June 2007 Sales Charts & Market Share Report

[Darthphere]

But Hank Pym looks like Troy McClure.

Is that a bad thing?

 

[Red]

Depends if it was on purpose.

 

[Dread]

As always, it is interesting to look at the hard figures of the industry. And once again, Joe Q's smarmy attitude is justified; DC is failing fast. Marvel's 20% up over them in market share; DC only had 2 books in the Top 10 for June (and one of them, JUSTICE, was the final issue of a bimonthly 2 year mini) and only 5 within the Top 20. That's garbage, quite frankly. DC went from making Marvel break a sweat in 2006 to barely nibbling their ankles over a year later. Fans have bemoaned that book quality after INFINITE CRISIS has tanked, but so have sales. Marvel's only worthy contendor needs some sort of strategy, fast, or Marvel is pretty much going to be able to dominate them for the rest of the decade blindfolded. The fact that DC's second weekly series is selling worse than the first is another bad sign. About the only thing DC can be proud of is that they still dominate the small screen.

And while not a DC fan, I care because with no competition, Marvel is under no pressure to actually produce quality. I like seeing them continue with quality.

Some good news:

- After ages of languishing near the Top 40, WWH #1 propelled the Hulk to #1 and his core title into the Top 10. It seems the Marvel strategy of amping up various franchises over time is paying off.

- X-MEN #200 actually sold within the Top 10; and X-MEN ENDANGERED SPECIES landed in the Top 20. There have been times that no X-books have sold within the Top 20 recently, as the Marvel editors have focused on the Avengers and other MU books. Naturally, there was also WWH:X-MEN, but that's part of WWH, so I don't count it.

- NEW WARRIORS, which is proving to be a quirky yet interesting and solid little series, debuted at #39 with over 100k sales. Naturally, there will be dropoff and all ongoings these days essentially are guarenteed 12 issues, but this is a very healthy debut for what was essentially a C-List franchise.

- OMEGA FLIGHT is proving Marvel wrong on the demand; Marvel played it conservative and kept it a 5 issue mini, but it continues to sell over 100k and #3 sold at #41. That is very healthy for the 3rd issue of a mini. Marvel would be fools not to make it an ongoing with those figures.

- WWH, much like CW, proves to be able to boost sales, at least for some book; GHOST RIDER jumped about ten slots back into the Top 30 with his first tie-in (no matter how random the story actually feels).

- MOON KNIGHT and IRON FIST are holding steady, despite neither being part of WWH.

- NOVA #3 sold at #51 and ANNIHILATION CONQUEST about 2 slots lower; solid, moderate sales for the space opera genre. Of course, both are selling 75-80k; just with so many books these days selling over 100k again, this naturally pushes them lower. Were these books selling this well about 2 years ago, they'd be well into the Top 45.

- What porno covers couldn't do, WWH does; boost HEROES FOR HIRE's sales.

- Despite Bendis being the most overrated writer in comics today, NEW AVENGERS continues to be the best selling ongoing in comics right now. Sigh.

- X-MEN: FIRST CLASS returned as an ongoing at #79. The thing to note here is, most of the issues of their mini sold within the Top 80-90, with their "special" selling in the Top 95. This means that the move from mini to ongoing boosted the title's sales less than 10 slots. That likely won't keep. Hey, I enjoy the heck out of the book, but the fact that a book that barely solid within the Top 80 returned as an ongoing boggled me. Granted, with DC fading fast, Marvel can affort to cut some slack, so long as anything sells within the Top 100.

- Jeff Parker's fun, continuity-free, angst-free adventure, SPIDER-MAN & THE FANTASTIC FOUR sells within the Top 95. That doesn't seem good unless you realize it gets zero advertising or hype, it's best asset is an artist who did FF a few years ago (and Spidey books a decade ago), and has a story that doesn't tie into what either franchise is doing right now. Considering all that, the fact this book is even within the Top 100 is something. It certainly outsold Parker's superior mini, AGENTS OF ATLAS.

- THE SPIRIT #7 seemed to do slightly better than some last issues, which is amazing considering this was the filler issue. Go Walt Simonson.

- Slott's AVENGERS INITITAIVE is selling within the Top 15 with over 170k sales and that likely will increase for the WWH issues. The man's definately moving into A-List class at this rate.

- PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL is still outselling it's MAX parent title. If Fraction's THE ORDER can provide a solid hit in July, he may move up the ranks, too.

- Death once again is proven to be a sales getter; Cap's death has brought in sales for the parent title and Loeb's "Five Stages of Angst" mini.

 

[iloveclones]

And while not a DC fan, I care because with no competition, Marvel is under no pressure to actually produce quality. I like seeing them continue with quality.

I sooo agree with that statement!

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

But Hank Pym looks like Troy McClure.

Lol. "Hello, im Hank Pym. You may remember me from past characters such as Ant-Man, Giant Man, and Yellowjacket..." t:

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

As always, it is interesting to look at the hard figures of the industry. And once again, Joe Q's smarmy attitude is justified; DC is failing fast. Marvel's 20% up over them in market share; DC only had 2 books in the Top 10 for June (and one of them, JUSTICE, was the final issue of a bimonthly 2 year mini) and only 5 within the Top 20. That's garbage, quite frankly. DC went from making Marvel break a sweat in 2006 to barely nibbling their ankles over a year later. Fans have bemoaned that book quality after INFINITE CRISIS has tanked, but so have sales. Marvel's only worthy contendor needs some sort of strategy, fast, or Marvel is pretty much going to be able to dominate them for the rest of the decade blindfolded. The fact that DC's second weekly series is selling worse than the first is another bad sign. About the only thing DC can be proud of is that they still dominate the small screen.

And while not a DC fan, I care because with no competition, Marvel is under no pressure to actually produce quality. I like seeing them continue with quality.

Some good news:

- After ages of languishing near the Top 40, WWH #1 propelled the Hulk to #1 and his core title into the Top 10. It seems the Marvel strategy of amping up various franchises over time is paying off.

- X-MEN #200 actually sold within the Top 10; and X-MEN ENDANGERED SPECIES landed in the Top 20. There have been times that no X-books have sold within the Top 20 recently, as the Marvel editors have focused on the Avengers and other MU books. Naturally, there was also WWH:X-MEN, but that's part of WWH, so I don't count it.

- NEW WARRIORS, which is proving to be a quirky yet interesting and solid little series, debuted at #39 with over 100k sales. Naturally, there will be dropoff and all ongoings these days essentially are guarenteed 12 issues, but this is a very healthy debut for what was essentially a C-List franchise.

- OMEGA FLIGHT is proving Marvel wrong on the demand; Marvel played it conservative and kept it a 5 issue mini, but it continues to sell over 100k and #3 sold at #41. That is very healthy for the 3rd issue of a mini. Marvel would be fools not to make it an ongoing with those figures.

- WWH, much like CW, proves to be able to boost sales, at least for some book; GHOST RIDER jumped about ten slots back into the Top 30 with his first tie-in (no matter how random the story actually feels).

- MOON KNIGHT and IRON FIST are holding steady, despite neither being part of WWH.

- NOVA #3 sold at #51 and ANNIHILATION CONQUEST about 2 slots lower; solid, moderate sales for the space opera genre. Of course, both are selling 75-80k; just with so many books these days selling over 100k again, this naturally pushes them lower. Were these books selling this well about 2 years ago, they'd be well into the Top 45.

- What porno covers couldn't do, WWH does; boost HEROES FOR HIRE's sales.

- Despite Bendis being the most overrated writer in comics today, NEW AVENGERS continues to be the best selling ongoing in comics right now. Sigh.

- X-MEN: FIRST CLASS returned as an ongoing at #79. The thing to note here is, most of the issues of their mini sold within the Top 80-90, with their "special" selling in the Top 95. This means that the move from mini to ongoing boosted the title's sales less than 10 slots. That likely won't keep. Hey, I enjoy the heck out of the book, but the fact that a book that barely solid within the Top 80 returned as an ongoing boggled me. Granted, with DC fading fast, Marvel can affort to cut some slack, so long as anything sells within the Top 100.

- Jeff Parker's fun, continuity-free, angst-free adventure, SPIDER-MAN & THE FANTASTIC FOUR sells within the Top 95. That doesn't seem good unless you realize it gets zero advertising or hype, it's best asset is an artist who did FF a few years ago (and Spidey books a decade ago), and has a story that doesn't tie into what either franchise is doing right now. Considering all that, the fact this book is even within the Top 100 is something. It certainly outsold Parker's superior mini, AGENTS OF ATLAS.

- THE SPIRIT #7 seemed to do slightly better than some last issues, which is amazing considering this was the filler issue. Go Walt Simonson.

- Slott's AVENGERS INITITAIVE is selling within the Top 15 with over 170k sales and that likely will increase for the WWH issues. The man's definately moving into A-List class at this rate.

- PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL is still outselling it's MAX parent title. If Fraction's THE ORDER can provide a solid hit in July, he may move up the ranks, too.

- Death once again is proven to be a sales getter; Cap's death has brought in sales for the parent title and Loeb's "Five Stages of Angst" mini.

Maybe DC should sell Batman and Superman to Marvel, and just call it a day.




(i kid, DC fans...i kid)
















or DO i?

 

[Darthphere]

I really do think those accessibility complaints about DC have merit now.

 

[PhotoJones]

I really do think those accessibility complaints about DC have merit now.

They were never without merit.

 

[Darthphere]

They were never without merit.

Yes, they were. And fairly recently too. Just ask most fairly new DC readers, they jumped on the IC bandwagon and rode it on in towards the dark cold abyss that is now the current state of the DC Universe.

 

[PhotoJones]

Yes, they were. And fairly recently too. Just ask most fairly new DC readers, they jumped on the IC bandwagon and rode it on in towards the dark cold abyss that is now the current state of the DC Universe.

I wasn't aware the dark, cold abyss was something new to the DC Universe. It's always been a cyclical nightmare. Their continuity is confusing as all get out and they do a Crisis event to change it. It's reader friendly for about 6-12 months before it devolves back into a puddle of sewage before the next Crisis comes along. Rinse, repeat.

 

[Darthphere]

I wasn't aware the dark, cold abyss was something new to the DC Universe. It's always been a cyclical nightmare. Their continuity is confusing as all get out and they do a Crisis event to change it. It's reader friendly for about 6-12 months before it devolves back into a puddle of sewage before the next Crisis comes along. Rinse, repeat.

Dude, don't break the dreams of the new DC readers. They only have so little time to enjoy a coherent universe.

 

[PhotoJones]

Dude, don't break the dreams of the new DC readers. They only have so little time to enjoy a coherent universe.

DC's got Batman. And Vertigo. Other than that, there's no reason to bother with...

 

[hippie_hunter]

Seriously though, it's not what DC is doing wrong, it's what Marvel is doing right. Marvel has been doing event after event with Civil War/the Initiative, X-Men: Endangered Species, World War Hulk, the Death of Captain America, Spider-Man: One More Day, Annihilation: Conquest, House of M/Decimation, Avengers: Disassembled, etc. all within a small timespan.

DC just really had Identity Crisis, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Infinite Crisis, 52, and Countdown.

 

[Darthphere]

Also, they seem to be having a lot of trouble being on time with their ongoings.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Also, they seem to be having a lot of trouble being on time with their ongoings.

That too.

 

[Zenien]

THe only DC book proper that I bother with these days is Catwoman, before Gotham Central went under I was picking that up as well.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Catwoman sucks. Pfiefer in general sucks

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It hasn't really been outstanding for a while. I'm just reading it out of habit at this point.

 

[Dread]

The DC books I read are BLUE BEETLE, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, and THE SPIRIT. And Dini written issues of DETECTIVE COMICS.

 

[BrianWilly]

The idea that something like Amazons Attack outsold Annihilation: Conquest Prologue rapes my mind in vile, squishy ways.

 

[Phoney Bone]

As the token DC Fan posting in here, I'd like to say: DC needs to get it's **** together, and the first thing they need to do is chuck Didio. These sales are ridiculous. The man doesn't know how to manage the company well. I hope the rumors of Waid replacing him are true.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Waid as DC's new president or grand overlord or whatever Didio's title is? That could be pretty sweet. It would suck to take him out of the writing pool, though. He's one of my favorite writers.

 

[Phoney Bone]

I'd sacrifice him as a writer if he could make DC stop sucking currently.

 

[PhotoJones]

Waid as DC's new president or grand overlord or whatever Didio's title is? That could be pretty sweet. It would suck to take him out of the writing pool, though. He's one of my favorite writers.

He wouldn't believe that if you told it to his face.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

He wouldn't believe that if you told it to his face.