DC Comics used Diamond for years to distribute their comics. Then during the pandemic shut-down, they helped create two new distributors for solely their books--UCS and Lunar. Once the pandemic ended DC shifted away from Diamond to solely using its distributors except in the UK where they used Diamond UK (Penguin took over TPB distribution). It's been messy, but things have at least somewhat stabilized. That is, till now. Suddenly today DC pulled the plug on having UCS distribute comics for them and just like that if you want DC comics sent to your comic shop you'll now be using Lunar.
UCS distributes nothing but DC comics, yet in an email says it is not closing down and it'll soon be distributing other things, which is...odd. Also, now Lunar will require stores to buy $500 worth of DC comics a month to get anything shipped to them, which is...troubling. Really smaller comic stores that just do preorders for some customers and get a couple, "Shelf copies," of notable DC titles could very well not qualify to carry DC floppies, and due to this new rule find themselves unable to stock DC's monthly comics. UCS no longer will carry DC titles at the start of 2021 and then Lunar will have to essentially double its workload.
This just is a huge mess and makes me wonder if DC will eventually come back to Diamond at some point to save itself all this trouble (and Diamond will be a big evil monopoly again, but things will be somewhat calmer). I have no idea what is going on right now with DC and its comic distribution, with everyone else seeming equally perplexed. I just hope this all shakes out okay.
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