Earlier this year, Marvel Comics terminated its agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors, opting instead to distribute its books to comic shops via Penguin Random House. This week, the first shipments from Penguin went out to stores…and it did not go well, with retailers reporting lost shipments; furthermore, some retailers who did receive comics reported that they were damaged, and not shipped properly.
For many years, Diamond Comics Distributors was the sole company distributing products to comic shops. In 2020, DC ended its arrangement with Diamond, distributing products through other channels, a move that was greeted with derision in some circles, feeling it would put retailers out of business, and joy in others, as some felt Diamond’s monopoly was coming to an end. Earlier this year, Marvel followed suit, announcing it would distribute through Penguin Random House (PRH). Diamond, now left without a significant chunk of the North American comic book market, stated that it would still sell Marvel products—but Diamond would have to buy them from PRH. The agreement took effect in October, with the first books from the new deal arriving in stores this week. However, reports are coming out that products ordered has been damaged—or missing outright.
In a report on Bleeding Cool, numerous retailers who purchased Marvel titles from wholesaler Discount Comic Book Service (which buys from PRH) have reported issues. According to the article, DCBS sent out an email to retailers informing them that a shipment from PRH was “lost” and that it was unable to process orders. The company apologized for the delay. Meanwhile, retailers around the country had thoughts on the first week of Marvel’s experiment. Some retailers, such as Mike Beyer, confirmed that nearly 70 percent of the products he received were damaged. While other retailers quoted in the article did not have as many damaged books, they still have concerns over the packing and shipping, with some saying that PRH’s packaging methods never would have flown with Diamond.
Growing pains are a natural part of any new and untested process, so mistakes are going to happen. However, first impressions are important—and PRH has not made a good one. Damaged products will happen from time to time, but when 70 percent of the books are affected—that is a problem. Likewise, PRH will need to reevaluate its shipping methods—what works good for novels and trades does not work well with single issue comics. It is worth noting that the article only quotes a handful of retailers, so it is possible some may have no experiences receiving damaged books.
Marvel Comics made a bold move earlier this year breaking with Diamond, ending the company’s monopoly on comic book distribution in America. Unfortunately, the first week did not go well. Hopefully future comic book shipments from Penguin Random House to retailers will not be lost or damaged.
Source: Bleeding Cool