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

One of the biggest Oura Ring competitors just did something huge

The Ultrahuman Ring Air and the Oura Ring, resting on a table.

Ultrahuman, the maker of the Ultrahuman Ring Air, is making its way to U.S. production grounds. The company is setting up a production facility in Indiana, which will mark the first time a smart ring from Ultrahuman will be assembled from scratch on U.S. soil.

“The UltraFactory will offer an end-to-end production capability and is based on the company’s first operational model of such a facility in India,” the company says.

Mobile

Best Verizon new customer deals: Galaxy S24, iPhone and more

If you’re in the market for one of the best phones, or any new phone for that matter, you’re going to need a good carrier. Verizon has long been one of the most popular options, as it boasts one of the most reliable networks in the United States. It offers some of the best cell phone plans out there, and for new customers Verizon also offers some pretty impressive discounts on new phones. In many cases this means you can brand new, recently released phones entirely for free when signing up with Verizon. And that’s the case right now, as we’re currently seeing some of the best Verizon new customer deals we’ve seen. You can pretty easily land a new iPhone, Samsung Galaxy phone, and Google Pixel for free, and we’ve got all of the details on how to do so. If that sounds enticing, read onward and start shopping the best Verizon new customer deals available right now.
Free iPhone SE (3rd Gen)

The 2022 release of the Apple iPhone SE is yours for free when you sign up for a new 5G data plan on Verizon -- no trade-ins required. It's the best small smartphone in our list of the best smartphones with a 4.7-inch Liquid Retina display, but it doesn't sacrifice performance as it's powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip that's also found in the iPhone 13 line and pre-installed with iOS 15. The latest iPhone SE is equipped with a single 12MP rear sensor and 7MP selfie camera, which are boosted by Apple's software to enable better photographs.

Mobile

AirTags range: here’s how far the tracker can reach

An AirTag attached on a keyring

Apple AirTags are a helpful tool for tracking valuable possessions like wallets, keys, luggage, and backpacks. These tags employ various technologies that allow you to track your items from short and long distances using your compatible Apple device, such as an iPhone 15 Plus. You might wonder how far you can track your items with AirTags. It's time to find out.
AirTags range, explained

The range of AirTags varies depending on the method you use to locate them. A Bluetooth connection will work when your AirTags are close to your supported Apple device. Otherwise, Apple's Find My network is utilized. Luckily, you don't have to choose the method because it's selected behind the scenes automatically.