http://www.comichron.com/MonthlyRankings/Diamond2008/DiamondApril2008/tabid/301/Default.aspx
As usual, my thoughts:
- Marvel once again scores the #1 book of the month with SECRET INVASION #1, which was estimated at over 250k (albeit BARELY over). That is still an incredibly healthy debut in the slowing comic market (or at least a market going back to normal levels after CIVIL WAR/INFINITE CRISIS steroid-injections). The next issues will probably see some sort of drop but if the series can remain over 110k or so throughout the run, it should always be within the Top 3-5 for it's run. Frankly it hasn't started with the kind of bang that WORLD WAR HULK did, but offers more than having characters job to the Green Goliath and so far is an improvement over Bendis' last event, HOUSE OF M, which spent the first 2 issues with idle window-dressing. This event at least has had enough prologues that it has started with a bang. I still expect Bendis to ruin it down the stretch, but an improvement is an improvement. Especially since there is a genuine villain here, and it isn't like Skrulls haven't attempted mass take-overs before.
- NEW AVENGERS is 40 issues in and still selling over 100k. Joe Q will be bragging about this until he retires.
- SI seems to have bridged the divide in sales between NA and MIGHTY AVENGERS, which is now under 10k apart. Before the event, the divide between the two Bendis team books was over 10k if not 15k.
- I don't read HULK, but having it sell within the Top 10 even by issue #3 is good news considering he has a movie in June. It will be interesting to see where Fraction's INVINCIBLE IRON MAN debuted, considering movie buzz didn't seen to help the IM ongoing much.
- THOR is once again a solid Top 10 book with over 90k sales. It is a keeper. The relaunch has been brilliant for the character at both ends of the aisle, it seems.
- The first issue of the "thrice a month" ASM always dramatically outsells the other two, but it still is selling much better than the old three ongoings combined, and is a commercial success.
- JLA is DC's top selling book and it can't sell beyond 86k, which is troubling for them. DC also only has one book in the Top 10 and five in the Top 20.
- CAPTAIN AMERICA is #12 at 80k and is still doing well with the "New Cap" storyline. Considering it is almost 10k (and 7 slots above) Morrison's BATMAN in sales, it is no wonder DC seems to want to try to shamelessly rip-off the storyline (perhaps to try revenge at Marvel seeming to revive Bucky the same time DC revived Jason Todd and doing a much better job of it on every angle). CA is still one of those rare books that sells well and is written well.
- The Millar/Hitch FF has slipped towards the end of the Top 30 with 65k sales. That is above some of the McDuffie run but this has to be seen as underwhelming considering the pedigree. It is barely 20k over KICK-ASS, which is an ICON book. All insiders thought this would be a Top 10-20 lock for it's run and it isn't, and it may slip back to McDuffie's 40-50k rut before long. Reasons? Perhaps after the long delays of ULTIMATES 1 & 2, readers are trade-waiting in enough droves that retailer supply is down, and frankly I don't blame them. The lags between ULTIMATES 2 issues were atrocious. Another bigger reason is the the Fantastic Four as a franchise just can't sustain any buzz, regardless of feature films or A-List creators. DC has had similar problems with Batman, Superman, & Wonder Woman at times. It is a shame as Millar seems genuinely interested in some innovation in FF and is having a ball with it. But despite what editors may believe, some franchises seem destined for B-List status regardless of who is writing/drawing it, and the Four may be one of those franchises now. They sparked the Silver Age of comics in 1961 but now that formula has been imitated and refined so much that, like Superman, the Four may have been left in the dust.
- The fact that the BKV/Risso issue of LOGAN, a MK book (for whatever reason) outsold WOLVERINE ORIGINS is rather telling. Almost no one likes that book yet it goes on and on.
- USM is out of the Top 30, another sign of the Ultimate line's decline.
- AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE's settling into a steady audience around 50k, which is enough for the Top 35-40 most months. After some crossover-boosted issues during much of the first year, it has settled from A-List to B-List. Still, it is one of Dan Slott's best sellers outside of ASM. It may help get exposure for Gage, who is co-writing (and takes solo writing credit likely when Slott is busy with ASM). Still, every line need some mid-carders and A:TI is a satisfying one. It also is one of few new launches to last beyond a year, which in the Joe Q era is an accomplishment. If it lasts beyond 2 years, it may be an epic.
- KICK-ASS, naturally, is doing very well for an ICON book, beating out a slew of mainstream titles to sell within the Top 50.
- The divide between the THOR ongoing and the one-shot is staggering; the one-shot sold over 51% worse and towards the bottom of the Top 50. That was alright for pre-relaunch Thor, but it does seem like Thor isn't a franchise where the audience buys all related material at the same clip (unlike, say, ANNIHILATION related books or even PUNISHER books that all sell around the same level). That may note that the ongoing owes a lot of success to JMS & the artists, which may become an issue when JMS inevitably leaves the title.
- After strong debuts, ULTIMATE HUMAN is tumbling. More bad news for the Ultimate line, which now seems obsolete and is all but waiting to die.
- YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS is still selling around 30k, which means that years of neglect have left this franchise with about 50% of the audience that they had in 2005-2006. This is not a good sign and may signal that Marvel really needs to plan for more than yearly mini's in the near future if they want more out of this once-hot franchise. If anything, it once again proves that waiting for Hollywood talent is a fool's errand, and comic editors really need to "cowboy up" sometimes.
- IMMORTAL IRON FIST saw some slip, perhaps as word of the launch team's exit was known, but still solidly in the 30k range that has been in for the past year. A moderate but steady success and the best the character has had in about a decade.
- ANNIHILATION CONQUEST and NOVA sell within 2k of each other, noting a small but steady audience (although NOVA's sales have diminished, although it will likely see an issue #16 and perhaps beyond, which is the longest the character has lasted on an ongoing since the mid 90's). I am curious how sales will look on GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, which was selling out of lots of local shops around my area. A shame these books, especially NOVA, are not selling better than the Top 80.
- THE LAST DEFENDERS has slid from the Top 60 to the Top 90 within 2 issues, and the mini will likely end below the Top 100. Hopefully Casey gets his jollies with this franchise out of his system, because despite how fun it is, an ongoing is unlikely. More proof that "lighter" superhero books just aren't selling these days, especially starring B-List characters and talent.
- MOON KNIGHT and GHOST RIDER have slid considerably even within the last 6 months and are both in the dreaded "below 29k range". They may be safe so long as they can linger around 22k and the Top 100, but they may not be long for this world. For what it is worth, I will soon be jumping ship on the MK mess but Aaron has actually made GR more readable, and it a shame that he is sinking with Way's ship, even if he is steering as best he can.
- NEW WARRIORS is selling about 22.5k and has slipped every issue. It will survive past issue #12 (a first for the franchise since the 90's, even if Grevioux's version bares few similarities) but it is unlikely to last much longer. It may be out of the Top 100 by issue #12, which is all but instant cancellation in Marvel-Land.
