Coronavirus knocks out direct market - Diamond stops deliveries

[Holt]

Give your money to the richest man in the world rather than buy from a local shop in the community.... worst idea ever.

Marvel is owned by Disney and DC is now owned by AT&T. A portion of your money is ultimately going to the uber-wealthy regardless of which avenue you choose.

[cranger]

They should've did so from the start. I don't know what they were waiting for.

It is just reprints from the Walmart books but it was either going to happen anyway or would have taken some time to properly plan out.

[Gaastra]

Mycomics sticking with diamond. Slams dc!

DC's decision to begin releasing comics through two newly-minted "distributors" beginning April 28th is ill-conceived. First, there is the matter of timing. Too many comic stores will still be prohibited from being open on April 28th, the first DC release date.
"Second, DC's new distributors, Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors, are in reality two of the nation's largest new comic discounters, Discount Comics and Midtown Comics. No comic retailer should be involved in comic distribution due to obvious conflicts of interest. The only exception to that rule would be a stopgap measure undertaken if the current distributor were failing. That is NOT the case with Diamond. Diamond is solid and as reliable as ever.

"Third, these two new comic online discounters have no experience as distributors. Even a vastly experienced distributor like Diamond isn't perfect, but they are very good at correcting errors. Will the new guys do as well? The answer will come the first time retailers try to get support services such as damage replacements.

"Fourth, why are these two new distributors necessary? Creating new distributors for a short-term fix doesn't make sense. It makes more sense as part of a larger long-term plan. But were Diamond eventually taken out by this process, mid-to-small publishers would be up a creek, a circumstance that would very much benefit DC. Marvel tried something similar—becoming their own distributor—years ago. It didn't work out for Marvel. Nor will it work for DC if that indeed is their thought.

"Any such move, for whatever motive, is unnecessary given that very soon Diamond Comics will return to full distribution mode when the majority of comic stores can resume sales—most likely mid-to-late May. Every comic store owner has to decide what is best for their store regarding distribution and release times, but greater consideration should be given to long term health rather than to short term gain. Lone Star Comics and MyComicShop will wait for Diamond, a distributor that has earned our loyalty many times over. And we will wait until as many stores as possible can join us in resuming weekly comic sales. And when that time comes, we'll have plenty of stock from every publisher, including all DC releases.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/budd...-shop-diamond/

[Gaastra]

Boom comics video to comic stores.

[Digifiend]

It is just reprints from the Walmart books but it was either going to happen anyway or would have taken some time to properly plan out.

They're not one-shots. They'll overtake the Giants, after the second or third issue. And they were rushed out - they don't even have an indicia.

[Ascended]

Mycomics sticking with diamond. Slams dc!

I actually agree with a chunk of this. Their first point (most shops are still closed) is viable from a business standpoint; getting things set up with new distributors is a cost, and with most retailers still shut down how much profit is there to gain in the short term? But the shops that *are* open will appreciate this. I doubt most retailers care who distributes for them right now as long as they get something they can sell.

The second point I agree with completely; if these distributors are also retailers that's a potential conflict of interest. I hadn't heard that.

Third point seems more like fear mongering though. Sure, a new distributor might screw up somewhere but aren't Midtown and Discount accustomed to distributing books on a smaller scale anyway? Am I wrong about that? Either way, they might screw up but they also might not, and with the problems publishers are having with Diamond's stance on books paid for but not distributed I'm in no mood to defend Diamond's ability to perform their service.

The final point, though, is a lot of BS. So those guys are gonna wait for Diamond and for as many stores to re-open as possible? Good for them. A lot of retailers can't afford to wait that long and will go out of business first. Also, I'm sure these guys know more about what's up with Diamond than we do, but can we be sure Diamond will still exist, or be capable of national distribution, when this is done?

[skyvolt2000]

You just explained why it could be bad for publishers.

From the numbers that are available, digital only makes up a small fraction of comic sales. You would have to bank on the majority of print readers transition to digital, or hope that enough new people join via changes to digital (cheaper, etc) to offset those non-digital readers. That's a pretty big gamble. If either of those don't play out, you've just lost the bulk of your profit.

But you are not getting rid of print.

The format is changing. Yes you have digital but will still get print later on.

The print you would get would be a digest with more content and a higher price.

In other words you are now competing with manga.

Let me say it like this-it's EASIER for me to sell a digest of say Supergirl, Black Lighting, Cassandra Cain, Lois Lane and Stargirl for $7.99 versus all those folks with a single issue of a story at $3.99 to a PARENT.

Now if stores want to cry about wanting a floppy and won't back down. FINE. My solution would be any floppy would have to be a FOC. That must be prepaid for.

Because now as the publisher I want to see how many get BOUGHT by REAL people not stores. If 200K guess what that is all you get. No reprints. No second printings.

Now you got collectors something to go after and now a certain faction of folks just got told STFU.

No more screaming look at the unsold copies of (blank) on shelves. Let go harass her. No 20 page floppy is on a store's shelf. It's all digest or collected volumes.

[skyvolt2000]

I actually agree with a chunk of this. Their first point (most shops are still closed) is viable from a business standpoint; getting things set up with new distributors is a cost, and with most retailers still shut down how much profit is there to gain in the short term? But the shops that *are* open will appreciate this. I doubt most retailers care who distributes for them right now as long as they get something they can sell.

The second point I agree with completely; if these distributors are also retailers that's a potential conflict of interest. I hadn't heard that.

Third point seems more like fear mongering though. Sure, a new distributor might screw up somewhere but aren't Midtown and Discount accustomed to distributing books on a smaller scale anyway? Am I wrong about that? Either way, they might screw up but they also might not, and with the problems publishers are having with Diamond's stance on books paid for but not distributed I'm in no mood to defend Diamond's ability to perform their service.

The final point, though, is a lot of BS. So those guys are gonna wait for Diamond and for as many stores to re-open as possible? Good for them. A lot of retailers can't afford to wait that long and will go out of business first. Also, I'm sure these guys know more about what's up with Diamond than we do, but can we be sure Diamond will still exist, or be capable of national distribution, when this is done?

Yes they handle marvel subscriptions. If they were running I would have gotten Miles Morales's new issue that was suppose to come put first week of April last week.

[Noodle]

But you are not getting rid of print.

The format is changing. Yes you have digital but will still get print later on.

The print you would get would be a digest with more content and a higher price.

In other words you are now competing with manga.

Let me say it like this-it's EASIER for me to sell a digest of say Supergirl, Black Lighting, Cassandra Cain, Lois Lane and Stargirl for $7.99 versus all those folks with a single issue of a story at $3.99 to a PARENT.

Now if stores want to cry about wanting a floppy and won't back down. FINE. My solution would be any floppy would have to be a FOC. That must be prepaid for.

Because now as the publisher I want to see how many get BOUGHT by REAL people not stores. If 200K guess what that is all you get. No reprints. No second printings.

Now you got collectors something to go after and now a certain faction of folks just got told STFU.

No more screaming look at the unsold copies of (blank) on shelves. Let go harass her. No 20 page floppy is on a store's shelf. It's all digest or collected volumes.

Producing digital first and print later is a flawed program. By the time the print comes out the story will already be spoiled for you. The story would have to be extremely good to read it even if you already know what happened in it. Most aren't, and most won't. That's why the so-called "Wednesday Warriors" go to the shops every week. To read them the day they come out. The only way to avoid spoilers would be to avoid all forms of comic social media and forums permanently under the digital-first formula. Considering the numbers of the print-vs-digital demographics, it would mean an insane decrease and people going to that media. Places like this very forum would be dead.

There seems to be this giant misunderstanding that every print reader is just some collector or speculator that will buy anything regardless. That's not the case. A lot of people just don't like the digital format. Going digital-first would lead to a lot of people just giving up on comics in general.

[cranger]

They're not one-shots. They'll overtake the Giants, after the second or third issue. And they were rushed out - they don't even have an indicia.

I don't think DC is planning to be releasing these that long, that is they plan to be releasing actual new stuff by then.

[DragonPiece]

Mycomics sticking with diamond. Slams dc!



https://bleedingcool.com/comics/budd...-shop-diamond/

Is the idea eventually for DC to just use their new distribution services even after this pandemic ends? If so, I imagine he will get off his high horse soon or else hope only Marvel comics can carry his store.

[Digifiend]

I don't think DC is planning to be releasing these that long, that is they plan to be releasing actual new stuff by then.

They are releasing them for the next few weeks at least. Note that they all have a series title. Man of Tomorrow, Gotham Nights, Agent of Peace, Deep Dives. Those would be unnecessary if they were one offs as the story title is also on the cover. These are minis at least, like Titans: Burning Rage and Batman Universe.

[iron chimp]

Marvel is owned by Disney and DC is now owned by AT&T. A portion of your money is ultimately going to the uber-wealthy regardless of which avenue you choose.

For sure. But one way you support an independent business too. The other way you end up with yet another boarded up shop in town, couple more people out of work, and yet money leaving the community to some tax haven.

[Digifiend]

They are releasing them for the next few weeks at least. Note that they all have a series title. Man of Tomorrow, Gotham Nights, Agent of Peace, Deep Dives. Those would be unnecessary if they were one offs as the story title is also on the cover. These are minis at least, like Titans: Burning Rage and Batman Universe.

And here's the proof. DC Digital Firsts week 2 solicitations!
https://www.newsarama.com/49955-more...thologies.html

[Frontier]

And here's the proof. DC Digital Firsts week 2 solicitations!
https://www.newsarama.com/49955-more...thologies.html

Hoping Diana with Lois is a better story then Diana and Harley...