Barnes & Noble pulls 100 comic titles in retaliation for Amazon deal with DC

By Jeff Hughes October 7, 2011

DC Comics has been somewhat banned by Barnes & Noble. The bookstore chain stated it will be pulling 100 graphic novel titles from shelves, including Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series and Alan Moore’s vaunted Watchmen graphic novel. Neil Gaiman tweeted about the news earlier today; he didn’t seem too happy.

The book retailer’s actions were apparently prompted by DC Comic’s recent exclusivity agreement with Amazon. Last week, the comic publisher handed Amazon a 4-month deal granting exclusive distribution rights of its digital comics to the Kindle platform; a smart marketing boost for the Kindle Fire as well as DC’s foray into digital publishing.

According to Bleeding Cool, Barnes & Noble in retaliation sent out an email to to its 1,341 stores with instructions pull the physical versions of the 100 titles exclusive to the Kindle Fire. The list of titles that are saved from the squalid life of broken spines and coffee stains (in Barnes & Noble) includes: Watchmen, Fables, The Dark Knight Returns, Sandman, Y The Last Man, V for Vendetta and many other cornerstones for DC sales. Barnes & Noble cites a policy violation for justification.

“We will not stock physical books in our stores if we are not offered the available digital format,” Jaime Carey, B&N’s chief merchant, said in a statement. “To sell and promote the physical book in our store showrooms and not have the e-book available for sale would undermine our promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime.”

Don’t worry, if you’re deadset on buying your graphic novels from Barnes & Noble you can still order them off the site. DC Entertainment released a statement of its own in reply to B&N, pointing out that any device with the Kindle app, including the iPad, will have access to the comics. The Warner Brothers -owned comic publisher hasn’t budged in its deal with Amazon despite B&N’s measure, most likely believing the Kindle Fire route is the one paved with more profits.

DC Comics did a universe reboot and huge digital launch in September, hoping that the digital market would boost ailing comic sales.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

I'm a SF Bay Area-based writer/ninja that loves anything geek, tech, comic, social media or gaming-related.

Mobile

Best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals: Save big on unlocked models

The back of the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus.

For a couple of years now the Samsung Galaxy S22 has made for some of the best phone deals you can shop. This includes both the Galaxy S22 and its big brother in the lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S22+. These phones have been out for a little while now, and they’re getting more and more difficult to find brand new. We’ve managed to find a few deals available on both the Galaxy S22 and the Galaxy S22+, however, and there are several ways to save on refurbished models out there. We’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S22 deals taking place at a number of different retailers, so read onward for all of the details on how to save.
Samsung Galaxy S22 deals at Samsung

Samsung isn’t currently carrying very many older models of the Samsung Galaxy S phone. You’ll find some newer models like the recently released Samsung Galaxy S24 there, but if you’re looking for something from the S22 model lineup all you’ll find is a Galaxy S22 renewed model. It’s offering some great savings, however, as you can claim it for just $679 with up to $300 in trade-in savings.

Mobile

Best Apple Watch deals: Series 9 and Ultra 2 discounted

Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

The Apple Watch has become one of the best smartwatches on the market. And while Apple deals are traditionally somewhat difficult to come by, the Apple Watch has always been a good Apple product to turn to for some savings. That’s certainly the case right now, as some of the best smartwatch deals are on various Apple Watch models, and several models are offering substantial savings. From the Apple Watch Ultra 2 to older Apple Watch models that come in at relatively low prices, we’ve tracked down all of the best Apple Watch deals taking place right now. Read onward and you’ll find plenty of details on how to save, as well as some information on which Apple Watch may best suit your needs.
Best Apple Watch SE deals

The first-generation Apple Watch SE, which was released in 2020, and the second-generation Apple Watch SE, which was rolled out in 2022, are the most affordable ways of getting an Apple Watch. They don't give up too much in order to keep costs low compared to their more expensive peers though. The Apple Watch SE 2, in particular, still provides comprehensive fitness tracking features, a comfortable fit, and excellent software as it can be updated to Apple's latest watchOS 10.

Mobile

Best Samsung tablet deals: Discounted tablets as low as $184

Recent apps view on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Samsung makes a huge lineup of quality yet affordable tablets, many of them in competition to be among the best tablets, and many more often found among the best tablet deals. With a wide set of prices ranging from budget to premium, a Samsung tablet makes a great investment for almost anyone who enjoys the touchscreen form factor. There are quite a few Samsung tablet deals worth shopping right now, and we’ve done the heavy lifting of tracking down the best. Among them you’ll find discounts on the likes of the budget tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and the high-end tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. So whichever end of the tablet spectrum you fall on, or if you land anywhere in between, read onward for more details on the best Samsung tablet deals available right now.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 -- $184, was $230

If you need a bigger screen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 is another solid budget option. It is 10.5 inches and runs a much better 1920 x 1200 resolution, which also makes it a better option for watching content. It does have a much smaller capacity at 32GB, although you can always expand it with a MicroSD, so it's not a dealbreaker. That said, the 3GB of RAM is very much within the limits of what's going to give you a smoother experience, but it's the sort of compromise you deal with when going for a larger screen at a budget price.