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The cost of foil variant covers from Marvel Comics is about to change, and it's actually a good thing for comic retailers.

Marvel Comics has sent out a letter to comic book store owners stating that as of September 30, all of its foil variant covers would now have a uniform price of $3 more than the cost of the comic's regular and non-foil variant covers. For those of us that by foil covers, that's generally what already happens, give or take, but now its a formal $3 upcharge. So while "$3 more" sounds like the price is rising, by and large it isn't... but it is making it cheaper for retailers.

In the past, Marvel Comics has made the cover price of foil comics $3 (give or take) more than the standard covers, but the wholesale price for comic store owners would be such that they would make much less profit on a foil cover than any other kind of comic. Now, Marvel is giving comic stores the same percentage discount on foil covers as it does for all other comics.

For example, in the old method, a $3.99 Marvel comic could typically cost retailers $2 (roughly a 50% discount). But a foil cover would cost $6.99 to fans, and sometimes nearly $6 to retailers... meaning they'd make more selling a regular comic than a foil cover. If you look at your local comic shop's racks, I would wager there's not a lot of open room, so your shop would have to tell two or three times as many foil covers to make the same money they did on any other cover.

What will this mean for fans? It means your local comic shop will be more incentivized to carry those shiny foil covers, and possibly to roll in whatever discounts you might get as part of any loyalty program they have.

What does this mean for comic stores? Foil covers will cost less for comic stores, and in a more predictable way in which they can better set budgets and manage expectations come accounting time. If a $6.99 foil comic cost nearly $6 before to them, they would cost $3.50 now.

This new pricing is set to begin with September 30's Aliens vs. X-Men #1 and Amazing Venom #1, to be followed by the foil editions of October's Doom All-On-One #1, Wolverine: Paradise #1, Daredevil #8, and Predator vs. Punisher #1.

So if comic stores are making more out of this, at whose expense? It's unclear here whether it is the distributor or the publisher taking the burden, or if somehow the cost of foil covers from the printer has somehow reduced... but in this economy, I doubt that.

Interested? Here's where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here's a guide to how (and where) to read comics online. If you're looking for the best comics in recent memory, check out the Eisner Awards winners and the Harvey Awards nominees. And if you like free comics, here's everything we know about Free Comic Book Day 2027.