5 Strangest DC & Marvel Comics Sales Tactics
4. Get A Free Marvel Variant If You Mail-In A Destroyed DC Comic
Around the same time DC was engaging in, "Blackest Night," Marvel had an event going called, "Siege." It featured the temporary head of the United State's security, Norman Osborn (yes, the famous murderous foe of Spider-Man) experiencing his downfall from power when he goes too far and tries to invade Thor's home of Asgard, which was temporarily floating above Oklahoma. It was an odd series, clearly.
One thing comic companies will often due to boost orders of their comics is offer variant-covers. Variant comics are a normal company practice, but the way Marvel let people order a unique variant of the 3rd issue of "Siege" that featured Deadpool was for them to rip-off the covers of certain, "Blackest Night," tie-in comics. After damaging the comics beyond repair a retailer needed to mail 50 of those ruined comics to Marvel in exchange for the cover of Deadpool mockingly holding-up his hand with a bunch of gold rings. This was at best a crass way and at worst an outright mean way to promote a title.
This isn't the last time this has happened, with Dark Horse recently offering a variant of the soon-to-relaunch "Barb Wire" to retailers who send them ripped-up Marvel comics. One wonders how Marvel felt getting a taste of their own medicine.