publishing rival.
Marvel has just solicited to retailers an Uncanny X-Men #1 “Deadpool 53 State Birds” variant cover for the Brian Bendis-written February debuting series. While it appears to be actually only one cover and not really 53 of them, the variant is obviously a satirical dig at the 52 “State Flag” variant covers DC is offering that same month for the debut of Geoff John’s new Justice League of America ongoing series.
The issue is scheduled to go on sale on February 13th. The cover image doesn’t appear to actually exist yet.
November 19th, 2012 at 9:36 am
D-bag move. Oh well its Marvel what do you expect.
November 19th, 2012 at 9:50 am
@torres3, because DC never do d-bag moves to Marvel?? Come off it, its a little poking fun that all comic companies do at each other, you don’t have to buy it!)
November 19th, 2012 at 10:07 am
Jeez buddy, it’s just a little bit of fun. Don’t get so worked up about it.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:09 am
Makes sense. Marvel can’t do anything original anyway. Might as well just rehash their ideas and try to trash the originality of the other companies.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:13 am
I thought the whole point of Marvel NOW! was to grow beyond these kind of stupid stunts. Doesn’t Deadpool sell well enough without these kind of promotional crap?
I guess this ruins any future Marvel-DC Comics collaboration.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:17 am
Something tells me the 53rd bird will be a middle finger extended at a crying old man in a DC T-shirt.
Get it? Because it’s another way to describe flipping someone off, and because DC is old and dumb and derp derp derp.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:28 am
Lol. When Image parodied Marvel with their “Uncanny Skullkickers #1″ posters said it was “brilliant” and “hilarious.” When Marvel does essentially the same thing to another publisher they’re “D-bags” and “trashing the originality of other companies”. So predictable.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:39 am
Only thing I don’t get is, why Deadpool?
While they’re at it, how about covers for each of Canada’s provinces with Wolverine?
November 19th, 2012 at 10:41 am
How about a world flags series, with the ‘Contest of Champions’ international heroes line-up?
November 19th, 2012 at 10:42 am
They were going to do this on Uncanny Avengers but the February issue won’t be available until late April/ early May
If anything deserved to be made fun of in the industry it’s all the companies variant cover programs.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:44 am
I love it. DC’s 52 covers is ridiculous. May as well have fun at their expense.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:45 am
sad i have to point this out since nobody’s apparently paying attention. but the 52 flag variant is a stab at marvel in the first place.
From the sit down with DC VP’S Bob Wayne and John Cunningham back in september.
Nrama: As you guys finish out 2012, what are the major things from a sales standpoint that you’re hoping to see from retailers, or that you’re already seeing in initial orders and what orders you’ve gotten for October? How would you characterize the rest of the year?
Wayne: Well, we’re hoping to see 20 to 24 variants on every comic.
Nrama: Ah, you got me with the sarcasm. I should have been more specific and asked what you’re hoping to see from DC. Not as many variants as your competitor, to be sure, but die-cut covers instead, right?
so basically this is just marvel’s ridiculous attempt to make a joke that’s already been made by DC.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Yeah…remember when Marvel erased all of their continuity, restarted everything as a gimmick for new readers, and then said, “We’ll figure out what happened as we go along”? I’d say Marvel is winning this war. Also, when you take back the market share from your competition WITHOUT rebooting/revamping/relaunching, and then you relaunch your titles…yeah. I’d say this fight will lean Marvel’s way again.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:16 am
Of course if Marvel did this it would be amazing and cool and break the internet and no one would be allowed to make fun of them ever.
Marvel is just upset they didn’t think of it first.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:23 am
It’s all of you butt made DC fanboys bashing on Marvel over this that makes me re-evaluate all the DC titles I read and why I am debating dropping DC altogether
November 19th, 2012 at 11:30 am
I think it’s funny, and I hate Marvel as a whole. The 52 cover thing is a pretty stupid stunt anyway.
November 19th, 2012 at 11:56 am
“Lyle Says:
Yeah…remember when Marvel erased all of their continuity, restarted everything as a gimmick for new readers, and then said, “We’ll figure out what happened as we go along”? I’d say Marvel is winning this war.”
Yeah, and remember when that same “gimmick” gave a huge shot in the arm to a flagging industry and increased sales 15-20% for an entire year? Yeah, that was terrible.
People always want to make it out as some big “fight” but the truth is Marvel and DC depend on each other. They each hold 30-40% of the entire market, virtually evenly split. If one of them were to crash, it would take the entire market with them as a result. So let’s all be glad that everyone’s doing a little bit better these days, shall we?
November 19th, 2012 at 11:59 am
The whole idea of variants is just a stupid money grab anyway so why not go for broke every month. In the end, our dollars will warrant whether its a success or not.
November 19th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
I just wonder how many copies of DC books my retailer will have to destroy to get a copy of this Deadpool variant in their store…..
Oh, sorry, that was three events ago, wasn’t it?
All kidding aside, this is just a light joking from Marvel. Nothing to get so heated about. Besides, it’s just another variant. Who cares?
November 19th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
I think so funny when people call marvel unoriginal, but what Dc´s been doing with 52 is original? I think it´s cool, marvel has all the right and this 52 covers by DC, changing only the flag is very avant garde and fresh.This 52 cover is an attempt to make 52 cool, which numbers are saying it´s not anymore.
November 19th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
originality?? You people do understand that the jl of a cover isn’t an original image at all don’t you? That’s an image that dates back to ww2,it’s easily the most famous image of the whole war & it’s been printed & reprinted, purposed & repurposed literally thousands of times? Hell there was even a movie about how it happened, so how is that original? Secondly, there’s not much original about where dc is at right now whatsoever, they’ve effectively retread all old 90s image ideals to create the new 52, almost all of their current writer & artists stable is from that time period, and from what i’ve read the storylines are all reflecting that time period, beyond that, the new jla title doesn’t have anything to do w/ the different states, but marvel did this years ago w/ the 50 state initiative, & even they didn’t try some cheap cash grab like this, anyone who buys the whole set they are selling for upwards of 100 bucks online is either an idiot or they have way too much money on their hands…the only writer doing anything “new” in dc right now is scott snyder & even he is basically updating old stories w. his new death of the family arc….it’s still phenomenal & easily the best & brightest in a line of the dullest & weakest books being produced today….i don’t care about the companies, i just like good books, and i preferred what dc was doing prior to new 52 personally, i don’t understand what it is that makes dc fanboys so gung ho in trying to tear down marvel….I rarely see marvel fans trashing dc in their stories, probably because they are too busy being interested in the actual books to waste their time w/ that
November 19th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Mothersucka says:
“People always want to make it out as some big “fight” but the truth is Marvel and DC depend on each other. They each hold 30-40% of the entire market, virtually evenly split. If one of them were to crash, it would take the entire market with them as a result. So let’s all be glad that everyone’s doing a little bit better these days, shall we?”
What are you actually suggesting you use logic and commen sense!!!? What are you crazy? We are comic fans, there is no room for commen sense and logic here.
November 19th, 2012 at 1:34 pm
I wonder how many copies a retailer will have to buy to qualify for the privilege of this variant.
November 19th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Why not spend more time on the interior of the book instead of the exterior of the book.
November 19th, 2012 at 2:09 pm
“Kingmob Says:
This 52 cover is an attempt to make 52 cool, which numbers are saying it´s not anymore.”
What numbers are those, the ones that have the industry sales up by 17% compared to before the New52? I suggest you look at actual “numbers” sometime:
http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2012/2012-10.html
November 19th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
Wow, Marvel desperate for attention are you? There is no artwork to go with the announcement? That is pretty sad. How about getting to work on getting Uncanny Avengers to a monthly release?
November 19th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Another way for Marvel to take your money. Variants. Have they not learned anything from the 90′s.
November 19th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
@Muthasucka
are you forgetting that is also when Marvel NOW begins?
November 20th, 2012 at 6:31 am
Marvel knows that there are only 50 states right? I think that’s why I think this dig is lame…. unless of course it’s 53 Deadpools giving the finger on the cover
November 20th, 2012 at 9:46 am
Still a D-Bag move. But I expect that from Marvel.
November 20th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
Honestly, I think it’s funny. DC is doing a horrible job with the new 52. They drove me away after 30 plus years by wrecking a great brand for an inferior, scattershot reboot. Marvel books have been fun because I can still recognize the characters and things still matter. If a Deadpool variant making fun of DC variants is a D-Bag move, what do you call alienating lifetime fans with an entire line of substandard comics?
November 21st, 2012 at 11:42 am
“MarcJ Says:
@Muthasucka
are you forgetting that is also when Marvel NOW begins?”
Sales are not just up last month, they have been up EVERY month for over a year, starting with the launch of the New 52. Look it up on the link I posted. This is not privileged information. Newsarama themselves post articles about it all the time. Hate on it all you want but there is no denying that the New 52 has been a godsend to the entire industry.
November 21st, 2012 at 8:44 pm
How much DC needed the longtime fans? Not a lot, they’re selling more than what they used to with the longtime fans, so its pretty easy to know what was needed to be done.
This moment in time wont happen again, marvel movies rock, batman movies rocked, hopefully supes movie will rock too, the walking dead series is sizziling hot, dc needed the n52 if they wanted to have an open window for new readers to come aboard, even dc nation is a new way to expose potential buyers to try their product and yet longtime fans are too blind to see that most of these movies and series showcase a pretty basic form of the character and moves like the new 52 allows characters to be fresh, without the baggage of almost 30 years of continuity (not even thinking about tje re-do’s of failed characters during those almost 30 years).
The N52 wheter you like it or not is a success, not company wide but business wide, everyone if makign profits from the new light of cool that comic books are enjoying, but i guess longtime fans want to feel special about knowing every little thing about characters and be able to mock the n00bs that are jumping aboard now.
I say, welcome everybody, hope you guys enjoy these characters as much as in have for the past 18 years.