How Marvel and DC changed comics distribution in 2020–2021
Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · Event date Sep 30, 2021 · 1 min read
Short answerIn June 2020 DC Comics ended its relationship with Diamond Comic Distributors and began shipping to comic shops through Lunar Distribution (and, initially, UCS Comic Distributors). In March 2021 Marvel announced it would move to Penguin Random House, effective 1 October 2021, with Diamond reduced to a wholesaler. Together the two moves ended Diamond's 25-year near-monopoly on the direct market and set up its 2025 bankruptcy.
The trigger
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed shops in March 2020, Diamond stopped shipping new comics entirely. DC, unwilling to wait, arranged shipments through two new distributors formed by large online retailers — Lunar Distribution (DCBS) and UCS Comic Distributors (Midtown Comics) — in April 2020, and on 5 June 2020 announced it was leaving Diamond permanently.
Marvel's move
On 25 March 2021 Marvel announced a multi-year exclusive agreement with Penguin Random House Publisher Services to distribute its comics, graphic novels and trade paperbacks to the direct market from 1 October 2021. Diamond, which had been Marvel's exclusive distributor since 1995, could continue to supply shops only by buying from PRH as a wholesaler.
Who followed
Other publishers moved to PRH over the following two years, including IDW (2022) and Dark Horse (2023). Image and most smaller publishers stayed with Diamond for longer, and Lunar grew into a major distributor.
Why it matters to collectors
- New-comic supply became split across several distributors with different terms, which changed how retailers ordered and how many copies of a new key ended up in the market.
- Variants and exclusives tied to Diamond's Previews catalogue declined.
- Diamond's decline led directly to its Chapter 11 filing in January 2025. See The Diamond bankruptcy explained.
Back issues and graded comics were not affected by any of this; the secondary market runs through auction houses, dealers and marketplaces such as this one.
Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.
