June 2006 Sales Charts & Market Share Report

[Darthphere]

On this board perhaps if indeed you speak for it on a couple of other boards I belong to it is not well liked. Indeed I wonder if it is well liked on this board. Yes the ending was lame.

Hey check this out it's pretty interesting.

http://www.neilgaiman.com/journal/2003/09/golden-loo-women-1602-stuff-kitten.asp

- Whirly

What exactly am I looking at? I think Magneto as part of the Spanish Inquisition makes sense to me. The point is, Neil Gaiman has never really been known for his sales numbers, so i dont know why you would expect Eternals to have sold better than it did.

 

[CantThinkOfAName]

This is good news for Marvel, since DC beat them out in May. It looks like 52 and even ALL-STAR SUPERMAN are starting to peter out in sales outside of the Top Ten from last month or so.

Wow, DC won out last month, thats amazing.


That's like, what, 2 times in the last six or more years. Good job DC

 

[MyPokerShirt]

Any new company that tried to compete with Marvel or DC would need somebody like Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman and for a long good time stick to only one title.

what are you smoking?? can i have some?...please? this isnt about creativity or longevity of just one title. this is about competing. how can you compete with one title? i agree you need top talent. i agree you need good books. but i think really it'll be too hard without the finance to push marvel and DC around. they can produce 80-page colour books at $1!! what independent company can afford that, huh? money brings power into the industry.

 

[Whirlysplat]

What exactly am I looking at? I think Magneto as part of the Spanish Inquisition makes sense to me. The point is, Neil Gaiman has never really been known for his sales numbers, so i dont know why you would expect Eternals to have sold better than it did.

A friend of mines post from another forum

"The biggest problem i've had with 1602 and it's the same problem I have with the Ultimate Marvel universe is that it follows the origninal marvel universe far too much. honestly it isn't all that original.

true there are some original aspects to it but on a whole.. it's just so much of the same. There is so much they could have done with the 1602 universe and story. They most definatly should have expanded it. it was over far too quickly, and honestly felt rushed because of it.

plus the way they included captain america was really really cheap. I liked the story up until the point where they included time travel. then it really fizzed out for me. I remember when i was seeing the previews for it and i saw who would would become virginia dare and her protector and i thought.. it was hawkeye and mockingbird.. at least i was hoping ah well heh.

if it had actually taken the characters and done something different with them rather than aping the marvel universe far too much..."

That's the main issue most people on other boards have with it 1602 simply wasn't original enough to be considered Gaiman at the top of his game.

But if you think it's great enjoy.

- Whirly

 

[MyPokerShirt]

i think eternals will actually pick up with #2. i was surprised by just how good #1 was and won't #2 be cheaper? brave new world at number 2 shows what a lower price can do for you..

 

[Whirlysplat]

i think eternals will actually pick up with #2. i was surprised by just how good #1 was and won't #2 be cheaper? brave new world at number 2 shows what a lower price can do for you..

True enough.

- Whirly

 

[Darthphere]

A friend of mines post from another forum

"The biggest problem i've had with 1602 and it's the same problem I have with the Ultimate Marvel universe is that it follows the origninal marvel universe far too much. honestly it isn't all that original.

true there are some original aspects to it but on a whole.. it's just so much of the same. There is so much they could have done with the 1602 universe and story. They most definatly should have expanded it. it was over far too quickly, and honestly felt rushed because of it.

plus the way they included captain america was really really cheap. I liked the story up until the point where they included time travel. then it really fizzed out for me. I remember when i was seeing the previews for it and i saw who would would become virginia dare and her protector and i thought.. it was hawkeye and mockingbird.. at least i was hoping ah well heh.

if it had actually taken the characters and done something different with them rather than aping the marvel universe far too much..."

That's the main issue most people on other boards have with it 1602 simply wasn't original enough to be considered Gaiman at the top of his game.

But if you think it's great enjoy.

- Whirly

Well I guess thats the problem. Why does something have to be compltely original to be well liked? That seems to be a problem with some comic book fasn (not you necessarily) He told a great story, it was interesting and it was fun toread. Isnt that all that matters?

 

[Harlekin]

what are you smoking?? can i have some?...please? this isnt about creativity or longevity of just one title. this is about competing. how can you compete with one title? i agree you need top talent. i agree you need good books. but i think really it'll be too hard without the finance to push marvel and DC around. they can produce 80-page colour books at $1!! what independent company can afford that, huh? money brings power into the industry.

Sticking to one title means less costs for other titles that might have a lesser chance on the market. Look at the bit where I said: 'For a while'. Once you've got established ground, and that starts by breaking the top 100, and working your way up, you can start branching out. Sticking to one title puts all of your eggs into one basket, which is an automatic risk, but also allows for maximizing of its potential.

 

[MyPokerShirt]

yeah but spawn, savage dragon, witchblade are big brands/been going for a while. theyre not on marvel/DC level despite branching out from their first successes

 

[Darthphere]

Speaking of Crossgen I miss El Cazador.

 

[Whirlysplat]

Well I guess thats the problem. Why does something have to be compltely original to be well liked? That seems to be a problem with some comic book fasn (not you necessarily) He told a great story, it was interesting and it was fun toread. Isnt that all that matters?

Not when you've been reading comics 30 - 35 years, No!

- Whirly

 

[gildea]

what are you smoking?? can i have some?...please? this isnt about creativity or longevity of just one title. this is about competing. how can you compete with one title? i agree you need top talent. i agree you need good books. but i think really it'll be too hard without the finance to push marvel and DC around. they can produce 80-page colour books at $1!! what independent company can afford that, huh? money brings power into the industry.

Hmm the problem as I see it with people trying to compete with marvel and dc in these markets is that this isn't really the comics market that these figures represent.

These figures represent the direct market for comics that primarily with marvel and dc characters in them or taking place in the marvel/dc universe. Which makes it difficult for new companies to compete as copyright issues demand that they can't use marvel and dc characters.

Look at the sales some manga titles get (didn't shonen jump break 500k a year or two ago?) to see how unrepresentitive these figures are or an actual comics market.

 

[Harlekin]

yeah but spawn, savage dragon, witchblade are big brands/been going for a while. theyre not on marvel/DC level despite branching out from their first successes

But none of them have had the star talent of Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore on them. You'd really need recognizable talent and a major concept, but that's a given. Just remember, the guys that made the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had to borrow money from an uncle to even print their first issue. At the start of the following year they were on the fourth printing, and years later, they were multi-millionaires. If you've got the goods, it's best to stick what works. Don't dilute yourself and the company till you've got your foot firmly in place.

 

[Whirlysplat]

Hmm the problem as I see it with people trying to compete with marvel and dc in these markets is that this isn't really the comics market that these figures represent.

These figures represent the direct market for comics that primarily with marvel and dc characters in them or taking place in the marvel/dc universe. Which makes it difficult for new companies to compete as copyright issues demand that they can't use marvel and dc characters.

Look at the sales some manga titles get (didn't shonen jump break 500k a year or two ago?) to see how unrepresentitive these figures are or an actual comics market.

Actually a good point Manga and Asterix/ Garfield etc. are other unrepresented types of comics that sell very well World wide.

Asterix sold 800K with this Album

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/letters/3195/

- Whirly

 

[Darthphere]

Not when you've been reading comics 30 - 35 years, No!

- Whirly

Well heres the thing everything's been done at least once. Can you name one original story told from 2000 on?

 

[gildea]

Yeah over here marvel UK sells a spiderman monthly magazine (and a batman one hehe) which does reprints of Ultimate Spidey and older 616 and that sells about 200k a month (rough figure that was batted about on millarworld when it was disussed as i recall)

 

[gildea]

Well heres the thing everything's been done at least once. Can you name one original story told from 2000 on?

CYNIC!!!!!

 

[Darthphere]

CYNIC!!!!!

LMAO! Im just making a point.

 

[Whirlysplat]

Well heres the thing everything's been done at least once. Can you name one original story told from 2000 on?

I think Tom Strong was reasonably original in it's deconstruction of the Golden age as was Lucifer for different reasons. So their are a few out there.

- Whirly

 

[Harlekin]

Asterix sold 800K with this Album

http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/letters/3195/

- Whirly

Which really proves that quality doesn't always mean sales. That album sucked.

 

[Darthphere]

I think Tom Strong was reasonably original in it's deconstruction of the Golden age as was Lucifer for different reasons. So their are a few out there.

- Whirly

And did those sell in the top 20.

 

[Whirlysplat]

Which really proves that quality doesn't always mean sales. That album sucked.

I agree although Asterix is always quite enjoyable imo.

And did those sell in the top 20.

Of course not lol.

Then of course we have illustrated text based pulps which border the comics industry perhaps the most successful is Perry Rhodan he's mutant core is a bit like the Xmen although Rhodan came out a few years earlier in 1961. These sell big. Are they comics? I don't know Nightraven a Marvel character in the 80's appeared in Marvel Superheroes UK and was text based.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan

http://www.perry-rhodan-usa.com/web1998/sersumm.htm

- Whirly

 

[Harlekin]

I agree although Asterix is always quite enjoyable imo.

True, but this was definitely the worst one I've read, and I've read all of them.

 

[Whirlysplat]

True, but this was definitely the worst one I've read, and I've read all of them.

I agree and i've also read all of them I also like Tintin he's been around 76 years now

- Whirly

 

[Harlekin]

Tintin's pretty cool, but Asterix is definitely cooler.