Alliance has pulled out of the deal to purchase Diamond Comics Distributors. A graphic novel based on Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis gets a release date. Fantastic Four: First Steps gets a comic.
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Episode Transcript:
Alliance Drops Diamond.
Megalopolis graphic novel gets release date.
Fantastic Four: First Steps gets a comic.
This is Comic Book Club News for April 29, 2025.
Alliance Terminates Diamond Deal:
In the latest twist in the Diamond Comics Distributors bankruptcy saga, Alliance Entertainment has terminated their deal to purchase the company.
Per ICv2, Alliance decided not to purchase Diamond on April 24, one day before the cut-off deadline for the sale of the company. This comes after Alliance won the bid, Diamond backed out in favor of a smaller, joint bid by two companies, Universal and Ad Populum, Alliance sued Diamond successfully to get the bid back… And now this.
So why did Alliance pull out? And who will buy Diamond? While Alliance has publicly stated nothing as of this recording, the popular theory on the termination is that when Alliance decided to buy Diamond for its toy and collectibles unit, that industry was strong. Now, while books and periodicals are mostly tariff-free, the main thrust of Alliance’s business has been hit hard by the US/China trade war, meaning investing $82 million in growing the business is not as smart an idea as it was several months ago.
Meanwhile, it’s expected that Universal and Ad Populum will indeed purchase several divisions of Diamond, possibly in conjunction with a third buyer. In a letter sent to publishers, Diamond said, “You may have heard or read that Alliance Entertainment made the decision not to proceed with its transaction with Diamond. While that may be disappointing to hear, be assured that the sale process will proceed with an alternative partner in the very near term. These partners have strong balance sheets and, importantly, unmatched presence and experience in our core industries.”
Notice the multiple “partners” there. As is, from the consumer perspective, there shouldn’t — at this point — be more of a disruption of service than has already been going on with Diamond, so for the moment, business as usual. More on this as it develops, because if history is any indication… There’s going to be plenty more to come.
Megalopolis Graphic Novel Gets Release Date:
Love it or hate it, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis made waves when it hit theaters for its wild tonal swings, interactive sections, and highly meme-able delivery by star Adam Driver. And now it’s coming out as a graphic novel from Abrams ComicArts, written by Chris Ryall with art by Jacob Phillips, so you can go back to the cluuuuuub any time you want.
If you’re not familiar with the famous wine purveyor and sometime filmmaker’s magnum opus is all about, it’s set in the futuristic city of New Rome, as, per PR, “Architect and dreamer Cesar Catilina seeks a utopian future, while Mayor Franklyn Cicero fights to preserve the status quo—rife with greed and political warfare. Caught between these powerful forces is Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose romance with Cesar tests her loyalty and compels her to redefine her beliefs about what humanity truly deserves.”
The movie starred Driver as Cesar, alongside Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Aubrey Plaza. Said Coppola, “I was pleased to put the idea of a graphic novel in the competent hands of Chris Ryall with the idea that, although it was inspired by my film Megalopolis, it didn’t necessarily have to be limited by it. I hoped the graphic novel would take its own flight, with its own artists and writer so that it would be a sibling of the film, rather than just an echo. That’s what I feel Chris, Jacob Phillips and the team at Abrams ComicArts have accomplished. It confirms my feeling that art can never be constrained, but rather always a parallel expression, and part of the bounty we can make available to our patrons, audiences and readers.”
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel hits stores in October from Abrams.
Fantastic Four: First Steps Gets A Comic:
Back in the day, Marvel Comics characters used to visit the offices of Marvel Comics all the time, particularly as their adventures were “documented” by the writers, artists, and editors who existed inside the 616. Heck, for a time, Steve Rogers worked as an artist at Marvel! Really! And now the MCU is getting a turn as Marvel — the real one — will release Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, a comic that purports to be a retelling of the origin of the team, from inside the universe of the upcoming movie.
The meta-concept is that it’s the fourth anniversary of the debut of the Fantastic Four. So Marvel has teamed up writer Matt Fraction and artist Mark Buckingham to commemorate the event with a new comic showing how Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing become international superstars.
Said Fraction via press release, “What an honor to be asked to help celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Fantastic Four! It was a thrill to bring their first legendary adventure to the world of comic books for the first time! It’s a story we all know by heart, but I think Magic Mark Buckingham and I have found a way to tell it as you’ve never heard or seen before — and who knows, this could be the start of something big!”
Curiously, Marvel is touting this as the first time Marvel Studios and Marvel Comics have worked together on an MCU tie-in comic. Which, given they’ve already published 30 plus MCU tie-in comics since 2010… I guess they just didn’t talk about them before?
In a rare case of these sorts of comics actually hitting on time, Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 will hit stores on July 2, 2025, before the movie hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And sadly, Adam Driver will not talk to you through the Megalopolis comic, but if you want you can flap the pages like a little mouth.
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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