Marvel Working on “Larger Scale Plan” To Help Comics Stores Amidst Coronavirus Shipping Delays

Comic Stores are doing their best to adapt to the coronavirus and the havoc it is causing on companies and industries that they rely on. That includes Diamond Comic Distributors, who recently announced that they would not receive or ship out any more products from their warehouses, and currently, there is no timetable for that to start back up again. Marvel sent out a statement to retailers today that it is collecting information and working with Diamond to figure out a larger scale plan regarding the upcoming shipping schedule and when comics will start shipping once more to comic stores, and you can read their full statement below.

"As soon as Marvel and DCD have the proper knowledge on what the future likely holds during these trying times of a Global Pandemic, we will update the FOC dates and On Sale Dates," read the statement. "We assure you there is a larger scale plan being worked on for the upcoming shipping schedule and thank you for your patience."

Everything is obviously still in flux, as cities report more confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more companies temporarily shut down as a result. It's good to know that Marvel is working on a plan though, and DC is similarly working on plans.

You can read Diamond's full statement below.

"We are hearing from thousands of retailers that they can no longer service their customers as they have in the past, many of them forced to close by government action or resort to in-person or curbside delivery," he writes. "Even those still open are seeing reduced foot traffic in most cases, a situation that seems likely to worsen with time. Our publishing partners are also faced with numerous issues in their supply chain, working with creators, printers, and increasing uncertainty when it comes to the production and delivery of products for us to distribute. Our freight networks are feeling the strain and are already experiencing delays, while our distribution centers in New York, California, and Pennsylvania were all closed late last week. Our own home office in Maryland instituted a work from home policy, and experts say that we can expect further closures. Therefore, my only logical conclusion is to cease the distribution of new weekly product until there is greater clarity on the progress made toward stemming the spread of this disease."