Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Dynamite, IDW, Image, Marvel Comics, Oni Press, Titan, Vault | Tagged: blind bag, variant
Blindbagonomics And Comics 101 – how blindbags are changing the direct market for comic books
In recent months, the concept of the “blind bag” has jumped from collectables to comic books, with series launching with “blind bags” containing all manner of mysterious things. Pioneered by the comic book Battle Beast, published by Skybound and Image Comics, it got a 400,000 print run, which saw everyone else try to copy it, including DC Comics, Dynamite, Vault, and IDW. That original blind bag contained what seemed to be impossible things, a reprint of a Marvel Comics title, say, or the second issue of the series, as well as the first. Since then, it has sadly shifted to a random foil version of another cover with DC’s Batman #1. But it still sold 500,000, so maybe what’s inside doesn’t matter as much as it being in a blind bag, and collector’s FOMO kicks in. This is clearly an example of what I have coined “blindbagonomics”, which is the economic theory that no matter how shoddy what’s inside the blind bag, you can still add a zero to the print run if you use it. That’s until it becomes so ubiquitous that it is no longer special and sales fall off a cliff. So, in the first chapter of Blindbagonomics and Comics, let’s have a look at the recent December 2025 solicits and solicitations, in which there are a number of new blind bag comics being solicited, mostly from Dynamite Entertainment.
Blindbagonomics: We have the Red Sonja New Year’s Special 2025 by Dan Panosian and Valeria Burzo, which promises “An exclusive mystery blind bag! Each mystery blind bag includes two separate copies of the issue, both of which are exclusive to the blind bag — one blank Authentix edition, and one of five unique variant cover art editions”, for $15. This is replicated as an offering for Fire And Ice: Nekron #1 by Sara Frazetta and Geoff Isherwood, and the ThunderCats Ho!(liday) Special 2025 #1 by Ed Brisson and Fabio Gallo.
Blindbagonomics: While for Heat Seeker Exposed #4 from Titan Comics, they are launching an “intimate blind bag” and stating that each cover will be unique, “Based on cover C, this intimate blind bag features new art elements by BRÄO… Pioneering printing technique that turns each blind bag cover into a wholly unique piece of collectible art! One-off color palette and alternate character & element designs.”
Blindbagonomics: For Rick And Morty: The End #1 from Oni Press, they are instead doing a Blind Bag-Less edition, asking “What is a blind bag-less cover anyway? “We’re glad you asked, friend! Simple: It’s the latest innovation in cutting-edge comic book marketing technology. You see, we here at Oni Press accidentally bent all nine copies of Battle Dog #1 that we hastily opened in the parking lot with our teeth. So we asked ourselves, “Surely there must be a better way?!” Enter: THE BLIND BAG-LESS VARIANT COVER—the most convenient, no-mess, no-fuss variant cover delivery system ever attempted. No flimsy plastic, no environmentally destructive waste—nothing to protect you from the raw comic book awesomeness of Rick and Morty teleporting back through time and space to hilariously deface four of their most iconic comic covers of the past decade, totally randomized in no particular order. Is this meta? We’ve never been exactly sure what that means, but sure . . . this is meta. We encourage you to ironically order 39 of these just to prove how meta it is.
Blindbagonomics: Marvel Comics’ True Believers blind bag for Ultimate Endgame #1 will include one of a number of covers, or exclusive virgin variant covers by Peach Momoko and Mark Brooks, a homage variant cover by Stonehouse, or one of several rare, blind bag exclusive variant covers by surprise contributors that will remain unrevealed until the issue’s release. There may also be one-of-a-kind original artist sketch variant covers by various surprise artists, signed by the artist and including Leinil Francis, Peach Momoko, Mark Bagley, Ron Lim, Pepe Larraz and many more. A few examples above…
Blind Bag Exclusive
While Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13 from IDW has blind bag cover artists including Daniel Warren Johnson, Clayton Crain, David Nakayama, Kevin Eastman, while also making sure the blind bag itself is cover price at $4.99, half the price of DC’s K.O. #1 and Batman #1. While the 1:100 blind bag Rahzzah cover is also the first reveal and cover appearance of the new TMNT villain Ujigami…
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #13 Blind Bag, art by Freddie E. Williams IIThe full lineup of cool covers that can surprise fans when they open their blind bags (Variant F) includes:Freddie E. Williams II (Cover A)Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop (Cover B)Jared Cullum (Cover C, Holiday Theme Variant)Clayton Crain (Cover D)Daniel Warren Johnson (Cover E)Kevin Eastman and Ben Bishop full art (1:25 incentive variant)Clayton Crain full art (1:50 incentive variant)Daniel Warren Johnson full art (1:75 incentive variant)Dustin Nguyen (1:100 incentive variant)David Nakayama (1:250 incentive variant)Nathan Szerdy (blind bag exclusive 1:25 ratio variant)Rahzzah (blind bag exclusive 1:100 ratio variant, features first cover appearance of new villain Ujigami)David Nakayama full art (blind bag exclusive 1:250 ratio variant)
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