My god-daughter, who is interested in all things art, has recently expressed an interest in comic books (sniff, I’m so proud), so being the good godfather I decided to pick up a few classic graphic novels to properly introduce her to the genre. I strolled down to the local Barnes & Noble planning to pick up some classic Miller and Moore (to name a few), but the shelves were bare!
Now don’t get me wrong, the standard dreck was there, but such iconic titles like ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ and ‘V for Vendetta’ were nowhere to be found! I asked the clerk what had happened and she explained that they had been pulled by order of ‘the corporation’.
Perplexed, I wondered if this had all been just a bad dream… that is until I stumbled upon this little tidbit I found on TheDailyWhatGeek website last week:
“In response to DC Comics’ announcement that 100 DC graphic novels will get an exclusive digital release on Amazon’s new Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble has pulled all 100 books from its shelves.
The bookstore chain says it’s purging the books because DC didn’t respond to requests to release the comics on the Nook Color e-reader.
Banned graphic novels — that’s right, copies aren’t even allowed inside Barnes & Noble stores anymore — include top sellers like Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Sandman, Fables, Blackest Night, All Star Superman, Y The Last Man and V For Vendetta.
In a statement, Barnes & Noble’s Chief Merchant Jaime Carey said,
‘Barnes & Noble works with thousands of publishers to bring customers the world’s largest selection of physical and digital reading content. However, regardless of the publisher, we will not stock physical books in our stores if we are not offered the available digital format. … To sell and promote the physical book in our store showrooms, and not have the eBook available for sale would undermine our promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime.’
Sure, because no customer would want a physical book if they couldn’t buy the Nook version, too… That would be preposterous!”
..but it gets worse! Yesterday (October 12, 2011), this was posted on the same site:
“Follow Up of the Day:Last week, Barnes & Noble pulled 100 of the most popular DC Comics graphic novels from its shelves — and banned them completely from its stores — after DC signed an exclusive digital release deal with Amazon.
Now, Books-a-Million, the nation’s second-biggest brick and mortar bookseller, is following suit.
BAM CEO Terrance Finley:
‘Due to DC Comics plan to sell the digital format of their top 100 graphic novels exclusively through Amazon’s Kindle Fire, BAM Stores are currently removing physical copies of these titles from our shelves.
We will not promote titles in our stores showrooms if publishers choose to pursue these exclusive arrangements that create an uneven playing field in the marketplace.’
Books-a-Million has 211 stores in 23 states, but it doesn’t have a direct Kindle competitor like Barnes & Noble’s Nook, so the objection seems to be just a matter of principle.”
Now I understand most here probably get their fix from their local comic book stores, but what about the millions of people who DON’T have this luxury and have to rely on the availability of the big-box stores? Is this censorship or just corporations acting like spoiled little children? …a little of both? …anyone? …ANYONE?