A Variant Cover is a term used to describe issues of comic book series that are distributed with one or more alternate cover arts to the standard wide-release cover art. These different covers are special in that they are, usually, only ever distributed specifically through certain comic book retailers or through other specific means, being completely unavailable to those who receive issues via mail-order subscription. For the casual comic book reader, this provides the novelty of being able to choose the cover that appeals to them, whereas hardcore collectors tend to buy multiple copies of the issue specifically for the variant covers.
Variant covers had become a common practice for high profile comic publishers during the 2000's, but Archie Comics wouldn't follow suit until 2010 where they began to release variants periodically for certain issues of their popular titles. The Archie Sonic the Hedgehog series first began following this trend in 2011 with Sonic #225, from which they had since began releasing occasional variant covers for certain issues of the main series, as well as the spin-off Sonic Universe series. Beginning from SU#51 and StH#248 respectively, variant covers are now released for every single issue.
Mostly, issues are given at least one alternate cover, but on some occasions two or more are released: to date, the Archie Sonic-related publication with the most variants is Sonic Universe #75, which had a total of 8 variants. While the recommended retail price of variant editions are no different from the standard counterparts, they do have potential to gain value as time passes, being sold for a considerable amount on online market sites.
Comic Shop Variant Gallery[]
These covers are sold exclusively through comic book stores.
Sonic the Hedgehog[]
Sketch Variant
SEGA Variant
SEGA 16-bit Variant
Variant Edition
Rivals Variant
Game Sprite Variant
Team Mega Man Variant
Team Sonic Variant
Evil Friends Forever Variant
SEGA Variant
Variant Edition
SEGA Variant
Variant Edition
End of the World Variant
Station Square Rescue Variant
Return of Princess Sally Variant
SEGA Variant
Versus Variant
Endless Summer Variant
Monster Movie Variant
Chao Variant
Unleashed Variant
Adventure Variant
Super Smash Variant
Holiday Havoc Variant
Introducing: Breezie the Hedgehog Variant
Wrestling Entertainment Variant
Marvel at this Showdown! Variant
Arcade Variant
Metal Sonic Variant
Evil Reborn Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Heroes Collide Throwback Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Variant 1/5
Variant 2/5
Variant 3/5
Variant 4/5
Variant 5/5 (Covers Unite Variant)
Hero Variant
Battle Variant
Maniacal Variant
Free Fall Variant
Altered Beast Variant
Lovestruck Variant
Horror Movie Variant
Guardians Variant
Evil Win Variant
.jpg "Sonic The Hedgehog -285 (variant).jpg (56 KB)")
Gaia Colossus Variant
Egg Dragoon Variant
Super Variant
Best Buds Variant
High Flying Variant
Cosmic Eternity Variant
Sonic Universe[]
SEGA Variant
Rivals Variant
Team Mega Man Variant
Team Sonic Variant
Evil Friends Forever Variant
Pencil · Ink · Color Variant
SEGA Variant
SEGA Variant
Variant Edition
Chibi Variant
Variant Edition
Alien Invasion Variant
SEGA Variant
Eclipse Variant
Chibi Variant
SEGA Variant
SEGA Variant
Sonic vs. Knuckles!! Variant
Pixel Cutscene Variant
Tabloid Variant
Super Smash Variant
Knuckles & Rouge Variant
Web Lynx Variant
Match-Maker Variant
Extreme BFF's Variant
Tails Variant
Variant 1/7.5
Variant 2/7.5
Variant 3/7.5
Variant 4/7.5
Variant 5/7.5
Variant 6/7.5
Variant 7/7.5
Variant 7.5/7.5
Crossover Kick-Off Variant
Covers Unite Variant
One Big Happy Team Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Crossover Heroes Variant
Covers Unite
Hero Variant
Chaos Crisis Variant
To The Future Variant
Movie Poster Variant
Evil Genius Variant
Boss Attack! Variant
Wicked Variant
The Baddie Bunch Variant
& Knuckles Variant
.jpg "Sonic Universe -88 (variant).jpg (74 KB)")
& Knuckles Variant
& Knuckles Variant
& Knuckles Variant
Super Sleuths Variant
Shinobi Variant
All For One Variant
Excitement Under the Sea Variant
Sonic Boom[]
Variant 1A
Variant 1B
Variant 1C
Variant 1D
Hero Variant
Team Sonic Variant
Sticks with Stones Being Chased by Bones Variant
X-Ray Variant
Boom Crew Variant
Insubordination Variant
Happy Fun-Time Variant
Covers Unite Variant
E.F.F. Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Epic Crossover Explosion Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Boomtastic Variant
Mega Man[]
Team Mega Man Variant
Team Sonic Variant
Evil Friends Forever Variant
Game Sprite Variant
Pencil · Ink · Color Variant
Super Smash Variant
Variant 1/5
Variant 2/5
Variant 3/5
Variant 4/5
Variant 5/5 (Covers Unite Variant)
Bald is Beautiful Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Super-Powered Variant
Covers Unite Variant
Worlds Unite: Battles[]
Sketch Variant
Variant Edition
Sketch Variant
Variant Edition
Sonic: Mega Drive[]
Second Printing Variant
Convention Exclusive Variant Gallery[]
These covers where distributed exclusively through comic book conventions. These variants are considerably more difficult to obtain due to being produced in much more limited numbers and their limited availability.
Variants Obtained Through Other Means[]
These variant covers were obtainable through other methods than the ones above:
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Worlds Unite Battles: Arcade Block Variant - This variant cover could only be acquired through Nerblock.com's monthly "Video Game Mystery Box".
- Sonic: Mega Drive: 25th Anniversary Event Exclusive - This variant cover could only be acquired by attending the Sonic 25th Anniversary Party, in which it was one of the items in the goodie bag called the Sonic 25th Anniversary Party Swag Bag.
Arcade Block Exclusive Variant
25th Anniversary Event Exclusive
"After the Credits" Month[]
In March and April 2014, for one month only, the Archie Action titles debuted a new feature in their comics in which an "extra" ending would be printed on the final page of the comic long after the end of the actual story, as well as after the usual letters, fanart and next issue preview pages: an homage to the occasional practice in theatrical feature films in which an extra scene would he shown after the ending credits. In this instance however, the extra ending would change depending on which cover the issue had (one for the standard cover, and another for the variant cover). The comics that utilised this feature where Sonic Universe #62 and Sonic the Hedgehog #259, as well as #36 of Archie's Mega Man series.