morriscroy

Are they (ie. the breitweisers) literally selling these titles at a break-even cost or less, through the wallyworld meat grinder?

The only way the economics might make any sense, is if they're being subsidized by somebody else with deep pockets. Do they have any other sources of upfront cash, which DC and Marvel do not have access to?

PhantomStranger

Walmart cuts deals all the time with smaller distributors in any number of product categories. Smaller companies are more willing to eat losses at retail for the store exposure.

The Valeyard

Larger white stickers. On the comic covers. Pass.

Red Hood

Saw 5 new 3-pack sets of DC books at Wal-Mart. This time around, they are all Future State titles in the front of the pack and honestly, the books haven't sold as well as the Marvel ones in the Wal-Marts I've visited.

The Valeyard

^ That's because variant collectors are more interested in the Marvel covers than DC's.

Red Hood

Exactly, which someone defeats the purpose of new customers stumbling into these books. The issue I have had from the beginning with how Wal-Mart sell comic books is that they are kept in a cashier aisle, with the Pokemon card and that area always look like a nuclear bomb exploded. Wal-Mart should do like Target, where they keep a collector's area near their media section and place the books there.

fujishig

My local Wal-mart has a collector's area near their media section... that also looks like a bomb went off there.

Red Hood

Same here but it's mostly for NECA figures, Funko POPs and some random MEGO figures here and there and it looks like a bomb went off.

Red Hood

Wal-Mart has new 4 packs and this are the most peculiar ones yet. They 4 packs are really random stuff from the past 3 months, including books as the new Superman 1 book by Tom Taylor. Also, instead of posters in the back, these new 4 packs include either a Joker or Catwoman mask from different comic book eras. These cardboard masks were supposed to be given away last year on the day the Catwoman and Joker 80th Anniversary books were released. Due to the pandemic and DC changing distributors multiple times, the masks were never sent to retailers until now.

PhantomStranger

I'm largely over picking up random grab bags of comics. It was a novelty five years ago but it seems like several different chains have gotten into them over the past few years. The Walmart ones are usually overpriced.

fujishig

Considering how modern day superhero comics are written, grab bags are completely unappealing to me... it's not like you get standalone stories anymore.

Trevor

I got lucky and found some Walmart bundles that included that hot new Nightwing first issue, 78 iirc.

Red Hood

There's a new set of WM DC 4 packs that hit the store this past weekend and one of them includes the Batman: Long Hallowen Special #1 that was given at AMC theaters.

Trevor

Do you remember which pack it was in?

Red Hood

The one with the book on front. People are snatching this one up because the book was put in the front and it's selling online for around $15-20. It includes the Three Jokers #2 and 2 other random books.

Trevor

I didn’t look super closely, but the auctions appear to be mostly listing at those prices and not really selling.

But nonetheless, I ‘needed’ it for my promotional comic long boxes, and found it at one of my two town Walmarts.

Red Hood

Did this ever come out? I don’t see anything on ebay or anywhere else

PhantomStranger

I never saw it at any Walmart.