DC and Walmart’s partnership continues to expand with another exclusive 100-page comic, this one titled Swamp Thing Halloween Horror, which will feature reprinted classic scary superhero stories as well as original work from writer Brian Azzarello and artist Greg Capullo.
Capullo announced the book on his Twitter this morning, noting it will be out on Oct. 7. The book was first hinted at last month in a story from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, a local paper that covers all things Walmart given its proximity to its corporate headquarters. That story also noted that this joint collaboration between publisher and retailer will continue expanding with a Walmart DC holiday special coming Nov. 11 and a new Flash comic to join the other superhero titles in February. Those other books will presumably have new original content as well, with creators to be announced as they get closer.
But forget about those books! Let’s talk about this Swamp Thing special. Perhaps the most notable thing about it (aside from the new stuff) is that the cover, which Capullo shared, teases a reprint of Night of the Reaper, a story from 1971’s Batman #237 by seminal Batman creators writer Denny O’Neil and artist Neal Adams. Makes me wonder what we’ll get for the presumably Christmas-themed special coming next month. I’ve so far resisted hunting down a Walmart to search out these exclusive comics, but this might be the straw that breaks the scarecrow’s back (sorry).
I’d definitely buy this, if my local Wal-Marts carried these books. So far, they don’t.
Crap. I actually have to buy something at a Walmart.
I’m with George on this one. I don’t think my local Wal-Mart has any of these comics, but I would be more on board for a holiday special with classic reprints and new material in it. I always buy the DC Christmas, etc. specials, and those can be hit or miss. So classic reprints are a good idea with this one. I have no use for the format of the other Wal-Mart exclusive comics, but this one shot approach to a holiday themed special is more to my liking.
The problem in our local Walmart was not that they weren’t carrying them, but no one knew anything about them or where to find them! They’re shelved in the collectibles area, surrounded by magic the gathering cards and blind boxes, not with the books and magazines as might make sense. I will give DC credit. They’re attractive looking books, and the new stories by Bendis and King are both off to promising starts.
Walmart has little control over where these comics are displayed. That entire section of collectibles is handled by an outside firm. I have seen a few of the early issues starting to migrate to the books and magazines section, but I suspect that that’s customers moving them, rather than the jobber. I also heard that the DVD section and, I presume, the books and magazines, are also stocked by outside vendors rather than Walmart employees.
Horror anthologies might be a good way to sell comics to people who don’t want to deal with superhero continuity. And selling them outside comic shops might be the way to go.
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