by Marc-Oliver Frisch
In May, DC reminded us that the old sales-boosting tricks still work. In June, we’re reminded how short-lived those sales increases are. Coming out of the “Night of the Owls” crossover, the Batman line basically dropped right back to its previous levels, and the same applies to other titles participating in other crossovers in May; second, DC cut many of its variant-cover editions in June, with predictable results; third, the six replacement “New 52” titles all show second-issue drops between 20% and 44% in June; finally, a range of “New 52” titles display bigger-than-usual drops for no readily available reason in June, so it seems retailers weren’t done yet trying to catch up with actual demand, after all.
As a result of all this, DC’s numbers were actually slightly down in June, despite the Before Watchmen launch and despite the fact that DC published two more DC Universe (and one more Vertigo) titles than they did in May. The DC Universe imprint’s estimated average comic-book unit sales dropped from 39,179 units in May to 37,599, total unit sales from 2.69 million to 2.67 million, and total dollar sales from $9.05 million to $8.98 million.
On the up side, though, the numbers are still golden overall, thanks, of course, to the four juggernaut debut issues of the Before Watchmen line, all of which made the Top 10 and cleared between 110,000 and 120,000 units each. Consequently, average DC Universe unit sales were still the 25th highest ever since March 2003, total DC Universe unit sales the 8th highest, and total DC Universe dollar sales the 6th highest. While it seems unlikely that DC will be able to sustain these types of sales levels through the rest of the year, it’s well worth mentioning: They’re doing very well right now.By the way, I’m bemused by DC’s insistence that they’re “holding the line at 52,” or the general suggestion that there are now a smaller number of DC Universe titles than before the relaunch. From January 2010 through August 2011, there were an average 57.3 DC Universe comic books every month. From September 2011 through June 2012, it’s an average 62.7 DC Universe titles. That’s about five titles more on average since the “New 52” relaunch. Isn’t this something someone like Dan DiDio should be aware of? It’s very odd, at any rate.
See below for the details and, as usual, please consider the small print at the end of the column. Thanks to Milton Griepp and ICv2.com for the permission to use their figures. An overview of ICv2.com‘s estimates can be found here.
A procedural note pertaining to the “New 52” and Before Watchmen titles: Earth-2, Worlds’ Finest, The Ravagers, Dial H and G.I. Combat (but not Batman, Incorporated), as well as all the Before Watchmen books, were made returnable by DC. This means their numbers, as they determine the chart rankings and index information, were reduced by Diamond Comic Distributors by a token percentage to compensate for any books retailers might — in theory — end up returning. In the case of the first wave of “New 52” titles, that figure was 10%, or close enough to it not to raise any red flags when the returnability period ended for those titles. So I’m running with that again. We won’t really know for sure if the same figure applies again this time around until the returnability period ends and we get to see the actual figures. So at worst, we’ll end up with a different kind of wrong than the one supplied by Diamond; at best, we’ll end up with more accurate figures. So far, it seems to be working out, but try to keep that in mind.
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3 - BATMAN 06/2007: -- 06/2008: -- 06/2009: Batman #687 -- 96,913 06/2010: Batman #700 -- 104,755 ------------------------------- 06/2011: Batman #711 -- 53,113 (- 3.6%) 07/2011: Batman #712 -- 51,385 (- 3.3%) 08/2011: Batman #713 -- 51,760 (+ 0.7%) 09/2011: Batman #1 -- 188,420 (+264.0%) [223,299] 10/2011: Batman #2 -- 172,428 (- 8.5%) [177,721] 11/2011: Batman #3 -- 150,984 (- 12.4%) 12/2011: Batman #4 -- 133,781 (- 11.4%) [144,777] 01/2012: Batman #5 -- 135,145 (+ 1.0%) [142,499] 02/2012: Batman #6 -- 128,459 (- 5.0%) [135,435] 03/2012: Batman #7 -- 131,091 (+ 2.1%) 04/2012: Batman #8 -- 130,602 (- 0.4%) [136,218] 05/2012: Batman #9 -- 134,605 (+ 3.1%) 06/2012: Batman #10 -- 130,265 (- 3.2%) ----------------- 6 months: - 2.6% 1 year : +145.3% 2 years : + 24.5% 5 years : n.a.
The “Court of Owls” story continues, though not as a crossover. Also, this is one of four titles that went from tertiary 1:200 variants to tertiary 1:100 variants in June.
Considering all this, the numbers remain more than just solid here. Also, for the record, May’s Batman Annual #1, a fifth printing of Batman #1 and a fourth printing of Batman #4 all made the chart again in June, selling between 3,500 and 4,400 extra units. If writer Scott Snyder is sticking around for the long haul, he might end up becoming the company’s new Geoff Johns.
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4 - JUSTICE LEAGUE 06/2007: Justice League #10 -- 129,265 06/2008: Justice League #22 -- 85,013 06/2009: Justice League #34 -- 61,115 06/2010: Justice League #46 -- 62,754 --------------------------------------- 06/2011: JL of America #58 -- 45,442 (- 2.8%) 07/2011: JL of America #59 -- 43,545 (- 4.2%) 08/2011: JL of America #60 -- 42,587 (- 2.2%) 08/2011: Justice League #1 -- 185,776 (+336.2%) [271,173] 09/2011: -- 10/2011: Justice League #2 -- 196,569 (+ 5.8%) 11/2011: Justice League #3 -- 168,679 (- 14.2%) 12/2011: Justice League #4 -- 149,314 (- 11.5%) [152,340] 01/2012: Justice League #5 -- 144,670 (- 3.1%) [148,117] 02/2012: Justice League #6 -- 140,819 (- 2.7%) 03/2012: Justice League #7 -- 136,436 (- 3.1%) 04/2012: Justice League #8 -- 133,240 (- 2.3%) 05/2012: Justice League #9 -- 131,332 (- 1.4%) 06/2012: Justice League #10 -- 130,502 (- 0.6%) ----------------- 6 months: - 12.6% 1 year : +187.2% 2 years : +108.0% 5 years : + 1.0%
Justice League #10 gets a few copies more here because its Combo Pack Edition (the one with a redemption code for the digital book) also made the chart, so I combined the two figures. There was one for Batman #10, as well, that didn’t chart in the Top 300, so let’s call it a tie between them for DC’s best-selling June title.
At any rate, Justice League is doing very well, too, obviously. Its 1:200 variant went to a 1:100 variant in June, but that doesn’t seem to have to made a lot of difference in this case, either. Finally, an eighth printing of issue #1 sold 5,042 units in June.
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5 - BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN 06/2012: Minutemen #1 of 6 -- 119,463
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6 - BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN 06/2012: Comedian #1 of 6 -- 115,713
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7 - BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE 06/2012: Silk Spectre #1 of 6 -- 114,394
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8 - BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL 06/2012: Nite Owl #1 of 6 -- 112,255
Concocted by a trusty pool of reliable IP experts whose names are well-known in the field of comic-book production, Before Watchmen is DC’s love letter to Alan Moore, one of the co-creators of the fan-favorite Watchmen franchise, which, it is safe to say, was among the high points of the company’s mid-1980s forays into adventure IP generation. And, as you may be guessing, these are very good numbers. If anyone involved in the process of making these books cared about money at all, instead of being content with writing love letters to Uncle Alan and keeping it real, they would probably be rubbing their hands right now. Particularly since the franchise has a history of doing extremely well as collected editions, too.
Each of these titles was made returnable by DC, so I bumped their numbers up by 10%. Also, each was promoted with a 1:25 variant-cover edition as well as a 1:200 variant-cover edition, to reward those comic-book retail establishments that bought rather a lot of them.
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11 - DETECTIVE COMICS 06/2007: Detective Comics #833 -- 54,104 06/2008: Detective Comics #845 -- 48,920 06/2009: Detective Comics #854 -- 72,808 [79,573] 06/2010: Detective Comics #866 -- 46,178 ----------------------------------------- 06/2011: Detective Comics #878 -- 39,152 (- 1.2%) 07/2011: Detective Comics #879 -- 39,185 (+ 0.1%) 07/2011: Detective Comics #880 -- 38,585 (- 1.5%) 08/2011: Detective Comics #881 -- 39,729 (+ 3.0%) 09/2011: Detective Comics #1 -- 114,880 (+189.2%) [157,751] 10/2011: Detective Comics #2 -- 123,099 (+ 7.2%) 11/2011: Detective Comics #3 -- 111,197 (- 9.7%) 12/2011: Detective Comics #4 -- 99,366 (- 10.6%) 01/2012: Detective Comics #5 -- 99,342 (- 0.0%) 02/2012: Detective Comics #6 -- 94,415 (- 5.0%) 03/2012: Detective Comics #7 -- 89,891 (- 4.8%) 04/2012: Detective Comics #8 -- 87,675 (- 2.5%) 05/2012: Detective Comics #9 -- 96,016 (+ 9.5%) 06/2012: Detective Comics #10 -- 83,317 (- 13.2%) ----------------- 6 months: - 16.2% 1 year : +112.8% 2 years : + 80.4% 5 years : + 54.0%
Dropping out of both the “Night of the Owls” crossover and DC’s 1:200 variant program (with no replacement, in this case), Detective Comics sales take quite a nose-dive in June. Historically, though, the book is still doing extraordinarily well.
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13 - ACTION COMICS 06/2007: -- 06/2008: Action Comics #866 -- 50,158 [53,198] 06/2009: Action Comics #878 -- 40,011 06/2010: Action Comics #890 -- 34,744 [40,039] -------------------------------------- 06/2011: Action Comics #902 -- 41,960 (- 5.0%) 07/2011: Action Comics #903 -- 40,205 (- 4.2%) 08/2011: Action Comics #904 -- 39,323 (- 2.2%) 09/2011: Action Comics #1 -- 182,748 (+364.7%) [200,947] 10/2011: Action Comics #2 -- 153,855 (- 15.8%) 11/2011: Action Comics #3 -- 134,875 (- 12.3%) 12/2011: Action Comics #4 -- 112,839 (- 16.3%) 01/2012: Action Comics #5 -- 109,350 (- 3.1%) 02/2012: Action Comics #6 -- 96,592 (- 11.7%) 03/2012: Action Comics #7 -- 91,822 (- 4.9%) 04/2012: Action Comics #8 -- 87,980 (- 4.2%) 05/2012: Action Comics #9 -- 88,796 (+ 0.9%) 06/2012: Action Comics #10 -- 80,751 (- 9.1%) ----------------- 6 months: - 28.4% 1 year : + 92.5% 2 years : +132.4% 5 years : n.a.
This is another book that swapped its 1:200 variant for a 1:100 variant in June, but that still looks like a surprisingly big drop.
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14 - GREEN LANTERN 06/2007: -- 06/2008: Green Lantern #32 -- 64,839 06/2009: Green Lantern #42 -- 84,131 06/2010: Green Lantern #55 -- 85,930 -------------------------------------- 06/2011: -- 07/2011: Green Lantern #67 -- 74,521 (- 1.1%) 08/2011: -- 09/2011: Green Lantern #1 -- 141,682 (+90.1%) [169,159] 10/2011: Green Lantern #2 -- 142,344 (+ 0.5%) 11/2011: Green Lantern #3 -- 122,644 (-13.8%) 12/2011: Green Lantern #4 -- 104,199 (-15.0%) 01/2012: Green Lantern #5 -- 97,878 (- 6.0%) 02/2012: Green Lantern #6 -- 94,087 (- 3.9%) 03/2012: Green Lantern #7 -- 90,232 (- 4.1%) 04/2012: Green Lantern #8 -- 88,335 (- 2.1%) 05/2012: Green Lantern #9 -- 87,601 (- 0.8%) 06/2012: Green Lantern #10 -- 80,615 (- 8.0%) ----------------- 6 months: - 22.6% 1 year : n.a. 2 years : - 6.2% 5 years : n.a.
Ditto for Green Lantern, which lost its 1:200 variant-cover edition and had its usual 50:50 variant-cover edition replaced with a 1:25 variant-cover edition. (Don’t look at me like that.)
Looks like a stiff drop, at any rate.
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19 - EARTH 2 05/2012: Earth 2 #1 -- 95,742 06/2012: Earth 2 #2 -- 75,936 (-20.7%)
No fiddling with variants here, and a fairly normal second-issue drop.
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15 - BATMAN INCORPORATED 06/2011: Batman, Inc. #7 -- 56,108 (- 7.2%) 08/2011: Batman, Inc. #8 -- 53,481 (- 4.7%) 09/2011: -- 10/2011: -- 11/2011: -- 12/2011: Lev Strikes #1 -- 43,048 (- 19.5%) 01/2012: -- 02/2012: -- 03/2012: -- 04/2012: -- 05/2012: Batman, Inc. #1 -- 96,486 (+124.1%) 06/2012: Batman, Inc. #2 -- 73,654 (- 23.7%) ---------------- 6 months: +71.1% 1 year : +31.3%
There was a 1:100 variant instead of May’s 1:200 variant, as well as a 1:25 variant instead of May’s 50:50 variant. On balance, that’s a normal drop, too.
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16 - BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT 06/2011: -- 07/2011: Dark Knight #3 -- 62,792 (- 11.7%) 07/2011: Dark Knight #4 -- 57,333 (- 8.7%) 08/2011: Dark Knight #5 -- 52,908 (- 7.7%) 09/2011: Dark Knight #1 -- 109,321 (+106.6%) [128,689] 10/2011: Dark Knight #2 -- 100,494 (- 8.1%) 11/2011: Dark Knight #3 -- 87,133 (- 13.3%) 12/2011: Dark Knight #4 -- 78,689 (- 9.7%) 01/2012: Dark Knight #5 -- 76,824 (- 2.4%) 02/2012: Dark Knight #6 -- 77,140 (+ 0.4%) [ 80,464] 03/2012: Dark Knight #7 -- 75,297 (- 2.4%) 04/2012: Dark Knight #8 -- 74,287 (- 1.3%) 05/2012: Dark Knight #9 -- 82,169 (+ 10.6%) 06/2012: Dark Knight #10 -- 71,671 (- 12.8%) ----------------- 6 months: - 8.9% 1 year : n.a.
There was no monkeying around with variant-cover editions here, but sales still drop well below their previous level in the wake of the crossover.
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22 - BATMAN AND ROBIN 06/2009: Batman and Robin #1 -- 168,604 [184,826] 06/2010: -- ---------------------------------------- 06/2011: Batman and Robin #24 -- 54,984 (- 4.4%) 07/2011: Batman and Robin #25 -- 55,172 (+ 0.3%) 08/2011: Batman and Robin #26 -- 52,704 (- 4.5%) 09/2011: Batman and Robin #1 -- 94,713 (+79.7%) [116,053] 10/2011: Batman and Robin #2 -- 98,807 (+ 4.3%) 11/2011: Batman and Robin #3 -- 86,309 (-12.7%) 12/2011: Batman and Robin #4 -- 76,000 (-11.9%) 01/2012: Batman and Robin #5 -- 72,786 (- 4.2%) 02/2012: Batman and Robin #6 -- 70,103 (- 3.7%) 03/2012: Batman and Robin #7 -- 68,010 (- 3.0%) 04/2012: Batman and Robin #8 -- 66,659 (- 2.0%) 05/2012: Batman and Robin #9 -- 75,967 (+14.0%) 06/2012: Batman and Robin #10 -- 66,894 (-11.9%) ---------------- 6 months: -12.0% 1 year : +21.7% 2 years : n.a.
Right back where it was in April, with the additional crossover sales gone.
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28 - AQUAMAN 09/2011: Aquaman #1 -- 80,302 [108,545] 10/2011: Aquaman #2 -- 79,156 (- 1.4%) [ 83,626] 11/2011: Aquaman #3 -- 69,137 (-12.7%) 12/2011: Aquaman #4 -- 64,961 (- 6.0%) 01/2012: Aquaman #5 -- 65,094 (+ 0.2%) 02/2012: Aquaman #6 -- 63,450 (- 2.5%) 03/2012: Aquaman #7 -- 62,345 (- 1.7%) 04/2012: Aquaman #8 -- 61,657 (- 1.1%) 05/2012: Aquaman #9 -- 60,527 (- 1.8%) 06/2012: Aquaman #10 -- 59,288 (- 2.1%) ----------------- 6 months: - 8.7%
Standard attrition. Unexpectedly strong sales for an Aquaman title.
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29 - SUPERMAN 06/2007: Superman #663 -- 53,384 06/2008: Superman #677 -- 54,634 06/2009: Superman #689 -- 40,366 06/2010: Superman #700 -- 67,571 --------------------------------- 06/2011: Superman #712 -- 37,362 (- 2.9%) 07/2011: Superman #713 -- 36,646 (- 1.9%) 08/2011: Superman #714 -- 35,919 (- 2.0%) 09/2011: Superman #1 -- 131,529 (+266.2%) [150,128] 10/2011: Superman #2 -- 104,703 (- 20.4%) 11/2011: Superman #3 -- 86,386 (- 17.5%) 12/2011: Superman #4 -- 76,532 (- 11.4%) 01/2012: Superman #5 -- 73,719 (- 3.7%) 02/2012: Superman #6 -- 69,633 (- 5.5%) 03/2012: Superman #7 -- 66,588 (- 4.4%) 04/2012: Superman #8 -- 64,486 (- 3.2%) 05/2012: Superman #9 -- 62,232 (- 3.5%) 06/2012: Superman #10 -- 59,081 (- 5.1%) ----------------- 6 months: - 22.8% 1 year : + 58.1% 2 years : - 12.6% 5 years : + 10.7%
Another stiff drop for no readily apparent reason.
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31 - FLASH 06/2007: Flash: FMA #13 -- 96,075 [101,982] 06/2008: Flash #241 -- 30,810 06/2009: Rebirth #3 of 5 -- 83,086 06/2010: Flash #3 -- 68,804 ----------------------------------- 06/2011: -- 07/2011: -- 08/2011: -- 09/2011: Flash #1 -- 129,260 (+135.4%) [147,818] 10/2011: Flash #2 -- 114,137 (- 11.7%) 11/2011: Flash #3 -- 90,417 (- 20.8%) 12/2011: Flash #4 -- 77,336 (- 14.5%) 01/2012: Flash #5 -- 71,611 (- 7.4%) 02/2012: Flash #6 -- 68,061 (- 5.0%) 03/2012: Flash #7 -- 64,975 (- 4.5%) 04/2012: Flash #8 -- 63,702 (- 2.0%) 05/2012: Flash #9 -- 62,807 (- 1.4%) 06/2012: Flash #10 -- 55,681 (- 11.4%) ----------------- 6 months: - 28.0% 1 year : n.a. 2 years : - 19.1% 5 years : - 42.0%
Yikes. They cut the 1:200 variant, as you may have suspected.
Still, that’s rather steep.
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40 - WORLDS' FINEST 04/2012: Worlds' Finest #1 -- 69,531 05/2012: Worlds' Finest #2 -- 51,510 (-25.9%)
Another title with a reasonably normal second-issue drop.
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33 - NIGHTWING 06/2007: Nightwing #133 -- 30,623 06/2008: Nightwing #145 -- 29,435 --------------------------------- 09/2011: Nightwing #1 -- 69,686 [87,561] 10/2011: Nightwing #2 -- 73,054 (+ 4.8%) 11/2011: Nightwing #3 -- 64,098 (-12.3%) 12/2011: Nightwing #4 -- 57,409 (-10.4%) 01/2012: Nightwing #5 -- 56,040 (- 2.4%) 02/2012: Nightwing #6 -- 53,036 (- 5.4%) 03/2012: Nightwing #7 -- 50,489 (- 4.8%) 04/2012: Nightwing #8 -- 52,063 (+ 3.1%) [61,711] 05/2012: Nightwing #9 -- 61,395 (+17.9%) 06/2012: Nightwing #10 -- 50,585 (-17.6%) ----------------- 6 months: - 11.9% 5 years : + 65.2%
Crossovers give, and then they take away.
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36 - TEEN TITANS 06/2007: Teen Titans #48 -- 60,786 06/2008: Teen Titans #60 -- 45,036 06/2009: Teen Titans #72 -- 32,512 06/2010: Teen Titans #84 -- 24,593 ----------------------------------- 06/2011: Teen Titans #96 -- 23,849 (- 3.6%) 07/2011: Teen Titans #97 -- 23,138 (- 3.0%) 07/2011: Teen Titans #98 -- 23,095 (- 0.2%) 08/2011: Teen Titans #99 -- 23,756 (+ 2.9%) 08/2011: Teen Titans #100 -- 27,459 (+ 15.6%) 09/2011: Teen Titans #1 -- 73,675 (+168.3%) [89,056] 10/2011: Teen Titans #2 -- 72,107 (- 2.1%) 11/2011: Teen Titans #3 -- 60,758 (- 15.7%) 12/2011: Teen Titans #4 -- 54,929 (- 9.6%) 01/2012: Teen Titans #5 -- 54,606 (- 0.6%) 02/2012: Teen Titans #6 -- 53,123 (- 2.7%) 03/2012: Teen Titans #7 -- 51,402 (- 3.2%) 04/2012: Teen Titans #8 -- 50,814 (- 1.1%) 05/2012: Teen Titans #9 -- 50,261 (- 1.1%) 06/2012: Teen Titans #10 -- 47,491 (- 5.5%) ----------------- 6 months: - 13.5% 1 year : + 99.1% 2 years : + 93.1% 5 years : - 21.9%
The May issue was part of a crossover with a bunch of lower-selling books. Evidently, that masked an underlying decline that’s going on here.
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37 - WONDER WOMAN 06/2007: Wonder Woman #10 -- 54,472 06/2008: Wonder Woman #21 -- 37,086 06/2009: Wonder Woman #33 -- 32,755 06/2010: Wonder Woman #600 -- 53,525 [63,700] ------------------------------------- 06/2011: Wonder Woman #611 -- 30,874 (- 0.4%) 06/2011: Wonder Woman #612 -- 30,690 (- 0.6%) 07/2011: Wonder Woman #613 -- 29,720 (- 3.2%) 08/2011: Wonder Woman #614 -- 29,223 (- 1.7%) 09/2011: Wonder Woman #1 -- 76,214 (+160.8%) [95,902] 10/2011: Wonder Woman #2 -- 79,060 (+ 3.7%) 11/2011: Wonder Woman #3 -- 65,621 (- 17.0%) 12/2011: Wonder Woman #4 -- 57,675 (- 12.1%) 01/2012: Wonder Woman #5 -- 57,626 (- 0.1%) 02/2012: Wonder Woman #6 -- 54,190 (- 6.0%) 03/2012: Wonder Woman #7 -- 51,314 (- 5.3%) 04/2012: Wonder Woman #8 -- 50,450 (- 1.7%) 05/2012: Wonder Woman #9 -- 48,750 (- 3.4%) 06/2012: Wonder Woman #10 -- 47,229 (- 3.1%) ----------------- 6 months: - 18.1% 1 year : + 53.4% 2 years : - 11.8% 5 years : - 13.3%
The book keeps slipping down the chart.
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38 - BATGIRL 06/2010: Batgirl #11 -- 28,563 ---------------------------------- 06/2011: Batgirl #22 -- 23,323 (- 3.0%) 07/2011: Batgirl #23 -- 22,619 (- 3.0%) 08/2011: Batgirl #24 -- 22,695 (+ 0.3%) 09/2011: Batgirl #1 -- 90,543 (+299.0%) [107,055] 10/2011: Batgirl #2 -- 83,586 (- 7.7%) 11/2011: Batgirl #3 -- 69,971 (- 16.3%) 12/2011: Batgirl #4 -- 59,972 (- 14.3%) 01/2012: Batgirl #5 -- 57,030 (- 4.9%) 02/2012: Batgirl #6 -- 53,151 (- 6.8%) 03/2012: Batgirl #7 -- 50,761 (- 4.5%) 04/2012: Batgirl #8 -- 48,878 (- 3.7%) 05/2012: Batgirl #9 -- 58,710 (+ 20.1%) 06/2012: Batgirl #10 -- 47,050 (- 19.9%) ----------------- 6 months: - 21.6% 1 year : +101.7% 2 years : + 64.7%
If you ignore the crossover bump in May, those drops keep adding up. This is still an awesome number for a Batgirl title, mind you, but they might want it to find its level soon.
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41 - GREEN LANTERN CORPS 06/2007: Green Lantern Corps #13 -- 32,792 06/2008: Green Lantern Corps #25 -- 47,399 06/2009: Green Lantern Corps #37 -- 63,574 06/2010: Green Lantern Corps #49 -- 66,652 ------------------------------------------ 06/2011: -- 07/2011: Green Lantern Corps #61 -- 60,836 (- 0.2%) 07/2011: Green Lantern Corps #62 -- 57,928 (- 4.8%) 08/2011: Green Lantern Corps #63 -- 53,372 (- 7.9%) 09/2011: Green Lantern Corps #1 -- 83,077 (+55.7%) [94,800] 10/2011: Green Lantern Corps #2 -- 78,501 (- 5.5%) 11/2011: Green Lantern Corps #3 -- 65,393 (-16.7%) 12/2011: Green Lantern Corps #4 -- 57,180 (-12.6%) 01/2012: Green Lantern Corps #5 -- 54,088 (- 5.4%) 02/2012: Green Lantern Corps #6 -- 51,168 (- 5.4%) 03/2012: Green Lantern Corps #7 -- 48,692 (- 4.8%) 04/2012: Green Lantern Corps #8 -- 47,584 (- 2.3%) 05/2012: Green Lantern Corps #9 -- 46,336 (- 2.6%) 06/2012: Green Lantern Corps #10 -- 44,615 (- 3.7%) ---------------- 6 months: -22.0% 1 year : n.a. 2 years : -33.1% 5 years : +36.1%
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41 - GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS 06/2011: Emerald Warriors #11 -- 53,927 (+ 1.8%) 07/2011: Emerald Warriors #12 -- 48,087 (-10.8%) 08/2011: Emerald Warriors #13 -- 44,228 (- 8.0%) 09/2011: New Guardians #1 -- 84,033 (+90.0%) [96,596] 10/2011: New Guardians #2 -- 71,713 (-14.7%) 11/2011: New Guardians #3 -- 59,774 (-16.7%) 12/2011: New Guardians #4 -- 53,305 (-10.8%) 01/2012: New Guardians #5 -- 52,305 (- 1.9%) 02/2012: New Guardians #6 -- 50,319 (- 3.8%) 03/2012: New Guardians #7 -- 48,422 (- 3.8%) 04/2012: New Guardians #8 -- 47,320 (- 2.3%) 05/2012: New Guardians #9 -- 46,237 (- 2.3%) 06/2012: New Guardians #10 -- 44,404 (- 4.0%) ---------------- 6 months: -16.7% 1 year : -17.7%
The two secondary Lantern books continue to sell in lockstep, more or less, and in June it happens to be a larger-than-usual drop — and, once again, for no reason that I can see.
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48 - BATWOMAN 09/2011: Batwoman #1 -- 72,228 (+64.6%) [87,952] 10/2011: Batwoman #2 -- 74,392 (+ 3.0%) 11/2011: Batwoman #3 -- 61,997 (-16.7%) 12/2011: Batwoman #4 -- 52,757 (-14.9%) 01/2012: Batwoman #5 -- 51,924 (- 1.6%) 02/2012: Batwoman #6 -- 49,227 (- 5.2%) 03/2012: Batwoman #7 -- 46,874 (- 4.8%) 04/2012: Batwoman #8 -- 45,341 (- 3.3%) 05/2012: Batwoman #9 -- 43,942 (- 3.1%) 06/2012: Batwoman #10 -- 41,014 (- 6.7%) ---------------- 6 months: -22.3%
Another book that’s suddenly starting to bleed units again.
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55 - RED LANTERNS 09/2011: Red Lanterns #1 -- 73,940 [89,170] 10/2011: Red Lanterns #2 -- 74,163 (+ 0.3%) 11/2011: Red Lanterns #3 -- 60,823 (-18.0%) 12/2011: Red Lanterns #4 -- 50,271 (-17.4%) 01/2012: Red Lanterns #5 -- 46,992 (- 6.5%) 02/2012: Red Lanterns #6 -- 43,450 (- 7.5%) 03/2012: Red Lanterns #7 -- 41,628 (- 4.2%) 04/2012: Red Lanterns #8 -- 40,189 (- 3.5%) 05/2012: Red Lanterns #9 -- 39,215 (- 2.4%) 06/2012: Red Lanterns #10 -- 38,005 (- 3.1%) ---------------- 6 months: -24.4%
Sliding down at a thousand readers per month.
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57 - SWAMP THING 09/2011: Swamp Thing #1 -- 54,757 [73,683] 10/2011: Swamp Thing #2 -- 58,634 (+ 7.1%) 11/2011: Swamp Thing #3 -- 52,300 (-10.8%) 12/2011: Swamp Thing #4 -- 44,660 (-14.6%) 01/2012: Swamp Thing #5 -- 43,806 (- 1.9%) 02/2012: Swamp Thing #6 -- 41,235 (- 5.9%) 03/2012: Swamp Thing #7 -- 40,268 (- 2.4%) 04/2012: Swamp Thing #8 -- 39,431 (- 2.1%) 05/2012: Swamp Thing #9 -- 39,385 (- 0.1%) 06/2012: Swamp Thing #10 -- 37,383 (- 5.1%) ---------------- 6 months: -16.3%
No more variant-cover editions, as of June, hence the bigger drop.
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58 - CATWOMAN 06/2007: Catwoman #68 -- 20,132 06/2008: Catwoman #80 -- 17,797 ------------------------------- 09/2011: Catwoman #1 -- 59,633 [75,566] 10/2011: Catwoman #2 -- 63,573 (+ 6.6%) 11/2011: Catwoman #3 -- 52,196 (-17.9%) 12/2011: Catwoman #4 -- 45,581 (-12.7%) 01/2012: Catwoman #5 -- 44,034 (- 3.4%) 02/2012: Catwoman #6 -- 41,447 (- 5.9%) 03/2012: Catwoman #7 -- 39,608 (- 4.4%) 04/2012: Catwoman #8 -- 38,711 (- 2.3%) 05/2012: Catwoman #9 -- 49,726 (+28.5%) 06/2012: Catwoman #10 -- 37,158 (-25.3%) ----------------- 6 months: - 18.5% 5 years : + 84.6%
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59 - RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS 09/2011: Red Hood #1 -- 56,112 [70,244] 10/2011: Red Hood #2 -- 59,382 (+ 5.8%) 11/2011: Red Hood #3 -- 50,140 (-15.6%) 12/2011: Red Hood #4 -- 44,278 (-11.7%) 01/2012: Red Hood #5 -- 42,560 (- 3.9%) 02/2012: Red Hood #6 -- 39,898 (- 6.3%) 03/2012: Red Hood #7 -- 38,630 (- 3.2%) 04/2012: Red Hood #8 -- 37,974 (- 1.7%) 05/2012: Red Hood #9 -- 54,220 (+42.8%) 06/2012: Red Hood #10 -- 37,044 (-31.7%) ----------------- 6 months: - 16.3%
Two more titles whose exit from “Night of the Owls” doesn’t seem to be explaining their June drops entirely.
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62 - ANIMAL MAN 09/2011: Animal Man #1 -- 46,051 [65,229] 10/2011: Animal Man #2 -- 53,432 (+16.0%) 11/2011: Animal Man #3 -- 49,184 (- 8.0%) 12/2011: Animal Man #4 -- 42,630 (-13.3%) 01/2012: Animal Man #5 -- 40,573 (- 4.8%) 02/2012: Animal Man #6 -- 38,504 (- 5.1%) 03/2012: Animal Man #7 -- 36,860 (- 4.3%) 04/2012: Animal Man #8 -- 36,369 (- 1.3%) 05/2012: Animal Man #9 -- 35,699 (- 1.8%) 06/2012: Animal Man #10 -- 34,992 (- 2.0%) ----------------- 6 months: - 17.9%
Standard attrition.
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67 - SUPERGIRL 06/2007: Supergirl #18 -- 50,279 06/2008: Supergirl #30 -- 29,553 06/2009: Supergirl #42 -- 32,705 06/2010: Supergirl #53 -- 28,317 --------------------------------- 06/2011: Supergirl #65 -- 20,985 (- 2.0%) 07/2011: Supergirl #66 -- 20,001 (- 4.7%) 08/2011: Supergirl #67 -- 19,764 (- 1.2%) 09/2011: Supergirl #1 -- 60,058 (+203.9%) [74,218] 10/2011: Supergirl #2 -- 61,388 (+ 2.2%) 11/2011: Supergirl #3 -- 50,784 (- 17.3%) 12/2011: Supergirl #4 -- 44,180 (- 13.0%) 01/2012: Supergirl #5 -- 41,446 (- 6.2%) 02/2012: Supergirl #6 -- 38,719 (- 6.6%) 03/2012: Supergirl #7 -- 37,041 (- 4.3%) 04/2012: Supergirl #8 -- 36,042 (- 2.7%) 05/2012: Supergirl #9 -- 35,129 (- 2.5%) 06/2012: Supergirl #10 -- 33,309 (- 5.2%) ----------------- 6 months: - 24.6% 1 year : + 58.7% 2 years : + 17.6% 5 years : - 33.8%
Another title struck by the sudden malaise of the diminishing sales mojo.
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68 - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK 09/2011: Justice League Dark #1 -- 69,840 [81,955] 10/2011: Justice League Dark #2 -- 63,392 (- 9.2%) 11/2011: Justice League Dark #3 -- 51,674 (-18.5%) 12/2011: Justice League Dark #4 -- 44,750 (-13.4%) 01/2012: Justice League Dark #5 -- 40,996 (- 8.4%) 02/2012: Justice League Dark #6 -- 38,360 (- 6.4%) 03/2012: Justice League Dark #7 -- 36,089 (- 5.9%) 04/2012: Justice League Dark #8 -- 35,022 (- 3.0%) 05/2012: Justice League Dark #9 -- 34,649 (- 1.1%) 06/2012: Justice League Dark #10 -- 33,238 (- 4.1%) ----------------- 6 months: - 25.7%
And yet another one.
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74 - SUICIDE SQUAD 09/2011: Suicide Squad #1 -- 49,979 [61,815] 10/2011: Suicide Squad #2 -- 49,570 (- 0.8%) 11/2011: Suicide Squad #3 -- 40,827 (-17.6%) 12/2011: Suicide Squad #4 -- 34,550 (-15.4%) 01/2012: Suicide Squad #5 -- 32,726 (- 5.3%) 02/2012: Suicide Squad #6 -- 30,834 (- 5.8%) 03/2012: Suicide Squad #7 -- 32,908 (+ 6.7%) 04/2012: Suicide Squad #8 -- 32,789 (- 0.4%) 05/2012: Suicide Squad #9 -- 32,581 (- 0.6%) 06/2012: Suicide Squad #10 -- 31,576 (- 3.1%) ----------------- 6 months: - 8.6%
Still relatively solid sales, overall.
—–
75 - SUPERBOY 06/2011: Superboy #8 -- 23,037 (- 6.4%) 07/2011: Superboy #9 -- 22,102 (- 4.1%) 08/2011: Superboy #10 -- 20,563 (- 7.0%) 08/2011: Superboy #11 -- 20,317 (- 1.2%) 09/2011: Superboy #1 -- 55,608 (+173.7%) [69,283] 10/2011: Superboy #2 -- 57,424 (+ 3.3%) 11/2011: Superboy #3 -- 47,442 (- 17.4%) 12/2011: Superboy #4 -- 40,002 (- 15.7%) 01/2012: Superboy #5 -- 37,419 (- 6.5%) 02/2012: Superboy #6 -- 34,520 (- 7.8%) 03/2012: Superboy #7 -- 33,050 (- 4.3%) 04/2012: Superboy #8 -- 31,900 (- 3.5%) 05/2012: Superboy #9 -- 34,838 (+ 9.2%) 06/2012: Superboy #10 -- 31,358 (- 10.0%) ----------------- 6 months: - 21.6% 1 year : + 36.1%
Back to business as usual after May’s crossover, despite the touted “connection” with Teen Titans #10.
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88 - RAVAGERS 05/2012: Ravagers #1 -- 44,230 06/2012: Ravagers #2 -- 31,128 (-29.6%)
Regarding that the first issue was boosted by a 1:25 variant and a crossover, the drop is not as bad as it looks. But unless it starts to level out unusually quickly now, the book is unlikely to end up as a solid mid-level performer.
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76 - JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL 09/2011: Justice League International #1 -- 67,866 [78,869] 10/2011: Justice League International #2 -- 66,100 (- 2.6%) 11/2011: Justice League International #3 -- 54,413 (-17.7%) 12/2011: Justice League International #4 -- 44,062 (-19.0%) 01/2012: Justice League International #5 -- 41,147 (- 6.6%) 02/2012: Justice League International #6 -- 37,534 (- 8.8%) 03/2012: Justice League International #7 -- 35,274 (- 6.0%) 04/2012: Justice League International #8 -- 33,773 (- 4.3%) 05/2012: Justice League International #9 -- 32,558 (- 3.6%) 06/2012: Justice League International #10 -- 31,015 (- 4.7%) ----------------- 6 months: - 29.6%
Sliding down the charts, and axed with issue #12.
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90 - DIAL H 05/2012: Dial H #1 -- 45,308 06/2012: Dial H #2 -- 30,618 (-32.4%)
There was no variant for issue #2, so the actual drop should be slightly less pronounced. Yet: Another book that’s probably about to dive permanently below the 30,000-unit mark, as these things tend to go.
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87 - BIRDS OF PREY 06/2007: Birds of Prey #107 -- 28,632 06/2008: Birds of Prey #119 -- 21,593 06/2010: Birds of Prey #2 -- 44,064 ------------------------------------- 06/2011: Birds of Prey #13 -- 28,992 (- 2.4%) 07/2011: Birds of Prey #14 -- 27,102 (- 6.5%) 08/2011: Birds of Prey #15 -- 26,043 (- 3.9%) 09/2011: Birds of Prey #1 -- 56,073 (+115.3%) [66,423] 10/2011: Birds of Prey #2 -- 53,156 (- 5.2%) 11/2011: Birds of Prey #3 -- 40,891 (- 23.1%) 12/2011: Birds of Prey #4 -- 34,460 (- 15.7%) 01/2012: Birds of Prey #5 -- 31,700 (- 8.0%) 02/2012: Birds of Prey #6 -- 30,376 (- 4.2%) 03/2012: Birds of Prey #7 -- 29,196 (- 3.9%) 04/2012: Birds of Prey #8 -- 28,661 (- 1.8%) 05/2012: Birds of Prey #9 -- 41,521 (+ 44.9%) 06/2012: Birds of Prey #10 -- 28,457 (- 31.5%) ----------------- 6 months: - 17.4% 1 year : - 1.9% 2 years : - 35.4% 5 years : - 0.6%
Business as usual following May’s crossover issue.
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91 - GREEN ARROW 06/2007: Green Arrow #75 -- 35,022 06/2008: Arrow/Canary #9 -- 30,330 06/2009: Arrow/Canary #21 -- 20,807 06/2010: Green Arrow #1 -- 54,400 [57,554] ----------------------------------- 06/2011: Green Arrow #13 -- 27,552 (- 13.2%) 07/2011: Green Arrow #14 -- 25,568 (- 7.2%) 08/2011: Green Arrow #15 -- 23,883 (- 6.6%) 09/2011: Green Arrow #1 -- 61,680 (+158.3%) [72,359] 10/2011: Green Arrow #2 -- 58,708 (- 4.8%) 11/2011: Green Arrow #3 -- 46,899 (- 20.1%) 12/2011: Green Arrow #4 -- 37,116 (- 20.9%) 01/2012: Green Arrow #5 -- 33,593 (- 9.5%) 02/2012: Green Arrow #6 -- 30,097 (- 10.4%) 03/2012: Green Arrow #7 -- 29,004 (- 3.6%) 04/2012: Green Arrow #8 -- 27,433 (- 5.4%) 05/2012: Green Arrow #9 -- 26,966 (- 1.7%) 06/2012: Green Arrow #10 -- 25,769 (- 4.4%) ----------------- 6 months: - 30.6% 1 year : - 6.5% 2 years : - 52.6% 5 years : - 26.4%
Continuing its fairly erratic and overall fairly steep decline.
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92 - ALL STAR WESTERN 06/2007: Jonah Hex #20 -- 16,150 06/2008: Jonah Hex #32 -- 12,969 06/2009: Jonah Hex #44 -- 11,592 06/2010: Jonah Hex #56 -- 13,441 -------------------------------- 06/2011: Jonah Hex #68 -- 10,224 (- 0.6%) 07/2011: Jonah Hex #69 -- 10,521 (+ 2.9%) 08/2011: Jonah Hex #70 -- 10,369 (- 1.5%) 09/2011: ASW #1 -- 43,681 (+321.3%) [54,992] 10/2011: ASW #2 -- 39,857 (- 8.8%) 11/2011: ASW #3 -- 32,776 (- 17.8%) 12/2011: ASW #4 -- 29,349 (- 10.5%) 01/2012: ASW #5 -- 27,206 (- 7.3%) 02/2012: ASW #6 -- 26,170 (- 3.8%) 03/2012: ASW #7 -- 25,349 (- 3.1%) 04/2012: ASW #8 -- 25,040 (- 1.2%) 05/2012: ASW #9 -- 31,413 (+ 25.5%) 06/2012: ASW #10 -- 25,334 (- 19.4%) ----------------- 6 months: - 13.7% 1 year : +147.8% 2 years : + 88.5% 5 years : + 56.9%
Rock-solid figures.
—–
94 - BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED 06/2011: Batman Beyond #6 -- 24,524 (- 3.5%) 07/2011: Batman Beyond #7 -- 22,945 (- 6.4%) 08/2011: Batman Beyond #8 -- 21,838 (- 4.8%) ---------------------------------------- 02/2012: Unlimited #1 -- 26,589 (+21.8%) [30,683] 03/2012: Unlimited #2 -- 23,570 (-11.4%) 04/2012: Unlimited #3 -- 24,196 (+ 2.7%) 05/2012: Unlimited #4 -- 24,356 (+ 0.7%) 06/2012: Unlimited #5 -- 24,058 (- 1.2%) ---------------- 1 year : - 1.9%
Holding steady at 24K.
—–
98 - BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED 04/2012: Arkham Unhinged #1 -- 31,170 05/2012: Arkham Unhinged #2 -- 25,215 (-19.1%) 06/2012: Arkham Unhinged #3 -- 23,322 (- 7.5%)
Levelling out at a pretty normal rate.
—–
99 - SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 04/2012: Smallville S11 #1 -- 27,004 05/2012: Smallville S11 #2 -- 22,468 (-16.8%)
That’s a rather smooth second-issue drop.
—–
109 - FAIREST (Vertigo) 03/2012: Fairest #1 -- 31,769 04/2012: Fairest #2 -- 22,997 (-27.6%) 05/2012: Fairest #3 -- 22,329 (- 2.9%) 06/2012: Fairest #4 -- 21,156 (- 5.3%)
Still the best-selling ongoing Vertigo title in a while, although that’s unlikely to last when the first arc’s creative team moves on.
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111 - BATWING 09/2011: Batwing #1 -- 45,980 [53,721] 10/2011: Batwing #2 -- 42,750 (- 7.0%) 11/2011: Batwing #3 -- 35,110 (-17.9%) 12/2011: Batwing #4 -- 26,726 (-23.9%) 01/2012: Batwing #5 -- 24,036 (-10.1%) 02/2012: Batwing #6 -- 21,643 (-10.0%) 03/2012: Batwing #7 -- 21,058 (- 2.7%) 04/2012: Batwing #8 -- 20,373 (- 3.3%) 05/2012: Batwing #9 -- 35,731 (+75.4%) 06/2012: Batwing #10 -- 20,724 (-42.0%) ----------------- 6 months: - 22.5%
Back to normal after the crossover.
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113 - STORMWATCH 06/2007: Stormwatch: PHD #8 -- 12,157 --------------------------------------- 09/2011: Stormwatch #1 -- 46,397 [57,287] 10/2011: Stormwatch #2 -- 47,520 (+ 2.4%) 11/2011: Stormwatch #3 -- 39,262 (-17.4%) 12/2011: Stormwatch #4 -- 30,987 (-21.1%) 01/2012: Stormwatch #5 -- 29,112 (- 6.1%) 02/2012: Stormwatch #6 -- 26,076 (-10.4%) 03/2012: Stormwatch #7 -- 24,384 (- 6.5%) 04/2012: Stormwatch #8 -- 23,212 (- 4.8%) 05/2012: Stormwatch #9 -- 22,448 (- 3.3%) 06/2012: Stormwatch #10 -- 20,592 (- 8.3%) ----------------- 6 months: - 33.6% 5 years : + 69.4%
No more variant cover-editions, as of June. Sales respond accordingly.
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115 - THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES 06/2007: Supergirl & LoSH #31 -- 30,385 06/2008: -- 06/2010: LoSH #2 -- 39,102 --------------------------------------- 06/2011: LoSH #14 -- 22,600 (- 2.2%) 07/2011: LoSH #15 -- 21,788 (- 3.6%) 08/2011: LoSH #16 -- 21,373 (- 1.9%) 09/2011: LoSH #1 -- 50,402 (+135.8%) [58,325] 10/2011: LoSH #2 -- 47,227 (- 6.3%) 11/2011: LoSH #3 -- 34,979 (- 25.9%) 12/2011: LoSH #4 -- 27,832 (- 20.4%) 01/2012: LoSH #5 -- 25,624 (- 7.9%) 02/2012: LoSH #6 -- 23,428 (- 8.6%) 03/2012: LoSH #7 -- 21,894 (- 6.6%) 04/2012: LoSH #8 -- 21,457 (- 2.0%) 05/2012: LoSH #9 -- 20,854 (- 2.8%) 06/2012: LoSH #10 -- 19,963 (- 4.3%) ----------------- 6 months: - 28.3% 1 year : - 11.7% 2 years : - 49.0% 5 years : - 34.3%
Slipping below the 20K mark for the first time since Diamond started providing the current set of figures in March 2003.
Overall, there are 15 “New 52” books selling fewer than 20,000 units in June, versus 18 in April, the month before the first six were axed and replaced. Of those 15 titles, three are cancelled with their “#0” issues in September and replaced in October. At the current rate, it looks like these books are approaching critical numbers faster than DC can cancel and replace them — particularly since one of the ones that’s in cancellation territory now was just launched as a replacement for another failed title in May.
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117 - DEATHSTROKE 09/2011: Deathstroke #1 -- 47,028 [56,820] 10/2011: Deathstroke #2 -- 44,647 (- 5.1%) 11/2011: Deathstroke #3 -- 33,754 (-24.4%) 12/2011: Deathstroke #4 -- 26,367 (-21.9%) 01/2012: Deathstroke #5 -- 23,872 (- 9.5%) 02/2012: Deathstroke #6 -- 21,306 (-10.8%) 03/2012: Deathstroke #7 -- 19,744 (- 7.3%) 04/2012: Deathstroke #8 -- 18,834 (- 4.6%) 05/2012: Deathstroke #9 -- 20,878 (+10.9%) 06/2012: Deathstroke #10 -- 19,722 (- 5.5%) ----------------- 6 months: - 25.2%
There’s nothing here to suggest a turnaround following last month’s creative-team change.
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122 - DEMON KNIGHTS 09/2011: Demon Knights #1 -- 41,602 [52,329] 10/2011: Demon Knights #2 -- 42,230 (+ 1.5%) 11/2011: Demon Knights #3 -- 34,681 (-17.9%) 12/2011: Demon Knights #4 -- 28,109 (-19.0%) 01/2012: Demon Knights #5 -- 25,823 (- 8.1%) 02/2012: Demon Knights #6 -- 23,476 (- 9.1%) 03/2012: Demon Knights #7 -- 22,000 (- 6.3%) 04/2012: Demon Knights #8 -- 21,124 (- 4.0%) 05/2012: Demon Knights #9 -- 20,196 (- 4.4%) 06/2012: Demon Knights #10 -- 19,005 (- 5.9%) ---------------- 6 months: -32.4%
More than 1,000 units gone versus May. Not good, obviously.
—–
129 - G.I. COMBAT 05/2012: G.I. Combat #1 -- 33,740 06/2012: G.I. Combat #2 -- 19,002 (-43.7%)
There was no variant-cover edition for the second issue, but that’s still a gigantic drop. Of course, that was entirely predictable. It’s not like the previous war title set the charts on fire, after all. Not long for this world, surely.
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123 - FABLES (Vertigo) 06/2007: Fables #62 -- 25,726 06/2008: -- 06/2009: Fables #85 -- 23,439 06/2010: Fables #96 -- 19,842 ------------------------------ 06/2011: Fables #106 -- 18,505 (- 1.3%) 07/2011: Fables #107 -- 18,523 (+ 0.1%) 08/2011: Fables #108 -- 18,390 (- 0.7%) 09/2011: Fables #109 -- 18,072 (- 1.7%) 10/2011: Fables #110 -- 18,109 (+ 0.2%) 11/2011: Fables #111 -- 17,687 (- 2.3%) 12/2011: Fables #112 -- 17,602 (- 0.5%) 01/2012: Fables #113 -- 17,588 (- 0.1%) 02/2012: Fables #114 -- 17,374 (- 1.2%) 03/2012: Fables #115 -- 17,384 (+ 0.1%) 04/2012: Fables #116 -- 17,543 (+ 0.9%) 05/2012: Fables #117 -- 17,484 (- 0.3%) 06/2012: Fables #118 -- 18,566 (+ 6.2%) ---------------- 6 months: + 5.5% 1 year : + 0.3% 2 years : - 6.4% 5 years : -27.8%
No idea why sales are going up here. Usually, that means good news for a title.
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127 - LEGION LOST 09/2011: Legion Lost #1 -- 46,362 [54,588] 10/2011: Legion Lost #2 -- 42,650 (- 8.0%) 11/2011: Legion Lost #3 -- 31,226 (-26.8%) 12/2011: Legion Lost #4 -- 24,020 (-23.1%) 01/2012: Legion Lost #5 -- 21,549 (-10.3%) 02/2012: Legion Lost #6 -- 19,447 (- 9.8%) 03/2012: Legion Lost #7 -- 18,214 (- 6.3%) 04/2012: Legion Lost #8 -- 17,984 (- 1.3%) 05/2012: Legion Lost #9 -- 23,794 (+32.3%) 06/2012: Legion Lost #10 -- 17,581 (-26.1%) ---------------- 6 months: -26.8%
Back on desolation row, Legion Lost returns to business as usual after May’s crossover.
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133 - I, VAMPIRE 09/2011: I, Vampire #1 -- 39,683 [46,993] 10/2011: I, Vampire #2 -- 34,599 (-12.8%) 11/2011: I, Vampire #3 -- 26,070 (-24.7%) 12/2011: I, Vampire #4 -- 21,601 (-17.1%) 01/2012: I, Vampire #5 -- 18,816 (-12.9%) 02/2012: I, Vampire #6 -- 18,153 (- 3.5%) 03/2012: I, Vampire #7 -- 18,440 (+ 1.6%) 04/2012: I, Vampire #8 -- 18,717 (+ 1.5%) 05/2012: I, Vampire #9 -- 17,175 (- 8.2%) 06/2012: I, Vampire #10 -- 16,517 (- 3.8%) ---------------- 6 months: -23.5%
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135 - THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN 09/2011: Savage Hawkman #1 -- 55,954 [63,959] 10/2011: Savage Hawkman #2 -- 47,763 (-14.6%) 11/2011: Savage Hawkman #3 -- 35,177 (-26.4%) 12/2011: Savage Hawkman #4 -- 28,263 (-19.7%) 01/2012: Savage Hawkman #5 -- 23,967 (-15.2%) 02/2012: Savage Hawkman #6 -- 21,316 (-11.1%) 03/2012: Savage Hawkman #7 -- 19,433 (- 8.8%) 04/2012: Savage Hawkman #8 -- 18,300 (- 5.8%) 05/2012: Savage Hawkman #9 -- 17,626 (- 3.7%) 06/2012: Savage Hawkman #10 -- 16,417 (- 6.9%) ---------------- 6 months: -41.9%
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136 - FRANKENSTEIN: AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. 09/2011: Frankenstein #1 -- 41,551 [50,817] 10/2011: Frankenstein #2 -- 40,423 (- 2.7%) 11/2011: Frankenstein #3 -- 31,869 (-21.2%) 12/2011: Frankenstein #4 -- 24,812 (-22.1%) 01/2012: Frankenstein #5 -- 22,737 (- 8.4%) 02/2012: Frankenstein #6 -- 20,463 (-10.0%) 03/2012: Frankenstein #7 -- 18,891 (- 7.7%) 04/2012: Frankenstein #8 -- 17,953 (- 5.0%) 05/2012: Frankenstein #9 -- 17,266 (- 3.8%) 06/2012: Frankenstein #10 -- 16,377 (- 5.2%) ---------------- 6 months: -34.0%
Three more “New 52” titles slipping way faster than anyone at DC would like them to.
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137 - AMERICAN VAMPIRE: LORD OF NIGHTMARES (Vertigo) 06/2012: Lord of Nightmares #1 of 5 -- 15,858
Fables and American Vampire are all that’s working at Vertigo right now, so here’s another spin-off.
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138 - THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN 09/2011: Firestorm #1 -- 51,537 [62,076] 10/2011: Firestorm #2 -- 43,990 (-14.6%) 11/2011: Firestorm #3 -- 31,654 (-28.0%) 12/2011: Firestorm #4 -- 25,610 (-19.1%) 01/2012: Firestorm #5 -- 21,329 (-16.7%) 02/2012: Firestorm #6 -- 19,162 (-10.2%) 03/2012: Firestorm #7 -- 17,786 (- 7.2%) 04/2012: Firestorm #8 -- 17,076 (- 4.0%) 05/2012: Firestorm #9 -- 17,240 (+ 1.0%) 06/2012: Firestorm #10 -- 15,789 (- 8.4%) ---------------- 6 months: -38.4%
Following the crossover in May, sales catch up with the book’s stiff decline.
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141 - AMERICAN VAMPIRE (Vertigo) 06/2010: American Vampire #4 -- 25,977 --------------------------------------- 06/2011: American Vampire #16 -- 15,705 (- 1.1%) 07/2011: American Vampire #17 -- 15,565 (- 0.9%) 08/2011: American Vampire #18 -- 15,423 (- 0.9%) 09/2011: American Vampire #19 -- 15,288 (- 0.9%) 10/2011: -- 11/2011: American Vampire #20 -- 15,685 (+ 2.6%) 12/2011: American Vampire #21 -- 15,026 (- 4.2%) 12/2011: American Vampire #22 -- 14,759 (- 1.8%) 01/2012: American Vampire #23 -- 14,240 (- 3.5%) 02/2012: American Vampire #24 -- 14,278 (+ 0.3%) 03/2012: American Vampire #25 -- 14,598 (+ 2.2%) 04/2012: American Vampire #26 -- 14,493 (- 0.7%) 05/2012: American Vampire #27 -- 14,420 (- 0.5%) 06/2012: American Vampire #28 -- 15,573 (+ 8.0%) ---------------- 6 months: + 4.6% 1 year : - 0.8% 2 years : -40.1%
The increase is due to a 1:10 variant-cover edition.
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142 - RESURRECTION MAN 09/2011: Resurrection Man #1 -- 41,740 [50,230] 10/2011: Resurrection Man #2 -- 38,560 (- 7.6%) 11/2011: Resurrection Man #3 -- 29,480 (-23.6%) 12/2011: Resurrection Man #4 -- 23,060 (-21.8%) 01/2012: Resurrection Man #5 -- 20,750 (-10.0%) 02/2012: Resurrection Man #6 -- 18,569 (-10.5%) 03/2012: Resurrection Man #7 -- 17,176 (- 7.5%) 04/2012: Resurrection Man #8 -- 16,664 (- 3.0%) 05/2012: Resurrection Man #9 -- 18,018 (+ 8.1%) 06/2012: Resurrection Man #10 -- 15,481 (-14.1%) ---------------- 6 months: -32.9%
Axed in September.
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146 - THE SHADE 10/2011: Shade #1 of 12 -- 30,648 11/2011: Shade #2 of 12 -- 21,431 (-30.1%) 12/2011: Shade #3 of 12 -- 18,922 (-11.7%) 01/2012: Shade #4 of 12 -- 17,512 (- 7.5%) 02/2012: Shade #5 of 12 -- 16,255 (- 7.2%) 03/2012: Shade #6 of 12 -- 16,005 (- 1.5%) 04/2012: Shade #7 of 12 -- 15,499 (- 3.2%) 05/2012: Shade #8 of 12 -- 15,051 (- 2.9%) 06/2012: Shade #9 of 12 -- 14,818 (- 1.6%) ---------------- 6 months: -21.7%
Levelled out, probably.
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149 - BLUE BEETLE 06/2007: Blue Beetle #16 -- 17,016 06/2008: -- ---------------------------------- 09/2011: Blue Beetle #1 -- 44,448 [52,288] 10/2011: Blue Beetle #2 -- 39,396 (-11.4%) 11/2011: Blue Beetle #3 -- 27,612 (-29.9%) 12/2011: Blue Beetle #4 -- 21,408 (-22.5%) 01/2012: Blue Beetle #5 -- 19,042 (-11.1%) 02/2012: Blue Beetle #6 -- 17,034 (-10.6%) 03/2012: Blue Beetle #7 -- 15,780 (- 7.4%) 04/2012: Blue Beetle #8 -- 15,180 (- 3.8%) 05/2012: Blue Beetle #9 -- 16,607 (+ 9.4%) 06/2012: Blue Beetle #10 -- 14,413 (-13.2%) ----------------- 6 months: - 32.7% 5 years : - 15.3%
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150 - DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS 09/2011: DCU Presents #1 -- 45,701 [53,103] 10/2011: DCU Presents #2 -- 41,584 (- 9.0%) 11/2011: DCU Presents #3 -- 31,019 (-25.4%) 12/2011: DCU Presents #4 -- 24,398 (-21.4%) 01/2012: DCU Presents #5 -- 22,048 (- 9.6%) 02/2012: DCU Presents #6 -- 20,188 (- 8.4%) 03/2012: DCU Presents #7 -- 17,830 (-11.7%) 04/2012: DCU Presents #8 -- 16,566 (- 7.1%) 05/2012: DCU Presents #9 -- 15,776 (- 4.8%) 06/2012: DCU Presents #10 -- 14,310 (- 9.3%) ---------------- 6 months: -41.4%
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151 - GRIFTER 09/2011: Grifter #1 -- 41,222 [50,959] 10/2011: Grifter #2 -- 39,900 (- 3.2%) 11/2011: Grifter #3 -- 29,802 (-25.3%) 12/2011: Grifter #4 -- 22,486 (-24.6%) 01/2012: Grifter #5 -- 20,060 (-10.8%) 02/2012: Grifter #6 -- 18,057 (-10.0%) 03/2012: Grifter #7 -- 16,559 (- 8.3%) 04/2012: Grifter #8 -- 15,686 (- 5.3%) 05/2012: Grifter #9 -- 15,228 (- 2.9%) 06/2012: Grifter #10 -- 14,258 (- 6.4%) ---------------- 6 months: -36.6%
The three lowest-selling “New 52” books that haven’t been cancelled yet. Terrible figures, obviously.
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155 - VOODOO 09/2011: Voodoo #1 -- 40,301 [47,112] 10/2011: Voodoo #2 -- 34,690 (-13.9%) 11/2011: Voodoo #3 -- 25,067 (-27.7%) 12/2011: Voodoo #4 -- 20,703 (-17.4%) 01/2012: Voodoo #5 -- 17,683 (-14.6%) 02/2012: Voodoo #6 -- 16,422 (- 7.1%) 03/2012: Voodoo #7 -- 15,097 (- 8.1%) 04/2012: Voodoo #8 -- 14,589 (- 3.4%) 05/2012: Voodoo #9 -- 13,762 (- 5.7%) 06/2012: Voodoo #10 -- 12,928 (- 6.1%) ---------------- 6 months: -37.6%
Cancelled in September.
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159 - SPACEMAN (Vertigo) 10/2011: Spaceman #1 of 9 -- 22,355 11/2011: Spaceman #2 of 9 -- 14,962 (-33.1%) 12/2011: Spaceman #3 of 9 -- 13,492 (- 9.8%) 01/2012: -- 02/2012: Spaceman #4 of 9 -- 13,394 (- 0.7%) 03/2012: Spaceman #5 of 9 -- 12,884 (- 3.8%) 04/2012: Spaceman #6 of 9 -- 12,727 (- 1.2%) 05/2012: -- 06/2012: Spaceman #7 of 9 -- 12,125 (- 4.7%) ---------------- 6 months: -10.1%
A Vertigo miniseries by a top-flight creative team, lucky to sell north of 10,000 units.
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162 - CAPTAIN ATOM 09/2011: Captain Atom #1 -- 44,110 [51,314] 10/2011: Captain Atom #2 -- 38,309 (-13.2%) 11/2011: Captain Atom #3 -- 26,829 (-30.0%) 12/2011: Captain Atom #4 -- 19,908 (-25.8%) 01/2012: Captain Atom #5 -- 17,437 (-12.4%) 02/2012: Captain Atom #6 -- 15,220 (-12.7%) 03/2012: Captain Atom #7 -- 13,738 (- 9.7%) 04/2012: Captain Atom #8 -- 13,001 (- 5.4%) 05/2012: Captain Atom #9 -- 12,264 (- 5.7%) 06/2012: Captain Atom #10 -- 11,546 (- 5.9%) ---------------- 6 months: -42.0%
Cancelled in September.
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171 - SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES (Johnny DC) 05/2012: Superman Family Adventures #1 -- 13,303 06/2012: Superman Family Adventures #2 -- 10,137 (-23.8%)
A Johnny DC title. See fine print.
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174 - SAUCER COUNTRY (Vertigo) 03/2012: Saucer Country #1 -- 15,684 04/2012: Saucer Country #2 -- 11,263 (-28.2%) 05/2012: Saucer Country #3 -- 10,656 (- 5.4%) 06/2012: Saucer Country #4 -- 9,959 (- 6.5%)
Not levelling out yet.
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180 - HELLBLAZER (Vertigo) 06/2007: Hellblazer #233 -- 13,201 06/2008: Hellblazer #245 -- 11,897 06/2009: Hellblazer #256 -- 10,898 06/2010: Hellblazer #268 -- 10,221 ---------------------------------- 06/2011: Hellblazer #280 -- 9,329 (-1.3%) 07/2011: Hellblazer #281 -- 9,225 (-1.1%) 08/2011: Hellblazer #282 -- 9,372 (+1.5%) 09/2011: Hellblazer #283 -- 9,597 (+2.4%) 10/2011: Hellblazer #284 -- 9,608 (+0.1%) 11/2011: Hellblazer #285 -- 9,500 (-1.1%) 12/2011: Hellblazer #286 -- 9,404 (-1.0%) 01/2012: Hellblazer #287 -- 9,368 (-0.4%) 02/2012: Hellblazer #288 -- 9,553 (+2.0%) 03/2012: Hellblazer #289 -- 9,363 (-2.0%) 04/2012: Hellblazer #290 -- 9,472 (+1.2%) 05/2012: Hellblazer #291 -- 9,426 (-0.5%) 06/2012: Hellblazer #292 -- 9,533 (+1.1%) ---------------- 6 months: + 1.4% 1 year : + 2.2% 2 years : - 6.7% 5 years : -27.8%
Simon Bisley’s art is good for a few extra sales.
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181 - THE UNWRITTEN (Vertigo) 06/2009: The Unwritten #2 -- 16,290 06/2010: The Unwritten #14 -- 13,396 ------------------------------------ 06/2011: The Unwritten #26 -- 10,979 (- 1.4%) 07/2011: The Unwritten #27 -- 10,787 (- 1.8%) 08/2011: The Unwritten #28 -- 10,731 (- 0.5%) 09/2011: The Unwritten #29 -- 10,511 (- 2.1%) 10/2011: The Unwritten #30 -- 10,481 (- 0.3%) 11/2011: The Unwritten #31 -- 10,434 (- 0.5%) 11/2011: The Unwritten #.5 -- 10,183 (- 2.4%) 12/2011: The Unwritten #32 -- 10,073 (- 1.1%) 12/2011: The Unwritten #.5 -- 9,759 (- 3.1%) 01/2012: The Unwritten #33 -- 9,888 (+ 1.3%) 01/2012: The Unwritten #.5 -- 9,483 (- 4.1%) 02/2012: The Unwritten #34 -- 9,789 (+ 3.2%) 02/2012: The Unwritten #.5 -- 9,595 (- 2.0%) 03/2012: The Unwritten #35 -- 9,675 (+ 0.8%) 03/2012: The Unwritten #.5 -- 9,529 (- 1.5%) 04/2012: The Unwritten #36 -- 9,678 (+ 1.6%) 05/2012: The Unwritten #37 -- 9,549 (- 1.3%) 06/2012: The Unwritten #38 -- 9,494 (- 0.6%) ---------------- 6 months: - 4.3% 1 year : -13.5% 2 years : -29.1%
The lowest-selling Vertigo title in June that isn’t ending yet.
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183 - THE NEW DEADWARDIANS (Vertigo) 03/2012: New Deadwardians #1 of 8 -- 14,530 04/2012: New Deadwardians #2 of 8 -- 10,229 (-29.6%) 05/2012: New Deadwardians #3 of 8 -- 9,594 (- 6.2%) 06/2012: New Deadwardians #4 of 8 -- 9,124 (- 4.9%)
Levelling out, albeit slowly.
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189 - GREEN LANTERN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (Johnny DC) 11/2011: GL: TAS #0 -- 13,569 ----------------------------- 04/2012: GL: TAS #1 -- 12,791 05/2012: GL: TAS #2 -- 9,615 (-24.8%) 06/2012: GL: TAS #3 -- 8,716 (- 9.4%)
A Johnny DC title.
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200 - I, ZOMBIE (Vertigo) 06/2010: I, Zombie #2 -- 18,620 -------------------------------- 06/2011: I, Zombie #14 -- 10,320 (- 2.3%) 07/2011: I, Zombie #15 -- 10,006 (- 3.0%) 08/2011: I, Zombie #16 -- 9,568 (- 4.4%) 09/2011: I, Zombie #17 -- 9,316 (- 2.6%) 10/2011: I, Zombie #18 -- 9,237 (- 0.9%) 11/2011: I, Zombie #19 -- 8,999 (- 2.6%) 12/2011: I, Zombie #20 -- 8,805 (- 2.2%) 01/2012: I, Zombie #21 -- 8,514 (- 3.3%) 02/2012: I, Zombie #22 -- 8,344 (- 2.0%) 03/2012: I, Zombie #23 -- 8,219 (- 1.5%) 04/2012: I, Zombie #24 -- 8,032 (- 2.3%) 05/2012: I, Zombie #25 -- 7,974 (- 0.7%) 06/2012: I, Zombie #26 -- 7,914 (- 0.8%) ---------------- 6 months: -10.1% 1 year : -23.3%
Cancelled with issue #28.
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202 - NIGHT FORCE 03/2012: Night Force #1 of 6 -- 13,174 04/2012: Night Force #2 of 6 -- 9,698 (-26.4%) 05/2012: Night Force #3 of 6 -- 8,458 (-12.8%) 06/2012: Night Force #4 of 6 -- 7,768 (- 8.2%)
The numbers speak for themselves.
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203 - SWEET TOOTH (Vertigo) 06/2010: Sweet Tooth #10 -- 9,570 ---------------------------------- 06/2011: Sweet Tooth #22 -- 8,252 (- 1.3%) 07/2011: Sweet Tooth #23 -- 8,018 (- 2.8%) 08/2011: Sweet Tooth #24 -- 7,948 (- 0.9%) 09/2011: Sweet Tooth #25 -- 7,896 (- 0.7%) 10/2011: Sweet Tooth #26 -- 7,963 (+ 0.9%) 11/2011: Sweet Tooth #27 -- 7,923 (- 0.5%) 12/2011: Sweet Tooth #28 -- 7,699 (- 2.8%) 01/2012: Sweet Tooth #29 -- 8,128 (+ 5.6%) 02/2012: Sweet Tooth #30 -- 7,584 (- 6.7%) 03/2012: Sweet Tooth #31 -- 7,541 (- 0.6%) 04/2012: Sweet Tooth #32 -- 7,534 (- 0.1%) 05/2012: Sweet Tooth #33 -- 7,631 (+ 1.3%) 06/2012: Sweet Tooth #34 -- 7,689 (+ 0.8%) ---------------- 6 months: - 0.1% 1 year : - 6.8% 2 years : -19.7%
Ending with issue #40.
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204 - YOUNG JUSTICE (Johnny DC) 06/2011: Young Justice #5 -- 8,988 (- 7.6%) 07/2011: Young Justice #6 -- 8,642 (- 3.9%) 08/2011: Young Justice #7 -- 8,062 (- 6.7%) 09/2011: Young Justice #8 -- 7,930 (- 1.6%) 10/2011: Young Justice #9 -- 7,737 (- 2.4%) 11/2011: Young Justice #10 -- 7,650 (- 1.1%) 12/2011: Young Justice #11 -- 7,221 (- 5.6%) 01/2012: Young Justice #12 -- 7,288 (+ 0.9%) 02/2012: Young Justice #13 -- 7,237 (- 0.7%) 03/2012: Young Justice #14 -- 7,241 (+ 0.1%) 04/2012: Young Justice #15 -- 7,273 (+ 0.4%) 05/2012: Young Justice #16 -- 7,466 (+ 2.7%) 06/2012: Young Justice #17 -- 7,459 (- 0.1%) ---------------- 6 months: + 3.3% 1 year : -17.0%
Another Johnny DC book.
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234 - SCALPED (Vertigo) 06/2007: Scalped #6 -- 8,689 06/2008: Scalped #18 -- 7,020 06/2009: Scalped #29 -- 7,078 06/2010: -- ------------------------------ 06/2011: Scalped #49 -- 6,333 (+ 1.0%) 06/2011: Scalped #50 -- 6,471 (+ 2.2%) 07/2011: -- 08/2011: Scalped #51 -- 6,409 (- 1.0%) 09/2011: Scalped #52 -- 6,270 (- 2.2%) 10/2011: Scalped #53 -- 6,203 (- 1.1%) 11/2011: Scalped #54 -- 6,157 (- 0.7%) 12/2011: -- 01/2012: Scalped #55 -- 6,083 (- 1.2%) 02/2012: Scalped #56 -- 5,999 (- 1.4%) 03/2012: Scalped #57 -- 6,007 (+ 0.1%) 04/2011: -- 05/2012: Scalped #58 -- 6,098 (+ 1.5%) 06/2012: Scalped #59 -- 6,075 (- 0.4%) ---------------- 6 months: n.a. 1 year : - 5.1% 2 years : n.a. 5 years : -30.1%
Ending with issue #60.
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243 - DOMINIQUE LAVEAU: VOODOO CHILD (Vertigo) 03/2012: Dominique Laveau #1 -- 12,800 04/2012: Dominique Laveau #2 -- 8,302 (-35.1%) 05/2012: Dominique Laveau #3 -- 6,873 (-17.2%) 06/2012: Dominique Laveau #4 -- 5,752 (-16.3%)
Cancelled with issue #7.
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255 - SCOOBY DOO: WHERE ARE YOU? (Johnny DC) 06/2007: Scooby Doo #121 -- 4,415 06/2008: Scooby Doo #133 -- 4,501 06/2009: Scooby Doo #145 -- 4,093 06/2010: Scooby Doo #157 -- ? --------------------------------- 06/2011: SD:WAY? #10 -- 4,774 (- 1.3%) 07/2011: SD:WAY? #11 -- 4,791 (+ 0.4%) 08/2011: SD:WAY? #12 -- 4,686 (- 2.2%) 09/2011: SD:WAY? #13 -- 4,701 (+ 0.3%) 10/2011: SD:WAY? #14 -- ? 11/2011: SD:WAY? #15 -- 4,701 12/2011: SD:WAY? #16 -- 4,627 (- 1.6%) 01/2012: SD:WAY? #17 -- 4,533 (- 2.0%) 02/2012: SD:WAY? #18 -- 4,655 (+ 2.7%) 03/2012: SD:WAY? #19 -- 4,677 (+ 0.5%) 04/2012: SD:WAY? #20 -- 4,752 (+ 1.6%) 05/2012: SD:WAY? #21 -- 5,269 (+10.9%) 06/2012: SD:WAY? #22 -- 4,968 (- 5.7%) ---------------- 6 months: + 7.4% 1 year : + 4.1% 2 years : ? 5 years : +12.5%
Another Johnny DC book.
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276 - GEARS OF WAR 06/2009: -- 06/2010: GoW #12 -- 6,165 -------------------------- 06/2011: GoW #17 -- 4,652 (- 1.4%) 07/2011: GoW #18 -- 4,327 (- 7.0%) 08/2011: GoW #19 -- ? 09/2011: -- 10/2011: GoW #20 -- ? 11/2011: -- 12/2011: GoW #21 -- 4,374 01/2012: -- 02/2012: GoW #22 -- 4,185 (- 4.3%) 03/2012: -- 04/2012: GoW #23 -- 4,024 (- 3.9%) 05/2012: -- 06/2012: GoW #24 -- 3,944 (- 2.0%) ---------------- 6 months: - 9.8% 1 year : -15.2% 2 years : -36.0%
Cancelled.
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285 - DC COMICS PRESENTS 06/2012: Superman Adventures #1 -- 3,795
One of DC’s $7.99 reprint books.
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REORDERS: 252: 5,042 -- Justice League #1 (8th) 270: 4,360 -- Batman Annual #1 291: 3,639 -- Batman #1 (5th) 292: 3,516 -- Batman #4 (4th)
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6-MONTH COMPARISONS + 71.1%: Batman, Inc. + 7.4%: Scooby-Doo + 5.5%: Fables + 4.6%: American Vampire + 3.3%: Young Justice + 1.4%: Hellblazer - 0.1%: Sweet Tooth - 2.6%: Batman - 4.3%: Unwritten - 8.6%: Suicide Squad - 8.7%: Aquaman - 8.9%: Dark Knight - 9.8%: GoW - 10.1%: I, Zombie - 10.1%: Spaceman - 13.5%: Teen Titans - 11.9%: Nightwing - 12.0%: Batman and Robin - 12.6%: JLA - 13.7%: All Star Western - 16.2%: Detective Comics - 16.3%: Red Hood - 16.3%: Swamp Thing - 16.7%: New Guardians - 17.4%: Birds of Prey - 17.9%: Animal Man - 18.1%: Wonder Woman - 18.5%: Catwoman - 21.6%: Batgirl - 21.6%: Superboy - 21.7%: Shade - 22.0%: GL Corps - 22.3%: Batwoman - 22.5%: Batwing - 22.6%: Green Lantern - 22.8%: Superman - 23.5%: I, Vampire - 24.4%: Red Lanterns - 24.6%: Supergirl - 25.2%: Deathstroke - 25.7%: JLD - 26.8%: Legion Lost - 28.0%: Flash - 28.3%: LoSH - 28.4%: Action Comics - 29.6%: JLI - 30.6%: Green Arrow - 32.4%: Demon Knights - 32.7%: Blue Beetle - 32.9%: Resurrection Man - 33.6%: Stormwatch - 34.0%: Frankenstein - 36.6%: Grifter - 37.6%: Voodoo - 38.4%: Firestorm - 41.4%: DCU Presents - 41.9%: Hawkman - 42.0%: Captain Atom
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1-YEAR COMPARISONS +187.2%: JLA +147.8%: All Star Western +145.3%: Batman +112.8%: Detective Comics +101.7%: Batgirl + 99.1%: Teen Titans + 92.5%: Action Comics + 58.7%: Supergirl + 58.1%: Superman + 53.4%: Wonder Woman + 36.1%: Superboy + 31.3%: Batman, Inc. + 21.7%: Batman and Robin + 4.1%: Scooby-Doo + 2.2%: Hellblazer + 0.3%: Fables - 0.8%: American Vampire - 1.9%: BB Unlimited - 1.9%: Birds of Prey - 5.1%: Scalped - 6.5%: Green Arrow - 6.8%: Sweet Tooth - 11.7%: LoSH - 13.5%: Unwritten - 15.2%: GoW - 17.0%: Young Justice - 17.7%: New Guardians - 23.3%: I, Zombie
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2-YEAR COMPARISONS +132.4%: Action Comics +108.0%: JLA + 93.1%: Teen Titans + 88.5%: All Star Western + 80.4%: Detective Comics + 64.7%: Batgirl + 24.5%: Batman + 17.6%: Supergirl - 6.2%: Green Lantern - 6.4%: Fables - 6.7%: Hellblazer - 11.8%: Wonder Woman - 12.6%: Superman - 19.1%: Flash - 19.7%: Sweet Tooth - 29.1%: Unwritten - 33.1%: GL Corps - 35.4%: Birds of Prey - 36.0%: GoW - 40.1%: American Vampire - 49.0%: LoSH - 52.6%: Green Arrow
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5-YEAR COMPARISONS + 84.6%: Catwoman + 69.4%: Stormwatch + 65.2%: Nightwing + 56.9%: All Star Western + 54.0%: Detective Comics + 36.1%: GL Corps + 12.5%: Scooby-Doo + 10.7%: Superman + 1.0%: JLA - 0.6%: Birds of Prey - 13.3%: Wonder Woman - 15.3%: Blue Beetle - 21.9%: Teen Titans - 26.4%: Green Arrow - 27.8%: Fables - 27.8%: Hellblazer - 30.1%: Scalped - 33.8%: Supergirl - 34.3%: LoSH - 42.0%: Flash
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Average Periodical Sales (not counting reprints, reorders shipping after the initial month of release, Johnny DC titles and magazines)
DC COMICS 06/2007: 34,017 06/2008: 27,367 06/2009: 25,880 06/2010: 25,788** --------------- 06/2011: 25,814 (+ 5.1%)** 07/2011: 26,138 (+ 1.3%)** 08/2011: 25,632 (- 1.9%)** 09/2011: 57,224 (+123.3%) 10/2011: 51,280 (- 10.4%)** 11/2011: 41,414 (- 19.2%)** 12/2011: 35,397 (- 14.5%)** 01/2012: 33,887 (- 4.3%)** 02/2012: 31,535 (- 6.9%)** 03/2012: 29,679 (- 5.9%) 04/2012: 31,319 (+ 5.5%) 05/2012: 39,179 (+ 25.1%) 06/2012: 37,599 (- 4.0%) ----------------- 6 months: + 6.2% 1 year : + 45.7% 2 years : + 45.8% 5 years : + 10.5%
DC UNIVERSE 06/2007: 47,986 06/2008: 35,800 06/2009: 36,329 06/2010: 34,612** --------------- 06/2011: 28,673 (+ 3.4%)** 07/2011: 28,586 (- 0.3%)** 08/2011: 27,761 (- 2.9%)** 09/2011: 67,411 (+142.8%) 10/2011: 59,146 (- 12.3%)** 11/2011: 46,670 (- 21.1%)** 12/2011: 39,390 (- 15.6%)** 01/2012: 37,145 (- 5.7%)** 02/2012: 34,456 (- 7.2%)** 03/2012: 33,229 (- 3.6%) 04/2012: 35,264 (+ 6.1%) 05/2012: 44,797 (+ 27.0%) 06/2012: 43,082 (- 3.8%) ----------------- 6 months: + 9.4% 1 year : + 50.3% 2 years : + 24.5% 5 years : - 10.2%
VERTIGO 06/2007: 12,732 06/2008: 10,491 06/2009: 11,166 06/2010: 10,995 --------------- 06/2011: 10,415 (- 2.4%) 07/2011: 10,784 (+ 3.5%) 08/2011: 10,147 (- 5.9%) 09/2011: 9,995 (- 1.5%) 10/2011: 10,643 (+ 6.5%) 11/2011: 10,355 (- 2.7%) 12/2011: 11,082 (+ 7.0%) 01/2012: 9,995 (- 9.8%) 02/2012: 10,252 (+ 2.6%) 03/2012: 12,688 (+23.8%) 04/2012: 11,595 (- 8.6%) 05/2012: 11,102 (- 4.3%) 06/2012: 11,448 (+ 3.1%) ----------------- 6 months: + 3.3% 1 year : + 9.9% 2 years : + 4.1% 5 years : - 10.1%
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Disclaimers, et cetera
The numbers above are estimates for comic-book sales in the North American direct market, as calculated by ICv2.com according to the chart and index information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors.
ICv2.com‘s estimates are somewhat lower than the actual numbers, but they are consistent from month to month, so the trends they show are fairly accurate. Since it’s a “month-to-month” column, the comments, unless otherwise noted, are on the most recent month.
Bear in mind that the figures measure sales to retailers, not customers. Also, these numbers do not include sales to bookstores, newsstands, other mass-market retail chains or the United Kingdom. Re-orders are included, so long as they either reached stores in a book’s initial calendar month of release or were strong enough to make the chart again in a subsequent month.
If additional copies of an issue did appear on the chart after a book’s initial calendar month of release, you can see the total number of copies sold in parenthesis behind those issues (e.g. “[36,599]”). Should more than one issue have shipped in a month which is relevant for one of the long-term comparisons, the average between them will be used.
Titles released under the Johnny DC imprint and magazines, such as Mad, mostly sell through channels other than the direct market, so direct-market sales don’t tell us much about their performance. For most Vertigo titles, collection sales tend to be a significant factor, so the numbers for those books should be taken with a grain of salt as well. To learn (a little) more about Vertigo’s collection sales, go right here.
** Two asterisks after a given month in the average charts mean that one or more periodical release did not make the Top 300 chart in that month. In those cases, it’s assumed that said releases sold as many units as the No. 300 comic on the chart for that month for the purposes of the chart, although its actual sales are likely to be less than that.
For a more lyrical approach to discussing sales figures that covers all the essentials in a more condensed, less tedious fashion, finally, go right here.
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Marc-Oliver Frisch writes about comics at his weblog and at Comicgate. You can also follow him on Twitter.
These numbers outside of JLA, Aquaman, and the top half of the Bat-family are ridiculously poor. Here we are a year or so later and most of the sales have evaporated on these titles. What is DC gonna do when Before Watchmen dries up?
I don’t know why but I find these lists fascinating.
I’m curious do you guys do ever do a guesstimate on how many digital issues of each publication sell as well and how that adds into the issue/future of the book? It sound like those numbers aren’t public like Diamond’s but there must be virtual guess/ figure to add to the print side each issue beside variant covers.
for example:
06/2012: Flash #10 — 55,681 (- 11.4%)
What if that 11.4 % is made up for digitally. Know its tough to answer but a curious about this topic being explored one day. There must be a digital average somewhere that adds to these figures.
Seeing titles I really love like Demon Knights continue to slide down the charts makes me ridiculously sad. My only hope is that the genre stuff is so relatively inconsequential that DC lets it stick around for a while.
And there’s also something to be said for a company that cancels all their war books because they sold incredibly poorly and then launched a brand new war book in the replacement titles.
Regarding digital comics, there is a general number out there…
“Digital comics sell X amount, paper comics sell Z amount” or it’s a percentage.
http://blog.comichron.com/2012/07/a-case-for-optimism.html
“• Digital comics sales are increasing, but so are print sales; it does not yet appear that one is coming at the other’s expense. At least, so far. The best estimate I’ve seen of the digital trade for last year was $25 million; print stood at $680 million. That $25 million appears to have doubled each year since 2009; as of the halfway point of 2012, we’re looking at a print year that could well be up double-digits, percentage-wise.”
About 4% of what print was selling, in 2011.
Does Comixology release any general sales data?
It feels like the New52 has greatly increased the gap between the group of top titles and the bottom ones. Anyone know the accuracy of that feeling?
Great analysis, once more. Just a small correction: title says July but it’s actually the June analysis.
To me the big drops for books like GL and Flash are just a sign that finally the shinny new 52 smell is gone from DC. I’m actually surprised it didn’t happen around the 6 month mark which is usually when people decide to jump in or out of a comic. But I expect the drops to continue for the next months until they either level out to pre-52 or simply go lower. The gimmick worked out for DC just like they have for Marvel but sooner or later they hit the wall and they have to come up with something new.
While Marc doesn’t have answers for the sudden re-emergence of sales declines across the DC line, I have a theory. These days, the average consumer’s attention span is markedly lower than it was even 20 years ago. There are so many other entertainment opportunities available, that new readers drawn in by the New 52 had to get REALLY hooked to stick around.
The New 52 is far enough along now that probably a good chunk of the new readership drawn in by the launch is starting to lose interest and spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere. Factor in that DC alienated many of their longtime fanbase with the “soft reboot”: therefore the fans that would stick with a title longer aren’t there in as large a number anymore either. This, to me, also explains why there’s a larger gap between the mainstream titles(Batman, GL etc) and the lower tier books that are getting axed or hovering close to cancellation. Longtime fans are notoriously devoted to less popular characters such as Blue Beetle, Firestorm, Capt. Atom and the like. These “niche” characters are less likely to hold onto a new outside audience.
Of course, some of the drops could be due to the fact that the content of the book, in the cases of Firestorm and Capt. Atom for example IMO, is very sub-par.
The only thing I’ve learned from these sales chart analysis’s is that comic fans are fickle. Even quality series bleed numbers.
I see DC beginning to feel the bite of all the books I cancelled last year.
@Torsten
Appreciate it, that was helpful. … I wondered if like DVDs, streaming, cable etc does for movies, digital comic sales help offset losses on weaker titles. Maybe their the percentage is too small now or its parallel in success. but Comixolgy is a top grossing app on the Itunes store so some serious cash flow must be coming.
I read on that recent dIgital “Infinity” magazine for teh IPad that the breakdown for Comixology is that Marvel & DC get 50%, Apple gets 30% and Comixology gets the remaining 20% of the pie per issue and they’ve increased their sales this year. I forget the number, maybe $25 million, obviously nothing like print. All I know for know as I pursue this mystery…how many issues per sold per title I guess is Comixology’s data. Would be fun to compare.
“I forget the number, maybe $25 million, obviously nothing like print.”
I believe the total digital comics market in 2011 was about $25M, but about $19M of that was at Comixology.
I found this Comics Alliance article with a quick search:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/06/25/comixologys-2011-sales-total-19-million-expected-to-more-than/
Well, we can say what we want about New 52 sales dropping, but the July preliminary numbers are out and DC is market leader, in a market that has increased about 20% since a year ago. DC outclasses Marvel in both unit and retail market shares. It’s by a very small margin, but still, a win’s a win. Not that long ago, Marvel led the market by a 10-15% lead. So sales have dropped for sure, but DC is, at least in part, still doing something right.
royd_9 I am completely confused by your comments. How exactly are you not seeing that Before Watchmen is shellacking over underwhelming numbers on the New 52? You did notice that right? If you take out BW it’s a shit-show, the idea I would assume is to keep some sustainability in the titles. That seems unlikely with BW, I would not be surprised if Lee and Didio tried to keep the series going as a monthly but I doubt even the morons who are buying it now really want to read it month in and out for the next few years…
Well, Jesse, in July, DC has 6 of the top 10, 5 of them are New 52 and only 1 is BW. As for the rest, we will have to wait for July estimates to see if the bigger declines of June, which this column is analysing, were a one-month thing or not.
Also, I am not saying that everything is all glorious: there is obviously a sales decline going on with the New 52, and the “energizer” factor of the New 52 relaunch seems to have an effect mostly on the top sellers. DC has the two best-selling ongoing monthlies in the market, after 11 issues. And they are constantly above the 125k copie sold. When was the last time, pre-New 52, that monthlies sold over 120k, from any company? Off the top of my head, it was the Bendis Avengers titles, and that was quite a while ago (please correct me if I’m wrong).
Indeed, the low-selling titles are selling really low, and they keep falling, that’s a fact. But basically, in spite of this decline and of everything we think they might be doing wrong, DC is top dog for now, and I think that has to be saluted, is all I’m saying.
Being top dog in a dog fight where all the dogs have asthma and are dying on their feet is something to be saluted?
Boy, imagine how scathing this Frisch fellow would be if he was analysing Marvel’s sales figures!
I suspect that much of the unexplained drops on various New 52 titles is due to retailers reallocating funds to purchase the “Before Watchmen” books.
Well, Marvel losing share to DC that isn’t increasing share isn’t a compliment to DC. Overall, the big two have lost a couple of percentage points to the other publishers.
Most of DC’s new 52 are just plain unreadable comics with little editorial oversight or guidance evident. After Morrison is gone, they won’t have any A list writers anymore. I don’t count Johns anymore as his work has been pretty dull since the relaunch as well.
If Marvel and DC seem incapable of producing new, exciting ideas and concepts for comics, their numbers will continue to decline.
I realize it probably hasn’t worked this way in a while, but it just strikes me – so none of the people who tried out new Batman titles for the crossover said “huh, this is an interesting set of characters and writing, I think I’ll start picking this up”?
The Before Watchmen titles aren’t returnable. The first issues are going to have much higher numbers as retailers chase the 1 in 200 Jim Lee variants and see what the ceiling is for these books. Going forward with the number two issues, the numbers should be solid, but there’s probably a higher percentage of people who are waiting for collections compared to other titles. And we still have Rorscach, probably the most anticipated title to debut (August 15th) and Dr. Manhattan on August 22nd.
@Glenn: “I realize it probably hasn’t worked this way in a while, but it just strikes me – so none of the people who tried out new Batman titles for the crossover said “huh, this is an interesting set of characters and writing, I think I’ll start picking this up”?”
We don’t really know yet — for now, it’s mainly retailers cutting back their orders. That said, though, I don’t recall any cases of crossovers permanently improving a title’s sales.
@Ralph: “The Before Watchmen titles aren’t returnable.”
Well, they are according to Diamond:
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/945?articleID=123306
Which is odd. Why would they mark the books with an asterisk if they’re not returnable?
Thanks, at any rate.
@Glenn Simpson
Wouldn’t the case be that the store owners ordered a certain amount for the crossovers and went back to their usual amount after the crossovers was over?
The BEFORE WATCHMEN books had a more convoluted than usual returnablity plan, something like if you met an ordering threshold based on an earlier book you could order some extra copies returnable. I have no idea what Diamond’s thinking might be, but it would probably make sense not to reduce figures on those books as much as you do books that are 100% returnable (ie, let’s say only 15% of the copies of BW were eligible for returns, a logical reduction of that might be 10% of those 15%, or just 1.5% of the total).
For reasons like that, I think it’s probably best not to arbitrarily add back in 10% or whatever unless Diamond has stated that’s the reduction they’re using (as far as I know, the only confirmation Miller got was that 10% was used for the first month of the New 52), as amusing as the resultant Rob Liefeld complaints over it last month were. Just use the numbers you get and note the returnablity factor in the comments.
While we’re still waiting on the figures for July, interesting that the BW second issues look like they’ve all dropped below 80,000, considerably more than the average second issue drop for a miniseries. And, in this age of rapid-fire sell-out/second print announcements, I don’t think we’ve heard any of that for those books, so either DC over-printed generously or there’s not too much unfilled demand.
@Bob: “For reasons like that, I think it’s probably best not to arbitrarily add back in 10% or whatever unless Diamond has stated that’s the reduction they’re using (as far as I know, the only confirmation Miller got was that 10% was used for the first month of the New 52), as amusing as the resultant Rob Liefeld complaints over it last month were.”
I disagree.
If you take Diamond’s information at face value, you end up with sudden sales increases on titles like CAPTAIN ATOM, VOODOO, DEMON KNIGHTS, FRANKENSTEIN and LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES from April to May, which, plainly, is utter nonsense. Whereas adjusting for a missing 10% magically makes them line up with their established behavior.
I can’t say with certainty that Diamond didn’t ever fiddle with those 10%. But if they did, it can’t have been much, or else it would have shown in the numbers.
And, with all due respect to Rob Liefeld, the drop on DEATHSTROKE from May to June — neither of which was affected by returnability — does not suggest that there was any gross misrepresentation of DEATHSTROKE sales going on as a result of my compsensation for returnability through April.
“The BEFORE WATCHMEN books had a more convoluted than usual returnablity plan, something like if you met an ordering threshold based on an earlier book you could order some extra copies returnable.”
As far as the 10% figure on BEFORE WATCHMEN is concerned, the jury is still out there, as I say in the note at the beginning of the column. It’s an assumption, certainly, but it’s an educated one. Should it turn out to be wrong, I’ll correct it.
Let’s wait and see.
Marc-Oliver:
Here’s how the actual solicitation in the retail order form runs:
“If your order for [Title] #1 meets or exceeds your post FOC order for GREEN LANTERN #6, you may order up to 25% more of your standard cover order of [Title] #1 as consignment copies”
Therefore if you ordered 100 copies of GL #6, if you ordered 100 copies of [Title} #1, you were ALLOWED to order an additional 25 copies that could be returnable.
Note that this is “allowed”, though — not required. I qualified in a few cases and chose not to get in more copies.
Either way, because of the threshold for qualifying, your flat 10% is ENTIRELY a guess, at best. I’d strongly urge your using Diamond’s reported numbers here with no “fudge” factor, since it’s a moving target, at best.
This promotion applies (with the same qualifier of GL #6) to the first and second issues of ALL seven BW series. It is not available for any #3 or beyond.
-B
Thanks Brian. So if every retailer had chosen to take advantage of the incentive, the maximum percentage of the order that could be returnable is 20% of the total (and was obviously much less, both from your statement and that the threshold book was estimated at about 94K, so if every retailer had used the incentive sales would have been at least 117K for each book). I’d be frankly surprised if even 10% of the order qualified as returnable, making a 10% reduction insanely excessive.
“but I doubt even the morons who are buying it now really want to read it month in and out for the next few years…”
I’m not buying BW either but I wouldn’t go so far as calling the people that are “morons”. They’re buying something that they want. It’s their right.
Dont get me wrong. I’m extremely pleased that DC is doing so well in sales, and are finally beating Marvel – or on par at least. But its not because I’m anti Marvel per say, its because they charge $4 for the same content DC and Image (and some other companies) charge $3 for! And I hate when people get gouged! I understand the independants charging $4 – and for them, I don’t mind it. I’m willing to pay $4 from Boom (Hellraiser and POTA) and IDW (TMNT) – but I will never pay it for a Marvel book. Its more the principle, than not being able to afford it.
That being said – I’m not finding myself as invested with this NU52. Sure, there are great books. But my favorite monthly titles all seem to be $3 Marvel titles (Dark Avengers, X-Factor, Daredevil and Punisher).
So… from the look of things, the only way for a mainstream comic to make the kind of sales today that were commonplace a couple of decades ago, is to produce an event or a companywide crossover mini-series. Even just a simple crossover between two titles seems to generate a significant, if small, bump in sales.
That being the case, it probably won’t be long when titles featuring a single character will be phased out and replaced with a tier of team-up books that will act as pivots for mini-series events.
I’m more interested in Uncanny Avengers than any title starring an individual character at Marvel because of the $3.99 price point. I’m budgeting myself because if Marvel were to add 5 titles that I’d be interested in at multiple shippings a month, my monthly comic bill would skyrocket. When DC launches a new title, for instance Talon, I’m more willing to take a chance with it at $2.99 and only shipping once a month. DC definitely gets it more than more from that perspective.
I meant “more than Marvel”.
@Brian Hibbs: “Either way, because of the threshold for qualifying, your flat 10% is ENTIRELY a guess, at best. I’d strongly urge your using Diamond’s reported numbers here with no “fudge” factor, since it’s a moving target, at best.”
The problem is that Diamond, in the past, has taken off a TOKEN percentage, not one that necessarily corresponds with any actual number of returns. If the numbers they’ve supplied to date on returnable titles had made ANY SENSE AT ALL against the first non-reduced number of a given title, then I’d happily take them at face value and spare myself the extra work of compensating for a reduction. But that’s NEVER been the case.
So I’m rather confident that my compensated numbers — at least through April 2012 — are closer to actual sales than the ones supplied by Diamond.
Whether that still holds true for BEFORE WATCHMEN, I don’t know yet. Maybe they’re treating it differently, as you suggest. In that case, we’ll find out when the numbers for #3 come in, and I’ll correct the figures. Right now, I prefer sticking to my guns, because I’ve been on target so far. I don’t know that Diamond treats one set of returnable titles differently than another set of returnable titles on their chart just because the mode of returnability is different. The BEFORE WATCHMEN titles are annotated with the same disclaimer as the “New 52” books.
Thanks for clarifying the conditions of the BEFORE WATCHMEN returnability scheme, at any rate.
“I suspect that much of the unexplained drops on various New 52 titles is due to retailers reallocating funds to purchase the “Before Watchmen” books.”
Ding ding ding. We have a winner.
Even if retailers who plan to take advantage of the returnability factor on BW titles will probably have cut orders slightly on some other DC titles, simply so they don’t have to pay so much money initially that month.
“Concocted by a trusty pool of reliable IP experts whose names are well-known in the field of comic-book production..”
What’s IP stand for?
IP stands for Intellectual Property.
Thanks Chuck!
@James
DC has lower cover prices on single issues, but they make up for it with things like charging more than anyone else for most of their collected editions, which are also (absolute/deluxe editions aside) much lower quality productions than anyone else releases. they’re hardly innocent in the money grubbing department.
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