Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: batman 92, coronavirus comics, dc comics, diamond, distributor wars, lunar, ucg, ucs

When is a 1st Printing Not a 1st Printing? When It's From DC Comics

Published Thu, 23 Apr 2020 08:40:39 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Sat, 25 Apr 2020 13:26:19 -0500

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We mentioned this in earlier coverage, but it seems that a collector or two has noticed and are asking questions. Because, you see, comic book collectors like a first printing. They really do. When a comic goes through multiple printings, the first printing is what people want. Unless its a much rarer and distinct later printing in some circumstances when the original 1st printing was massive. But usually it's all about the first. Which may be about to cause a problem for DC Comics collectors.

When is a 1st Printing Not a 1st Printing? When It's From DC Comics. Art from DC Comics.

Because next week, the first of the new DC Comics titles that should have shipped on April 1st, will be coming to participating comic book stores courtesy of new distributors UCS Comic Distributors and Lunar Distribution. Except that these are the same comic books that Diamond will be distributing in Mid May. They shipped from DC's printers Transcontinental to Diamond a week or two before Diamond shut its doors to new comic books, and were nor distributed by Diamond.

With Transcontinental still closed down, DC Comics found other printers. I'm even told that the big DC boss Pamela Lifford did some of the calling round. Now they have new distributors and, it seems, new print runs of the comics that Diamond still has in storage.

The question is, when it comes to next week's comics, will The Dreaming #20, say, that stores get be counted as a 1st printing? Or will that apply to the version that was previously printed and being held by Diamond for distribution from mid-May? For collectors, this really matters. Will they both count as 1st printings but from different printers? Will in indicia reflect this at all? What will happen with Batman #92 which DC are planning to see in stores in June, but which Diamond could get their 230,000 earlier copies out to stores in May?

Retailers who do get copies of any DC titles from UCS or Lunar, do feel free to let Bleeding Cool know. We're continuing to cover the impact that the current global situation is having on the comic book industry, at this link.

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