As detailed over at PRH a while back, Dark Horse books are now going through Penguin as of June 1st. This also means that the release dates will line up to the same week for Direct and Retail markets. As a nerdy side note for me, that also means I can put Dark Horse into the scripts I have that grab updates from the PRH API (thank god). For you, that means quicker date updates from me! Woo! I just made the change a few hours ago and grabbed some changes (which you can see in the good old change log page) so yay!

PORTLAND, Ore. 05/24/2023 — Image Comics is pleased to announce a worldwide exclusive distribution deal with Lunar Distribution, effective with September on-sale titles (which will open for order on the Lunar site for retailers on Wednesday, June 14), for Direct Market/comic shop distribution.

Previously exclusive to Diamond Comic Distributors, Image Comics will join DC as one of Lunar’s largest periodical publishers and will work in partnership with Lunar to share further communications with the Direct Market, including “next steps” details, to ensure a seamless transition for comic shop retailers.

“First and foremost we want to thank Steve Geppi, Chuck Parker, and everyone at Diamond for their ongoing service and all that they’ve done for Image over the years. For over three decades, they have been at our side, supporting our books from the moment we founded our company back in 1992,” said Todd McFarlane, President of Image Comics. “Every Image comic published, since our inception in ’92, has been distributed to thousands of retail outlets by Diamond, and they have played a very important role in our company’s evolution.”

“We have enjoyed our relationship with Diamond over the decades and we have made some wonderful friends there, so this decision has been a difficult one,” added Erik Larsen, Chief Financial Officer at Image Comics, who served as Publisher at Image from 2004-2008. “It was not a move that we made lightly, though, and ultimately, the change was made because of the benefits to readers and retailers who are our real customers. There are services Lunar will provide that will make it easier for stores to buy our titles, and for fans to find our books. This is a big win for them, and we hope this new partnership is as strong and long-lasting as the previous one. We wish Diamond nothing but the best as we look toward the future.”

“We leave with nothing but the deepest respect for Steve, Chuck and all of the folks at Diamond, both past and present,” said Jim Valentino, Image’s Vice President and former Publisher at Image from 1999-2004.

“This is a big change, but we will still be working with Diamond in other capacities and look forward to maintaining those relationships with the Diamond team for years to come,” noted Eric Stephenson, the company’s current Publisher and Chief Creative Officer. “Lunar is an impressive new player in the Direct Market, and we are eager to work with them on the next phase of our development, as well as joining DC in leading the industry toward what we believe are positive changes for everyone.”

[NOTE: Image will still be working with Diamond Book Distributors for retail book market customers]

Christina Merkler, Co-owner at Lunar Distribution stated: “We are thrilled to announce our exclusive worldwide distribution deal with Image Comics. We are constantly seeking innovative ways to expand our reach and bring exceptional content to our retail accounts around the world. This partnership will allow us to further expand our offerings and provide unparalleled access to the most exciting and sought-after titles in the industry. We look forward to working closely with Image and continuing to provide top-notch service to our Direct Market accounts.”

Lunar Distribution was first launched in 2020, when it became the home distributor to DC, and provides distribution services to the Direct Market with an emphasis on quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Retailers interested in learning more about how to set up an account with Lunar can visit: https://www.lunardistribution.com/home/faq

It’s been a minute since I went to the Upcoming Unsolicited Books page and did edits, so I thought I’d make note of it on the front page. I finally got off my lazy butt and with the help of our librarian, Captain, got this thing all up to date. If I missed anything that Omar (or Amazon incidentally) announced that has not yet been solicited, drop me a line as always!

Apparently at some point I broke the contact form as well as the restock request form. If you sent me anything in the last couple months, I probably did not get it so please re-send! I fixed it last night and already immediately had a restock request so looks like things are back to running smoothly. Apologies if you’d sent me something! 🙁

I don’t often post these PR releases because they don’t usually spell out something like a bunch of collected editions getting posted but today is a special day. Feast your eyes on some extremely exciting Remender reprints coming from Image!

PORTLAND, Ore. 12/08/2022 — Comics titan Rick Remender’s Giant Generator Studios line of bestsellers will see a number of exciting upcoming releases next year—including a long-anticipated reprint of the Tokyo Ghost hardcover co-created with artist Sean Gordon Murphy—all published by Image Comics. Image is pleased to reveal new cover art by Murphy to grace the upcoming Tokyo Ghost hardcover reprint which will land on shelves in April 2023.

“The demand for evergreen favorites such as Tokyo Ghost, Deadly Class, Fear Agent, Seven to Eternity, LOW, and Death or Glory has been unrelenting so I’m very excited to announce we’re putting them all back in print in the deluxe oversized hardcover format as well as a new line of complete series compendiums beginning with our bestselling title Black Science,” said Remender. “We’re also seeing newer hits like The Scumbag and A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance given the Deluxe hardcover treatment for the first time. I’ve spent the majority of the last decade working with the most dedicated people in comics to complete the first wave of Giant Generator books, allowing the best artists in the industry to take the time they need to tell the stories to the best of their abilities and with wave one of Giant Generator finally completed it’s a joy to ensure these works of exquisite art live on in the prestige formats they deserve.”

Upcoming Giant Generator titles greenlit for publication include to following, with more to come:

• 12/21—Seven To Eternity deluxe hardcover (co-created with artist Jerome Opeña)
• 4/19/2023—Tokyo Ghost deluxe hardcover (co-created w/Murphy, featuring new cover art by Murphy)
• 4/5/2023—Deadly Class Book One deluxe hardcover (co-created with artist Wes Craig)
• 4/5/2023—Black Science: The Complete Story compendium trade paperback edition (co-created with artist Matteo Scalera featuring new cover art by Scalera)
• 6/14/2023—The Scumbag: The Complete Story deluxe hardcover(featuring various collaborating artists, cover by Greg Tocchini)
• 6/28/2023—Deadly Class Book Four deluxe hardcover (co-created with artist Craig)
• 8/9/2023—A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance deluxe hardcover (co-created with André Lima Araújo)
• 11/8/2023—Fear Agent Book One deluxe hardcover (co-created with artist Tony Moore & Opeña)
• 11/15/2023—Fear Agent Book Two deluxe hardcover (co-created with artist Moore & Opeña)

These books will be available at local comic book shops and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo.

The series are also available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

It’s time for Descender’s restock folks! If you were waiting on this it was a little bit late arriving but the usual places are starting to stock it (confirmed CGN and OPB — thought I saw it on IST but that may have been a mistake, look for it next week). Check out the restocks page to get links to both and enjoy!

Many thanks to Alex at Image (and our buddy Max at CGN) for keeping us up to date on info for this!