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Supply chain issues instigated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect comics, and not even Batman is safe. Following news on August 25 that over two dozen DC comic books and collections are being delayed due to the pandemic, the publisher has informed retailers that the comic books planned to debut as part of this year's Batman Day on September 18 will probably be affected.
DC says there will be new Batman comics for Batman Day 2021, but not as much as they hoped - or as much as comic book shops ordered.
"Given the [previous delays due to supply chain issues], expect allocations for all Batman Day titles except for incentive covers," reads a statement circulated to retailers by DC marketing manager Albert Ching. "Initial orders for incentive covers will still be fulfilled."
What does that mean in plain English for readers? Comic shops will have fewer copies of the Batman Day books than they ordered by the deadline earlier this month, except for variant covers (which were incentivized, meaning they cost more for retailers). If you are hoping to get a copy of any of the Batman Day comics, we recommend speaking with your retailer early to ensure the best way to get them pre-ordered or the early morning hours of Batman Day.
According to DC's comic shop distributor Lunar, there are three Batman Day comics planned for this year.
The biggest one is the Batman: The World anthology original graphic novel. This is a unique globally-sourced anthology, with creators from 15 countries each telling a Batman story set in their homeland.
DC is also publishing a kid-friendly comic titled Batman Knightwatch Bat-Tech. This one-shot, written by J. Torres and drawn by Marcelo Dichiara, ties into the new augmented reality Batman Bat-Tech mobile app and toyline.
Lastly, DC is reprinting the first issue of the recent hit series Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point, selling it for $1. A collected edition of this will be on-sale by September 18's Batman Day, and is building up to more DC/Fortnite crossover comics in the very near future.
While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to constrict print comics' distribution, these supply chain issues have not seemed to affect digital comics distribution.
Keep track of this and all the new Batman comics, graphic novels, and collections in 2021 and beyond.
