Aspen Comics Dark Nights Metal Suffers 25-50% Damage, Cuts Print Run

While Dark Nights Metal #1 was a success from a story angle, people have been noticing that copies of the books came into stores in less than stellar condition. This was across, what seems like, the entire print run. Aspen Comics had offered up a three cover set, but looks like they didn’t escape the damages. 
Here is the original Solicitation with print runs.

And then this email went out today.

And finally, the new Print Run numbers:

This makes them more desirable to me, Wonder Woman lost 50% of the covers, from 3,000 to 1,500 copiers. The Batman Cover went from 1,500 to 1,000 copies, about a 33% loss. And finally, Superman went from 1,000 copies to 750, or a 25% loss.
 

33 thoughts on “Aspen Comics Dark Nights Metal Suffers 25-50% Damage, Cuts Print Run”

  1. They at least got super lucky that each of these had a super round number of copies damaged. Imagine 376 copies damaged for batman, that would make 1124 available, which would look silly…

    2. I’d imagine they did some rounding down to make them even. The extras will make their way out in some fashion, just not sold in the store. Just because they claim “official print run” doesn’t necessarily mean it is the actual print run. I don’t think there’s any governing body that oversees “official” print runs on books that enforces such things. 😉

  3. Aspen I thought redeemed themselves, but they sent me a bunk your order was shipped email and didn’t ship the books for a month after, I’m still waiting for them 2 months now they have til Tomorrow to arrive or my PayPal case will be won.

    1. I only order from them when I get those special listings where it results in a free book and I just pay shipping. Then I turn around and sell such comic for some decent profit. 🙂

      1. Hello Kirk,
        I just checked your account, and you have one order with AspenStore and it was cancelled and refunded, details are as follows.
        Just checked your order for the FREE Charity Fundraiser Bonus, and your shipping refund was issued on May 31st, 2017. Your order was cancelled and refunded due to no record of a donation made to qualify for the free bonus, if this was a mistake please let us know and we will remedy this ASAP. I am not for sure where the confusion happened, but feel free to call me and we can figure this out.
        Thanks,
        Chris
        AspenStore.com
        419.332.8682

  5. Got my copies of the regular cover and Lee cover in the mail today, and they are all sorts of messed up. Hopefully midtown does right by me.
    Worried about my as-yet-to-arrive Jock variant set though.

    1. I saw the bleeding cool article. It is a bit of a joke. It says DC is replacing some of the retailer covers and then show covers that may or may not be replaced. Aspen, according to the email, is not getting replacements. Putting up a picture of the Aspen cover was after they said “some of these will be getting replacements.”

      1. “As a result, for affected stores, DC Comics are going to reprint the entire exclusive cover print run and ship them direct from the printer.
        Here’s a few of those exclusive covers that may have been affected.”
        I don’t see anywhere that says only stores will get reprints. The article says “for affected stores” they’d get reprints. It goes on to say here’s a few that may have been affected, including aspen comics. So as it seems aspen has been affected it looks like they’d get reprints according to the article.

      2. I dont see where it says only some stores will be getting replacements.*
        Left out a few word “some” there in my original reply lol.

      3. Don’t know what to believe then since they’re conflicting reports. That and I’ve seen a few other stores with their exclusive covers saying that they’ll be getting replacements. It would be weird IMO for DC to only reprint some and not all all of the exclusive covers, unless the stores can refuse the replacements? I don’t see the logic behind replacing only a few of them.

      5. lol Anthony it’s just I saw other places getting their exclusive covers reprinted. So i was like what’s going on.

      6. Seems to be a little confusion based on the information out there.
        DC offered to reprint retailer variants and each retailer choose whether or not they needed their comics reprinted. Not all of the 14 retailers choose to have theirs reprinted, Aspen was not the only one that refused the reprint.
        I hope this helps.

        1. Thanks Chris. I think Aspen’s email was pretty conclusive that there would be no reprint but other websites come and try to muck it up and then recant later. I appreciate the backup on it.

  7. All my copies of dark nights metal have been in immaculate condition (sold 7 already and have a few more).
    As there are such a limited number of near mint copies should I perhaps hold onto the remaining ones I have?
    I have 3 midnight variants left, one 1:100 midnight variant and the jet pack / forbidden planet variant set with the virgin cover.
    Was planning on sticking the rest on eBay tomorrow but having read this im wondering if I should hold them for a few weeks for this info to become more widely known….

  8. Maybe DC should replace all the regular foil cover copies which had spine dings. I was going to buy at least one copy, but couldn’t find any in decent condition so I stuck with the midnight release version (which I actually liked better). Also, why wasn’t Aquaman on the regular foil cover? If he’s in the book, why can’t he be included on the cover like the rest of the JL? You would think they would promote him more with a movie coming up, but he’s frequently an afterthought.

      1. Agentpoyo, you are not nice to us Aqua-Fans! Aquaman is a great character. He deserves more respect. If DC really made an effort, he could be a fan favorite. Maybe if his new movie succeeds, he will be soon! Us Aqua-fans can only hope…and I know I am not alone (I think).

        1. Hehe…. I actually don’t hate Aquaman, I’m just teasing with those pics. I hope the movie is good myself, because DC really hurts itself with it’s movies for the most part.

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