Diamond Comic Distributors has announced Marvel Comics will lend their support to the 'Back The Comeback' campaign - with the logo that pays homage to the iconic Comics Code Authority stamp added to a variant cover for July 15's Empyre #1, the start of the publisher's big 2020 summer event.
Diamond describes 'Back The Comeback' as a "multi-part initiative designed to support local comic book and game stores as they began to safely reopen, restart, and rebuild following the easement of nationwide stay-at-home orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic."
This Empyre #1 variant is the only Marvel title announced to be carrying the "Back The Comeback" logo.
Diamond founder Steve Geppi previously told Newsarama he hopes that the books carrying the logo will be seen as "pandemic era" collectibles.
Geppi and Diamond will also be raising funds for the Book Industry Charitable Fund (BINC), the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), and the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund (a charity for gaming stores) with shirt sales and a collectibles auction. The auction will be handled by Diamond's sister company, Diamond International Galleries - and seeded by over $50,000 in items donated from Geppi's personal collection. The auction is scheduled for July / August, with each auction winner choosing which charity the funds will go towards.
"I do believe our comeback will be bigger than our setback," Diamond founder/CEO Steve Geppi told Newsarama. "Setbacks are always negative, but driving us now is the knowledge that our comeback will be awesome."
