Thank you for the note. Unfortunately, this means that your database has some fundamental flaws if the aim of the database is to replicate what the publisher has actually issued.
Let me give you a few examples from Marvel.
Marvel introduced the product code in 1971. They used a unique product code for each title they published and it was used for all issues printed under that title.
As an example:
• The product code ‘02456’ started appearing on the covers of The Incredible Hulk as of #141 (1971).
• When Marvel later introduced the barcode for newsstand editions as of #200 (1976), the ‘02456’ was used as the product code in the barcode.
• The product code ‘02456’ also continued to appear on the cover (usually under the CCC logo, or the issue number) until they introduced the direct editions with #269 (1982). From that point on, it only appeared in the newsstand barcodes.
• With the introduction of the barcode for direct editions with #408 (1993), the product code ‘02456’ now appeared in both the newsstand and direct edition barcodes up until the end of the series with #474 (1999)
• In addition to this, Marvel now also started printing the issue# as part of the barcode. This, of course, made it very easy from this point forward to identify titles and their issue# from their barcode.
None of this is of course news to any seasoned comic collector. And the example above is of course very straight forward. But the point here is that it is the product code (together with the title in the indicia to certain extent) that determines the title – not the title as it is printed on the cover.
Where problems can occur is in situations such as:
• The relaunch of The Incredible Hulk with #600 (2009). That series actually has the product code ‘06637’ – and therefore is a new and separate title, not a continuation of the ‘02456’ title. In ComicBase, these two titles are combined into one continuous title.
• The 2008 Hulk title. This title has the product code ‘05992’. ComicBase has listed the ‘Marvel Greatest Comics’ issue as variant 1-3 to issue #1. The problem with this is that this particular issue actually has the product code ‘07213’. Not only is this issue not part of this Hulk title, but it is actually part of the completely different ‘Marvel Greatest Comics’ title. If you search the ComicBase database you will find a number of ‘Marvel Greatest Comics’ issues scattered around various titles – listed as reprint variants. In fact, all of these issues should be listed as a separate ‘Marvel Greatest Comics’ title all-together - with the product code '07213'.
There are of course other, more subtle, examples:
• Revolutionary War (2014). Although these eight issues are all listed as #1 on the cover, they are all actually part of one title. This is evident via the product code in the barcode (they all have ‘07993’, as well as the sequential numbering of the titles in the barcode. ComicBase has them listed as separate titles – when they should all be one title.
o 7-59606-07993-3-00111 - Revolutionary War: Alpha
o 7-59606-07993-3-00211 - Revolutionary War: Dark Angel
o 7-59606-07993-3-00311 - Revolutionary War: Knights Of Pendragon
o 7-59606-07993-3-00411 - Revolutionary War: Death's Head II
o 7-59606-07993-3-00511 - Revolutionary War: Supersoldiers
o 7-59606-07993-3-00611 - Revolutionary War: Motormouth
o 7-59606-07993-3-00711 - Revolutionary War: Warheads
o 7-59606-07993-3-00811 - Revolutionary War: Omega
• Incredible Hercules (2008). The preceding Incredible Hulk title with the product code ‘04745’ switched over to be called the Incredible Hercules with issue #113. Both of these titles have the same product code, and they have a sequential numbering in the barcode – with Incredible Hulk between #1-112, and Incredible Hercules between #113-141. This is therefore one title, that switched name.
• Black Panther: Man Without Fear (2011). The preceding Daredevil title with the product code ‘04706’ switched over to be called Black Panther with issue #513. Both of these titles have the same product code, and they have a sequential numbering in the barcode – with Daredevil between #1-512, and Black Panther between #513-523. The title then continues with Black Panther: Most Dangerous Man Alive between #524-529 – again with the same product code. This is therefore one title, that switched name twice.
And finally, and probably the most controversial example, most Annuals are actually individual titles – they do not ‘belong’ to a standard title. As an example, lets take the later issues of The Amazing Spider-Man Annuals:
o The 2017 (#1) Annual issue has the product code ‘08535’, which is different to the contemporary Amazing Spider-Man title, which has ‘08297’
o The 2018 (#42) Annual issue has the product code ‘08784’, which is different to the contemporary Amazing Spider-Man title, which has ‘08297’
o The 2018 (#1) and 2021 (#2) Annual issues have the product code ‘09129’, which is different to the contemporary Amazing Spider-Man title, which has ‘08936’
o Etc.
The list of examples goes on and on, but in short – the Product Code matters – as it properly denotes how Marvel issues their titles. As such, any comic database should mirror this categorisation.
With this, I’d like to thank you for your patience, and for letting me rant on a bit. I don’t expect you to change the fundamental database in your software. But it does mean that I cannot use it – and my search for another one which denotes titles using the product codes will continue.
Thanks – and all the best…