ICv2 has learned that Top Cow Productions is going to make ordering the first two issues of Tony Daniel's new gothic sci-fi thriller series, Humankind, risk free for retailers.  The first two issues of the on-going monthly title will be fully returnable so that retailers will be able to see how the first issue sells before having to order issue #3 under the normal non-returnable terms.  Top Cow's Joel Elad told ICv2 that the TCP staff believes that Humankind has the potential to be one of Top Cow's biggest hits.  The entire first issue will be available for retailers to preview on the Top Cow Website by the end of June.  The first issue of Humankind (see 'Top Cow Launches 'Humankind'') ships in August with three different covers (by Daniels, Marc Silvestri, and Greg Land) that will be shipped to retailers in equal ratios.

While direct market retailers have long clamored for some sort of 'returnability,' the issue is especially critical for the ordering of new titles, particularly those involving original characters that have never appeared in comics or any other medium and have no established 'track record.'  While full returnability doesn't take all the cost out of ordering (depending on the retailer's terms the storeowner typically pays for the extra books before they can be returned and there is the matter of freight costs for full copy returns, which Top Cow wants for Humankind), it certainly does eliminate most of the risk involved in ordering a new series and should permit retailers to order Humankind much more aggressively.