DC Cuts Ties with Diamond

[Dthirds3]

The comic shop I go to seems pretty worried that this will have a huge impact on them. I hope it doesn't.

They'll have to process orders from DC separately from marvels.

[skyvolt2000]

ONe store is getting rid of all DC books for a dollar.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/denn...mond-reaction/

In protest, every DC Comic on my shelf tomorrow is $1.00. This excludes the recent hot Batman issues, but everything else can go.
ue to DC's announcement of going exclusive with Midtown Comics and whoever that other company is for Distro, every DC floppy at Atomic Basement is $1. Every DC trade and hardcover is $5, no matter the cover price. Let's clear some space on the shelves for companies who don't want to add more stress on top of the strife we are already dealing with.

[Dylan Davison]

They'll have to process orders from DC separately from marvels.

From what I hear, that sounds costly. Double the shipping to keep DC. They have to pay Diamond to ship and this new company. I'm not a retailer, so I don't know the cost. But I've seen a few stores worried about that.

[WebSlingWonder]

Peter David thinks that this is DC declaring war on Marvel with this move. What do ya'll think?

[OBrianTallent]

As Peter said, this is potentially catastrophic for comic shops as they will most likely not get the same level of discounts from the new "suppliers" which up until this point have been just comic shops themselves (just with a higher online profile.) Likewise as one of Bleeding Cools articles stated, books to the UK (and most likely all of Europe) will now cost twice cover price so as to cover shipping costs.
It's been suggested that Pam Lifford, the current big wig at DC doesnt care for the monthly periodicals which makes sense with many DC books being pulled from print for digital only sales. For me...this means any title that I was buying, how won't be bought as I would have to purchase a device to read them on as that's just not going to happen on a cell phone. (The same is to be said of Marvel's decision to do the same.) To me, it's just the companies that I have supported for almost my entire life saying they no longer want me as a customer. I imagine all the local comic shop owners ate feeling much the same way as the majority of them are small shops run by the owner and a handful of employees at best. Adding more shipping costs and possibly less discounts on books eats into their already small and shrinking profits.
As Peyer said, I cant see this ending well for anyone involved.

[Vampire Savior]

Peter David thinks that this is DC declaring war on Marvel with this move. What do ya'll think?

I kind of thought the same thing. It looked to me like DC was really trying to force Marvel's hand.

[CrimsonEchidna]

How I imagine Diamond is taking the news:

[Holt]

ONe store is getting rid of all DC books for a dollar.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/denn...mond-reaction/

All due respect, this is the same kind of pointless posturing we saw from those store owners screaming about how they'd cancel all their DC orders for good if DC went through with their plans for digital-first comics a few weeks ago. In the end it's only gonna hurt themselves.

[MolMcN]

Just curious about what other people are thinking, do you guys think this is a mostly good move on DC’s part, or mostly bad?

[kjn]

Looks like retailers are split about this...

Not surprised. Comic store owners are like most small-store owners—afraid and sceptical of change, and perpetually worried and skittish. And this is a huge change for them, when they are already struggling—both due to long-term structural issues and due to the pandemic.

It's been suggested that Pam Lifford, the current big wig at DC doesnt care for the monthly periodicals which makes sense with many DC books being pulled from print for digital only sales.

Yeah, Bleeding Cool ran a quote on that.

But why is any of this happening at all? The gossip is that Pamela Lifford, President of Warner Bros. Consumer Products has no love for DC Comics monthly comic books. The belief from some is that they cost too much to make, they take up too much editorial and production time, everything is rushed to deadline which means the urgent often trumps the important decisions being made and – they bring in too little money, compared everything else they do. Don't get them wrong, they still make money, just not as much as all that prime Burbank real estate could make.

Now, I have no doubt that Bleeding Cool is correct about Lifford's thoughts on the monthly floppies from DC. I myself believe that DC's main lines are badly overstaffed and badly run, simply based on what I can observe as a reader. But I also think that from a business perspective, this move makes very little sense if the goal is to cut down DC's main line editorial overhead. In the short term, this will decrease DC's revenue overall, and likely increse costs.

[Vic Vega]

Diamond distributed DC for 25 years. Who distributed DC before that time?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I think it was Heroes World, Capital City AND Diamond.

Diamond became a monopoly only after the other 2 went out of business.

Why the other 2 went out business is another matter.

What DC is doing is similar to what Marvel attempted to do with Heroes World: buy a distributor and use your marker share to control the market.

I wonder how many LCS might just decide that its easier to stop carrying DC books instead.

This might not go the way they think it will.

[Samm]

Not particularly. I think Young Justice is in the toilet and his Superman isn't really doing any better than it was before him whe Tomasi and Jurgens were doing it. I don't know how Legion is doing, but if I had to take a wild guess, I would say not great.

Young Justice should have been a sure fire hit! I blame the lineup honestly, seems like most fans wanted the YJ4 mixed with the likes of Ms Martian, Blue Beetle and Aqualad. You know, a mix of comics and show, yet we got neither

[skyvolt2000]

All due respect, this is the same kind of pointless posturing we saw from those store owners screaming about how they'd cancel all their DC orders for good if DC went through with their plans for digital-first comics a few weeks ago. In the end it's only gonna hurt themselves.

Hey it's not my store. It's one in California.

It's been suggested that Pam Lifford, the current big wig at DC doesnt care for the monthly periodicals which makes sense with many DC books being pulled from print for digital only sales. For me...this means any title that I was buying, how won't be bought as I would have to purchase a device to read them on as that's just not going to happen on a cell phone. (The same is to be said of Marvel's decision to do the same.) To me, it's just the companies that I have supported for almost my entire life saying they no longer want me as a customer. I imagine all the local comic shop owners ate feeling much the same way as the majority of them are small shops run by the owner and a handful of employees at best. Adding more shipping costs and possibly less discounts on books eats into their already small and shrinking profits.

Well if you are Pam what are you seeing?

If I have stores and fans in the direct market that keep pushing back against certain books be it New Age Heroes, POC lead, light hearted books or Vertigo related.
While the books you want leave larger piles of unsold books after everyone who is going to buy them bought them.

Yet those same books that get complaints as trades can find an audience-why would you want monthly books?

You might want to start eliminating whose the issue.

They still want you as a customer. However they want to get more folks and some of these stores are the issue. If a trade only Naomi or Far Sector or Plastic Man works better then monthly first than trade. Guess what Dc is going to do.

[SanityOrMadness]

Just curious about what other people are thinking, do you guys think this is a mostly good move on DC’s part, or mostly bad?

Longer term, who knows.

Short term? Very, very bad. Shops are already cash-starved from lockdowns, and this is going to drive up freight and man-hour costs at the worst possible time. Especially if you're outside the US - with no international distribution network, like Rich J said, if it's going to be individual parcels posted from DCBS or Midtown for non-US shops, that will be catastrophically expensive.

[iron chimp]

The most stupid decision possible.