Look - I'll start off by saying that, in general, I don't hate variants. I'm old enough that I remember a time when you only got one cover like it or not. When Variants started I thought it was pretty cool and I still like some alternate covers.
However, too much of almost anything is not good and too many variants can be downright ponderous.
If I say to you "Action Comics #1", what do you think? I dare say the image of Superman smashing a car while criminals flee in terror will come to mind. Do you think that image would be so memorable if there were 32 different covers for that book? 3-D, five different guest artists, Skottie Young, zombies, left cover/right cover?
Probably not.
So how do you know when there are too many variants for a particular comic? Here's a couple of tips:
If the issue designation is a number and more than 2 letters, i.e. #2-AF - then you have too many variants.
If I have to scroll through 3 pages of listings to find issue #7 - you have too many variants.
If you have a "Blank Cover" variant then you have run out of ideas and have TOO MANY VARIANTS.
If you have a variant
of a variant such as if issue #5-L is a black and white cover of issue #5-E - you have
way too many variants!
If there is a variant cover with a currently "Hot" character popping in (and said character does not even appear in the issue) then you may have more problems then just having too many variant covers but- you have TOO FREAKING MANY VARIANTS!
Can anyone help me (and the Comic Book Publishers) out? What other signs are there for too many variants?
Like I said before, I don't have a problem with variants but too many of them make my head hurt.
BTW - I think I may have set a record for the number of times the word "variant" was used in a post.
When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. Then find someone who life gave vodka to and become friends with them.