mike
25 Issues
Apr 7, 2026
Staff
Ranked
Landmark Variant Cover Origins
Issues that popularized the variant cover phenomenon or featured legendary alternative art.
#100
Something To Fear, Pt. 4
The Walking Dead (2003)
Jul 11, 2012
1
Featured over a dozen variants to celebrate the milestone issue.
#1
Sword Quest
Wolverine (1988)
Jul 12, 1988
2
The iconic patch cover that remains a fan-favorite to this day.
#1
Vampirella and The Blood Red Queen Of Hearts
Vampirella (1996)
3
Key for the 'Bad Girl' era of high-detail pin-up variant covers.
#880
My Dark Architect
Detective Comics (1937)
Jul 27, 2011
4
Jock's Joker face cover, one of the most iconic modern Batman images.
#667
Spider-Island Part One: The Amazing Spider-Manhattan
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
Aug 10, 2011
5
One of the rarest and most expensive modern 1:100 incentive variants.
#300
Venom
The Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
Jan 12, 1988
6
Todd McFarlane's legendary cover that defined the look of Venom.
#1
The End Times
Secret Wars (2015)
Oct 07, 2015
7
Known for having hundreds of store-exclusive variants across the country.
#197
Four Star Super-Hero / To The Nth Degree
The Flash (1959)
May 01, 1970
8
A notable cover that used perspective and speed lines to great effect.
#1
Greater Power Part One
Spider-Gwen (2015)
May 11, 2016
9
Multiple high-demand variants for a character born from a variant-like concept.
#2
Gwen Stacy: Spider-Woman
Edge of Spider-Verse (2014)
Sep 17, 2014
10
The debut of Spider-Gwen, which saw its variants skyrocket in value.
#1
Rex, Part 1
Venom (2018)
May 09, 2018
11
Donny Cates' run launched with a massive variety of artist-driven covers.
#1
Torment, Part 1
Spider-Man (1990)
Jun 20, 1990
12
The multi-cover launch that helped spark the 90s speculation boom.
#1
The House That Xavier Built
House of X (2019)
Jul 24, 2019
★ 5.0
13
Marked a return to high-collectibility variant sets for the X-Men line.
#1
Rubicon
X-Men (1991)
Aug 20, 1991
14
Jim Lee's five connecting covers created the best-selling single issue ever.
#1
Fourever Part One
Fantastic Four (2018)
Aug 08, 2018
15
Notable for having a 'Premier' variant for every year of the team's history.
#75
Doomsday!
Superman (1987)
Nov 17, 1992
16
The black bag variant that became a symbol of early 90s collecting.
#100
City at War, The End
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2011)
Dec 11, 2019
17
A modern milestone for IDW with a huge range of artist incentives.
#1
Questions Pt.1
Spawn (1992)
Jun 04, 1992
18
A landmark for Image, where variants soon became a staple of the brand.
#1
Hot in the City
Harley Quinn (2013)
Dec 18, 2013
19
Used a 'rub and smell' variant, showcasing creative cover gimmicks.
#1
Issue #1
Gen 13 (1994)
Feb 01, 1994
20
Famous for having 13 different variant covers, pushing the trend to its limit.
#1
Justice League, Part One
Justice League (2011)
Aug 31, 2011
21
The cornerstone of the DC reboot, featuring numerous high-tier variants.
#50
Deeply Buried Secrets!
Silver Surfer (1987)
Jun 01, 1991
22
A notable early example of a foil embossed 'gimmick' cover.
#300
Issue #300
Spawn (1992)
Sep 04, 2019
23
The record-breaking issues that utilized multiple legacy artist covers.
#608
Hush Chapter One: The Ransom
Batman (1940)
Oct 23, 2002
24
One of the most sought-after modern variants from the start of 'Hush'.
#1
Issue #1
BRZRKR (2021)
Jun 26, 2021
25
The modern king of variants, leveraging high-end production for collectors.
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