Three major Marvel comic books going on sale on November 24 will be a week late for some comic shops and bookstores - and apparently, it's an issue between distributors.
Diamond Comic Distributors have notified its client comic shops and bookstores that their copies of X-Men #5, Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #1, and X-Force: Killshot Anniversary Special #1 (and all their variant covers) have been delayed one week, with a new on-sale date of December 1.
Although Diamond is no longer Marvel's exclusive distributor to comic shops and bookstores, it does now act as a middleman distributor for some shops - buying the comics from Marvels' new comic shop/bookstore distributor Penguin Random House, then re-selling them to stores - who then sell them to you and I as readers.
According to Penguin Random House's website, those who order direct from them will receive X-Men #5, Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #1, and X-Force Killshot Anniversary Special #1 (and all their variant covers) on time with a November 24 on-sale date.
So what's going on? Diamond attributes the delay to "a systems issue affecting Penguin Random House" and does not mention any connection with its recent ransomware attack, which has led to delays for the past two weeks.
No more detail is provided by the distributor, but Newsarama will update this story should Diamond or Penguin Random House clarify the issue.
So what does this mean for you if you want to buy these comics from your comic shop or bookstore? Check with your retailer - depending on if they buy their Marvel comics through Penguin Random House or Diamond, it could be November 24 or December 1 when you can get your hands on them.
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