Top 100 Rarest Valiant books 2012-present? Maybe...

[greg]

Calculated numbers from Previews/Comichron 2012 through January 2016...

TOP 100 RAREST VALIANT ACCORDING TO PREVIEWS/COMICHRON CALCULATION METHOD*
1. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #25 50 COPY INCV WALSH (108 copies calculated)
2. ARMOR HUNTERS #4 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV HENRY (AH) (114 copies calculated)
3. UNITY #5 100 COPY INCV B&W SKETCH SUAYAN (118 copies calculated)
4. BLOODSHOT #25 50 COPY INCV HITCH (120 copies calculated)
5. UNITY #3 100 COPY INCV B&W SKETCH (127 copies calculated)
6. Q2 RTN QUANTUM & WOODY #1 (OF 5) 50 COPY INCV ADAMS (142 copies calculated)
7. WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #3 CVR F 50 COPY INCV BW LAFUENTE (143 copies calculated)
8. HARBINGER #25 50 COPY INCV KITSON (152 copies calculated)
9. Q2 RTN QUANTUM & WOODY #5 (OF 5) CVR C 25 COPY INCV LAMING (155 copies calculated)
10. IVAR TIMEWALKER #2 40 COPY INCV VILLALOBOS (NEXT) (156 copies calculated)
11. Q2 RTN QUANTUM & WOODY #4 (OF 5) 25 COPY INCV CHEN (162 copies calculated)
12. THE VALIANT #4 (OF 4) CVR C 50 COPY INCV FRANCAVILLA (NEXT) (165 copies calculated)
13. ARMOR HUNTERS #3 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV SUAYAN (AH) (168 copies calculated)
14. BLOODSHOT REBORN #10 CVR G 50 COPY INCV B&W LAROSA (173 copies calculated)
15. UNITY #6 50 COPY INCV CAFU (175 copies calculated)
16. SHADOWMAN #13 50 COPY INCV DAVIS (176 copies calculated)
17. ETERNAL WARRIOR #5 50 COPY INCV MACK (178 copies calculated)
18. Q2 RTN QUANTUM & WOODY #3 (OF 5) 25 COPY INCV JIMENEZ (178 copies calculated)
19. WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR #2 CVR F 50 COPY INCV BW LAFUENTE (178 copies calculated)
20. UNITY #2 100 COPY INCV B&W SKETCH (180 copies calculated)
21. THE VALIANT #3 (OF 4) CVR C 50 COPY INCV FRANCAVILLA (NEXT) (185 copies calculated)
22. THE VALIANT #1 (OF 4) 100 COPY INCV B&W RIVERA (198 copies calculated)
23. QUANTUM & WOODY MUST DIE #4 (OF 4) CVR B 20 COPY INCV GRACE (200 copies calculated)
24. QUANTUM & WOODY MUST DIE #1 (OF 4) 25 COPY INCV ZDARSKY (203 copies calculated)
25. QUANTUM & WOODY #5 50 COPY INCV MCKONE (203 copies calculated)
26. Q2 RTN QUANTUM & WOODY #2 (OF 5) 25 COPY INCV SEARS (204 copies calculated)
27. ETERNAL WARRIOR DAYS OF STEEL #1 (OF 3) 30 COPY INCV B&W NORD (206 copies calculated)
28. ARMOR HUNTERS #2 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV HITCH (210 copies calculated)
29. QUANTUM & WOODY MUST DIE #3 (OF 4) CVR B 20 COPY INCV KANO (213 copies calculated)
30. X-O MANOWAR #25 50 COPY INCV DODSON (AH) (214 copies calculated)
31. UNITY #24 CVR B 20 COPY INCV BARRIONUEVO (214 copies calculated)
32. THE VALIANT #2 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV FRANCAVILLA (218 copies calculated)
33. ARMOR HUNTERS AFTERMATH #1 25 COPY INCV SUAYAN (225 copies calculated)
34. HARBINGER (VU) #15 50 COPY INCV HUGHES (226 copies calculated)
35. IMPERIUM #12 CVR C 20 COPY INCV PALO (226 copies calculated)
36. ETERNAL WARRIOR DAYS OF STEEL #3 (OF 3) 20 COPY INCV BARRIONUEVO (233 copies calculated)
37. IMPERIUM #11 CVR C 20 COPY INCV WALSH (235 copies calculated)
38. QUANTUM & WOODY MUST DIE #2 (OF 4) CVR C 20 COPY INCV GRACE (240 copies calculated)
39. BLOODSHOT #25 25 COPY INCV PERLIN (240 copies calculated)
40. DELINQUENTS #1 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV LUPACCHINO (VF) (242 copies calculated)
41. X-O MANOWAR #34 CVR E 25 COPY INCV GUICE (245 copies calculated)
42. IVAR TIMEWALKER #12 CVR C 20 COPY INCV KANO (245 copies calculated)
43. UNITY #0 25 COPY INCV DAUTERMAN (246 copies calculated)
44. UNITY #21 CVR B 20 COPY INCV GRACE (246 copies calculated)
45. IMPERIUM #9 CVR C 20 COPY INCV RYP (248 copies calculated)
46. HARBINGER WARS (VU) #4 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV PERGER (248 copies calculated)
47. IVAR TIMEWALKER #11 CVR C 20 COPY INCV FOWLER (248 copies calculated)
48. IMPERIUM #10 CVR C 20 COPY INCV DE LA TORRE (250 copies calculated)
49. UNITY #17 CVR C 20 COPY INCV RYP (254 copies calculated)
50. UNITY #22 CVR B 20 COPY INCV DEKAL (255 copies calculated)
51. IMPERIUM #1 CVR G 40 COPY INCV BRAITHWAITE (256 copies calculated)
52. UNITY #20 CVR B 20 COPY INCV HENRY (256 copies calculated)
53. DIVINITY #1 (OF 4) CVR E 40 COPY INCV LAROSA (257 copies calculated)
54. ARMOR HUNTERS BLOODSHOT #1 (OF 3) 25 COPY INCV HAIRSINE (258 copies calculated)
55. UNITY #23 CVR C 20 COPY INCV EATON (259 copies calculated)
56. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG (VU) #10 50 COPY INCV ROBINSON (260 copies calculated)
57. DIVINITY #2 (OF 4) CVR E 30 COPY INCV LAROSA (261 copies calculated)
58. HARBINGER WARS (VU) #3 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV ZIRCHER (262 copies calculated)
59. X-O MANOWAR (VU) #15 50 COPY INCV KOTAKI (262 copies calculated)
60. ARMOR HUNTERS HARBINGER #1 (OF 3) 25 COPY INCV HAIRSINE (264 copies calculated)
61. UNITY #16 CVR C 20 COPY INCV FUSO (265 copies calculated)
62. VALIANT SIZED QUANTUM & WOODY #1 20 COPY INCV HAWTHORNE (265 copies calculated)
63. IVAR TIMEWALKER #10 CVR C 20 COPY INCV WADA (267 copies calculated)
64. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #25 20 COPY INCV CALAFIORE (268 copies calculated)
65. UNITY #19 CVR C 20 COPY INCV GRACE (269 copies calculated)
66. UNITY #15 CVR C 20 COPY INCV CHRISCROSS (NEW ARC) (269 copies calculated)
67. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG (NEW) #5 50 COPY INCV WARRIOR cover (272 copies calculated)
68. UNITY #14 20 COPY INCV LEE (273 copies calculated)
69. IVAR TIMEWALKER #8 CVR C 20 COPY INCV MODERN GILL (275 copies calculated)
70. ETERNAL WARRIOR DAYS OF STEEL #2 (OF 3) 20 COPY INCV ALBUQUERQUE (275 copies calculated)
71. IVAR TIMEWALKER #9 CVR D 20 COPY INCV BARRIONUEVO (278 copies calculated)
72. IVAR TIMEWALKER #3 CVR D 20 COPY INCV VILLALOBOS (NEXT) (279 copies calculated)
73. IVAR TIMEWALKER #7 CVR C 20 COPY INCV PLATINUM GILL (279 copies calculated)
74. UNITY #18 CVR D 20 COPY INCV EISMA (280 copies calculated)
75. IVAR TIMEWALKER #5 CVR D 20 COPY INCV GOLD AGE GILL (281 copies calculated)
76. IVAR TIMEWALKER #6 CVR C 20 COPY INCV SILVER AGE GILL (283 copies calculated)
77. Q2 RTN QUANTUM & WOODY #1 (OF 5) 25 COPY INCV BRIGHT (284 copies calculated)
78. ARMOR HUNTERS #4 (OF 4) 20 COPY INCV HAIRSINE (AH) (284 copies calculated)
79. ARMOR HUNTERS #1 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV BRAITHWAITE (285 copies calculated)
80. HARBINGER OMEGAS #3 (OF 3) 20 COPY INCV FABRY (286 copies calculated)
81. BLOODSHOT #24 20 COPY INCV GRACE (286 copies calculated)
82. IMPERIUM #6 CVR C 20 COPY INCV KANO (287 copies calculated)
83. UNITY #1 200 COPY INCV B&W SKETCH ADAMS (287 copies calculated)
84. DR MIRAGE SECOND LIVES #2 (OF 4) CVR D 20 COPY INCV LENOX (288 copies calculated)
85. HARBINGER WARS (VU) #2 (OF 4) 50 COPY INCV PERGER (289 copies calculated)
86. UNITY #13 20 COPY INCV ALBUQUERQUE (289 copies calculated)
87. IVAR TIMEWALKER #4 CVR C 20 COPY INCV VILLALOBOS (290 copies calculated)
88. RAI #6 25 COPY INCV LEMIRE (292 copies calculated)
89. X-O MANOWAR #43 CVR D 20 COPY INCV CHOI (292 copies calculated)
90. BLOODSHOT & HARD CORPS #21 25 COPY INCV FOWLER (294 copies calculated)
91. HARBINGER FAITH #0 20 COPY INCV LEVEL (294 copies calculated)
92. X-O MANOWAR #30 25 COPY INCV SANDOVAL (294 copies calculated)
93. PUNK MAMBO #0 20 COPY INCV ANDRASOFSZKY (294 copies calculated)
94. X-O MANOWAR (ONGOING) #11 50 COPY INCV SEARS CVR (295 copies calculated)
95. IVAR TIMEWALKER #1 50 COPY INCV KITSON (295 copies calculated)
96. IMPERIUM #8 CVR C 20 COPY INCV HENRY (298 copies calculated)
97. IMPERIUM #3 CVR D 20 COPY INCV CHAR DESIGN BRAITHWAITE (299 copies calculated)
98. ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #24 20 COPY INCV GUERRA (299 copies calculated)
99. DELINQUENTS #2 (OF 4) 20 COPY INCV DOE (VF) (303 copies calculated)
100. HARBINGER #25 25 COPY INCV CHEN (303 copies calculated)

*NOTE: Valiant can print any number of copies they like, but they do announce incentive ratios via Previews and the monthly sales numbers are shown on Comichron.com. The calculations used to make this list are to determine what portion of Comichron.com sales numbers are likely to be non-incentives, then to apply the Preview incentive ratios to the non-incentive portion of the monthly Comichron number. It is likely that Valiant printed more copies than what is calculated because the calculation is for the first month of North American sales, not for worldwide orders. Additional copies are printed to allow for damages and for Valiant internal use (such as providing to artists, writers, etc.). Simply stated, this is all the information we have available that can be used to create a list like this. The calculation for Divinity #1 1:40 is 257 copies (#53 in the list), while Dinesh has stated that the print run was 350 copies. Perhaps that gives us some idea of the amount of extra copies per book.

P.S. Here's a handy link for anyone who feels the need to head over to Ebay from here: http://www.ebay.com/sch/items/?_nkw=valiant" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[depluto]

The Valiant 4 1:50 and Shadowman 13 1:50 are looking pretty collectible.

[greg]

The Valiant 4 1:50 and Shadowman 13 1:50 are looking pretty collectible.

Right, the intersection of this list with the list of keys (or at least, what we hope will become keys) is a very interesting place to watch the Valiant market.
(The only problem with that plan... is that there may be months with no copies for sale anywhere.)

[depluto]

I might or might not have just gone on eBay and snapped up some 1:50s.

[Valiant One]

Thanks for the great work Greg!

Ed

[FormerReader]

My first book doesn't show up until #17.

[rentu]

And my missing 16 books all make sense now
15 now!

[CongoBill]

Yeah, I was just thinking about this the other day when I was perusing the numbers on Comichron. Even the 1:20 copies of books such as Imperium and Ivar are pretty darned limited due to the unfortunately low sales numbers on some of those titles. Of the current books being published, I'd say any 1:50 copies, other than the first issues, which tend to sell much higher, are going to be severely limited. I figured Wrath of Eternal Warrior #3 would be very low (it's #7 on the list) as well as the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:50. What about the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant? I don't see it on the list but I have to figure that is pretty scarce. Any idea how to calculate the numbers on the linewide variants?

Thanks for putting this together. Very useful information here.

[agent_graves]

Thanks for putting this together. Very useful information here.

Thanks for the great work Greg!

+1

[DirtbagSailor]

Thanks for putting this together. Very useful information here.

Thanks for the great work Greg!

+1

+1

[greg]

Yeah, I was just thinking about this the other day when I was perusing the numbers on Comichron. Even the 1:20 copies of books such as Imperium and Ivar are pretty darned limited due to the unfortunately low sales numbers on some of those titles. Of the current books being published, I'd say any 1:50 copies, other than the first issues, which tend to sell much higher, are going to be severely limited. I figured Wrath of Eternal Warrior #3 would be very low (it's #7 on the list) as well as the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:50. What about the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant? I don't see it on the list but I have to figure that is pretty scarce. Any idea how to calculate the numbers on the linewide variants?

Thanks for putting this together. Very useful information here.

Sure, the linewide variants are based on all Valiant sales in that month. Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant is based on the January sales of 67,000 Valiant books. It's around 670 copies.

[SwiftMann]

Yeah, I was just thinking about this the other day when I was perusing the numbers on Comichron. Even the 1:20 copies of books such as Imperium and Ivar are pretty darned limited due to the unfortunately low sales numbers on some of those titles. Of the current books being published, I'd say any 1:50 copies, other than the first issues, which tend to sell much higher, are going to be severely limited. I figured Wrath of Eternal Warrior #3 would be very low (it's #7 on the list) as well as the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:50. What about the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant? I don't see it on the list but I have to figure that is pretty scarce. Any idea how to calculate the numbers on the linewide variants?

Thanks for putting this together. Very useful information here.

Sure, the linewide variants are based on all Valiant sales in that month. Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant is based on the January sales of 67,000 Valiant books. It's around 670 copies.

But doesn't that assume every store that ordered any part of that 67k ordered at least 100 issues? Same problem with all the incentive variant calcs, no? It assumes that only a small percentage of stores met the max copies and the numbers are the maximum amount of incentives that could be produced.

A couple years ago, it was reported there were about 2600 comic shops in the U.S. If all shops ordered equally, that's only 26 copies per store, so no one would get incentives. In order to get 670 copies of the Linewide out there, only 25% of all the stores in the U.S. would be buying all the Valiant comics.

It could be broken down a thousand ways. For example:

100 stores get 50 copies
750 stores get 30 copies
600 stores get 20 copies
1000 stores get 12 copies

That leaves only 150 stores to get 103 copies, so there'd only be 150 of the 1:100 Linewide allocated.


Or:

1000 stores get 0 copies
350 stores get 75 copies
100 stores get 40 copies
875 stores get 10 copies

That leaves 275 stores to get 102 copies, so there'd be 275 of the 1:100 Linewide allocated.

[DirtbagSailor]

Don't forget incentive variant pre-orders by DCBS, TfAW, and/or Impulse Creations.

A person willing to order 10x of a 1:100 variant for $1,000 can certainly do so, and in the process those online retailers will have an extra $1,000 books to sell over time for profit (since they already made their money by selling not th 10x 1:100's).

I suspect more than a few of the variants are obtained this way.

[greg]

Yeah, I was just thinking about this the other day when I was perusing the numbers on Comichron. Even the 1:20 copies of books such as Imperium and Ivar are pretty darned limited due to the unfortunately low sales numbers on some of those titles. Of the current books being published, I'd say any 1:50 copies, other than the first issues, which tend to sell much higher, are going to be severely limited. I figured Wrath of Eternal Warrior #3 would be very low (it's #7 on the list) as well as the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:50. What about the Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant? I don't see it on the list but I have to figure that is pretty scarce. Any idea how to calculate the numbers on the linewide variants?

Thanks for putting this together. Very useful information here.

Sure, the linewide variants are based on all Valiant sales in that month. Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:100 linewide variant is based on the January sales of 67,000 Valiant books. It's around 670 copies.

But doesn't that assume every store that ordered any part of that 67k ordered at least 100 issues? Same problem with all the incentive variant calcs, no? It assumes that only a small percentage of stores met the max copies and the numbers are the maximum amount of incentives that could be produced.

Valiant is printing all of the ratio incentive variants, whether they are earned or not. Valiant needs the extras for damages and for giveaways (to the artist, writer, etc.) or file copies. What actually happens to those extra books isn't known (if there are leftover extras), but it is the same sellers every month on Ebay (the same dealers) who have multiples of Valiant incentive variants... making it pretty clear that they buy a large bulk of Valiant books. The linewide books are easier for a dealer to obtain, because 100 of all the Valiant books (there are 7 to 9 titles per month) is an average of 12 to 15 copies per title. Meanwhile, Bloodshot Reborn #10 1:50 variant required ordering 50 copies of Bloodshot Reborn #10.

[SwiftMann]

I wasn't questioning whether or not they exist. Just saying the numbers provided are the maximum possible calculated copies and not necessarily representative of what will be found "in the wild."

[greg]

I wasn't questioning whether or not they exist. Just saying the numbers provided are the maximum possible calculated copies and not necessarily representative of what will be found "in the wild."

"maximum possible calculated copies" doesn't sound right. These are the calculated copies based on North American sales in the first month. If we had the worldwide sales for all months, we'd have higher sales numbers, and we'd have higher calculated copies. A good example is Divinity #1 1:40 variant, stated by Dinesh to be 350 copies, but only calculated to be 257 copies. So, 257 can't be the "maximum possible calculated copies".

There are two variables at play... one is that retailers might not earn all the copies (meaning there are fewer), but the other is that the total numbers are higher than first month North America numbers (meaning there are more).

Practically speaking, however, there aren't many recorded sales for these books after the first month's North American copies are initially sold. So far, the market window is short and then it's a drought.

[SwiftMann]

I wasn't questioning whether or not they exist. Just saying the numbers provided are the maximum possible calculated copies and not necessarily representative of what will be found "in the wild."

"maximum possible calculated copies" doesn't sound right. These are the calculated copies based on North American sales in the first month. If we had the worldwide sales for all months, we'd have higher sales numbers, and we'd have higher calculated copies. A good example is Divinity #1 1:40 variant, stated by Dinesh to be 350 copies, but only calculated to be 257 copies. So, 257 can't be the "maximum possible calculated copies".

Actually 257 is exactly the maximum possible calculated copies. You can't calculate more based on the information in hand.

The fact that there are 350 printed doesn't change that. Or if, hypothetically, only 150 were actually sent to stores.

I'm not saying the numbers as a whole don't show trends and possible rarity, just the numbers themselves are loose estimates at best. Just like icv2's (which comichron seems to be aping).

[greg]

I wasn't questioning whether or not they exist. Just saying the numbers provided are the maximum possible calculated copies and not necessarily representative of what will be found "in the wild."

"maximum possible calculated copies" doesn't sound right. These are the calculated copies based on North American sales in the first month. If we had the worldwide sales for all months, we'd have higher sales numbers, and we'd have higher calculated copies. A good example is Divinity #1 1:40 variant, stated by Dinesh to be 350 copies, but only calculated to be 257 copies. So, 257 can't be the "maximum possible calculated copies".

Actually 257 is exactly the maximum possible calculated copies. You can't calculate more based on the information in hand.

The fact that there are 350 printed doesn't change that. Or if, hypothetically, only 150 were actually sent to stores.

I'm not saying the numbers as a whole don't show trends and possible rarity, just the numbers themselves are loose estimates at best. Just like icv2's (which comichron seems to be aping).

Ahhh... gotcha. I was reading "maximum possible" as suggesting that we should assume fewer are out there... even though we know of cases where there are more. In addition to the Divinity #1 1:40 situation, we know Valiant prints 1,000 copies of the gold books, regardless of ratios published. They are available to dealers for the ratios published, but they are also available to the general public at conventions, giveaways, etc. (Some of those may be trashed either literally or figuratively if the convention attendees don't care about the freebie.)

[DirtbagSailor]

Well, after a quick scan of the "internet" it appears that there are ZERO available copies of Bloodshot: Reborn #10 (LaRosa 1:50) at;

• Midtown Comics
  Impulse Creations
  DCBS
  Amazon
  Ultimate Comics
  My Comic Shop

eBay has one or two as part of a package set for like $120.

Seems like this book has vanished.

[nycjadie]

Interesting... I bought one today at $25.

[JCP]

Well, after a quick scan of the "internet" it appears that there are ZERO available copies of Bloodshot: Reborn #10 (LaRosa 1:50) at;

• Midtown Comics
  Impulse Creations
  DCBS
  Amazon
  Ultimate Comics
  My Comic Shop

eBay has one or two as part of a package set for like $120.

Seems like this book has vanished.

I just picked up a copy online from Midtown. They have at least one more after my purchase. Go get it!

[Valiant One]

Just a heads up,

I picked up the last one from Midtown Comics.

Ed

[valiantking]

would it be able to list the book and have a link or picture to the cover?

[IMJ]

Every single one of these books is post IMJ VH2 collecting...
Ironically, I got out of it partially because of the variant madness, but mostly because of the lack of contiguous, ongoing series.

[greg]

would it be able to list the book and have a link or picture to the cover?

Yes. I'm trying to combine the Previews/Comichron data with the ValiantFan.com regular database (and do updates), so it may be a while.
http://www.valiantdatabase.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (run by Martin Ferretti) does have these covers.

Here are the top 5 listed: