FEBRUARY 2008 SALES CHARTS & MARKET SHARE REPORT- X-Force is #1

[K4tzm4n]

Ultimates 3 and Hulk in the top 10....ugh. So disheartening.

Agreed...Tony Stark is written so poorly in Hulk.

 

[Egotastic]

That's because he's a Skrull.

 

[Darthphere]

That's because a book he's the main character of the book, oh wait....

 

[Egotastic]

That doesn't make a lick of sense.

 

[Darthphere]

I'm just saying that if Iron Man were written like that in one of his books, it would bother me more. But considering he's not the main character of HULK, it really doesn't. Also, I didn't think it was that bad except for some really crappy lines of dialogue.

 

[Egotastic]

Oh. Well then, we agree.

 

[Darthphere]

Yeah, I typed book once too many times as well.

 

[Egotastic]

Anyway, Hulk could be written by a 2nd grader in another language, and I'd still buy it and like it.

 

[Blader5489]

Agreed...Tony Stark is written so poorly in Hulk.

Everything is written so poorly in Hulk.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

We've had 8 issues, so far. That's plenty of time to form an opinion on a story.

More than most mini-series get, in fact.

 

[SouLeSS]

Maybe it's selling better in trades or something. Either way, Rogers is leaving soon and his replacement probably won't be as good, which means the comic'll be canceled and we'll never hear of Jaime Reyes again.

Well according to that vol3 sold decently well (bottom of 60's), so that's probably what's keeping it alive.

I plan on dropping it once Rogers leaves as well. He's finishing this origin / reach arc next issue and leaving right? Seems like 25 is a good stopping point, expecially if the next lead isn't very good. I'll probably read some reviews and look through the first arc after he leaves and if it's near the same level as this book has been I might pick it back up, but I have a horrible feeling that after Rogers leaves, we're gonna have the same thing that happened in the first 6 issues.

 

[Darthphere]

Anyway, Hulk could be written by a 2nd grader in another language, and I'd still buy it and like it.

McGuinness.

 

[Egotastic]

More than most mini-series get, in fact.

With 6 of those 8 issues serving as two complete stories arcs.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well according to that vol3 sold decently well (bottom of 60's), so that's probably what's keeping it alive.

I plan on dropping it once Rogers leaves as well. He's finishing this origin / reach arc next issue and leaving right? Seems like 25 is a good stopping point, expecially if the next lead isn't very good. I'll probably read some reviews and look through the first arc after he leaves and if it's near the same level as this book has been I might pick it back up, but I have a horrible feeling that after Rogers leaves, we're gonna have the same thing that happened in the first 6 issues.

I'm going to continue reading after Rogers leaves. I should at least give the next writer a chance before declaring him or her the worst thing to ever happen to Blue Beetle.

 

[CaptainCanada]

I read #1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, 27, 30, 42, 47, 52, 54, 55, 81, 84, 85, 87, 100; plus one or two other books not in the top 100.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Thank you for that comprehensive list that I will never read past "4."

 

[SouLeSS]

I'm going to continue reading after Rogers leaves. I should at least give the next writer a chance before declaring him or her the worst thing to ever happen to Blue Beetle.

Well, I had originally dropped it at like 22 cause I was dead broke on cash at the minute and didnt get back into it till I read the interview on Newsarama saying that Rogers is leaving at 25 and closing his 'chapter' of the story there, so I figured I'll pick it up till then and drop it after again if it gets a bit stale so I don't have to worry about gas.

Moving 5 miles farther from a school thats 45 minutes away during rush hour ends up being like 10-20$ extra a month on gas compared to what I'm used to.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

No wonder everyone thinks you're an idiot.

Anybody who can make such blank statements about tastes obviously have their heads shoved up their asses.

i was hoping you would lube it some more, so i can shove it further.

 

[Themanofbat]

i was hoping you would lube it some more, so i can shove it further.

Bring over a case of Diet Dr. Pepper and we'll have a queer night.

 

[Dread]

My usual long winded thoughts:

- So X-FORCE, or "team stabby" is #1? Hmm. Been a while since an X-book was #1, hasn't it? It has felt that way. Anyway, I didn't bother. Apparently, Wolverine & X-23 are a tag team for sales.

- SECRET INVASION has seemingly boosted NEW AVENGERS a little, which is saying something considering it is the best selling ongoing in the industry (despite it being mediocre at best).

- THOR's hanging onto the Top 5-10 with a Viking's valor. The Odinson's got staying power. Which is amazing considering how slow paced the issues can seem.

- BND is still selling very well, although not all issues can stay in the Top 10. It seems they bleed readers every week. Still, considering that in order to match the combined sales of 3 Spidey titles circa 2006-2007, each weekly issue has to sell maybe 65k tops, this is doing INCREDIBLY well. I still haven't touched it, though. But it obviously is a success, and I wonder if Marvel will consider merging some other books in this way.

- The first issue of the Millar/Hitch run on FF boosts the book from the bottom 40 to the Top 10. BOOM. Proof that sales have almost nothing to do with characters sometimes, but creators and their rep. That said, the debut was good, and the run has been going swimmingly thus far. It has a lot of ideas and while Millar is still blunt with his dialogue, stamping double and triple exclamation statements, the work isn't cynical and that is great. I am enjoying this more than I expected.

- Both of Loeb's turds are Top 10 sellers? Urg.

- DC's top selling book, JLA, can't even sell in the Top 10. Ouch.

- Death and New Cap continues to be good for CA, keeping it in the Top 15.

- The gap between NEW AVENGERS and MIGHTY AVENGERS is startling, some 15 spots on the list this month. It is easily the B book of the two, which is wacky because it usually is better, if only so slightly.

- Naturally, Alex Ross gets a Dynamite book into the Top 30, which is great for a non Big Two debut.

- Who'd have thought a Herc title would sell in the Top 30? Maybe taking over someone else's title isn't a bad strategy. Hey, it worked for heroes in the 60's...

- KICK-ASS sells in the Top 40, which is great for an ICON book, thanks pretty much in part to the creative team of Millar & Romita Jr., and the promotion. It also provides Millar some place to be cynical and dark while doing FF.

- UFF at least is in the Top 45 this month, but it may be a fluke. It added some sales for the 50th issue but that boost may not last long. It is the weakest link of the Ultimate chain at this point. Oddly, it's the only Ultimate ongoing that didn't get so crappy that I left it.

- YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #2 is below the Top 50. Hmm. Back during Heinberg's volume one and even into Wells & Caselli's CIVIL WAR mini (that teamed up the Runaways with them), this book was a lock for the Top 30-35. After sitting on the franchise for two years, the result of the latest mini is selling more than 11 slots lower on the Top 100 than it did barely 2 years ago. I take this as a bad sign that Marvel's act if willingly cooling down the momentum the book had in the name of stroking yet another Hollywood ego who sees comics as a weekend gig may have shifted a near A-List franchise to a B-List one. Seriously, Marvel should have crapped or gotten off the pot sooner. And in a way they STILL have not committed to a volume two, and they may have nixed any chance of one selling decently. Way to go, dudes.

- Considering the age of the franchise, that CAPTAIN MARVEL's mini is still within the Top 60 isn't bad.

- The horridly late RUNAWAYS is still outselling the BKV issues, but they ship less frequently. The sales are also lowering per issue and by the time Whedon leaves, the sales may be back around where they started (the Top 80). And who knows how long the wait will have effected digest sales, which historically boosted RUNAWAYS. I'll probably use the end of the Whedon run as a jumping off point. Ramos is never worth it.

- MOON KNIGHT may be settling into the Top 60, which is better than oblivion. It is right next to PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL, which is holding steady (seemingly).

- THE TWELVE #2 took a dive from the debut, and any dive when the debut is below the Top 50 is dangerous. Obviously JMS can't sell ANYTHING. I suppose this is the best you can expect from dusted off Golden Agers. Pity, it's been great so far.

- The Iron Fist special sells around where the ongoing did, which tells you the small audience is dedicated.

- GHOST RIDER, ANNIHILATION CONQUEST and NOVA all seem to be holding steady with modest sales, although neither may be meeting expectation in that regard. The latter two are great, though.

- NEW WARRIORS #9 at the end of the Top 80. Hmm. This book may struggle to survive the #12 chopping block. It's a good read although it may have paid for defying expectations, as well as the post-Initiative lapse. Like any event, THE INITIATIVE event was a steroid for titles and once the high is over, many crash. It hurt the smaller books the most.

- BLACK PANTHER, MS. MARVEL, and SHE-HULK are fading fast, although all have had long runs. And at least one is a Skrull.

 

[Themanofbat]

Is there some type of formula that can translate the index number into actual sales numbes?

Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

 

[Darthphere]

Will Pfiefer seems to be the next writer on Blue Beetle, so that gives me a little hope. He's a decent enough writer.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Eh, he's hit or miss. He wrote Amazons Attack and basically made Catwoman a swirling black hole of boredom.

 

[Anubis]

But he did write Planet Heist.

 

[yenaled]

mmm Planet Heist.

*drool*