Author Archives: Brett

Sparkle Pop Responds to Latest Consignment Stock Fight Updates in Diamond’s Chapter 11/Chapter 7

In February, the motion to extend time to “assume or reject executory contracts related to consigned goods” was denied by the court in regards to Diamond‘s chapter 11/chapter 7 process. This concerned the ongoing question regarding contracts between (old) Diamond and publishers handling consigned goods. Who “owns” those goods is a contentious issue with publishers wanting their product back while Diamond, and now their Trustee, want to be able to sell the consigned goods to pay back creditors.

The denial of the motion by the Trustee has caused a chain of rejections. Because the contracts were not assumed or rejected by the deadline, publishers have pounced citing law that saws the contracts default to rejected. You can read about that here and here. Because the contracts are rejected, there’s laid out steps in the contracts as to what happens to consigned goods, primarily the publishers can get them back for the cost of shipping.

Sparkle Pop has filed a response to the motions. Sparkle Pop is one of the companies that purchased some of the assets from Diamond in their chapter 11 and has been managing the storage of the consigned goods.

Adding more to it, Sparkle Pop was caught selling consigned goods they had no right to, were told by the court to stop, and ordered to deposit the money gained in an account controlled by the court. In recent filings, Sparkle Pop has been accused of breaking that order to not sell consigned goods raising questions of Diamond and Sparkle Pop’s ability to protect and care for the consigned goods while the process plays out.

Sparkle Pop’s motion raises the ongoing dispute claiming it’s between (old) Diamond and the publishers resulting in adversary proceedings between (old) Diamond and multiple publishers. While there’s been orders setting out what’s next in these proceedings, the discovery process (handing over documents to lawyers) hasn’t commenced.

Sparkle Pop is sort of staying neutral in it all, not taking sides as to who owns the consigned goods, but instead states that the adversary proceedings should be allowed to play out and that recent motions by publishers for a decision on consigned goods shouldn’t be approved. (Old) Diamond and its now trustee had a deadline to approve or reject agreements and that deadline passed, so publishers filed for a decision based on that saying it was defacto rejection of existing agreements and thus they should get the goods. The trustee has filed an appeal over the decision to reject the timeline extension.

Sparkle Pop does not contend that it has any ownership interest in the consigned goods other than as set forth herein. Sparkle Pop further does not take any position as to whether the Trustee or the Consignors has a superior interest in the consigned goods.

Sparkle Pop’s concerns are more focused on the impact of the goods on them.

(a) rent/storage fees are in arrears and there is no guarantee that future rent payments will be made;
(b) no payments have been remitted to Sparkle Pop for its processing fees for goods that have been sold; and
(c) it will be an extremely expensive and time consuming process for Sparkle Pop to organize, pack and move the consigned goods to the loading docks for whomever (whether it be the Trustee or the Consignors) ultimately is determined to be the owner of the consigned goods.

They go on to state they haven’t been paid for rent/storage by (old) Diamond for the goods since November 2025 and that rent owed exceeds $500,000 with $125,000 a month incurred. They’re also claiming they are owed 30% processing fees for any sales that have been processed.

They also state returning the consigned goods would be difficult:

Finally, it will be a very cumbersome and expensive process for Sparkle Pop to make the consigned goods available for retrieval whether that be by the Trustee or the Consignors. This difficulty exists because, among other things, (a) the consigned goods are not organized by consignor; and (b) the consigned goods are not packaged or otherwise ready to be retrieved. The market rate for these types of goods to be “Picked and Packed” and moved to the loading docks for retrieval will ultimately depend on how the owners of these consigned goods want the goods to be staged.

They wrap up claiming:

Sparkle Pop contends that it may have a warehouseman’s lien under Mississippi law with respect to these consigned goods and is exploring its legal options in Mississippi under Mississippi law.

There is no comments disputing the claims of goods being sold after the judge ordered them not to.

You can read the full response below:

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Batwoman #1 takes things to “Next Level” as it focuses on the past

Batwoman #1

Batwoman. Daughter. Sister. Soldier. Hero. But since she was 10 years old, Kate Kane has lived in the shadow of a prophecy and the machinations of a religion devoted to the end of all things. How do you fight the devil when the devil is real? And how do you win? Batwoman #1 kicks off the next era for Kate Kane and Batwoman as it focuses on the past.

“Next Level” is here for DC Comics with new series debuting to guide the comic universe into its next phase. It’s an interesting mix of releases and Batwoman #1 provides an intriguing start that’s a new chapter that’s neck deep in its past relying heavily on the trauma of Kate’s past, focused on her sister and the cult she was a part of. If you really want to catch up with what’s going on you’ll want to pick up Batwoman: Elegy which recently got a DC Compact Comics edition (some nice planning by DC there). That series, also written by Greg Rucka, dove deep in Kate’s history focusing on her sister who “died” when they were children and returned as a villain and part of a doomsday cult. Batwoman #1 picks up from that, with Kate in therapy trying to process her life and that same cult in the background looking to fulfill its prophecy which involves Darkseid and the anti-life.

Batwoman #1 is an interesting story that explores trauma and PTSD though showing off a victim who seems to be pushing back on the fact she is traumatized. While previous volumes focused a lot on Kate’s personal relationships, this first issue doesn’t explore it, instead really narrowing it down to her and her sister. It’s tie-in with the greater Darkseid stuff in the DC Universe is interesting, bringing the character a bit more into the greater meta story and the fact Darkseid will be back for the next “Crisis” event. For those who followed the finale of DC K.O., you can see some of the threads teased her, putting Kate Kane and Batwoman as part of the center of whatever comes next.

Batwoman has had some amazing artists attached in the past and DaNi puts their mark on the series and character with a style that feels like it fits right in to what has come before. There’s a certain sadness that fits the story that Rucka has constructed with a bit of a throwback feel, fitting the pulp-like cult story the first issue teases. Matt Hollingsworth color helps set the mood with a muted choice that adds to the sadness Kate has experienced. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou handles the lettering and the team together paints a visual style that’s familiar but definitely their own.

Batwoman #1 is an interesting start that focuses on the past but also sets up the future, tying in the character and her mystery into the bigger picture of the DC Universe. It does feel like those who have read previous volumes might enjoy it a bit more but it does a good job of catching readers up with what they need to know. Overall, an intriguing start and direction for the character.

Story: Greg Rucka Art: DaNi
Color: Matt Hollingsworth Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: Zeus ComicsKindle

Spider-Man: Brand New Day gets its First Trailer showing off a Film Packed with Villains and More!

A Brand New Day starts now. The first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day and it shows a “street level” film packed with villains and characters from Spider-Man’s comic history.

The Punisher, Scorpion, Hand Ninjas, Boomerang, and Bruce Banner are all aboard, along with teases of Man-Spider!?

Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he’s devoted himself entirely to protecting his city — a full-time Spider-Man — but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in theaters July 31, 2026.

Narco #1 is a hell of an opener that delivers shocking horror. A great premise and solid delivery.

Marcus Wesphal has a rare form of narcolepsy— when he gets excited, he passes out. He’s adapted: homebound life, a harmless infatuation with the girl next door. But when he witnesses her murder and collapses, he becomes suspect #1. Now, he must leave his apartment to pursue a killer.

Story: Doug Wagner
Art: Daniel Hillyard
Color: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics
Kindle


This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Beanstack and Comics Plus are now The Joyful Reading Company

The Joyful Reading Company

Beanstsack and Comics Plus have announced they have merged together to form The Joyful Reading Company. It’s described as a “connected ecosystem that inspires reading, expands access, and demonstrates impact, all in one place.”

Comics Plus is a digital comics platform focused on schools and libraries serving over 3,500 of them.

Beanstsack uses competition and gamification to help grow reading communities and reading cultures. Think of it as an engine to drive and track school reading challenges.

Together as The Joyful Reading Company the two tech companies are bringing together a reading encouragement platform with a digital reader with a deep catalogue of choices.

Right now, according to the announcement, is a focus on “strengthening the connection between access and engagement.”

The Joyful Reading Company is dedicated to nurturing the love of reading through engagement, motivation, and pure fun. Beanstack keeps readers coming back with gamification, reading challenges, and community, while Comics Plus delivers engaging stories they can’t get enough of.

Together, we’re building something bigger than a platform. We’re building a movement around joyful reading — for schools, for libraries, and for communities everywhere.

We like to think of success as a kid staying up ten minutes past bedtime to finish a graphic novel. Success is a library buzzing with excitement over a community reading goal. That’s the joy we’re here to build.

Those are the kind of happy endings all of us at The Joyful Reading Company can get behind.

Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Manga – Book of Scarabia, Vol. 1 is a nice intro to the world

Stranded in the world of Twisted Wonderland, Yu must brave a magical school filled with ghosts, monsters, and uncooperative students!

Yu is now enrolled at the arcane academy Night Raven College. It’s winter break, and while most others have traveled home, Yu discovers that Grim and another mysterious student are still at school. As they wander the solitary halls, they find that the supposedly empty school is far from desolate! They are not alone…

Original Concept: Yana Toboso
Story: Majiko!
Art: Majiko!
Translation: Alethea Nibley, Athena Nibley
Touchup Art and Lettering: Joanna Estep

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Bookshop
Amazon


VIZ Media provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Bleeding Hearts #2 shifts the focus a bit introducing us to more of the world and characters

A world overrun by flesh-eating zombies is the only world young Rabbit has ever known…and her mother, Cara, has done everything she can to get her ready to survive in it. But she never expected to meet a zombie who seemed to want to help her with this goal!

Story: Deniz Camp
Art: Stipan Morian
Color: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Zeus Comics
Kindle


This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Go fishing with the Transformers: Studios Series – Transformers: The Movie Hot Rod

We check out the Hot Rod Transformers: Studios Series – Transformers: The Movie figure and this one is all about the accessories.

We open up and show off the figure!

Get yours!

Amazon
Target


This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Nebula Awards Expands into Comics and Ignores Everyone Involved But Writers

The Nebula Awards has announced the nominations for the 61st annual event which honors the best sci-fi and fantasy writing. This year’s awards expanded with “Best Poem” and “Best Comic” with the latter causing some issues.

The awards are organized by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and in their announcement, they only listed the “writers” and publishers in the “Best Comic” category.

The announcement was met with negativity with numerous individuals pointing out the “writing” of comics is far more than the script and can be a team that involves pencillers, colorists, letterers, editors, and more, all of whom work together to tell the story.

In their announcement the organization states:

Like the Ray Bradbury Nebula Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing, these new awards celebrate the writers at the heart of productions that also involve editors, artists, publishers, producers, and a wealth of other team members who make the magic happen.

Some pointed out the award is for “Best Comic” which would indicate the entire comic, not just the script. The organization did engage with individuals, though the response was more “speak up for next year’s awards” and that further promotion would include all of those involved in the comic.

Congratulations to our Nebula Finalists for the FIRST EVER Nebula Award for Best Comic!#SFWA #Nebulas #61stNebulaAwards 🥳

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (@sfwa.org) 2026-03-16T00:10:53.965Z

The finalists for Best Comic as listed by the SWFA are:

  • Second Shift, by Kit Anderson (Avery Hill)
  • Carmilla Volume 3: The Eternal, by Amy Chu (Berger Books)
  • Helen of Wyndhorn, by Tom King (Dark Horse)
  • Fishflies, by Jeff Lemire (Image)
  • Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters: The Killing Stone, by Jessica Maison (Wicked Tree)
  • Strange Bedfellows, by Ariel Slamet Ries (HarperAlley)
  • The Flip Side, by Jason Walz (Rocky Pond)
  • The Stoneshore Register, by G. Willow Wilson (Berger)

The Nebula Award winners will be announced the first week of June. 

Boom Entertainment Renews their Request for their Consignment Stock with some New Revelations

In February, the motion to extend time to “assume or reject executory contracts related to consigned goods” was denied by the court in regards to Diamond‘s chapter 11/chapter 7 process. This concerned the ongoing question regarding contracts between (old) Diamond and publishers handling consigned goods. Who “owns” those goods is a contentious issue with publishers wanting their product back while Diamond, and now their Trustee, want to be able to sell the consigned goods to pay back creditors.

The denial of the motion by the Trustee has caused a chain of rejections. Because the contracts were not assumed or rejected by the deadline, publishers have pounced citing law that saws the contracts default to rejected. You can read about that here and here. Because the contracts are rejected, there’s laid out steps in the contracts as to what happens to consigned goods, primarily the publishers can get them back for the cost of shipping.

Boom Entertainment has filed a motion today to renew their call that they get their consigned goods back.

Like the other filings, Boom Entertainment’s goes over the agreement as far as Diamond and their role when it comes to consigned goods. But, there’s some previously raised issues as well as new ones.

Here’s the highlights:

1) Diamond has not adequately secure the stock as evidenced by the fact that Sparkle Pop, LLC (“Sparkle Pop”) sold it after the Debtor sold its other assets to Sparkle Pop (which expressly excluded the Stock) and then did not remit the proceeds,
2) …the Debtor’s failure to comply with virtually any of its obligations under the Distribution Agreements while nevertheless holding the Stock hostage in the Mississippi warehouse controlled by a third party is causing significant loss and waste, because much of the stock loses value over time.
3) Notably, the Debtor filed the Consignment Litigation only with regard to stock provided by Boom, the Consignors, and another group of consignors constituting approximately thirteen (13) other publishers. For the vast majority of other publishers that own stock sitting at the Debtor’s warehouse, the Debtor failed to commence adversary proceedings and apparently does not seek any finding that Secured Lender’s lien attached to that stock. It is unknown what the Trustee proposes to do with the stock that is not subject to the Consignment Litigation.

Here’s where Boom’s motion gets interesting and stands out from others:

1) Boom’s distribution agreement was terminated prior to the Petition Date
2) Boom has growing concerns that its Stock is being stored unsecurely. Section 3 (c) of the Distribution Agreements require that, “Buyer will warehouse Products on consignment in a clean, dry, secure, and fire protected facility.” Section 8(c) further provides, “[Diamond] shall maintain all insurance with respect thereto in amounts sufficient to fully cover all of [Consignor’s] Products stored there.” (this is a concern raised by others – Brett)
3) However, according to statements made by the Trustee at the hearing held before this Court on February 26, 2026, the Debtors’ insurance coverage on the Stock has lapsed, in breach of the requirements under the Distribution Agreements.
4) The Debtor’s estate is also not current on stock fees and warehouse storage fees owed to Sparkle Pop. The Consignors believe that Sparkle Pop has not been paid since approximately November 2025, and thus Boom is stuck in limbo with their Stock held hostage at a warehouse that the estate no longer owns, rents, or is current with respect to ongoing rent obligations.
5) Given that the Transition Services Agreement between Sparkle Pop and the Debtor is also now rejected, it is apparent that the estate is not storing the Stock and has no means to store it any longer.

The filing brings up again that Drawn & Quarterly purchased graphic novels by Fantagraphics which was fulfilled by Sparkle Pop in violation of a court order. They also state that Living the Line has at least 800 copies of a single title are not accounted for in any inventory report provided by Sparkle Pop.

This is concerning as the consignors in this case have been given no access to, or oversight of, their Stock for several month. The continued fulfillment of orders, without the ability to verify proper control, safeguarding, and accounting of stock is extremely prejudicial to Boom’s interests and the preservation of its value.

What’s really new is that Boom states they terminated their Distribution Agreement with Diamond in December 2024, prior to their chapter 11 filing (petition date). Boom was purchased by Penguin Random House in July 2024 and PRH is a distributor themselves.

Boom has also been exposed to potential claims related to their Stock still held in the Olive Branch Warehouse. Boom ran a Kickstarter3 campaign that in addition to the new content it was developing, the purchase tiers included add-ons that purchasers could buy in order to further support the Kickstarter efforts. These add-ons consisted of a number of pieces of Boom’s existing content held by Diamond.

Now, with Boom’s Stock still being held hostage in 2026, they have not been able to ship these add-ons purchased by Kickstarter supporters, leading to a number of disgruntled customers and exposing Boom to legal claims for failing to deliver the products sold through Kickstarter.

It’s yet another recent filing making a pretty strong case to have the consignment stock returned and question Diamond and Sparkle Pop’s inventory management practices.

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