As usual, ZERO surprise that DC got it's rear kicked in Unit and Dollar share. I mean, is anyone surprised by this anymore? CW naturally always helps, but this is old news. Marvel was beating DC with HOM in the height of INFINITE CRISIS. DC beat out Marvel 1 month out of 12 in 2006 and they may frankly have to pray to be THAT lucky in 2007. Naturally as a Marvel fan this pleases me, but I also understand that competition is what makes comics better. At this rate, Marvel really has no competition. DC is the only capable challenger and they beat DC over, and over, and over. It's like playing the same video game boss over and over. Even if the boss is upgraded with "patches", and rarely one makes an error, it becomes predictable as to what the outcome is. I am not trying to bash DC fans, because a Marvel that isn't "hungry" is a Marvel that dips in quality, as happens with any business. They're not a monopoly...in the same way Microsoft isn't because Apple is still "around".
The biggest problem of course is that both companies really have nothing new to try, and keep rehashing the same ideas, just in more modern ways.
That said, there's always some good news. IMMORTAL IRON FIST moved up about 9 slots from Jan. and issue #3 is about where #1 sold, which is not a bad sign. I wish it'd do better, but a moderate hit is a moderate hit. GHOST RIDER is doing better, though, despite being an inferior title.
Also glad to see BKV's final issue of RUNAWAYS manage to emerge from the Top 80 at #79. It had seen a slow, steady increase in sales the last few issues which means either it's "creator run ending" hype or Marvel's attempts to push the title are working slowly and steadily.
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is holding steady at #80, which is usually not a number Marvel likes, so I wonder why they are making it an ongoing. I mean I enjoy the title, but maybe the benefit of knowing they can beat DC without trying means they're more patient with low selling books.
DR. STRANGE: OATH deserved to sell so much better.
And of course late books like ASTONISHING X-MEN, et al sell well despite it.
Kind of surprising to see ASM outsell NA for once, although I doubt it will last. NA has been a more regular #1 selling ongoing lately.
Naturally, CW has boosted IRON MAN dramatically, which saves Marvel the embarassment of facing the fact that beforehand, that book had dropped back to pre-DISASSEMBLED relaunch levels. Plus, good to see ETERNALS ended moderately, although it didn't sell as well as 1602 I think (which has had a number of crappy sequals, so it evens out).
Sometimes Marvel puts out new ideas for titles, or new relaunches, and sometimes they are so mind-boggling that you wonder what Marvel is thinking, but I finally think I understand; perhaps they realize just how casually they beat out DC every month and so we're slowly returning to an age where even SLEEPWALKER got a solo if he had enough hype. Some DC fans have been equally irked with Dan DiDio's decisions lately, but I can really understand him feeling desperate. Marvel takes his best, and worst, shots and still prevails. No one likes being #2 for long, and DC's been #2 for a while. The problem is without a vigorous struggle, Marvel's slacking. Becoming Casey at the Bat. Rocky in the beginning of ROCKY III. Etc.
