While autographed cards are especially rare, even non-autographed versions of the Alpha Black Lotus fetch serious amounts, with MTGGoldfish estimating a peak value of $60,000 at the time of writing
A transforming double-faced card enters the battlefield with its front face up by default, unless a spell or ability instructs you to put it onto the battlefield transformed or you cast it transformed, in which case it enters with its back face up
The other side is the actual doubling up of counters, not just adding a single additional one (even though functionally they often do the same thing since most counters are put on one at a time)
Expect the Giant to see play in pretty much every red deck- aggro, midrange, or control
Le Conte doesn't shoot down their viability, but says they're obviously "beyond our current technology." Artistic licenses aside, the astrophysicist admits that she enjoys "the complexity and marvel of the Universe" these images capture