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On today’s Comic Book Club News podcast for August 7, 2023, Image Comics is switching distributors from Diamond to Simon & Schuster. Plus, Marvel goes back to the ’90s with Daredevil: Black Armor. And Dark Horse announces Blacking Out hardcover hitting next year.
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Episode Transcript:
Is Image Comics ditching Diamond?
Daredevil is back in black.
And Dark Horse has a new noir book.
This is Comic Book Club News for Monday, August 7, 2023
Image Comics Switching To Simon & Schuster From Diamond:
Our top story, Image Comics announced on Friday, August 4 that they’ll be switching distributors for their trade collections and graphic novels from Diamond to Simon & Schuster in the United States, joining other publishers like Boom Studios, Viz Media, and more.
Said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics, via a press release provided to Comic Book Club, “For the past 20 years we have been able to establish a foothold for our trade paperbacks and graphic novels in the book market thanks in no small part to the support and efforts of Diamond Book Distributors. Over time, our needs and backlist of titles have grown and our increasing footprint in the marketplace has us excited to take this next step with Simon & Schuster to build a more robust infrastructure for our titles there.”
While Image Comics will continue to distribute trade collections through Diamond Book Distributors in the UK and International Book Market, this mostly severs ties between the two companies in the United States. Earlier this year, Image announced they’d be joining DC Comics in switching direct market distribution from Diamond to Lunar Distribution. That means monthly comic books sent to comic book stores, starting this September. Lunar, of note, distributes books on Tuesdays, not the traditional new comic book day of Wednesday.
What this new deal means for consumers remains to be seen. For the most part comic book fans should notice no difference other than the change of days for monthly comics. As for comic book shop owners? Their order forms are about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Marvel Launching DAREDEVIL: BLACK ARMOR In November:
Marvel is continuing their ‘90s throwback nostalgia plays by launching a new miniseries titled DAREDEVIL: BLACK ARMOR in November. Originally announced at San Diego Comic-Con, D.G. Chichester, best known for his run that reintroduced Elektra to Marvel Comics, will be joined on art by Netho Diaz and JP Mayer to write a new story set during those earlier issues.
“If someone told me earlier that I’d have another chance to put on Daredevil’s horns (let alone horns attached to a suit of black armor) I’d have thought they’d taken one too many whacks to the head with a billy club. But apparently my passport to Hell’s Kitchen still works just fine!” Chichester via press release provided to Comic Book Club. “It’s an unexpected (but welcome!) thrill to visit Matt Murdock’s neighborhood again, and to work with Marvel on going back in time to discover a new adventure for the man without fear.”
This will mark Chichester’s first work in comics since 1999 when he transitioned from comic book writing to advertising. Other notable runs from Chichester include a stint on Nick Fury: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and a 13-issue long run on Terror Inc.
The four-issue miniseries will be released starting in November on a date to be announced.
Dark Horse Announces BLACKING OUT Hardcover After Successful Kickstarter:
Our final story for the day, Dark Horse Comics has announced that BLACKING OUT, written by former ComiXology and now Dstlry’s Chip Mosher, with art by Peter Krause – not the actor – will be hitting stores in April after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
According to the synopsis for the hardcover, the noir crime adventure follows a disgraced ex-cop as he follows a “lone clue—a discarded crucifix—to unravel the death of Karen Littleton, whose body was found amid a blaze that scorched 10,000 acres. The search leads him to clash with the victim’s father and prime suspect, Robert Littleton, as well as hostile former colleagues on the local police force. All the while, Conrad combats his consuming alcoholism and fading faculties.”
So, you know: noir stuff.
The book also features colors by Giulia Brusco, letters by Ed Dukeshire, and a logo by Tom Muller. It will be available in bookstores on April 23, 2024, and in comic shops on April 24, 2024.
That’s it for today’s Comic Book Club News, but on behalf of myself and the entire Comic Book Club News team, which is myself, for the moment, thank you for tuning in to our first official episode. We’ll be back every weekday with new comic book news, and look forward to going on this journey with you. To infinity, and… We can’t say that? For legal reasons? But I was going to say “to infinity and Beyoncé.” No, I know that doesn’t make any sense.
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