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by **LOLtron** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:04 pm

Marvel Stops Pretending This Isn't the 90s All Over Again, Launches Guardians of the Galaxy #1 with Trading Cards

One of the cards will be super rare, so be sure to buy multiple copies of the book, suckers!

Source: Press Release

With DC Comics doing gatefold covers for WTF?! Month and Marvel themselves doing foil covers for Age of Ultron, it was only a matter of time before we saw the return of another nineties staple, the polybagged comic with collectible trading card. Marvel announced today that Guardians of the Galaxy #1, hitting stores in March, will come with Guardians trading cards. The cards will be available only at stores hosting special release parties for the comic, and one of the cards will be ultra rare, giving dumbass readers an incentive to purchase multiple copies of the book to get their hands on it (we assume).

"This is totally different from... oh, screw it. Yeah, we're just doing the nineties again," said Marvel editor in chief Axel Alonso, abandoning all pretense in this candid and fictional quote. "We don't care about the longterm health of the industry. We don't care if this is blatantly transparent. We just want to make piles of money right now, and who cares if the entire market implodes?"

"The fans are stupid," added Alonso, with actual dollar signs appearing in place of his pupils. "They haven't gotten smarter in the last twenty years. They'll fall for this."

Indeed, the ploy is likely to be successful. "I still have all my X-Force #1 trading cards," said Chip Chipperson, a longtime reader from Cincinatti, Ohio. "Oh wait, no I don't. That would be stupid."

"Yes. Yes it would," said this reporter, hastily shoving a handful of X-Force #1 trading cards into his pocket. "Who would keep those things for twenty years? I certainly wouldn't!"

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 by "The Great One" Brian Bendis and "The Late One" Steve McNiven hits stores on March 27th. Harrass your local comic shop into hosting one of these launch parties so you can get your hands on this awesome swag.

Here's the press release:

Head To The Stars With GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Trading Cards!

This March, Guardians of the Galaxy #1 launches in style with special limited edition trading cards, ONLY available at select retail shops hosting a launch party! That’s right, one of the biggest launches of the year just got bigger with one of a kind collector’s items! Courtesy of blockbuster creators Brian Michael Bendis (All New X-Men, Age Of Ultron) and Steve McNiven (Civil War, Old Man Logan), fans are in for the ride of their life as the Guardians of the Galaxy put their lives on the line for the sake of the Marvel Universe. There’s a new rule in the galaxy, and it’s put Earth off limits to any outsiders. But why has Earth become so important? That’s what Star Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot AND Iron Man are about to discover.

But that’s not all! ONE of these trading cards will not be as readily available as the others. But which one? Well you’ll have to head on over to a local participating retailer to find out!

So what are you waiting for? Go on out and reserve a copy of Guardians of the Galaxy #1 today!

Retailers: Time is running out to participate in a Guardians of the Galaxy Launch Party, please check with your Diamond representitve or the Marvel Mailer for details.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 (JAN130642)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
FOC – 2/18/13, ON SALE 3/27/13

Written or Contributed by Jude Terror

READ THIS ARTICLE ON THE FRONT PAGE, HUMANS!

by **False Prophet** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:08 pm

I won't lie, trading cards are one gimmick I like, especially ones with power levels and crap.

by **Lord Ice** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:15 pm

Why would there be launch parties for a GOTG book? :smt017

by **GHERU** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:15 pm

False Prophet wrote:I won't lie, trading cards are one gimmick I like, especially ones with power levels and crap.

I still have a binder full of those Masterworks sets, or whatever they were called, from the 90s

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:17 pm

Lord Ice wrote:Why would there be launch parties for a GOTG book?

So that retailers can help Marvel bilk readers out of more money?

by **Punchy** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:18 pm

I love the 90s.

by **UnionJack** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:21 pm

I like trading cards but I only ever buy base sets from dealers. I don't buy packs or try to get the chase cards. I certainly can't be arsed with these comic/card incentives. I'll be trying GoG but just the regular cover for me, thanks.

by **Victorian Squid** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:56 pm

As I said in Jude's last diamond thread:

Victorian Squid wrote:Shows gimmicks work, expect more gimmicks.

by **Chesscub** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:27 pm

GHERU wrote:I still have a binder full of those Masterworks sets, or whatever they were called, from the 90s

Do you have Masterpieces 95 and 96 you'd like to part with? :-D

by **Grayson** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:29 pm

I used to love Marvel's trading cards back in the day. I know that I had a complete set of the first series of X-Men trading cards by Jim Lee and if I remember correctly, I almost had a full set of the second series too as well as the first series of the Marvel Universe cards. Man, I really want to dig those out and try to find them now.

That being said, who collects trading cards anymore? When I worked at a comic shop, the only type of people who still bought cards were either entitled douchbags or they were even creepier than most of the creepiest comic collectors.

by **sdsichero** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:35 pm

False Prophet wrote:I won't lie, trading cards are one gimmick I like, especially ones with power levels and crap.

Crap?

Ew.

by **sdsichero** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:36 pm

Grayson wrote:That being said, who collects trading cards anymore? When I worked at a comic shop, the only type of people who still bought cards were either entitled douchbags or they were even creepier than most of the creepiest comic collectors.

So Outhousers then?

by **Arion** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:40 pm

I feel like it's the 90s all over again.

by **misac** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:52 pm

GHERU wrote:I still have a binder full of those Masterworks sets, or whatever they were called, from the 90s

I never got a full set but I still have a bunch in a shoe box.

Some of that's art we've already seen, they could have at least had the artists draw something new. :smt102

by **Grayson** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:55 pm

sdsichero wrote:So Outhousers then?

No, worse! :shock:

We used to have a display case where we kept all of the higher end packs of cards, packs that were usually $40 or more. It was our store policy that customers were not allowed to feel those packs in order to get some type of advantage over other customers who would just pick their packs and leave. Grown men would literally throw hissy fits because we wouldn't allow them to weigh them or try to bend them to figure out if the packs had swatch cards or other such nonsense. They were ridiculous and they were generally worse than the creepy guys who were mostly content to stand around discussing whether or not Gambit was "good enough" for Rogue.