Faqs By INVENTORY

YES.  WHEN A SALE IS MADE IN THE STORE, THE WEBSITE SEES ITS QUANTITIES DEBITED.  THE SAME GOES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION: IF A SALE IS MADE ON THE WEB, THE STORE INVENTORY IS DEPLETED.  THERE IS A SHORT DELAY BETWEEN BUT IT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT IN MOST CASES TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE GET WHAT THEY WANT, EVEN IF STOCKS ARE LOW.

UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED IMAGES THAT APPEAR IN PRODUCT LISTINGS ARE PROVIDED DIRECTLY FROM OUR DISTRIBUTORS. IN THE CASE OF DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, THESE IMAGES ARE PROVIDED TO DCD BY THEIR RESPECTIVE PUBLISHERS AND/OR COMPANIES.

THE IMAGES, IN MANY CASES, ARE COVERS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN BRANDED WITH TITLES OR LOGOS AND THEREFORE ARE NOT FINAL VERSIONS OF THE PRODUCTS THAT WILL BE SHIPPED ONCE PURCHASED.

ADDITIONALLY VARIANT COVERS, INCENTIVE COVERS, MULTIPLE AVAILABLE COVERS (A, B, C,...), SKETCH COVERS AND BLANK COVERS ARE OFTENTIMES UNAVAILABLE IN THEIR FINAL VERSIONS AT THE TIME OF POSTING; THE VERSIONS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE ARE THOSE MADE AVAILABLE BY THE DISTRIBUTOR AT THE TIME IN WHICH DISTRIBUTION HAS BEEN CONFIRMED.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS LIBRAIRIE Z BOOKSTORE IS RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR THE ACCURACY OF THE IMAGES PRESENTED IN A PRODUCT POSTING.

LIBRAIRIE Z BOOKSTORE SHALL SHIP THE SPECIFIC PRODUCT THAT WAS PURCHASED BASED SOLELY ON THE PRODUCT'S DESCRIPTION WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT MATCH THE IMAGE THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DISTRIBUTOR FOR POSTING PURPOSES.

SO, THE QUESTION IS: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS A COMIC BOOK VARIANT?

WE’LL DO OUR BEST TO ANSWER THAT WITH SOME CLARITY SO HERE’S HOW WE’LL DO IT: WE’LL BREAK THE RESPONSE INTO THREE PARTS!

NEW PRINTING VARIANTS, RATIO VARIANTS AND RETAILER INCENTIVE VARIANTS (RI VARIANTS).

FIRST, THOUGH, LET'S DEFINE WHAT A REGULAR COVER OR COMIC BOOK IS.

WHEN A COMIC BOOK IS ORIGINALLY RELEASED, MEANING IT IS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT THE CONTENTS HAVE GONE TO PRESS AND ARE PRINTED UNDER A CERTAIN TITLE (YES, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS HERE TOO!*), THAT IS WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE 1ST PRINTING.

BASED ON PRE-SALES COLLECTED FROM GLOBAL VENDORS PUBLISHERS WILL DETERMINE HOW MANY COPIES OF THE 1ST PRINT WILL BE PRINTED WITH AN OVERRUN MARGIN.

THESE FIRST PRINTS ARE LISTED ON THIS SITE AS "RETAIL" IN MOST CASES WHICH CAN ALSO BE REFERRED TO IN THE INDUSTRY AS DIRECT MARKET (DM), WHICH ARE DISTRIBUTED ONLY TO SPECIALTY COMIC BOOK RETAILERS THAT MAY VARY SLIGHTLY FROM NEWSSTAND VERSIONS.

IN REGARDS TO LISTINGS ON LIBRAIRIE Z BOOKSTORE "RETAIL" APPLIES IF A 1ST PRINT BOOK IS OFFERED WITH JUST A SINGLE COVER.

*THE EXCEPTION EXPLANATION: IN THE PARAGRAPH ABOVE WE STATE, "…IT IS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT THE CONTENTS HAVE GONE TO PRESS AND ARE PRINTED UNDER A CERTAIN TITLE…." THIS IS TRUE, HOWEVER, REPRINTS CAN APPEAR IN FIRST PRINT EDITIONS OF BOOKS SO LONG AT THE TITLE OR VOLUME OF THE BOOK IS DIFFERENT.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF SOME OR ALL OF CONTENTS OF FANTASTIC FOUR #1000 REAPPEAR IN FANTASTIC TEAM-UP #50 THEN BOTH ISSUES ARE CONSIDERED 1ST PRINT BOOKS. FANTASTIC FOUR #1000 CONTAINS CONTENT THAT HAS GONE TO PRESS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME AND FANTASTIC TEAM-UP #50, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A FIRST PRINT, CONTAINS REPRINTED MATERIAL.

HAD THE REPRINTED MATERIAL SHOWN UP IN A NEW PRINTING OF FANTASTIC FOUR #1000 THEN THAT BOOK WOULD BE CONSIDERED A 2ND PRINT VARIANT. CONFUSED? REFER TO "PRINT VARIANTS" BELOW.

JUST TO THROW A WRENCH INTO THINGS THERE ARE MORE EXCEPTIONS: MULTIPLE COVERS! WE’LL BEGIN WITH THE COMMON 50/50 SPLIT: COVER A & COVER B: THIS OCCURS FREQUENTLY AMONG SEVERAL PUBLISHERS.

IN THIS CASE A PUBLISHER WILL DIVIDE THE 1ST PRINT RUN INTO AN EQUAL SPLIT IN WHICH HALF THE PRINT-RUN IS RELEASED WITH ONE COVER AND THE BALANCE IN ANOTHER.

BOTH COVERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE 1ST PRINT ORIGINALS AND RETAIL AT RELEASE AT THE SAME VALUE ON THE DATE THEY ARE RELEASED. COVERS A, B, C, D, ETC…: IN A CASE LIKE THIS THERE ARE VARIOUS 1ST PRINT COVERS RELEASED IN EQUAL RATIOS OF AN ISSUE. ALL COVERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE 1ST PRINT ORIGINALS AND RETAIL AT THE SAME VALUE ON THE DATE THEY ARE RELEASED.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS: IF THERE ARE POSTINGS FOR COVER A AND COVER B IN OUR LISTINGS, ONLY COVER A WILL BE OFFERED WITHIN THE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE. IF YOU WISH TO OBTAIN COVER B THEN IT WILL HAVE TO BE ADDED TO YOUR INBOX DIRECTLY FROM THE PRODUCT’S LISTING.

IF THERE ARE TWO OR MORE EQUAL SPLIT COVERS AVAILABLE AND THE ITEM POSTING SHOWS "RETAIL" AS OPPOSED TO MULTIPLE COVERS (COVER A, COVER B, ETC…) THE COVER THAT WILL SHIP WITH SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL BE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THOSE RECEIVED.

SO NOW THAT WE’VE GOTTEN ALL THAT NOISE OUT OF THE WAY WE CAN HOPEFULLY HELP IN DEFINING VARIANTS FOR YOU.

NEW PRINTING VARIANTS: A NEW PRINTING VARIANT OCCURS WHEN A TITLE SELLS OUT RAPIDLY EITHER BEFORE OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER ITS FORECAST RELEASE DATE. (A BOOK CAN SELL OUT BEFORE IT IS RELEASED WHEN RETAILERS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR INITIAL ORDERS BEFORE DISTRIBUTION BEYOND THE PRINT RUN THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED).

WHEN THIS SITUATION OCCURS A PUBLISHER DESIRES TWO THINGS:

1. TO COMPENSATE FOR READERS INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING THE BOOKS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AND...

2. TO MAKE AS MUCH PROFIT AS THEY CAN FROM A SINGLE PUBLICATION. THE REMEDY FOR THIS IS SENDING THE BOOK BACK TO PRINT. IN MOST CASES PUBLISHERS MAY ALTER THE ORIGINAL COVER OF THE BOOK WITH A NEW DISTINGUISHING FEATURE TO DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM THE PREVIOUS PRINTING(S).

THESE NEW PRINTINGS OCCUR SHORTLY AFTER A BOOK’S ORIGINAL RELEASE TO REACH THE READERS WHILE THE PUBLICATION IS STILL HIGHLY POPULAR.

THESE NEW PRINTING VARIANTS ARE REFERRED TO 2ND, 3RD, 4TH, ETC… PRINT VARIANTS.

RATIO VARIANTS: THESE VARIANTS HAVE BECOME A COMMON STRATEGY ADOPTED BY MOST MAJOR PUBLISHERS SUCH AS MARVEL AND DC COMICS WITHIN THE LAST DECADE WHICH NOW SEEM TO MAKE UP PART OF THE REGULAR COMIC BUSINESS.

UNDERSTANDING THESE VARIANTS IS A SIMPLE CONCEPT BASED ON THE VOLUME OF BOOKS RETAILERS PURCHASE OF THE REGULAR RETAIL EDITION.

FOR EXAMPLE A ONE IN TEN RATIO VARIANT (1:10 VARIANT) MEANS THAT IF A RETAILER ORDERS TEN COPIES OF THE REGULAR RETAIL EDITION THEY NOW HAVE THE OPTION TO ORDER ONE EXCLUSIVE EDITION OF THE BOOK.

THAT MEANS THAT 10% OR LESS OF THIS BOOKS PRINT RUN WOULD FEATURE AN ALTERNATIVE EDITION OF THE BOOK.

THE INNER CONTENTS OF THE BOOK (STORY, PAGES, ADS, ETC.) WITH THESE VARIANTS ARE ALWAYS IDENTICAL TO THE REGULAR RETAIL EDITION SO THERE IS NOTHING DIFFERENT OFFERED.

THEY ARE ALL ALSO FIRST PRINTS OF THE BOOK.

THE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE OF RATIO VARIANTS IS THEIR COVERS.

IN MANY CASED DIFFERENT ARTISTS WILL PROVIDE COVERS TO THE SAME BOOK INCREASING THE APPEAL OF ACQUIRING THE BOOK.

SO, NOT ONLY ARE YOU ACQUIRING A BOOK THAT IS MORE RARE THAN THE REGULAR RETAIL EDITION, YOU MAY BE ACQUIRING THE BOOK WITH A COVER DRAWN BY A FAVORITE CREATOR.

ONLY THE TEST OF TIME WILL DETERMINE THE OVERALL APPEAL AND VALUE OF THESE VARIANTS, BUT TO COLLECTORS THAT ARE TRUE COMPLETISTS, THESE VARIANTS ARE MUST-HAVES EVEN AT THE HIGHEST OF RATIOS!

RATIO VARIANTS ARE FREQUENTLY OFFERED IN THE FOLLOWING RATIOS: 1:10, 1:15, 1:25, 1:50, 1:75, 1:100 AND 1:200.

THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT THERE CAN’T BE 1:44 OR 1:52 VARIANT EDITIONS, BOTH OF WHICH EXIST, HOWEVER THEY ARE FAR LESS COMMON.

SO IF YOU SEE A 1:100 VARIANT POSTING, IT MEANS THAT THE BOOK LISTED HAS A PRINT RUN THAT CONSISTS OF LESS THAN 1% OF THE BOOK’S REGULAR RETAIL EDITION.

RI VARIANTS (RETAILER INCENTIVE): THESE VARIANTS CAN GO EITHER WAY; THEY CAN EITHER BE REALLY SIMPLE OR HAVE RETAILERS JUMP THROUGH HOOPS LIKE WELL TRAINED CIRCUS ACTS.

LET'S GET THE SIMPLE ONE OUT OF THE WAY AND SAVE THE BRAIN-TWISTER FOR LAST.

AN RI VARIANT IS SIMPLE WHEN A PUBLISHER PROVIDES THE DISTRIBUTION CONSTRAINTS UP FRONT WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT AN RI VARIANT CAN BE:

- EVERY RETAILER THAT PARTICIPATES IN "NAMED EVENT" WILL RECEIVE ONE EXCLUSIVE VARIANT OF "BOOK SERIES NO. XX".

- EVERY RETAILER CAN ORDER A MAXIMUM OF THREE COPIES OF "BOOK SERIES NO. XX".

BUT SOMETIMES, THE PUBLISHER MAKES ITS SO HELLISH, IT TURNS INTO A MATH MARATHON!

- FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MAY GET ONE COPY OF VARIANT OF BOOK SERIES X IF YOU ORDER 25% MORE THAN YOUR ORDER OF APRIL OF TILE Y.

- YOU MAY GET ONE VARIANT OF BOOK X  FOR EACH ORDERS OF TITLE Z THAT MATCH OR EXCEED YOUR ORDER OF TITLE Y OR TITLE W FROM THREE MONTHS AGO.

AND THERE ARE EVEN MORE COMPLICATED SITUATIONS.  SO RI VARIANTS ARE A MAJOR PAIN IN EVERYONES BUTTS...

THE CONDITION OF COMIC BOOKS LISTED IN THE COMICS CATEGORY ARE NM (NEAR MINT) CONDITION: 9.2 - 9.8.

WE ADHERE TO A STRICT GRADING POLICY, THEREFORE EVERY BOOK IS INSPECTED WITH OUR QUALITY CONTROL GUIDELINES UPON ARRIVAL.

ONCE INSPECTED EVERY COMIC BOOK IS BAG AND BOARDED AND IS PREPPED FOR SHIPPING AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE AS PART OF OUR STANDARDS.

ALL PRODUCTS ON THIS WEBSITE IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: COMICS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, APPAREL, STATUES, TOYS, AND SUPPLIES (WITH HE EXCEPTION OF CERTAIN BACK-ISSUES AND SOME GRADED BOOKS) ARE BRAND NEW MERCHANDISE.

SHOULD ANY PRODUCT SHIP IN UNSATISFACTORY CONDITION PLEASE CONTACT US.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PROMOTIONAL ITEMS AND FREE COMIC BOOK DAY TITLES OFFERED ONLINE ARE NOT BAG AND BOARDED.

NEW COMIC BOOK RELEASES ARE POSTED EVERY WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY THE WEEK BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED.

COMIC BOOK POSTINGS ARE DEPENDANT ON CONFIRMATION OF STOCK ARRIVALS AS PROVIDED BY OUR DISTRIBUTOR DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS.

IF THERE IS A CONFIRMATION OF DELAY, COMIC BOOK POSTINGS MAY BE PUSHED TO FRIDAY.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: VARIANT PRE-ORDERS AND NEW AVAILABLE UPCOMING COMIC BOOK TITLES ARE POSTED WITHIN A WEEK OF A NEW PREVIEWS MAGAZINE MONTHLY RELEASE, ALLOWING AMPLE TIME TO SECURE COPIES WELL IN ADVANCE OF THEIR FORECAST RELEASE DATES.

WE SUGGEST LOOKING AT OUR SUBSCRIPTION PAGE TO SEE THE MANY FEATURES INCLUDED IN ACTIVATING A SUBSCRIPTION WITH US.

HERE ARE THE BEST WAYS TO FIND OUT WHEN NEW PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE:

1. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.  IT'S EASY, YOU CAN FIND THE ACTIVATION IN THE FOOTER BELOW.

2. ACTIVATE A SUBSCRIPTION. THIS IS THE BEST AND QUICKEST WAY OF KNOWING WHEN NEW PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE. AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM ALERT IS FIRST SENT OUT EXCLUSIVELY TO SUBSCRIBERS AS PART OF THE STANDARD SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONS.

UNFORTUNATELY NO. WE HAVE A FEW CANADIAN $1 COMICS, AND WITH GST AND QST, IT COMES DOWN TO $1.20. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE A VIP MEMBER, WE SHOULD CERTAINLY TRY TO FIND A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE YOU.

UNFORTUNATELY NOT.  HOWEVER, WE CAN ORDER ONE FOR YOU SHOULD YOU WANT.  THE TOTALITY OF THE VALUE (IN THE FOUR DIGITS) WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID UPFRONT.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.  BEST READING CHAIR IN HISTORY.

UNFORTUNATELY NO. THESE ARE EXCLUSIVELY DECORATIONS. HOWEVER, IF THE ITEMS ARE STILL AVAILABLE, WE CAN ORDER THEM FOR YOU WITH GREAT PLEASURE.

NO.  THEY ARE STRICTLY DECORATIONS.  HOWEVER, IF THEY ARE STILL AVAILABLE, WE CAN ORDER THEM FOR YOU.

TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO.