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Marvel Entertainment is apparently bidding farewell to the newsstand.
Both Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million have confirmed initial reports that Marvel Entertainment has pulled its comic book line from the bookstore market without explanation. According to a report in GoodEReader, both bookstore chains have found themselves “basically unable to order single-issue comics [from Marvel] at all,” although collected editions and graphic novels continue to be available through distributors Hachette.
STORY: Marvel to Push ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ for Free Comic Book Day 2014
An ICv2 report confirmed with Barnes & Noble that this was a decision made by Marvel, not by the bookstores themselves. Single issues of titles from DC Comics and Dark Horse remain available at both chains.
“The overwhelming majority of print readers get their monthly comics from direct market locations, i.e. brick and mortar comic shops. There’s no denying that the direct market is a much stronger business model for monthly single issues than newsstand distribution. This has been the case for some time,” Marvel’s senior vice president of sales David Gabriel said in a statement to THR. “New single issues haven’t been available in the overall newsstand market for nearly two years now and in book stores for at least three months without notice.”
He continued, “We’re currently working with Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million on a stronger, more mutually beneficial distribution model.”
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