Spiral Comics April 2020 Newsletter

by Glenn Snow | April 16th, 2020

WELCOME

Hello, comic fans! As I write this month’s newsletter, the comic industry is experiencing the largest upset I can ever remember since I started collecting as a young boy in 1986. Diamond has effectively ceased distribution of weekly, new comics, generating a storm of speculation about the future of print comics. Predictions abound that some percent of local comic shops and some small publishers will not survive this turmoil. Some radicals are even calling it the actual end of print comics. Spiral Comics is fortunate to operate online only and only deal with Diamond on a cash–not credit–basis. I don’t think the big publishers will fold, and print comics will continue at some time in familiar form, simply because there are still many, many fans of the medium. I read today that trades are still selling well in the book market. DC has really been shaking things up with assertions of finding a new distribution pathway, possibly even direct mail to retailers. I have to think they may have been thinking about moving away from Diamond even before this calamity. It hasn’t been too long that they moved their solicitations into a separate magazine, after being in Previews for sooooo long while Marvel hung out in their own solicitation magazine for like forever now. Well, take care. Stay safe. And here’s hoping for a speedy economic recovery with lots of new comics, in whatever form the market takes on. As always, let us know if we can search our stacks for something…we try to cater to regular, normal newbies…crazy, intense collectors…and everyone in between (except for SARS-CoV-2… because it’s not alive and it also pretty much disrupts everything). –Glenn
P.S. Spiral Comics offers a free Recommendations Service for upcoming comic books. Learn more here

ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear Valued Customer, even though Diamond–the singular comic book distributor–has ceased distribution of new comic books during the current pandemic, we at Spiral Comics are continuing to accept pre-orders for future comic books in the sincere hope that the flow of comic books will resume at some time. Please, rest assured that full refunds will be issued for any pre-ordered items that cannot be fulfilled. Thank you for continued support. –Glenn

GET STARTED IN COMIC BOOKS

Focus This Month:
Get Started In… Darth Vader

Only a Sith Lord would revel in these disturbing times. Check out our guide to Getting Started In Darth Vader comic books!

Spiral Comics has created specific articles–and we keep them current–to help you get started in particular characters and series. See all of our GSI Guides here.

Get Started Now

NEW TAGS

The following tags were added to Spiral Comics’ database since last month. They can represent existing pop culture tags that hadn’t been created in our database yet, as well as brand new tags from the latest Previews catalog (*). Click on the links to see a short description and any items that can be pre-ordered this month…
  AMAZING FANTASY [1962] NO. 1 COVER HOMAGE
  BOOM! STUDIOS DISCOVER YOURS REPRINTS [2020]*
  CHAOS EFFECT [1994]
  CLAMP (A)
  DARKHOLD [2020]*
  HARRY POTTER
  INFINITE DESTINIES [2020]*
  LIVING VAMPIRE VARIANT COVERS [2020]*
  MARVEL SNEAKER VARIANT COVERS [2020]*
  MOONEY ‘FRANK MILLER HOMAGE’ VARIANT COVERS [2020]*
  SHAOLIN COWBOY
  SPIDERLING (ANNIE MAY PARKER)
  VALIANT VALIDATED SIGNATURE SERIES (VVSS) EDITIONS
  VAULT PULP AND PAINT VARIANT COVERS [2020]
  WOLVERINE [1982] NO. 1 COVER HOMAGE
  WONDER WOMAN 84 VARIANT COVERS [2020] (9)*
Explore our massive Tag List here

SPOTLIGHT TAG

Each month, Spiral Comics focuses on a tag which has a stand-out presence in the latest Previews catalog. Check it out!

GREEN HORNET

Dynamite launches a new GREEN HORNET series, adding to their expansive catalog of existing material…which can all be ordered as well, this month!

Explore our massive Tag List here

FIRST IMPRESSIONS FOR APRIL 2020

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER ADAPTATION [2020] #1
This will likely include the deleted and extended scenes from the novelization!

“INCLUDES UNREVEALED STORY. FROM BEYOND THE OUTER RIM, AN OLD ENEMY RETURNS. REY and the RESISTANCE set out on a desperate quest to stop the threat of the FINAL ORDER. Can they succeed where Jedi Master LUKE SKYWALKER himself failed? And what is KYLO REN’S real goal in partnering with the resurrected PALPATINE? Jody Houser (TIE FIGHTER) and Will Sliney (THE RISE OF KYLO REN) adapt the landmark Skywalker saga, featuring extended and deleted scenes.”

Pre-order Now

NON-STOP SPIDER-MAN [2020] #1
This one from Joe Kelly sounds truly amazing!

“Get ready for the most action-packed, pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping comic OF ALL TIME. As the name implies, once you read page one, panel one, SPIDER-MAN DOES NOT STOP. A mystery at Empire State University thrusts Spider-Man into an adventure that starts in uptown Manhattan and will take him around the world, pitting him against Marvel Universe villains old and new and give you a Spider-Man adventure (and Spider-Man) the likes of which you’ve never seen. THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, SO CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE READING.”

Pre-order Now

WITCHER: FADING MEMORIES [2020] #1
A new Witcher mini-series exploring the world beyond the games.

“Geralt has become impoverished and dejected since monster threats have seemingly vanished. Times have always been hard for Witchers – but without continual work, his situation has worsened. As Geralt explores new possibilities for his life path, he receives a request from the Mayor of Towitz, a small town where children are being kidnapped by Foglets… but something feels off about this new threat.”

Pre-order Now

See all of our First Impressions for this month here
See all of the brand new series for this month here