When first getting into comics, the whole experience exciting. The stories and art were mesmerising. I soon found myself wanting more. But there was a problem. I wasn’t sure when the next issue of my favourite comic would be released, let alone when any comics were released.
If you’re in the same boat, don’t worry. This article will answer all your questions and make it easier to track when your favourite comics come out.
When are comics and graphic novels released in comic book shops?
Up until April 2020, comics were released on Wednesdays. But with the introduction of two new distributors to comic book shops in response to Diamond Distributors’ temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are now two days that new releases drop. New Comic Book Day, as fans love to call it, is Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
So how do you tell if a comic comes on Tuesday or Wednesday? It all depends on which distributor(s) your comic book store uses and the publisher.
Comics distributed through Lunar Distributors or UCS Comic Distributors come out on Tuesday. At the time of writing this, Lunar and UCS only distribute DC Comics, with each distributor taking half of North America.
All other comics come out on Wednesday. If your store uses Diamond Distributors then they’ll sell DC Comics on a Wednesday. The only time that comics distributed by Diamond are not released on Wednesday is if a major holiday falls on that day. In those cases, it may become Tuesday or Thursday for that week.
With two different days, this can get confusing for DC Comics fans. The best thing you can do is get in touch with your local comic book store and ask them which day they sell DC Comics.
If you’re based outside North America, your comics could be released on a different day. When there’s international freight involved it can take a bit longer for the comics to get to their destination. Get in touch with your local comic book retailer to find out when stock arrives.
What about digital comics?
A lot of what I mentioned for comic book shops applies for digital with a few exceptions. Just like their print counterparts, the majority of new releases drop on Wednesday. To follow with their additional methods of distribution, DC Comics releases their new comics and graphic novels on Tuesday.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays will cover the majority of digital comic releases, but it’s not uncommon for comics to land on other days too. Comics that are digital exclusive or published digital-first are often be published on different days. DC Comics likes to spread their digital-first releases throughout the weeks so there is something new every day.
How do I find out when certain comics come out?
If you want to know when the next issue of your favourite comics will be coming out then ComicList is a fantastic website to use. It lists all the comics coming out in two weeks time as well as an publisher specific extended forecast. I use ComicList all the time to discover when comics will be released and has been valuable for many articles on this very website.
You can also find out through your comic book store. Good comic book shops will also let their customers know when comics are dropping that week. You can usually find this in-store, on their website, social media, or through email newsletters.
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That title. “When New Are…” 😉