Variants and the market: At ICv2.com, retailers Corbit Wilkins and Steve Nemeckay have mixed reactions to variant covers and their role in market decline.

Wilkins: "What worries me for the market today? Just compare the Marvel, DC, and other companies Previews listings with their listings from one, two, or five years ago. I'll pick on Marvel just to make my point. I can't speak for other retailers, but who really wants to see District X? Captain America and Falcon? Amazing Fantasy? Spider-Man/Doc Ock mini's? Spider-Man Unlimited? Rogue? Excalibur? Starjammers? And on and on.

"There are only a limited number of dollars to be spent on comics of the same type. All of these new offerings are only going to dilute the sales from other titles. And when the writing or art starts to fall off, then the consumer is completely disinterested. Especially when every new title is $2.99 or more! We don't need more X-Men titles, Spider-Man titles, or others. Just give us good books on time."

Nemeckay: "What I have a problem with is incentive covers. My customers want them and that forces me to, in some cases, over-order what I can sell of a book. I'm the end consumer, not my customer. I have no return privileges. If I order and don't sell it, I'm stuck."