16 Numbering Systems Marvel and DC Haven’t Tried Yet

Marvel Comics has tried all kinds of strange numbering systems:  reverting back to issue one the month after a previous issue, renumbering and including a separate still continuing series in the renumbering, Alpha & Omega issues, -1 issues, and currently lots of .1 issues.  DC on the other hand has counted backwards from the highest issue number as well as having had issue 0’s.  But there are still more gimmicky numbering system that comic companies desperate to grab readers’ attention without adding substance haven’ tried yet. And some one-shots by numerous companies have no numbering whatsoever. Here are ten more suggestions (as with Alpha & Omega, some of these aren’t numbers per se but serve the same purpose):  Should a comic company actually use any of these (and you have to know at least one of these will be used someday), I hope to get properly credited.

1.       Go further into the negatives and decimals. -1 was a start, but where’s -2, -3, -4, etc., or .2, .3, .4, etc.?

2.       Letter the issues.  If you manage to go past Z, go AA, AB, AC, etc. 

3.       Create a random number generator each month from 1 to 1000 and have that number be that issue’s number.

4.       “You Decide”, numbering style. Pick an upcoming month and given the choice of numbers 1-100, have readers vote as to what that issue’s number ought to be.

5.       Use symbols in the order they appear on a keyboard. So !, @, #, $, etc.

6.       Spell out the numbers in a foreign language, “Une, deux, trios”, etc.

7.       Use the numbering system of a fictional race within your universe, writing them out if the same as on Earth (so Interlac, Skrullian, etc.).

8.       Scratch and reveal: as with some lottery cards you have to scratch the cover to have the issue number revealed. Hopefully someone will reveal the number online because the scratching will of course devalue the issue.

9.       Roman numerals (if they’re normally capital you can have special events where there’s a lower case Roman numeral instead, or vice versa).

10.   Still testing question: Where the issue number should be is a simple math problem that you have to solve to figure out the issue number.

11.   Flexible issue numbers: Have some issue numbers span multiple consecutive issues while others change mid issue.

12.   Start in the middle and work outward: If a mini-series has seven issues, start with 4, then 3, then 5, .then 2, then 6, then 1, then 7

13.   Hide the issue number in the story: At one point some story element, be it a number on a vehicle, a character’s dialogue, etc. will reveal what that issue’s number is.

14.   Secret code: Upon buying the issue you will get a special code. Log in to that company’s website and type in the code to find out what the issue number is

15.   Be more creative with decimals: give us a .3487 issue, a .2064819 issue, etc.

16.   Reboot with a not only a brand new issue one, but even a brand new Volume 1, Issue 1. Sure that makes no sense, but do the point 1’s and the folding in continuing series into renumbering, and the like make any sense either?