Flashes of insanity: Marvel’s buyback program for Blackest Night

Ok, we’re pretty sure most of you comic fans already know about this. But Marvel is offering a buyback in March at the time Blackest Night ends where if you tear up your unsold comics, they will send you a variant cover. Here’s the release:

Official Press Release

In an effort to provide assistance to comic retailers in 2010, Marvel is offering retailers an opportunity to turn unsold comics into an extremely rare Siege #3 Deadpool Variant!

Retailers – for every 50 stripped covers of the following comics sent to Marvel, you will qualify to receive one FREE Siege #3 Deadpool Variant. The 50 stripped covers can be any combination of the comics listed below and all submissions need to be received at the Marvel office at the address below by Tuesday 2/16/2010. Also included with the stripped covers must be your store contact information including Diamond Account # and email address.

Stripped Covers To Be Sent:
Adventure Comics #4
Booster Gold #26
Doom Patrol #4
Justice League Of America #39
Outsiders #24
R.E.B.E.L.S #10

Address To Send Submission:
James Nausedas
Marvel Entertainment, LLC
417 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Information To Be Included With Submission:
Store Name
Store Address
Contact Person
Email Address
Phone Number
Diamond Account #
List of stripped covers being returned and their quantities

All the directions above must be adhered to in order to receive the free Siege #3 Deadpool Variants and the submissions must be received by Tuesday 2/16/2010 in order to qualify.

Please note that this is not a Diamond-affiliated promotion and Diamond should not be contacted. Retailers will be contacted via email once Marvel receives the submissions. Retailer with further questions should contact [email protected].

Is it just me or is this BALLS ASS CRAZY?? They want retailers to strip FIFTY comics to receive ONE comic? Sure, it’s a Deadpool variant which will cause it to sell, but at 50 covers a copy, how much would you have to sell it for in order to make back your money? Keep in mind that all of the comics they want you to strip are the comics associated with the ring tie-in where if you bought the comic you got the ring in most stores. Each of those comics retailed for 3.99 so instead of sticking them in say quarter or dollar bins, it somehow makes sense for a retailer to strip 50 covers of these books and then mail them at their own expense to Marvel to get one book. I’m not even sure how to describe this. Is this clever marketing by Marvel to extend an olive branch to retailers stuck with extra copies ordered for ring purchases or it’s a giant dick movie designed to generate publicity with the effect of removing DC books from circulation.

Comic Book Daily Staff
Comic Book Daily Staff

Comic Book Daily, discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting. Thanks for stopping by; if you like what you read please take a moment and have a look around.

Articles: 894
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments