Brian Hibbs was prompted by Marvel's recent decision to accept returns on over 100 issues from the past to issue this statement on the topic. '..[T]his is a major step in the right direction.... Nonetheless, the action by Marvel hardly 'solves' the issues between retailers and Marvel.'

Diamond Comic Distributors has posted a list of 110 Marvel comics on its Website which retailers can return for full credit starting on 9/11/02. Since Diamond as a distributor can't authorize returns without Marvel's OK, the decision to allow returns represents a complete turnaround for Marvel.

Slave Labor Graphics and Diamond Book Distribution have reached an agreement naming Diamond as the exclusive U.S. distributor of SLG's English language graphic novels to the bookstore, library, warehouse club, and mass merchandise markets.

In spite of the obvious success that comic book-based films have had in Hollywood over the past year, and despite the fact that fellow AOL/Time Warner company DC Comics has an enormous roster of characters, Warner Brothers has been unable to pull the trigger and squeeze off another round in the battle of cinematic superheroes.

Checker Book Publishing of Centerville, Ohio has announced that it will publish a graphic novel version of Clive Barker's short story collection, Tapping the Vein .

In its first two weeks of release the MechWarrior: Dark Age Collectible Miniatures Game has sold more than 500,000 Booster Packs and 100,000 Starter Sets .

ADV has announced that it will release Farscape: The Complete Season One DVD Box Set on October 29.

American Gods , by comic scribe Neil Gaiman, was awarded the 2002 Hugo Award for best novel at last weekend's World Science Fiction Convention in San Jose, California.

MGM has licensed three properties, Stargate SG-1 , Species , and Robocop to Avatar Press. The three properties involved started on the big screen, and then migrated to television before getting a chance at four-color immortality.

Gutsoon! Entertainment, the U.S. sister company to the Japan-based Coamix Group, has signed a distribution agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors. Diamond will distribute the weekly manga anthology Raijin , Gutsoon's flagship publishing property as well as Fujin , the weekly update on anime and videogames.