"New" Wizard Newsstand Variants?

[nycjadie]

I just found that Wizard had both direct and newsstand variants. It wasn't something I ever thought to consider.

Wizard 17 has a cover with Bloodshot and Solar on it (along with others in a gatefold). This issue came in a direct polybagged edition with Holly Daye and Santa the Barbarian trading cards packed loosely. There is a newsstand edition with a UPC. The Santa card is bound in the issue, along with a Fanimation card insert.

Wizard: The Dark Book has both a polybagged direct and newsstand variant. This issue comes with a Darque bookmark. The UPC is on the back. The direct version has a little Carnage image.

I do not see that there was a Wizard 23 variant (also a Valiant cover), or a 16 (Magnus/Predator card included).

Any others I'm not thinking about?

[magnusr]

I just found that Wizard had both direct and newsstand variants. It wasn't something I ever thought to consider.

Good catch. Another thing to look for... I have a few Wizard 17s (both gold and silver) but none with UPC. No UPC on my copies of issue 7, 23 or Dark either.

/Magnus

[nycjadie]

I completely forgot about the Wizard 17 silver variant. I would think that would be direct only. I can't see any online copies that show a UPC.

I also forgot about Wizard 7 (great cover). eBay does not show any newsstand variants of that issue either.

Maybe it's just 17 and the Dark Book.

[corey]

Very neat, never knew there were different versions

[iggy101us]

Nice find. Just when we thought we have found all the newsstand variants!

There's also the Wizard Special Edition, The Beginning of the Valiant Era (X-O, Bloodshot, Ninjak cover). I don't see a newsstand variant on eBay, which doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[iggy101us]

Oh, by "The Dark Book", you mean the Beginning of the Valiant Era Special Edition . . . there's actually a Wizards: The Dark Book which talks about villains.

What about the Hero Illustrated magazines? I see some Hero magazines with newsstand variants.

[nycjadie]

Oh, by "The Dark Book", you mean the Beginning of the Valiant Era Special Edition . . . there's actually a Wizards: The Dark Book which talks about villains.

What about the Hero Illustrated magazines? I see some Hero magazines with newsstand variants.

It’s the Dark Book with Carnage on the front. It has a Valiant bookmark in the polybag.

I haven’t noticed a newsstand for Hero 1.