1st Print: A cover with a unique feature exclusive to the first printing, making it a variant. It might have a metallic effect, a different illustration, a reversible cover, etc. Typical of the French market.

Anime: A cover featuring artwork from the anime instead of the mangaka’s original art. This tag also applies to limited editions that include a bonus DVD with anime scenes.

BFAM (Brother From Another Mother): A variant cover illustration that’s been “recycled” and used in another country to create a new variant for that market. This is quite common since Japanese publishers have strict control over which artworks can be used.

B&W/Single_color: As the name suggests, a cover that mainly uses black and white colors. This tag also applies to covers that predominantly feature a single color.

Bundle: A variant that comes with various extras, sometimes as part of a box set or collector’s edition. Extras can range from simple postcards to more elaborate goodies.

Composable: A variant with artwork split across two different volumes. When placed side by side, you can enjoy the complete artwork.

Cover Only: A variant that’s simply an alternative dust jacket to put on top of the regular volume. In this case, the dust jacket itself is the real deal. Typical of the Japanese market.

Cut-price: An exclusive variant for the reduced-price version of Volume 1 in a series. Publishers often release these to attract new readers.

Dress-Up: A PVC variant with transparent parts designed to align with the regular cover’s illustration, creating a cool three-dimensional effect.

Foil/Holo: A variant with holographic effects, either across the entire cover or in specific details. Various types of holography (rainbow, prism, glitter, etc.) have been experimented over the years.

Full Art: A variant where the artwork extends across the spine and back cover.

Gold: The Midas touch! A variant with gold effects on the cover, either covering the whole surface or highlighting certain details.

Hardcover: Pretty straightforward—a variant with a hard cover. Hardcover manga isn’t very common and is usually limited to special editions.

Leather: A cover variant with a faux leather effect. Let’s be honest, actual leather variants are almost nonexistent. Most of the time, it’s synthetic material with a leather-like texture.

Limited: A cover variant with a specific, officially announced by the publisher, print run.

Lottery: A cover variant available only by winning a specific lottery. This includes Ichiban Kuji-style lotteries or “Jump-style” lotteries, where you send a postcard found in the magazine. Common for Japanese variants.

Magazine Insert: Variants included as bonus inserts in manga magazines. As you’d expect, it’s only a dust jacket, so this tag always appears alongside the “cover only” tag. Typical of the Japanese market.

Metal: A variant with metallic effects (it can be of different types like chromed, shiny, etc.), either across the entire surface or only on specific details.

Other: Variant with effects not described by other tags, such as glow in the dark, flocked, canvas paper, special embossed texture, and so on…

Paper: A variant with a paper-like texture. This tag also includes variants given as gifts by Japanese bookstores that come “unfolded,” requiring the user to fold the extra edges and apply it to the manga.

Purchase Bonus: A variant given as a bonus during special promotional periods or at conventions. This is common in Japan, where many bookstores offer exclusive bonuses for purchasing specific manga titles.

PVC: A variant made of semi-rigid, semi-transparent plastic. Placed on top of the regular volume, it often reveals what’s underneath.

Reversible: A variant with a “double” cover, featuring artwork on both the inside and outside, allowing you to choose which side to display.

Set Piece: A variant that’s part of a set of covers for a series, all sharing a specific graphic style.

Standard: A hidden tag that appears when a variant doesn’t have any of the other tags in this list. In other words, it’s a “plain” variant with no special features.

Star Illustrator: A variant with a cover drawn by a famous artist who reinterprets the original work in their style. Often done by other comic artists or illustrators outside the manga world, especially popular in the Italian market.

Tissue: A cover variant made of fabric. Besides the material, this tag also applies to variants that are very “soft” and almost lack structure, sagging a bit once applied to the manga.

Where’s Wally: A variant almost identical to its regular counterpart, with only a few minor variations. Sometimes the differences are so subtle that you have to search them, like in the game of “Where’s Wally?” (or “Where’s Waldo?” in the U.S.).