Posted in: Comics | Tagged: comic shop, dc comics, DC Universe

All DC Comics Made Returnable Because Of DC Universe Infinite Ultra

Published Sat, 08 Oct 2022 12:03:09 -0500

Last updated Sat, 08 Oct 2022 12:06:54 -0500

The DC Comics Rich Twitch continues to play out. Five minutes before noon, ET, Bleeding Cool ran the news about the new DC Universe Infinite Ultra subscription level which allows readers to pay a premium to get all of DC Comics print-released titles included in the DC Universe Infinite app a month after print rather than six months. Ten minutes later, DC Comics hurriedly confirmed the news ahead of their originally planned announcement and sent letters to comic shop owners, those likely to be most affected by the news, as DC Comics becomes far more of a direct competitor with comic shops than previously.

In the letter, DC Comics states that all the comic books published between this Wednesday and the end of the year, will be made returnable. That is a massive financial impact to DC, and one that they have been clearly planning for some time. Here is the letter in full.

Earlier today we announced the launch of an additional subscription membership  tier  for DC UNIVERSE INFINITE called Ultra. It's an annual membership that provides subscribers with benefits  including digital access to comics released one month after physical on-sale date. Physical comics remain the backbone of our industry and we are excited to see digital continue to drive readership  to  benefit our entire ecosystem.

During the initial launch of this additional subscription, DC will make all periodicals with in-store dates between 10/11/22 and 12/31/22—except those with an associated 1:50 ratio  variant cover  or higher—returnable within 60 days of their initial on sale date. Please contact the DC  sales and marketing  team with any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why did you shift the release window on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE from six months to one month?

A: The one-month release window on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is for a premium level of service, DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra. The standard DC UNIVERSE INFINITE release window is 6 months after print release. In addition to fans building their print collections, the vast majority of print comics are sold within the first 30 days of release. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra is intended for the DC Fan who seeks to have faster access to comics that they already love and to discover new ones.

Q: Will all comics be released 30 days after print release or will there be exceptions?

A: Nearly all comics will be available to DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra subscribers approximately 30 days after release. However, as has previously been the case, there will be limited exceptions for titles that are tied to releases of movies, television shows or video games which are occasionally posted day-and-date with print release, or released with an early digital exclusive window (such as Young Justice: Targets). Additionally, DC's All-Ages comics and Middle Grade original graphic novels are not available on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Q: Which comics are returnable?

A: All DC periodicals with on-sale dates between 10/11/22 and 12/31/22 will be returnable within 60 days, except periodicals with an associated 1:50 or higher ratio variant cover.

Q: Will comics shops be able to order the DC UNIVERSE INFINITE exclusive SC edition of DEATH OF SUPERMAN 30th Anniversary with the variant cover?

A: No. That edition is only available for DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra subscribers.

It may not actually help any retailers who feel the DC Universe Infinite Ultra update will harm their business, but at least they won't be on the hook for any overordered comics, now that DC Universe Infinite is a much greater competitor than before. Funny how the variant cover that shops won't be getting features Doomsday. I get the feeling that many of them will see this moment as their own personal doomsday…