*Warning: This article may contain spoilers*
As many know, DC Comics released a large spoiler-filled article of the much anticipated Batman #50 on Sunday morning ahead of its release Monday, July 4. Now DC comics is releasing the 5 reasons they had for spoiling the issue early. DC Comics Senior Vice President of Sales John Cunningham released the following message on the local comic book retailers Facebook Group:
1. DC Sales strongly advocated getting the news out ahead of the OSD, so that the Moment of Realization did not occur hours before events began. We even did our level best to try and spoil it here on this page over and over again (and failed). The NY Times article was posted here at 630 a.m. PST not out of “Pride” — please — but to get you the information as soon as we could.
2. In the abstract, we believed the news would break on Monday morning, given the arrival time of physical copies in store and the reality that a copy or a scan would end up being passed to uncontrolled comic book outlets (much like Marvel’s wedding issue last week and every other major comic book event in the last decade).
3. As mentioned here before, any discussion about financial remedies for problematic DC product must occur after the product is on sale.
4. While The Times piece is more fulsome that [sic] some might like, it does not spoil the shock ending of the book for fans. We’re working on getting this posted here for you.
5. I stand by my belief that BATMAN #50 is one of the best single issue periodicals of the last decade, that it is a special moment in comic book history, and that if it’s not the book we (think) we want, it’s the book we need.
Writer Tom King had his own reaction to what has been going on tweeting out:
Im pissed about things and excited about other things. I have no idea how to comment on anything without spoiling everything.
Batman 50 is still out Wednesday. I’m incredibly proud of the issue; I hope you pick it up. You have questions; the answers are there.
Art by @JimLee. pic.twitter.com/odnbbVW9YC
— Tom King (@TomKingTK) July 1, 2018
Many fans and local comic book retailers are extremely upset with with this result and are calling this a “marketing gimmick” and a betrayal of their support of local comic book shops. DC really seems to have gotten itself into a debacle with this one. Will you still be reading Batman #50 (I hope so)?
Batman #50 will go on sale Wednesday, July 4 digitally and in stores.
