On Friday, DC told Direct Market comic book retailers that orders for titles solicited for April 1 through April 15 through Diamond Comic Distributors have been canceled with Diamond – information Diamond seems to be refuting.
On Monday morning, Diamond’s parent company, Geppi Family Enterprises, sent its retail partners an email titled “BREAKING NEWS: DC Comics Ordering Update” which, among other things, seemingly contradicted what DC told retailers on Friday.
“We appreciate your patience as we work with our longtime partner, DC Comics, on details following their recent announcement regarding their upcoming slate of weekly periodicals,” read Geppi’s email. “We have confirmed that the orders you placed with Diamond Comic Distributors for upcoming products are still in our system and will be fulfilled when we resume the distribution of new, weekly products.”
On Friday, DC said that April 1 – April 15 orders were canceled at Diamond, and introduced retailers to two new distributors – Lunar Distribution and UCS Comic Distributors – that would begin carrying DC’s comics on April 28.
While not specifically acknowledging DC’s new Direct Market distribution partners Lunar (DCBS) and UCS (Midtown), Monday’s letter from Geppi/Diamond does acknowledge the new comics books DC plans to release through them, but reiterates their aim to re-establish their own distribution in mid- to late May.
“We will offer all DC Comics products that are offered to the Direct Market through our usual solicitation, FOC, and reorder processes,” the Monday email from Geppi/Diamond reads.
Asked by Newsarama by email over the weekend if DC is still a “Premier” Diamond Publisher and whether Diamond is still DC’s exclusive distributor to the comic book specialty market, a spokesperson for Diamond replied by email, “DC is still a PREMIER Diamond Publisher and I cannot comment on the specific language in our contracts.”
DC has not responded to Newsarama’s inquiries regarding the status of their relationship with Diamond.