You’re correct, at least in most cases. The days of the traditional inventory story went away once the Direct Market became the primary distribution venue. On the Newsstand, nobody particularly cared who wrote or drew a given issue of CAPTAIN AMERICA–you put it out, it either sold or it didn’t, and you returned the remainder for credit. But in the DM, our Retailers and Fans care a great deal-especially in these days where rising cover prices make it more crucial for them that every issue “count” or “matter.”
The downside of this, of course, is that today, a classic story like “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man” would no doubt be described by online reviewers as “filler.”