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For years, almost all comic book publishers released new issues on Wednesdays. This was largely driven by the shipping schedules of Diamond Comic Distributors, who had handled distribution for most of the industry since the 90s. Comics publishing used to be much less centralized before then, with numerous distributors for various local markets. However, after the speculator bubble that almost killed the industry and Marvel’s failed attempt to distribute everything in-house, Diamond was able to cement almost complete control of the market. They even narrowly avoided antitrust legislation in 1997 on the basis that, while they did hold a monopoly on comics, they did not hold a monopoly on all books.
This lasted largely unchallenged for the next 23 years until the Coronavirus upended everything. In the wake of shipping shutdowns and payment delays, DC announced that they were cutting ties with Diamond in June of 2020. Since then, DC has published their comics through UCS Comic Distributors and Lunar Distribution for periodicals, and Penguin Random House for graphic novels. This change meant that their periodicals would release on Tuesdays, ahead of the rest of the industry.
Now, after almost four years, DC is getting back in line with the rest of the industry. On Thursday’s ComicsPRO event in Pittsburgh, DC Comics announced that their periodicals will once again be released on Wednesdays starting July 3rd. They cited “feedback from retailers and readers” as the driving force behind their decision. Graphic novels and collected editions will continue to publish on Tuesdays.
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