Due to the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Diamond Comic Distributors is suspending new orders from being shipped to its warehouse indefinitely.
Diamond is the comic book direct market's largest distributor, responsible for shipping books from publishers such as Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Dynamite, BOOM! Studios and much more. However, because it's no longer receiving new shipments, only the product it currently has on-hand can be distributed to retailers.
Coronavirus has already taken a massive toll on the comic book industry. Most notably, this year's annual Free Comic Book Day event, typically held the first Saturday of May, has been postponed until summertime. Meanwhile, publishers such as Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Marvel and Dynamite Entertainment have been doing their part to assist retailers by offering steep discounts on products and providing full returnability in some cases.
Diamond also attempted to ease the pressure on retailers by allowing stores to put their accounts on hold. "If you are in an area where your store will be closing or significantly impacted, you may contact Retailer Services and request that your account be placed on hold until you're ready to begin receiving product again," Diamond said in a statement. "You can also request a different delivery address, should that be necessary at some point."
At the time of this writing, it's unclear what this means for digital releases.
For more information on COVID-19, along with basic protective measures such as social distancing, please visit the World Health Organization website.
(via ComicBook.com)