Back on topic please…
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I think Raf is a talented 3d modeler and digital sculptor and he does good stuff but I’mnotreallya fan of his variants
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I don’t understand stores doing variants on random issues. I understand a first issue or a first cover appearance of a character. But all these random store variants are stupid. If your going to do one make it count.
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There’s too much new money in this hobby of ours. Especially all the card people with manufactured rarity on all their serial numbered stuff. All these random issues but with a low low 500 print run. Some people can’t help themselves. Am I guilty of store variants? Sure am. However, I try to limit to covers I find cool, attractive, etc… or if they have an important first, etc…
There’s probably pockets of people from different online communities that support their shops, groups, and/or clubs that’ll blindly follow whatever their people put out. I’m sure these retailers or groups are making hand over fist in profits with their extreme markups. This likely explains why they have a variant for nearly each damn issue on multiple titles. 
End of mini rant 
I think I’m just irritated because I’ve bought from most of these places at one time or another. SO…I constantly have to delete about 10-15 emails each and every day from them all collectively.
**EDIT
The only one’s I don’t mind are the emails from JTC. I know those are special and I’m always excited to see a new exclusive SW action figure variant. Those are the best since I own them all. Just missing the original B&W Luke from the retailers summit.
I keep my store variant purchases pretty well under control by (1) limiting myself to one property (Star Wars), and (2) doing my damndest to objectively qualify if there is anything indeed unique or worthwhile about the variant necessitating my purchase. TFAW’s high republic variant checked my boxes because of the Duursema namesake. She was a household name to me for years while reading 2000s Dark Horse stuff. All the other drives of Keeve Trennis, Avar Kriss, and Sskeer variants are easy to pass up when I take a beat and think about it.
Everything else is a pretty little novelty I look at on this forum, them I’m over it.
If I see one more Venom variant though…
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I mostly quit store variants. I got that Department of Truth one because it is so absurd and offensive. It reminds me of old underground comics and how they would always, “Go there.” If there were some cool Moon Knight store variants I’d probably bite…
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This is also the first cover by Beeda. The store owner of thingamigigts offering the variant. So if he becomes a popular artist you never know.
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Hey now, speak for yourself. Lol.
Its alright, I get its not really been done but it annoys me a bit that so many store exclusives feel they have to homage or reference stuff for the sake of referencing them
I appreciate it’s a homage to the character portrayed. I feel some way about homages like the ASM 300 or Spiderman 1 when the posing fits none of the characters in the homage. But this Miles cover is nice. Just rather buy somewhere else.
I saw the Frankie’s one and don’t care for it. Some of these are hit or miss for me. The Unknown one isn’t bad but kinda weird with the wet vinyl looking venom bits all around him. Like when we found out the slime coming out of Venom’s mouth was basically poo, we are gonna learn Venom’s body is all one reproductive organ and Spider-Man should call a lawyer.
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Not interested
Semi interested lol
It looks like spidey is laying down on a pile of balloons
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