∞ Barnes & Noble punishes DC Comics for Kindle Fire deal

Bleeding Cool:

Last week, Bleeding Cool reported on DC Comics’ plans to release 100 graphic novels exclusively on the Amazon Kindle Fire.Well now the other shoe has dropped. I understand that Barnes & Noble executives are furious over this, specifically citing DC’s reluctance to release any of their graphic novels on the Nook Color, Barnes & Noble’s own colour E-reading device.

According to the report, Barnes & Noble’s management has instructed their stores to pull the 100 graphic novels that are to be published on Kindle Fire, so customers will still be able to get trades and other products that don’t appear on the new Amazon device.

Update: (10/8/11, 11:40 AM ET)

CNN reports that the move is indeed being made as part of a Barnes & Noble policy against stocking products not available to them digitally:

“Regardless of the publisher, we will not stock physical books in our stores if we are not offered the available digital format,” the company’s chief merchant, Jaime Carey, said in a written statement. “To sell and promote the physical book in our store showrooms and not have the e-book available for sale would undermine our promise to Barnes & Noble customers to make available any book, anywhere, anytime.”