A printing is a manufacturing edition of the same issue, not a variant story. Image Comics announced repeated distributor sellouts during the series’ first year and supplied product codes for many replacement printings. Those announcements make the printing number verifiable without requiring an estimate of surviving copies.
The first issue reached a sixth and final printing in July 2021. The same publisher announcement confirms third printings for #2 and #3 and second printings for #4–#6. A later release confirms second printings for #7–#12.
“Sold out at the distributor level” describes inventory in a particular supply chain at a particular time. It is not evidence that shops had no copies, that a printing is rare today, or that a resale price is justified.
Printing numbers, dates, and codes are taken from Image Comics announcements and release listings.
A later printing reproduces the issue’s story unless the publisher identifies changed or additional content.
Condition, census population, current availability, and value require separate dated evidence and are not inferred here.
Issue #1
The first release carries Diamond ID JUL200012 and a September 30, 2020 publication date. Image later identified a fifth printing, Diamond code MAR218326, available May 12, 2021.
The sixth and final printing was scheduled for July 28, 2021 under MAY218753. Image also listed sixth-printing 1:25 and 1:50 incentive copies under MAY218754 and MAY218755. The ratios describe ordering programs, not an authenticated population count.
Issues #2–#6
Image’s June 2021 announcement confirms third printings for #2 (JAN219073) and #3 (JAN219072), and second printings for #4 (JAN218666), #5 (JAN218665), and #6 (JAN219071).
These codes distinguish reorder products from their original releases. A cover image without a code or indicia check should not be assigned to one of these printings solely by color or seller description.
Issues #7–#12
Image announced second printings of the entire #7–#12 sequence for October 13, 2021: #7 JUL219686, #8 JUL219687, #9 JUL219688, #10 JUL219689, #11 JUL219690, and #12 JUL219691.
The group announcement verifies a coordinated reprint program. It does not demonstrate that every later issue received the same treatment.
Identifier transition
Early single issues use Diamond IDs on Image’s release pages. Issues published after the series’ hiatus are listed with Lunar codes. The identifier should be recorded exactly as supplied rather than forced into one universal field.
A code identifies an orderable edition. It does not establish ownership history, authenticity of a signature, grade, or whether a copy is a retailer-exclusive edition.
References
- Image Comics — #1 Sixth and Final PrintingPublisher announcement with #1 sixth-printing incentives and #2–#6 reprint codes.
- Image Comics — Issues #7–#12 Second PrintingsPublisher announcement with date and six Diamond codes.
- Image Comics — Series releasesOriginal release sequence and distributor identifiers.