Posted in: Comics | Tagged:

Avatar Press Tells Retailers Why They Can't Supply Them With Comics

Avatar Press tells comic book stores why they can't supply them with comics right now, as a result of their contract with Diamond

Published Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:57:03 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Comments

Avatar Press is the publisher of Bleeding Cool. It has also published a number of comic book titles, including Crossed by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, Cinema Purgatorio by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, Warrior Nun by Pat Shand and Daniel Gete, Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin and Daniel Abraham, Robocop by Frank Miller and Juan Jose Ryp, Black Summer by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp, Ferals by David Lapham and Gabriel Andrade, Extinction Parade by Max Brooks and Raulo Caceres, Narcopolis by Jamie Delano and Jeremy Rock, Über by Kieron Gillen and Canaan White, The Unfunnies by Mark Millar and Anthony Williams, and God Is Dead by Jonathan Hickman, Mike Costa and Di Amorim, among numerous other titles. While it hasn't published new comic books in a while, it had kept much of its back catalog of work regularly available, and so was heavily hit by the Diamond Comic Distributors Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Today, Avatar Press has issued the following statement in response to retailer requests, regarding their inability to supply any of their comic books to stores, especially in light of the upcoming release of a Crossed movie.

"Over the past few weeks, Avatar Press has been contacted by a number of retailers who are unable to purchase our inventory for resale to their customers. Unfortunately, our exclusive distribution contract with Diamond Comic Distributors Inc, the debtor in the current Chapter 11 bankruptcy action, is still in force and has not yet been terminated or cured in the bankruptcy process. Because of this, we cannot currently sell directly to retailers. Further, due to these contractual issues and ongoing attempts by the debtor to assert the right to liquidate our consignment inventory, this inventory is also not available from Sparkle Pop, the company that acquired Diamond's comic distribution business in the bankruptcy, or from any other comic or book distributor. The status of our contract and the debtor's ongoing actions means we cannot currently sell directly to retailers, nor distribute via any other outlet. This has obviously caused considerable harm to our business, and like dozens of other Diamond vendors, we hope that the status of our inventory and contract will be resolved soon."

Avatar Press is a part of the Ad Hoc Committee of Consignors, playing a legal part in their dealings with the Diamond Chapter 11 bankruptcy, alongside Ablaze, American Mythology Productions, Battle Quest Comics, Action Lab, Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphics, Green Ronin, Hermes Press, Living the Line, Paizo, Udon and Zenescope. Other publishers have organised as the Consignment Group, representing Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Aspen, Black Mask, Dstlry, Heavy Metal, Magnetic, Massive, Oni, Panini UK, Alien Books, Graphic Mundi, Titan, and Vault. The next court hearing has been delayed from the 30th of September to the 22nd of October. The Diamond Comic Distributors Chapter 11 bankruptcy court case now looks as if it will extend into 2026.