Some more UPCs

While I’m at it … here are some Night Men. Um, Night Mans.

Still at it

I’m getting a lot closer to a full set of UPC variants. Apart from the Firearm Ultra 5000 book, that is all I need to complete a full set of All Things Ultraverse. I think it is, anyway. I’ve seen a bunch of the UPCs I need on eBay but I just don’t want to pay more than $3 or $4 shipped so I’m just being patient. When I’m down to my last couple I’ll probably pay more.

Anyway, here are the first 10 Sludge books (still not sure if 11 and 12 have a UPC variant) and the Exiles.

The UPC codes

I think I have most of this figured out. For about the first year-and-a-half, all Ultraverse comics had a regular cover and a UPC cover, almost always identical except for the UPC box (there are some variant covers but I think we figured those out a long time ago).

In fall 1994 they changed the box at the top left of the cover from a big Malibu logo to a smaller logo with a head shot. Mantra 15 and 16 is an example.

I think that change marks the end of the UPC variants … a few months later all Ultraverse books had UPC boxes no matter where they were sold. I have visually verified this with almost all of the UPC books.

Anyway, here is what I came up with:

UPC list
Break-Thru: 1, 2
Elven: 0
Exiles: 1, 2, 3, 4
Firearm: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Freex: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (14 unverified), Giant Size 1
Hardcase: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (17 unverified)
Lord Pumpkin: 0 (maybe)
Mantra: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Giant Size 1
Night Man: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Prime: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 (16 unverified), Annual 1
Prototype: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, Giant Size 1
Rune: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (6 unverified)
Sludge: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (11-12 unverified)
Solitaire: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Solution: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (13-14 unverified)
Strangers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Ultraforce: 0, 1, 2
Ultraverse Origins: 1
Warstrike: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Wrath: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Giant Size 1

Those unverified ones, I’m not even certain they exist because another potential reason is that this might have been a timed change (around September-October 1994). If you have actually seen one of those, let me know!

More UPC codes

Hey, I’m back!

I never actually went anywhere, I’ve simply had a job, some pretty tough college classes and my family to keep me busy.

But I went bargain-box digging in Tampa a couple of weeks ago and found a number of Ultraverse books with the UPC code on them. So I wanted to update that checklist a little bit. I’m pretty convinced at this point that practically every book for the first year-and-a-half had a UPC (I guess some people call them “newstand” copies) variant. After a certain point all of the books carried the UPC code.

Anyway, here is my update with the books I just bought (for 10 cents each!).

UPC code variant covers

Break-Thru: 1, 2
Elven: 0
Exiles: 1, 2, 3, 4
Firearm: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12
Freex: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Hardcase: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16*
Mantra: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10*, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Giant Size 1
Night Man: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16*
Prime: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12*, 13, 14, 15, Annual 1
Prototype: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11
Rune: 1, 2, 3*, 4, 5
Sludge: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12*
Solitaire: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11
Solution: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 16*
Strangers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13*, 14, 15, 16, 17
Ultraforce: 0, 1, 2
Warstrike: 1, 2, 3
Wrath: 1, 2, 5, 7

I’m only updating this list when I actually see a copy (or a picture of one on eBay). These UPC books are pretty easy to find, they’re just really scattered around a bunch of auctions and comic shops.

* UPC is on back for Ultraverse Premiere flipbook