Not every store has their doors open yet, but last Wednesday was the first time in a long time so many had new product! Looks like the “new normal” will greatly resemble the “old normal!”
WEDNESDAY WINS?
From what I can see, it looks like almost all of the stores that were getting their DC books on Tuesdays are now reverting back to Diamond, so their “new comics” day will return to Wednesday from now on. That means Wednesday wins in the battle of the release days.
It’s always interesting to me how DC takes it on the chin whenever they try something different. As one store employee told me, DC “needs to get their head out of their ass” and make sure Wednesday works. And these folks were getting their DC books on Tuesdays the last several weeks, too!
Diamond has done a good job of indoctrinating comics shop people into doing things “their way or the highway.” Personally, I would have been happy with a Tuesday “new comics day,” but if any change is going to happen, it will be a slow one. “Battered spouse” syndrome continues to prevail!
Diamond, you can continue to do things as you have been, apparently, and no one will mind it! It’s business as usual, and I feel sorry for shop owners and their customers who often get the shaft from this monopoly. Oh, well! I had hope there would be serious improvement there for a while! However, if the front lines are content with things as they have been and likely will continue to be moving forward, we’ll soon be dealing with those “old problems” again. Sigh.
HOW DID THE 20TH GO?
As expected, those shops that could sell new books on Wednesday had uneven success. Some folks couldn’t come back because they’re low on funds right now. A small number have apparently made the move to digital. But there were a lot of familiar faces at the cash registers in stores that could be open. It was music to many shop owners’ ears to hear the familiar “ding” of sales taking place again.
Like many other industries, the LCS’s who have done a good job of staying in touch with their customers will hit the ground running better than those who haven’t. Those shops that keep the health and wellness of their customers also are finding a lot of support returning.
There’s an interesting schism taking place in comics shops that mirrors the rest of the country. Some people insist everyone wear a mask while others feel they shouldn’t have to. Granted, your LCS is likely a familiar place so you feel more at home there, but I’m sure shop managers and employees would greatly appreciate customers being considerate of others and their safety. Please?
MAY 27 IS ALSO A BIG DAY
This past Wednesday was still somewhat confused, if you compare what hit the stores versus comiXology and other digital comics distributors. For instance, Marvel’s Hawkeye: Freefall #5 was on the site, but didn’t get to any LCS I checked with. Oddly enough, the Marvel.com website lists it as released on the 20th. Hopefully, reality will soon catch up to their website, something fans of the series are looking forward to, I’m sure.
The 27th is the “big” day for Marvel fans as it is the one where new Marvel product will arrive in shops. There will even be some Diamond select statues and stuff arriving this Wednesday, according to their website. It will be the last Wednesday of the month, after all!
There have been some delays with DC’s books getting to Diamond, though, so it’s not certain that their books will arrive as originally expected. Looks like DC is sifting through who is delivering what to whom these days, so I’m glad I was able to get mine early! Sorry, I couldn’t help gloating, just a little!
One thing I am looking forward to picking up is the Dick Grayson YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival. These books are one part of the industry I hope will return strongly because I’ve enjoyed reading and supporting them.
Looking ahead, there’s a lot of great product that will be on sale in the coming weeks. There is more than I could possibly list here, which is a good thing. I’m keeping an eye on changes to the big events like Empyre and Generation One and such. As things unfold, I’ll talk about them more and hopefully increase fan awareness of how the industry will continue to move forward.
I once again feel it is important to say, though, that we all need to be considerate of others, especially those around us in our LCS. Oh, and keep reading your comics!
What do you think? How did the 20th go in the shop you frequent? Did you get to go or buy comics? If not, will you be back soon? Are things returning to normal in the industry? Are there still changes you would like to see happen? Not? Please share your thoughts in the space below!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.