Cover scale

[IanG]

Here is the cover scale as I currently see it:
0: Symbolic (example: the emblem for the team/hero)
1: Completely Iconic (posed, no action)
2: Generic hero/team-in-action (hero is flight, team racing forward)
3: Generic/uninformative (face-off between characters that could apply to almost any meeting/confrontation between those characters)
4: Specific to the storyline
5: Specific to that particular issue

Thoughts?

When you write that a cover is "completely iconic," it reads to me that this is a amazing image that will be remembered for a long time. At least that's how iconic is used in the current culture. Maybe something like it's a static pose image.

[abysslord]

I thought of this thread after reading Avengers Arena #4. The cover shows X-23 and Darkhawk with the title "Island brawl to end them all!" ... X-23 vs. Darkhawk.

After reading the book, that doesn't happen .... Darkhawk really isn't even in the book, and X-23 doesn't fight anyone either, just gets ready to.

How would you rate a cover that actually lies to the consumer?

[BobBretall]

I thought of this thread after reading Avengers Arena #4. The cover shows X-23 and Darkhawk with the title "Island brawl to end them all!" ... X-23 vs. Darkhawk.

After reading the book, that doesn't happen .... Darkhawk really isn't even in the book, and X-23 doesn't fight anyone either, just gets ready to.

How would you rate a cover that actually lies to the consumer?

We'd have to add one to John's list:
3.5: Mis-leading (portrays events that do not occur or characters that do not appear in the issue)

[JohnMayo]

How would you rate a cover that actually lies to the consumer?

I geared the scale to measure how specific the cover was from could apply to anything with that character to conveying a particular story point. Along those lines, I'd give the cover a 5: Specific to that particular issue even thought it is wildly misleading. That illustrates a weakness in that scale since accuracy seems like it should matter.

Unfortunately, given the goal of the cover (at least in terms of this discussion) is to get people to buy the issue, once the sale is made it doesn't really matter if the comic lives up to the "promise" made by the cover. Of course, failing to do so makes it that much harder to convince readers to get the next issue.

[spid]

I thought of this thread after reading Avengers Arena #4. The cover shows X-23 and Darkhawk with the title "Island brawl to end them all!" ... X-23 vs. Darkhawk.

After reading the book, that doesn't happen .... Darkhawk really isn't even in the book, and X-23 doesn't fight anyone either, just gets ready to.

How would you rate a cover that actually lies to the consumer?

Not to spoil anything in the book, but what happens in the issue is shown on the cover. The only difference is how the book plays out. I think in this case it is for the better.

[abysslord]

I thought of this thread after reading Avengers Arena #4. The cover shows X-23 and Darkhawk with the title "Island brawl to end them all!" ... X-23 vs. Darkhawk.

After reading the book, that doesn't happen .... Darkhawk really isn't even in the book, and X-23 doesn't fight anyone either, just gets ready to.

How would you rate a cover that actually lies to the consumer?

Not to spoil anything in the book, but what happens in the issue is shown on the cover. The only difference is how the book plays out. I think in this case it is for the better.

I'd argue even if you stretch things to say the cover did depict what happened, it's still very misleading to readers. Nowhere in the book does X-23 fight Darkhawk .... or even see Darkhawk. I don't even think X-23 fought, it was Hazmat and ...Chase, was that his name? I'm not familiar with any of these characters so names sometimes escape me.

[spid]

What you are labeling as misleading I would label a misdirection. You come in expecting one thing, and you think you are seeing something else. At the end, they show you that yes you did get a version of what you thought you were getting.

[Perry]

What you are labeling as misleading I would label a misdirection.

Is that really any better?

[abysslord]

What you are labeling as misleading I would label a misdirection. You come in expecting one thing, and you think you are seeing something else. At the end, they show you that yes you did get a version of what you thought you were getting.

Well,

PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER_SHOW PRIME_BBCODE_SPOILER:

if he becomes Darkhawk at the end then he wasn't Darkhawk during the fight. It's not like a mystery identity and we see him put on a mask at the end, the crystal transforms him and NOW he's a version of darkhawk. Not really the same thing if you ask me.

Even with your argument though, the other person is still not X-23. It was Hazmat doing all the fighting.

[JohnMayo]

What you are labeling as misleading I would label a misdirection.

Is that really any better?

Some people might (and in the past have) argue that if it sells the particular issue then that is all that matters.

I tend to disagree with focusing on the short term at the expense of the long term. Misleading covers results in readers not trusting the covers which renders them ineffective as a marketing tool. That seems like a bad thing to me.

[spid]

What you are labeling as misleading I would label a misdirection.

Is that really any better?

Not in my eyes. One plays upon your expectations to provide you a cool twist on what you thought you were going to get. The other could be called a lie. Where the line rides is up to the reader.

[BadDeacon]

Wait - so Darkhawk was in a book?

Is it weird that Darkhawk is my favorite Marvel character?

[boshuda]

Wait - so Darkhawk was in a book?

Is it weird that Darkhawk is my favorite Marvel character?

Nope. I love Darkhawk. Not my favorite, but definitely top-tier for me. Darkhawk could be a GREAT movie! I even bought a piece of original art that features him, in the OA thread (I think I posted it there).

[BadDeacon]

Nope. I love Darkhawk. Not my favorite, but definitely top-tier for me. Darkhawk could be a GREAT movie! I even bought a piece of original art that features him, in the OA thread (I think I posted it there).

Glad I'm not the only Darkhawk fan here.

I've been patiently waiting for him to get a new series again.

And waiting.

And waiting.

[boshuda]

Nope. I love Darkhawk. Not my favorite, but definitely top-tier for me. Darkhawk could be a GREAT movie! I even bought a piece of original art that features him, in the OA thread (I think I posted it there).

Glad I'm not the only Darkhawk fan here.

I've been patiently waiting for him to get a new series again.

And waiting.

And waiting.

He is in Avengers Arena. And there's actually something happening with him there. I'm still not sure what's up.