Penguin Random House Publisher Services will begin Marvel’s Direct Market distribution this October. New Marvel comics will continue to be available on Wednesdays at comic shops everywhere

Marvel Comics and Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS), a division of Penguin Random House, the renowned trade book publisher, today announced an exclusive worldwide multi-year sales and distribution agreement for Marvel’s newly published and backlist comic books, trade collections, and graphic novels to comics shops, known as the Direct Market. PRHPS officially begins its distribution to Direct Market retailers for all Marvel titles starting October 1.

After a thorough analysis of the market environment, Marvel has chosen PRHPS as its distribution partner to create a sustainable, productive supply chain and enhanced infrastructure for Marvel publications that will benefit comics retailers and fans alike for years to come. Penguin Random House is known for its state-of-the-art multi-ranging services that enable independent booksellers to increase efficiency and profitability.

“Marvel’s entire history is built on telling great stories. And as we’ve seen for decades, those stories go hand in hand with equipping the comic shops who share them. Marvel and Penguin Random House stand by that vision, and we are excited to build and expand those opportunities for our talent, retailers, and fans,” said Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. “Comics are the core of the Marvel Universe, and we are confident this new partnership will continue to grow and evolve this resilient industry. We look forward to advancing our capabilities with PRHPS to serve our fans and the Direct Market. We thank Diamond for their many years of support and partnership as we continue our relationship with them in other areas.”

Penguin Random House has long been committed to physical retail in order to foster and grow their market. Independently owned brick-and-mortar bookstores are local community builders, advocates for books, and passionate influencers for the industry.

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“Humans of planet Earth. While you slept, the world changed.” The now iconic opening line from House of X #1, the start of writer Jonathan Hickman’s radical transformation of the X-Men franchise, foretold the incredible plans that mutantkind was about to unleash on the Marvel Universe. This June, the X-Men set out to change the world yet again at mutantkind’s inaugural HELLFIRE GALA.

Yesterday, the first of many exciting new character designs X-Men artists have contributed specifically for the HELLFIRE GALA were revealed by Entertainment Weekly, and the world saw the meaning of “Mutant Fashion” as envisioned by superstar artist Russell Dauterman. Today, readers can check out the covers of all 12 HELLFIRE GALA issues, getting their first glimpse at the secrets, the battles, and of course, the fashion that await at this unforgettable evening.

These highly-anticipated stories will be told across 12 issues, offering different perspectives and viewpoints of a single night that will go down in Marvel Comics history. Throughout the event, fans can expect critical moments to occur that will shape the X-Men’s future as we know it—including the unveiling of the first Krakoan X-Men team, the final member of which was decided by a mega-popular Marvel.com vote.

The HELLFIRE GALA is the result of an epic creative collaboration of all the current X-Men writers and artists. Here’s what Gerry Duggan, writer of Marauders and the upcoming seminal HELLFIRE GALA one-shot, Planet-Size X-Men, had to say about working on this one-of-a-kind event:

“As the builders of Krakoa began discussing the gala within the pages of Marauders and beyond, the writers and editors began noodling on what the evening could be. At our X-Retreat just over a year ago in Chicago we had some very large story ideas and production plans that were ratified to give our artists the time they needed to collaborate on the designs. Russell has been an important part of the Marauders team from the beginning, and it only made sense to ask that he lead the way. The writers jammed on very simple prompts for a few of the looks, but by and large each character was a blank slate for Russell and our other artists. Our regular series artists were also asked to contribute around a half dozen high fashions, so if you don’t see your favorite character on a cover, you’ll likely see them at the party.

“We haven’t sent any of these books to press yet, but I know we’ve already left a giant mark on the line with this party. The White Queen and House Carnation set out to create a special evening like no other, and it’s going to make any other galas you might hear about look like a county fair. Not that it’s a contest, but…Krakoa wins. The whole world’s watching us now, so we must be nothing less than fabulous.”

This April, WOMEN OF MARVEL #1 will spotlight iconic characters from the X-Men to the Avengers in a collection of tales by an all-female lineup of incredible talent from throughout the entertainment industry. And today on International Women’s Day, Marvel reveals new variant covers and share more details about the incredible special

WOMEN OF MARVEL #1 will be packed with inspiring tales from new and established creators including Louise Simonson, Nadia Shammas, Elsa Sjunneson, Sophie Campbell, Anne Toole, Natasha Alterici, and Mariko Tamaki.

In addition, acclaimed Brooklyn Brujas author Zoraida Córdova will be making her Marvel Comics debut with an action-packed story about the deadliest woman in the galaxy, Gamora! Joined by Swedish artist Maria Fröhlich – also making her Marvel debut – Zoraida puts Gamora in the crosshairs of her most lethal enemy yet: love. With astonishing art from Kei Zama, Eleonora Carlini, Skylar Patridge, Joanna Estep, Maria Fröhlich, Peach Momoko, Rachael Stott, Nina Vakueva, Marika Cresta, and June Brigman, this oversized issue will be a spectacular showcase of some of the most amazing talent in the graphic novel industry today. Check out variant covers by Amanda Conner, Maria Wolf, and Marvel’s Stormbreaker artist Peach Momoko.