Absolute Batman retailer exclusive variants have sparked controversy as allegations arise that DC Comics' embargo terms were broken. Author Scott Snyder reportedly receives large numbers of complimentary exclusives and sells them on Whatnot. Comic Sketch Art is accused of wholesaling variants to another retailer before creators could reveal them, undermining retailers who invested in exclusive covers. The issue highlights the high commercial stakes of Absolute Batman, which alone would rank as the fourth best-selling comic in the direct market.
Absolute Batman retailer exclusive variants face fresh controversy, with allegations that DC embargo terms were broken. Scott Snyder reportedly receives large numbers of complimentary Absolute Batman exclusives and sells copies on Whatnot.
Comic Sketch Art is accused of wholesaling Absolute Batman variants to another retailer before creators could reveal them.wasn't the half-million-selling behemoth of a monthly comic book that it is, people wouldn't know or care. But it is, and they do. So we have hadreceives a certain number of complimentary copies of each copy of Absolute Batman that DC Comics publishes. Which means he also gets copies of every retailer-exclusive cover that DC Comics publishes, and that is now three figures.
And multiple copies of each as well. Which means every time a new issue of Absolute Batman comes out, Scott Snyder gets a thousand copies-plus of the issue. Naturally, he sells them on his Whatnot show. No problem here, indeed it's a nice problem to have.
The problem is that his sales rep appears to be wholesaling some of those copies to a retailer who is then offering the books for sale before the original retailer has even publicly revealed the exclusive, indeed, before the embargo that DC insists on in its terms and conditions. As a result, some retailers who have spent thousands of dollars creating and promoting these exclusives are seeing another retailer sell the books first, beating them to the public reveal of their own exclusive cover.
#20 for sale that wasn't meant to be revealed or sold until the KRS Booth opened at San Diego Comic-Con later this week. It is possible that people might not realise that this is an issue. Well, they do now. An innocent mistake to be rectified?
Here's hoping. Also, for those who think that Bleeding Cool has turned into Absolute Bat Cool of late, you may have a point. But right now, on its own, Absolute Batman would be the fourth best-selling comic book publisher in the direct market of comic book stores right now, by itself. So it will draw attention.
Even more than Dynamite Entertainment. Talking of which…Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of comic books The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne and Chase Variant.
Lives in South-West London, works from The Union Club on Greek Street, shops at Gosh, Piranha and Forbidden Planet. Father of two daughters, Amazon associate, political cartoonist.
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