Today Walking Dead #171 hit the stand with both a standard cover and an advertised variant cover. Both issues listed and sold on our site the past few weeks. Cover B was added later as it was not released in Previews with the original cover. These happen frequently and are added later as Diamond Comic Distributors supplies the files.

Unknown to retailers, Image reportedly released a hidden variant within the variants already ordered. To avoid confusion here, let us just refer to it as just that, a hidden variant. This variant was randomly seeded and could not be ordered by your comic book store. Generally not a big deal, unless you add seven extra pages and tell no one until it comes out.

You guessed it. Seven extra pages and only approximately 10 percent of fans can read them. I am not just disappointed in the lack of product but am offended that it is more important to drive hype and after market price than supply so large a fan base material obviously already written at the time of printing.

I have attached the Bleeding Cool URL as I do not want to ride on a story someone else has written.

I do want to express that my respect for Image Comics Inc. was lowered slightly this morning. Make money by all means but remember why the larger percent of your customer base is paying for the product.