Less than a year ago, DC Comics shocked the industry by cutting off its alliance with Diamond Comics; is now Marvel the one that carries out a change that shakes the foundations of the comic industry: “La Casa de las Ideas” has announced its plans to change its direct distributor in the market: now it will be Penguin Random House, and in an agreement for several years.
Beginning October 1, Penguin Random House will begin distributing monthly comics and graphic novels through comic book stores. Hachette Book Group will continue to handle distribution in the book store market.
“Marvel’s entire trajectory is built on great stories. And we’ve followed those stories for decades, hand in hand, outfitting the comic book stores that share them. Marvel and Penguin Random House remain true to that vision, and we are excited to build and expand those opportunities among our stores, artists, and fans.“said Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Entertainment in a press release.”Comics are the center of the Marvel universe, and we are confident that this new alliance will continue to grow and evolve in this industry. We hope this allows us to serve our fans and the market. We thank Diamond for many years of support and agreements and we will maintain our relationships with them in other areas.”
IGN has contacted Marvel and the company has confirmed that there will be no immediate changes in terms of pricing or digital distribution of the comics. Marvel is still in the habit of publishing its new comics on Wednesdays.
There is a significant difference when it comes to stores, however: While DC cut its deals with Diamond entirely in 2020, Marvel will continue to give store owners the option to order comics through this company. But in them, it will be a wholesaler and not a distributor.
It is quite a respite for Diamond, a company that has had a monopoly on the market until DC left them in 2020..
