DC Comics Goes Non-Exclusive with Diamond Comic Distributors Amid the Pandemic

Huge news about comics today--besides how San Diego Comic-Con has been canceled for 2020--DC is going to go nonexclusive with Diamond Comic Distributors. Diamond has held a monopoly on comic distribution for a number of years now, but shut-down at the start of April due to COVID-19. It made a degree of sense with many comic stores not operating or running only curbside/delivery service. However, the fact there was no new product for stores to offer for curbside or delivery also was a sticking point, along with the main idea one single company stopping its flow of comics stopping everything being a pain. Well, DC is going to slowly start releasing comics as of April 28thwith two new distributors servicing various States and parts of Canada (no word yet on the UK where Diamond normally handles distribution too).

Diamond put out a press release expressing their displeasure at this move by DC, especially as they were hoping to start distributing comics again Mid-May--they basically say DC is jumping the gun in the politest-yet-pissed-off way possible. DC doesn't appear to be planning to stop working with Diamond entirely, they state while orders placed with Diamond for a chunk of April are canceled and now being resolicited with these new distributors, you can still place Diamond orders for future titles. These upcoming comics can go on sale Tuesdays at stores that are able to sell them (again, curbside and delivery being utilized one assumes) and the big question rising now is what Marvel, Image, and other larger publishers, as well as the smaller and indie ones, might do. Wait for Diamond to hopefully start slowly gearing back up in Mid-May or take action now? These are messy and tumultuous times for the comic-book industry for sure.