by David Carter

Greetings, sales charts fans! It’s time once again to look at DC’s sales figures.

December was something of a rebound month for DC after a lackluster October. Driven by huge sales to retailers of the first issue of Dark Knight III, DC moved an estimated 2,305,737 copies of 75 titles through Diamond NA, compared to 1,951,793 copies of 76 titles in October, for an average of 30,743 copies per title in November vs. 25,681 in October.

Last month I promised my prescription for DC to move towards a more healthy sales model. But this column is already late (combination of the numbers being released a week later than usual + the holidays, though somehow Xavier was able to get the Marvel column in early…?) so I’m going to push that off to a future month. Plus, recently announced moves by DC, moving some books to a twice-monthly schedule in 2016 plus rumors of maybe renumbering/retitling some titles after their 52nd issues, indicate that the DC brass are more interested in short-term sales and market share than in a robust and healthy slate, so really what’s the use?

Oh, and Vertigo? Still a mess.

Warning: The commentary below may contain reasoned analysis, speculation (unfounded and otherwise), opinion, and/or snark. Those looking for a more straightforward analysis are directed to John Jackson Miller’s excellent Comichron analysis, posted earlier this month over at Comichron!

Please consider the fine 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.

(Note that the percentage comparisons are done with total orders including reorder activity, as opposed to initial orders as was the practice of this column under the previous administration.)


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1 – DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE ($5.99)

11/2015: Dark Knight III #1 of 8 -- 440,234

Oh, so much that can be said here…

Let’s start with a hearty congratulations for DC in claiming the top spot on the chart this month, even in the midst of Marvel’s ANAD relaunch.

And 440K is a huge number for a comic; I cannot recall the last time that DC sold this many issues; even their best-selling New 52 launch book, Justice League #1, reached only 271K.

How did DC accomplish this feat? Mainly by taking a cue from Marvel’s playbook and offering up a slew of incentive variants. Which is a problem.

Back in the column for August 2015 I talked about variants, and how particularly incentive variants are a bad thing for the comics industry by tying up money that retailers could be spending on mid list comics instead into additional copies of a top-selling book that are purchased only for the purpose of meeting whatever criteria is required to be allowed to buy a special incentive variant.

In DKIII’s case, even if you are very generous and assume that up to 200K of those copies went to customers who actually read them (and frankly I think that the number is likely closer to 150K), that means that over half of the total copies sold of DKIII #1 are either sitting unread in a bag and board somewhere or just taking up space on a retailer’s rack (and before too long in a retailer’s quarter box…)

But hey, DC gets to tout the number one book and its huge sales to their corporate overlords, which apparently is what is important these days. So good for them.

13 - BATMAN ($3.99)
11/2005: Batman #647    --  69,718 
11/2010: Batman #704    --  65,212
11/2011: Batman #3      -- 150,984
11/2012: Batman #14     -- 159,729 
11/2013: Batman #25     -- 125,602 
----------------------------------
11/2014: Batman #36     -- 115,183 (-  3.1%) 
12/2014: Batman #37     -- 113,255 (-  1.7%) 
01/2015: Batman #38     -- 110,232 (-  2.7%) 
02/2015: Batman #39     -- 118,106 (+  7.1%) 
03/2015: -- 
04/2015: Batman #40     -- 131,128 (+ 39.3%) [164,574]
05/2015: -- 
06/2015: Batman #41     -- 142,155 (- 13.6%) 
07/2015: Batman #42     -- 117,441 (- 17.4%) 
08/2015: Batman #43     -- 124,697 (+  6.2%) 
09/2015: Batman #44     -- 114,409 (-  8.3%) 
10/2015: Batman #45     -- 109,367 (-  4.4%) 
11/2015: Batman #46     -- 106,989 (-  2.2%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : -  7.1%
2 years : - 14.8%
5 years : + 64.1%
10 years: + 53.5%

After a slew of Marvel books that are either: Star Wars crossovers, mega-events, anniversary issues, or incentive-laden ANAD debuts; in comes Batman. It’s sales hit their lowest level since the New 52 relaunch, but it is still the best-selling regular issue of a comic in November.

On the one hand, good for Batman. On the other, this state of affairs does not bode well for the long-term health of the direct market. “All of this has happened before…”

17 - BATMAN: EUROPA ($4.99)
11/2015: Eurpoa #1 of 4 -- 80,721

On the one hand, 80K is a rather good number for a $5 out-of-continuity Batman mini-series. On the other hand this issue is drawn by Jim Lee, and Jim Lee on Batman I would think should be bringing in more than that for a first issue. Maybe not the best idea to launch this the same month as Dark Knight III?

(Yeah, you’re getting a lot of “on the one hand, on the other hand…” this month. I seem to be seeing a lot of dark clouds in DC’s silver linings…)

31 - HARLEY QUINN ($3.99)
11/2013: Harley Quinn #0  -- 114,212 [141,580]
------------------------------------
11/2014: Harley Quinn #12 --  71,245 (+  3.9%)
12/2014: Harley Quinn #13 --  68,102 (-  4.4%)
01/2015: Harley Quinn #14 --  64,735 (-  4.9%)
02/2015: --
03/2015: Harley Quinn #15 --  66,904 (+  3.4%)
04/2015: Harley Quinn #16 --  72,055 (+  7.7%)
05/2015: --
06/2015: Harley Quinn #17 --  68,243 (-  5.3%)
07/2015: Harley Quinn #18 --  59,566 (- 12.7%)
08/2015: Harley Quinn #19 --  64,223 (+  7.8%)
09/2015: Harley Quinn #20 --  56,836 (- 11.5%)
10/2015: Harley Quinn #21 --  55,272 (-  2.8%)
11/2015: Harley Quinn #22 --  58,344 (+  5.6%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 18.1%
2 years : - 58.8%

After a bunch more Marvel ANAD books (and The Walking Dead) DC finally hits the chart again. (Justice League didn’t ship in November.)

Harley Quinn shows a decent-sized spike up this month, and I’m not entirely sure to what it should be attributed. It could be the Looney Tunes freely-orderable variant, but other books this month with the f.o.v. didn’t show similar rises. There was an incentive variant where there wasn’t one in October, so that could be part of it. And possibly part of the gain is a correction. But if I had to make a determination, I’d go with the incentive variant being the cause, as the last time that HQ didn’t have an i.v. was issue #18, which also saw a dip in sales.

38 - JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ($3.99)
11/2005: JLA #122          --  80,866
11/2010: JL of America #51 --  50,887
11/2011: --
11/2012: --
11/2013: JL of America #9  --  71,008 
-------------------------------------
06/2015: JL of America #1  -- 150,845 (+193.8%)
07/2015: JL of America #2  --  70,979 (- 52.9%)
08/2015: JL of America #3  --  67,118 (-  5.4%)
09/2015: --
10/2015: JL of America #4  --  56,543 (- 15.8%)
11/2015: JL of America #5  --  52,604 (-  7.0%)
-----------------
2 years : - 25.9%
5 years : +  3.4%
10 years: - 34.9%

Back in the day (when we had to walk to school uphill, in the snow–both ways!), comics companies used to buffer against the possibility of a book running late by commissioning inventory stories. These were comics stories done by a different creative team that could be pulled out of the drawer and published in case the book’s regular team couldn’t meet that month’s deadline (for whatever reason). If the book was in the middle of a storyline, the regular team might craft a two-page framing sequence, explaining why they were taking a break in the action to tell this unrelated tale (“Why, this situation I find myself in reminds me of the time I faced The Crusher in Pittsburgh…”)

It’s not surprising that JLA is running late; Bryan Hitch has many admirable qualities as a comics creator, but timeliness is not among them. And having already missed shipping just two months prior, DC surely wanted to get an issue of one of their better-selling books on the stands. But what is surprising, aside from a publisher actually using an inventory story these days, is that DC decided to use not a Justice League inventory story, but rather a Martian Manhunter inventory story. A character who, while traditionally associated with the JLA, is not part of the book’s current line up.

(Oh, and this was not originally solicited as an inventory story, that change seemed to come pretty much last minute.)

But hey, more than three times as many copies of this went on to retailers shelves as did issues of the regular Martian Manhunter title.

43 - DETECTIVE COMICS ($3.99)
11/2005: Detective Comics #813 --  38,338
11/2010: Detective Comics #871 --  36,941
11/2011: Detective Comics #3   -- 111,197
11/2012: Detective Comics #14  --  74,560
11/2013: Detective Comics #25  --  64,392 
----------------------------------------
11/2014: Detective Comics #36  --  58,171 (+  1.4%)
12/2014: Detective Comics #37  --  54,953 (-  5.5%)
01/2015: Detective Comics #38  --  51,301 (-  6.6%)
02/2015: Detective Comics #39  --  54,698 (+  6.6%)
03/2015: Detective Comics #40  --  56,126 (+  2.6%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Detective Comics #41  --  57,648 (+  2.7%)
07/2015: Detective Comics #42  --  50,743 (- 12.0%)
08/2015: Detective Comics #43  --  53,576 (+  5.6%)
09/2015: Detective Comics #44  --  55,871 (+  4.3%)
10/2015: Detective Comics #45  --  47,972 (- 14.1%)
11/2015: Detective Comics #46  --  47,256 (-  1.5%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 18.8%
2 years : - 26.6%
5 years : + 27.9%
10 years: + 23.3%

A pretty small drop for the second issue by the new creative team.

45, 48, 51, 53 - BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL ($2.99)
11/2014: Batman Eternal #31 --  51,133 (-  2.5%)
11/2014: Batman Eternal #32 --  50,709 (-  0.8%)
11/2014: Batman Eternal #33 --  50,230 (-  0.9%)
11/2014: Batman Eternal #34 --  49,748 (-  1.0%)
12/2014: Batman Eternal #35 --  48,999 (-  1.5%)
12/2014: Batman Eternal #36 --  48,683 (-  0.6%)
12/2014: Batman Eternal #37 --  48,083 (-  1.2%)
12/2014: Batman Eternal #38 --  48,035 (-  0.1%)
12/2014: Batman Eternal #39 --  47,782 (-  0.5%)
01/2015: Batman Eternal #40 --  46,832 (-  2.0%)
01/2015: Batman Eternal #41 --  46,648 (-  0.4%)
01/2015: Batman Eternal #42 --  46,516 (-  0.3%)
01/2015: Batman Eternal #43 --  45,912 (-  1.3%)
02/2015: Batman Eternal #44 --  45,391 (-  1.1%)
02/2015: Batman Eternal #45 --  45,199 (-  0.4%)
02/2015: Batman Eternal #46 --  44,763 (-  1.0%)
02/2015: Batman Eternal #47 --  44,699 (-  0.1%)
03/2015: Batman Eternal #48 --  44,505 (-  0.4%)
03/2015: Batman Eternal #49 --  44,277 (-  0.5%)
03/2015: Batman Eternal #50 --  43,982 (-  0.7%)
03/2015: Batman Eternal #51 --  44,065 (+  0.2%)
04/2015: Batman Eternal #52 --  47,359 (+  7.5%)
05/2015: --
06/2015: --
07/2015: --
08/2015: --
09/2015: --
10/2014: Batman & Robin #1  --  76,882 (+ 62.3%)
10/2014: Batman & Robin #2  --  54,267 (- 29.4%)
10/2014: Batman & Robin #3  --  53,626 (-  1.2%)
10/2014: Batman & Robin #4  --  49,985 (-  6.8%)
11/2014: Batman & Robin #5  --  46,545 (-  6.9%)
11/2014: Batman & Robin #6  --  45,081 (-  3.1%)
11/2014: Batman & Robin #7  --  43,825 (-  2.8%)
11/2014: Batman & Robin #8  --  42,763 (-  2.4%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 11.7%

The bad news is that two months in and B&RE is already selling lower than the predecessor series did.

The silver lining is that selling four issues of a mid-40s Batman book is better for the bottom line than four issues of four other comics featuring pretty much any other character.

B&RE apparently will be only twenty-six issues, not the fifty-two issues of the first series. So sales likely won’t drop too low before it comes to an end. But unless things stabilize here soon the likelihood of a third Batman weekly any time soon aren’t super high.

55 - SUPERMAN ($3.99)
11/2005: Superman #223  --  69,739
11/2010: Superman #705  --  46,261
11/2011: Superman #3    --  86,386
11/2012: Superman #14   --  52,572
11/2013: Superman #25   --  39,295 
----------------------------------
11/2014: Superman #36   --  52,272 (-  2.6%)
12/2014: Superman #37   --  50,383 (-  3.6%)
01/2015: --
02/2015: Superman #38   --  48,987 (-  2.8%)
03/2015: Superman #39   --  50,260 (+  2.6%)
04/2015: Superman #40   --  52,666 (+  4.8%)
05/2015: --
06/2015: Superman #41   --  53,393 (+  1.4%)
07/2015: Superman #42   --  46,691 (- 12.6%)
08/2015: Superman #43   --  49,825 (+  6.7%)
09/2015: Superman #44   --  43,921 (- 11.8%)
10/2015: Superman #45   --  42,693 (-  2.8%)
11/2015: Superman #46   --  41,657 (-  2.4%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 20.3%
2 years : +  6.0%
5 years : - 10.0%
10 years: - 40.3%

Standard attrition levels, though with all the variants and whatnot these days who really knows what’s actually going on as far as demand for the content.

58 - SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN ($3.99)
11/2015: American Alien #1 of 7 -- 41,441

Ahead of the Batman v. Superman movie in 2016, Superman also gets his own gratuitous mini-series. This one is by screenwriter Max Landis and a rotating cast of artists, this first issue featuring Nick Dragotta. But Superman is no Batman, and sales come in at around half of Batman: Europa.

62 - GREEN LANTERN ($3.99)
11/2005: Green Lantern #5   --  92,348
11/2010: Green Lantern #59  --  76,173
11/2011: Green Lantern #3   -- 122,644 
11/2012: Green Lantern #14  --  78,499
11/2013: Green Lantern #25  --  54,322 
--------------------------------------
11/2014: Green Lantern #36  --  46,157 (+  0.6%)
12/2014: Green Lantern #37  --  44,033 (-  4.6%)
01/2015: Green Lantern #38  --  39,342 (- 10.7%)
02/2015: Green Lantern #39  --  41,997 (+  6.7%)
03/2015: Green Lantern #40  --  42,334 (+  0.8%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Green Lantern #41  --  45,704 (+  8.0%)
07/2015: Green Lantern #42  --  39,290 (- 14.0%)
08/2015: Green Lantern #43  --  42,482 (+  8.1%)
09/2015: Green Lantern #44  --  39,371 (-  7.3%)
10/2015: Green Lantern #45  --  38,406 (-  2.5%)
11/2015: Green Lantern #46  --  38,976 (+  1.5%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 15.6%
2 years : - 28.3%
5 years : - 48.8%
10 years: - 57.8%

Actually bumps up a few hundred copies. The upper 30s/low 40s seems to be the natural level for the main Green Lantern book (with f.o.v.s) these days.

64 - BATMAN/SUPERMAN ($3.99)
11/2005: --
11/2010: Superman/Batman #78 --  31,337
11/2013: Batman/Superman #5  --  77,198 
---------------------------------------
11/2014: Batman/Superman #16 --  48,581 (-  3.3%)
12/2014: Batman/Superman #17 --  44,714 (-  8.0%)
01/2015: Batman/Superman #18 --  41,750 (-  6.6%)
02/2015: Batman/Superman #19 --  44,134 (+  5.7%)
03/2015: Batman/Superman #20 --  43,428 (-  1.6%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Batman/Superman #21 --  49,204 (+ 13.3%)
07/2015: Batman/Superman #22 --  41,672 (- 15.3%)
08/2015: Batman/Superman #23 --  44,259 (+  6.2%)
09/2015: Batman/Superman #24 --  40,132 (-  9.3%)
10/2015: Batman/Superman #25 --  37,566 (-  6.4%)
11/2015: Batman/Superman #26 --  38,056 (+  1.3%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 21.7%
2 year  : - 50.7%
5 years : + 21.4%
10 years:    n.a.

Another book that adds a few hundred copies. I suspect at this level it’s the Looney Tunes variant counteracting the standard attrition and ending up a few copies copies ahead.

67 - FLASH ($3.99)
11/2005: Flash #228 --  45,861 
11/2010: Flash #6   --  57,673
11/2011: Flash #3   --  90,417
11/2012: Flash #14  --  48,012
11/2013: Flash #25  --  41,838 
------------------------------
11/2014: Flash #36  --  38,145 (+  1.8%)
12/2014: Flash #37  --  37,026 (-  2.9%)
01/2015: Flash #38  --  35,180 (-  5.0%)
02/2015: Flash #39  --  43,635 (+ 24.0%)
03/2015: Flash #40  --  38,382 (- 12.0%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Flash #41  --  41,256 (+  7.5%)
07/2015: Flash #42  --  37,956 (-  8.0%)
08/2015: Flash #43  --  40,542 (+  6.8%)
09/2015: Flash #44  --  36,111 (- 10.9%)
10/2015: Flash #45  --  35,485 (-  1.7%)
11/2015: Flash #46  --  36,153 (+  1.9%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : -  5.2%
2 years : - 13.6%
5 years : - 37.3%
10 years: - 21.2%

Ditto here.

68 - ROBIN, SON OF BATMAN ($3.99)
11/2005: Robin #144    -- 32,314 
--------------------------------
06/2015: Robin SoB #1  -- 70,505 (+122.5%)
07/2015: Robin SoB #2  -- 44,232 (- 37.3%)
08/2015: Robin SoB #3  -- 38,413 (- 13.2%)
09/2015: Robin SoB #4  -- 38,162 (-  0.7%)
10/2015: Robin SoB #5  -- 35,619 (-  6.7%)
11/2015: Robin SoB #6  -- 35,633 (+  0.0%)
-----------------
10 years: + 10.3%

And same here, though Robin is still naturally dropping more than the standard attrition so the Looney Tunes cover effect brings it just barely above last month’s numbers.

Anyway, look for most of these to drop down sharply next month as they won’t have any freely-orderable variants to prop them up. Then we’ll get a good sense of what these mid-tier title’s natural sales levels are.

70 - ACTION COMICS ($3.99)
11/2005: Action Comics #833 --  44,613
11/2010: Action Comics #895 --  33,089
11/2011: Action Comics #3   -- 134,876
11/2012: Action Comics #14  --  64,341
11/2013: Action Comics #25  --  46,550 
--------------------------------------
11/2014: Action Comics #36  --  41,835 (-  7.3%)
12/2014: Action Comics #37  --  39,168 (-  6.4%)
01/2015: Action Comics #38  --  35,018 (- 10.6%)
02/2015: Action Comics #39  --  38,070 (+  8.7%)
03/2015: Action Comics #40  --  38,216 (+  0.4%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Action Comics #41  --  44,083 (+ 15.4%)
07/2015: Action Comics #42  --  37,956 (- 13.9%)
08/2015: Action Comics #43  --  41,883 (+ 10.3%)
09/2015: Action Comics #44  --  37,927 (-  9.4%)
10/2015: Action Comics #45  --  36,560 (-  3.6%)
11/2015: Action Comics #46  --  35,569 (-  2.7%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 15.0%
2 years : - 23.6%
5 years : +  7.5%
10 years: - 20.3%

A drop of nearly 1000 copies even with the Looney Tunes variant. Not a good sign.

80, 74, 81, 90 - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARKSEID WAR ($3.99)
10/2015: JLDW Batman #1         --  37,657
11/2015: JLDW Superman #1       --  33,584
11/2015: JLDW Flash #1          --  34,313
11/2015: JLDW Green Lantern #1  --  33,104
11/2015: JLDW Shazam! #1        --  31,087

As much as I dislike decimal numbering, it occurs to me that if DC instead had put these out as Justice League #45.1, 45.2, 45.3, etc. they quite likely would have sold another 20K copies each.

75 - HARLEY QUINN & POWER GIRL ($3.99)
06/2015: HQ & PG #1 of 6 -- 71,402 
07/2015: HQ & PG #2 of 6 -- 44,974 (- 37.0%) 
08/2015: HQ & PG #3 of 6 -- 38,853 (- 13.6%) 
09/2015: HQ & PG #4 of 6 -- 36,031 (-  7.3%) 
10/2015: -- 
11/2015: HQ & PG #5 of 6 -- 34,127 (-  5.3%)

On the bright side it is selling better than every other DCYou launch book except for Robin & JLA.

77 - WONDER WOMAN ($3.99)
11/2005: Wonder Woman #223 -- 49,332
11/2010: --
11/2011: Wonder Woman #3   -- 65,621
11/2012: Wonder Woman #14  -- 42,384
11/2013: Wonder Woman #25  -- 33,532 
------------------------------------
11/2014: Wonder Woman #36  -- 58,965 (+ 63.9%)
12/2014: Wonder Woman #37  -- 43,066 (- 27.0%)
01/2015: Wonder Woman #38  -- 39,669 (-  7.9%)
02/2015: Wonder Woman #39  -- 42,634 (+  7.5%)
03/2015: -- 
04/2015: Wonder Woman #40  -- 45,172 (+  6.0%)
05/2015: -- 
06/2015: Wonder Woman #41  -- 45,284 (+  0.2%)
07/2015: Wonder Woman #42  -- 36,668 (- 19.0%)
08/2015: Wonder Woman #43  -- 39,646 (+  8.1%)
09/2015: Wonder Woman #44  -- 36,151 (-  8.8%)
10/2015: Wonder Woman #45  -- 33,885 (-  6.3%)
11/2015: Wonder Woman #46  -- 34,042 (+  0.5%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 42.3%
2 years : +  1.5%
5 years :    n.a.
10 years: - 31.0%

Adds a few copies, likely the Looney Tunes f.o.v. again.

One year and ten issues since the Finchified version launched and sales are pretty much right back to where they were before.

82 - NEW SUICIDE SQUAD ($2.99)
11/2011: Suicide Squad #3      -- 40,827
11/2012: Suicide Squad #14     -- 63,691  [69,185]
11/2013: Suicide Squad #25     -- 27,067 
----------------------------------------
11/2014: New Suicide Squad #4  -- 34,920 (- 11.6%)
12/2014: New Suicide Squad #5  -- 32,834 (-  6.0%)
01/2015: New Suicide Squad #6  -- 32,304 (-  1.6%)
02/2015: New Suicide Squad #7  -- 30,537 (-  5.5%)
03/2015: New Suicide Squad #8  -- 30,443 (-  0.3%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: New Suicide Squad #9  -- 42,225 (+ 38.7%)
07/2015: New Suicide Squad #10 -- 35,365 (- 16.2%)
08/2015: New Suicide Squad #11 -- 37,915 (+  7.2%)
09/2015: New Suicide Squad #12 -- 34,622 (-  8.7%)
10/2015: New Suicide Squad #13 -- 33,260 (-  3.9%)
11/2015: New Suicide Squad #14 -- 32,925 (-  1.0%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : -  5.7%
2 years : + 21.6%

Standard attrition, lessened a bit because of the Looney Tunes f.o.v.

85 - DEATHSTROKE ($2.99)
11/2011: Deathstroke #3  -- 33,754 
11/2012: Deathstroke #14 -- 14,452 
----------------------------------
11/2014: Deathstroke #2  -- 36,356 (- 32.7%) 
12/2014: Deathstroke #3  -- 34,010 (-  6.5%) 
01/2015: Deathstroke #4  -- 33,011 (-  2.9%) 
02/2015: Deathstroke #5  -- 32,863 (-  0.4%) 
03/2015: Deathstroke #6  -- 31,666 (-  3.6%) 
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Deathstroke #7  -- 38,807 (+ 22.6%) 
07/2015: Deathstroke #8  -- 33,648 (- 13.3%) 
08/2015: Deathstroke #9  -- 36,583 (+  8.7%) 
09/2015: Deathstroke #10 -- 31,241 (- 14.6%) 
10/2015: Deathstroke #11 -- 31,121 (-  0.4%) 
11/2015: Deathstroke #12 -- 31,939 (+  2.6%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 12.1%

Adds a few hundred copies, likely the Looney Tunes f.o.v. again.

86 - GRAYSON ($3.99)
11/2005: Nightwing #114 -- 36,421
11/2011: Nightwing #3   -- 64,098
11/2012: Nightwing #14  -- 50,720
11/2013: Nightwing #25  -- 44,039 (+ 10.5%)
---------------------------------
11/2014: Grayson #4     -- 47,590 (- 10.0%)
12/2014: Grayson #5     -- 42,611 (- 10.5%)
01/2015: Grayson #6     -- 38,505 (-  9.6%)
02/2015: Grayson #7     -- 41,164 (+  6.9%)
03/2015: Grayson #8     -- 40,859 (-  0.7%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Grayson #9     -- 39,610 (-  3.1%)
07/2015: Grayson #10    -- 33,990 (- 14.2%)
08/2015: Grayson #11    -- 36,538 (+  7.5%)
09/2015: Grayson #12    -- 32,284 (- 11.6%)
10/2015: Grayson #13    -- 32,260 (-  0.1%)
11/2015: Grayson #14    -- 31,831 (-  1.3%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 33.1%
2 years : - 27.7%
10 years: - 12.6%

Standard attrition, lessened a bit because of the Looney Tunes f.o.v.

89 - SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN ($3.99)
11/2013: Superman/Wonder Woman #2  -- 60,185
--------------------------------------------
11/2014: Superman/Wonder Woman #13 -- 44,013 (-  8.1%)
12/2014: Superman/Wonder Woman #14 -- 41,231 (-  6.3%)
01/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #15 -- 36,877 (- 10.6%)
02/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #16 -- 38,550 (+  4.5%)
03/2015: -- 
04/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #17 -- 39,868 (+  3.4%)
05/2015: -- 
06/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #18 -- 39,787 (-  0.2%)
07/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #19 -- 36,666 (-  7.8%)
08/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #20 -- 38,834 (+  5.9%)
09/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #21 -- 34,349 (- 11.5%)
10/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #22 -- 32,044 (-  6.7%)
11/2015: Superman/Wonder Woman #23 -- 31,315 (-  2.3%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 28.9%
2 years : - 48.0%

Drops several hundred copies, even with the Looney Tunes f.o.v.

93 - STARFIRE ($2.99)
06/2015: Starfire #1  -- 50,928 
07/2015: Starfire #2  -- 33,659 (- 33.9%) 
08/2015: Starfire #3  -- 30,207 (- 10.3%) 
09/2015: Starfire #4  -- 30,485 (+  0.9%) 
10/2015: Starfire #5  -- 28,714 (-  5.8%) 
11/2015: Starfire #6  -- 27,941 (-  2.7%)

Drops several hundred copies, even with the Looney Tunes f.o.v.

94 - BATMAN BEYOND ($2.99)
11/2012: Unlimited #10     -- 19,004
11/2013: Universe #4       -- 16,889 
------------------------------------
11/2014: Universe #16      -- 13,211 (- 3.8%)
12/2014: --
01/2015: --
02/2015: --
03/2015: --
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Batman Beyond #1  -- 59,151 (+347.7%)
07/2015: Batman Beyond #2  -- 35,000 (- 40.8%)
08/2015: Batman Beyond #3  -- 30,806 (- 12.0%)
09/2015: Batman Beyond #4  -- 31,202 (+  1.3%)
10/2015: Batman Beyond #5  -- 29,409 (-  5.7%)
11/2015: Batman Beyond #6  -- 27,778 (-  5.5%)
----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : +110.3%
2 years : + 64.5%

Drops a good deal more, even with the Looney Tunes f.o.v.

95, 101 - DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS (Digital First) ($3.99)
08/2015: Bombshells #1  --  59,253
09/2015: Bombshells #2  --  37,136 (- 37.3%)
10/2015: Bombshells #3  --  32,147 (- 13.4%)
11/2015: Bombshells #4  --  27,239 (- 15.3%)
11/2015: Bombshells #5  --  25,335 (-  7.0%)

The digital version is weekly, and each print issue contains three of the digital issues, so you’re occasionally going to have months where DCB double ships.

Still following pretty close to the sales pattern for Batman ’66.

96 - TEEN TITANS ($2.99)
11/2005: Teen Titans #29 -- 69,558
11/2010: Teen Titans #89 -- 26,444
11/2011: Teen Titans #3  -- 60,758
11/2012: Teen Titans #14 -- 39,745
11/2013: Teen Titans #25 -- 32,395 
----------------------------------
11/2014: Teen Titans #4  -- 36,364 (-  7.2%)
12/2014: Teen Titans #5  -- 34,101 (-  6.2%)
01/2015: Teen Titans #6  -- 30,955 (-  9.2%)
02/2015: Teen Titans #7  -- 34,051 (+ 10.0%)
03/2015: Teen Titans #8  -- 38,363 (+ 12.7%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Teen Titans #9  -- 33,412 (- 12.9%)
07/2015: Teen Titans #10 -- 28,547 (- 14.6%)
08/2015: Teen Titans #11 -- 32,112 (+ 12.5%)
09/2015: --
10/2015: Teen Titans #12 -- 26,796 (- 16.6%)
11/2015: Teen Titans #13 -- 26,511 (-  1.1%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 27.1%
2 years : - 18.2%
5 years : +  0.3%
10 years: - 61.9%

Drops a couple hundred copies, even with the Looney Tunes f.o.v.

97 - AQUAMAN ($3.99)
11/2005: Aquaman #36 -- 18,022
11/2011: Aquaman #3  -- 69,137
11/2012: Aquaman #14 -- 53,664
11/2013: Aquaman #25 -- 41,264 
------------------------------
11/2014: Aquaman #36 -- 32,838 (+  1.9%)
12/2014: Aquaman #37 -- 31,198 (-  5.0%)
01/2015: Aquaman #38 -- 28,356 (-  9.1%)
02/2015: Aquaman #39 -- 32,162 (+ 13.4%)
03/2015: Aquaman #40 -- 32,404 (+  0.8%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Aquaman #41 -- 33,629 (+  3.8%)
07/2015: Aquaman #42 -- 28,158 (- 16.3%)
08/2015: Aquaman #43 -- 30,480 (+  8.2%)
09/2015: Aquaman #44 -- 26,396 (- 13.4%)
10/2015: Aquaman #45 -- 25,495 (-  3.4%)
11/2015: Aquaman #46 -- 25,962 (+  1.8%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 20.9%
2 years : - 37.1%
10 years: + 44.1%

Adds a few hundred copies, likely the Looney Tunes f.o.v. again.

103 - GREEN ARROW ($2.99)
11/2005: Green Arrow #56  -- 32,670
11/2010: Green Arrow #6   -- 39,575
11/2011: Green Arrow #3   -- 46,899
11/2012: Green Arrow #14  -- 21,825
11/2013: Green Arrow #25  -- 29,591 
-----------------------------------
11/2014: Green Arrow #36  -- 21,842 (-  6.4%)
12/2014: Green Arrow #37  -- 20,904 (-  4.3%)
01/2015: Green Arrow #38  -- 20,207 (-  3.3%)
02/2015: Green Arrow #39  -- 19,651 (-  2.8%)
03/2015: Green Arrow #40  -- 19,792 (+  0.7%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Green Arrow #41  -- 29,545 (+ 49.3%)
07/2015: Green Arrow #42  -- 24,921 (- 15.7%)
08/2015: Green Arrow #43  -- 29,998 (+ 20.4%)
09/2015: Green Arrow #44  -- 25,620 (- 14.6%)
10/2015: Green Arrow #45  -- 23,614 (-  7.8%)
11/2015: Green Arrow #46  -- 24,393 (+  3.3%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : + 11.7%
2 years : - 17.6%
5 years : - 38.4%
10 years: - 25.3%

Adds a few hundred copies, likely the Looney Tunes f.o.v. again.

109 - SUPERMAN: LOIS AND CLARK ($3.99)
10/2015: Lois & Clark #1  -- 35,009
11/2015: Lois & Clark #2  -- 22,898 (- 34.6%)

A typical second issue percentage drop. I’ll be surprised if this lasts past issue #12.

110 - TITANS HUNT ($3.99)
10/2015: Titans Hunt #1 of 12  -- 31,037
11/2015: Titans Hunt #2 of 12  -- 22,466 (- 27.6%)

That percentage drop is actually a bit lower than is the norm for a second issue.

111 - SINESTRO ($2.99)
11/2014: -- 
12/2014: Sinestro #7  -- 33,549 (-  0.2%) 
12/2014: Sinestro #8  -- 31,509 (-  6.1%) 
01/2015: Sinestro #9  -- 26,346 (- 16.4%) 
02/2015: Sinestro #10 -- 28,698 (+  8.9%) 
03/2015: Sinestro #11 -- 28,384 (-  1.1%) 
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Sinestro #12 -- 28,848 (+  1.6%) 
07/2015: Sinestro #13 -- 23,044 (- 20.1%) 
08/2015: Sinestro #14 -- 25,505 (+ 10.7%) 
09/2015: Sinestro #15 -- 22,090 (- 13.4%) 
10/2015: Sinestro #16 -- 23,179 (+  4.9%) 
11/2015: Sinestro #17 -- 22,331 (-  3.7%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  :    n.a.

Sinestro had previously gotten a f.o.v. cover boost last month with its LOLcat cover, which explains this month’s LT f.o.v. drop.

112 - EARTH 2: SOCIETY ($2.99)
11/2012: Earth 2 #6     -- 58,271
11/2013: Earth 2 #17    -- 39,846 
---------------------------------
11/2014: Earth 2 #28    -- 31,722 (- 16.4%)
12/2014: Earth 2 #29    -- 30,273 (-  4.6%)
01/2015: Earth 2 #30    -- 28,618 (-  5.5%)
02/2015: Earth 2 #31    -- 27,513 (-  3.9%)
03/2015: Earth 2 #32    -- 27,361 (-  0.6%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: E2 Society #1  -- 45,102 (+ 64.8%)
07/2015: E2 Society #2  -- 31,663 (- 29.8%)
08/2015: E2 Society #3  -- 28,381 (- 10.4%)
09/2015: E2 Society #4  -- 25,443 (- 10.4%)
10/2015: E2 Society #5  -- 23,459 (-  7.8%)
11/2015: E2 Society #6  -- 21,948 (-  6.4%)
----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 30.8%
2 years : - 44.9%

No variants, just drops.

114 - CATWOMAN ($2.99)
11/2005: Catwoman #49   -- 21,257
11/2011: Catwoman #3    -- 52,196
11/2012: Catwoman #14   -- 63,653
11/2013: Catwoman #25   -- 29,471 
---------------------------------
11/2014: Catwoman #36   -- 26,237 (+  1.0%)
12/2014: Catwoman #37   -- 25,154 (-  4.1%)
01/2015: Catwoman #38   -- 22,386 (- 11.0%)
02/2015: Catwoman #39   -- 26,450 (+ 18.2%)
03/2015: Catwoman #40   -- 26,534 (+  0.3%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Catwoman #41   -- 27,034 (+  1.9%)
07/2015: Catwoman #42   -- 21,983 (- 18.7%)
08/2015: Catwoman #43   -- 26,451 (+ 20.3%)
09/2015: Catwoman #44   -- 21,507 (- 18.7%)
10/2015: Catwoman #45   -- 20,229 (- 18.7%)
11/2015: Catwoman #46   -- 21,661 (+  7.1%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 17.4%
2 years : - 26.5%
10 years: +  1.9%

Final issue for the Genevieve Valentine version, which for me was the most interesting since Brubaker’s version back in the day, but sales never really caught on for it. Which is a shame, as it likely means that DC will be unwilling to take more risks like this in the near future.

A nice gain of over a thousand copies, most likely because the Looney Tunes f.o.v. cover is by Darwin Cooke and it is really good.

118 - GREEN LANTERN: THE LOST ARMY ($2.99)
06/2015: GL Lost Army #1  -- 47,240 
07/2015: GL Lost Army #2  -- 31,170 (- 34.0%) 
08/2015: GL Lost Army #3  -- 27,080 (- 13.1%) 
09/2015: GL Lost Army #4  -- 24,249 (- 10.5%) 
10/2015: GL Lost Army #5  -- 22,605 (-  6.8%) 
11/2015: GL Lost Army #6  -- 20,972 (-  7.2%)

Final issue. Essentially being relaunched as a Green Lantern Corps mini.

121 - RED HOOD/ARSENAL ($2.99)
11/2010: Red Hood Lost Days #6  -- 22,123
11/2011: Red Hood & Outlaws #3  -- 50,140
11/2012: Red Hood & Outlaws #14 -- 37,710
11/2013: Red Hood & Outlaws #25 -- 30,632 
-----------------------------------------
11/2014: Red Hood & Outlaws #36 -- 19,245 (-  3.0%)
12/2014: Red Hood & Outlaws #37 -- 18,723 (-  2.7%)
01/2015: Red Hood & Outlaws #38 -- 18,014 (-  3.8%)
02/2015: Red Hood & Outlaws #39 -- 17,270 (-  4.1%)
03/2015: Red Hood & Outlaws #40 -- 17,110 (-  0.9%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Red Hood/Arsenal #1    -- 44,078 (+157.6%)
07/2015: Red Hood/Arsenal #2    -- 26,829 (- 39.1%)
08/2015: Red Hood/Arsenal #3    -- 23,841 (- 11.1%)
09/2015: Red Hood/Arsenal #4    -- 22,113 (-  7.2%)
10/2015: Red Hood/Arsenal #5    -- 21,025 (-  4.9%)
11/2015: Red Hood/Arsenal #6    -- 19,857 (-  5.6%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : +  3.2%
2 years : - 35.2%
5 years : - 10.2%

Maybe it’s time to put the Red Hood to rest for a while?

123 - CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER ($2.99)
11/2005: Hellblazer #214    -- 14,766
11/2010: Hellblazer #273    --  9,645
11/2011: Hellblazer #285    --  9,500
11/2012: Hellblazer #297    --  9,146
11/2013: Constantine #8     -- 20,981 
-------------------------------------
11/2014: Constantine #19    -- 15,716 (+  0.4%)
12/2014: Constantine #20    -- 15,574 (-  0.9%)
01/2015: Constantine #21    -- 15,209 (-  2.3%)
02/2015: Constantine #22    -- 14,716 (-  3.2%)
03/2015: Constantine #23    -- 14,530 (-  1.3%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: The Hellblazer #1  -- 41,888 (+188.3%)
07/2015: The Hellblazer #2  -- 27,512 (- 34.3%)
08/2015: The Hellblazer #3  -- 24,040 (- 12.6%)
09/2015: The Hellblazer #4  -- 21,974 (-  8.6%)
10/2015: The Hellblazer #5  -- 20,431 (-  7.0%)
11/2015: The Hellblazer #6  -- 19,328 (-  5.4%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : + 30.6%
2 years : - 11.0%
5 years : +117.7%
10 years: + 39.1%

And also maybe Constantine (now that the TV series is over)? But DC has been publishing a monthly comic featuring John Constantine, so it may be a hard habit to break. And there are bigger troubles further down on the chart.

124 - WE ARE ROBIN ($3.99)
06/2015: We Are Robin #1  -- 57,137 
07/2015: We Are Robin #2  -- 31,209 (- 45.4%) 
08/2015: We Are Robin #3  -- 26,830 (- 14.0%) 
09/2015: We Are Robin #4  -- 22,893 (- 14.7%) 
10/2015: We Are Robin #5  -- 21,243 (-  7.2%) 
11/2015: We Are Robin #6  -- 19,210 (-  9.6%)

The December crossover cannot come soon enough.

125 - BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT: GENESIS (Digital-First) ($2.99)
08/2015: BAK Genesis #1 of 6  -- 35,652 
09/2015: BAK Genesis #2 of 6  -- 21,555 (- 41.2%) 
10/2015: BAK Genesis #3 of 6  -- 19,045 (- 11.6%) 
11/2015: BAK Genesis #4 of 6  -- 18,843 (-  1.1%)

Settling in for the second half.

127 - JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED ($3.99)
11/2014: Justice League United #6  -- 34,610 (-  9.1%) 
12/2014: Justice League United #7  -- 31,904 (-  7.8%) 
01/2015: Justice League United #8  -- 28,720 (- 10.0%) 
02/2015: Justice League United #9  -- 31,932 (+ 11.2%) 
03/2015: Justice League United #10 -- 31,722 (-  0.7%) 
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: --
07/2015: Justice League United #11 -- 23,140 (- 27.1%) 
08/2015: Justice League United #12 -- 24,360 (+  5.3%) 
09/2015: Justice League United #13 -- 20,160 (- 17.2%) 
10/2015: Justice League United #14 -- 18,865 (-  6.4%) 
11/2015: Justice League United #15 -- 17,721 (-  6.1%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 48.8%

Penultimate issue.

130 - BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT: ROBIN SPECIAL (Digital-First) ($2.99)
11/2015: Robin Special #1 -- 17,481

Sells at just about the same level as September’s Annual.

132 - BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT (Digital-First) ($3.99)
03/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #1  -- 73,266 
04/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #2  -- 25,479 (- 65.2%)
04/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #3  -- 23,370 (-  8.3%)
05/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #4  -- 21,083 (-  9.8%)
06/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #5  -- 21,317 (+  1.1%)
07/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #6  -- 20,324 (-  4.7%)
08/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #7  -- 19,354 (-  4.8%)
09/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #8  -- 19,641 (+  1.5%)
10/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #9  -- 18,132 (-  7.7%)
11/2015: Batman Arkham Knight #10 -- 17,091 (-  5.7%)
-----------------
6 months: - 18.9%

Must be selling pretty well in its native digital, as otherwise there’s no justification for this many Arkham Knight tie-in books.

133 - MARTIAN MANHUNTER ($2.99)
06/2015: Martian Manhunter #1  -- 40,239 (+ 81.4%)
07/2015: Martian Manhunter #2  -- 24,957 (- 38.0%)
08/2015: Martian Manhunter #3  -- 22,540 (-  9.7%)
09/2015: Martian Manhunter #4  -- 19,738 (- 12.4%)
10/2015: Martian Manhunter #5  -- 18,416 (-  6.7%)
11/2015: Martian Manhunter #6  -- 17,038 (-  7.5%)

Sells a lot better when it’s pretending to be an issue of JLA.

140 - SECRET SIX ($2.99)
11/2010: Secret Six #27 -- 19,963
---------------------------------
12/2014: Secret Six #1  -- 44,065 (+130.7%)
01/2015: --
02/2015: Secret Six #2  -- 26,579 (- 39.7%)
03/2015: --
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Secret Six #3  -- 28,458 (+  7.1%)
07/2015: Secret Six #4  -- 22,813 (- 19.8%)
08/2015: Secret Six #5  -- 30,418 (+ 33.3%)
09/2015: Secret Six #6  -- 17,376 (- 42.9%)
10/2015: Secret Six #7  -- 16,343 (-  5.9%)
11/2015: Secret Six #8  -- 15,375 (-  5.9%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
5 years : - 23.0%

Cannot afford to keep losing 6% per month for much longer.

144 - JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 ($2.99)
11/2014: Justice League 3K #11  -- 18,642 (-  5.0%)
12/2014: Justice League 3K #12  -- 18,659 (+  0.1%)
01/2015: Justice League 3K #13  -- 17,432 (-  6.6%)
02/2015: Justice League 3K #14  -- 16,778 (-  3.8%)
03/2015: Justice League 3K #15  -- 16,604 (-  1.0%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Justice League 3K1 #1  -- 35,391 (+113.1%)
07/2015: Justice League 3K1 #2  -- 21,301 (- 39.8%)
08/2015: Justice League 3K1 #3  -- 18,931 (- 11.1%)
09/2015: Justice League 3K1 #4  -- 16,704 (- 11.8%)
10/2015: Justice League 3K1 #5  -- 15,512 (-  7.1%)
11/2015: Justice League 3K1 #6  -- 14,659 (-  5.5%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 21.4%

Ditto.

151 - BATMAN '66 (Digital-First) ($2.99)
11/2013: Batman '66 #5  -- 26,785 (- 11.0%)
---------------------------------
11/2014: Batman '66 #17 -- 15,585 (-  2.1%)
12/2014: Batman '66 #18 -- 15,409 (-  1.1%)
01/2015: --
02/2015: Batman '66 #19 -- 14,770 (-  4.1%)
02/2015: Batman '66 #20 -- 14,525 (-  1.7%)
03/2015: Batman '66 #21 -- 14,238 (-  2.0%)
04/2015: Batman '66 #22 -- 14,135 (-  0.7%)
05/2015: Batman '66 #23 -- 20,045 (+ 41.8%)
06/2015: Batman '66 #24 -- 13,653 (- 31.9%)
07/2015: Batman '66 #25 -- 17,001 (+ 24.5%)
08/2015: Batman '66 #26 -- 14,562 (- 14.3%)
09/2015: Batman '66 #27 -- 14,315 (-  1.7%)
10/2015: Batman '66 #28 -- 14,081 (-  1.6%)
11/2015: Batman '66 #29 -- 13,860 (-  1.6%)
-----------------
6 months: - 30.9%
1 year  : - 11.1%
2 years : - 48.3%

Penultimate issue.

155 - DOCTOR FATE ($2.99)
06/2015: Doctor Fate #1  -- 39,558 
07/2015: Doctor Fate #2  -- 22,967 (- 41.9%) 
08/2015: Doctor Fate #3  -- 18,951 (- 17.5%) 
09/2015: Doctor Fate #4  -- 16,258 (- 14.2%) 
10/2015: Doctor Fate #5  -- 14,560 (- 10.4%) 
11/2015: Doctor Fate #6  -- 13,090 (- 10.1%)

Despite the rapid downward trajectory, it’s starting a new story arc in January…

160 - BIZARRO ($2.99)
06/2015: Bizarro #1 of 6 -- 38,511 
07/2015: Bizarro #2 of 6 -- 21,070 (- 45.3%) 
08/2015: Bizarro #3 of 6 -- 17,057 (- 19.0%) 
09/2015: Bizarro #4 of 6 -- 15,183 (- 11.0%) 
10/2015: Bizarro #5 of 6 -- 13,500 (- 11.1%) 
11/2015: Bizarro #6 of 6 -- 12,202 (-  9.6%)

Apparently people don’t like fun.

161 - MIDNIGHTER ($2.99)
06/2015: Midnighter #1  -- 35,420 (+257.2%)
07/2015: Midnighter #2  -- 19,812 (- 44.1%)
08/2015: Midnighter #3  -- 16,563 (- 16.4%)
09/2015: Midnighter #4  -- 14,431 (- 12.9%)
10/2015: Midnighter #5  -- 13,235 (-  8.3%)
11/2015: Midnighter #6  -- 12,186 (-  7.9%)

Despite the rapid downward trajectory, it’s starting a new story arc in January…

163 - THE TWILIGHT CHILDREN (Vertigo) ($4.99)
10/2015: Twilight Children #1 of 4 -- 16,896
11/2015: Twilight Children #2 of 4 -- 12,063 (- 28.6%)

Despite the second issue drop, it’s still the best-selling Vertigo title of the month. Better than any of this month’s debuts, even.

165 - RED THORN (Vertigo) ($3.99)
11/2015: Red Thorn #1  -- 11,335

This month’s top debut from Vertigo, but starts off lower than any of last month’s Vertigo debuts.

166 - TELOS ($2.99)
10/2015: Telos #1 -- 20,126
11/2015: Telos #2 -- 11,202 (- 44.3%)

Already announced as being cancelled with issue #6. But if they just stopped now and didn’t put out any more issues, I reckon hardly anyone would even care.

168 - JACKED (Vertigo) ($3.99)
11/2015: Jacked #1 of 6 -- 11,056

Just a handful of copies below Red Thorn, which is an indication that retailers really aren’t distinguishing between these new Vertigo titles.

171 - BAT-MITE ($2.99)
06/2015: Bat-Mite #1 of 6 -- 38,204 
07/2015: Bat-Mite #2 of 6 -- 18,628 (- 51.2%) 
08/2015: Bat-Mite #3 of 6 -- 14,585 (- 21.7%) 
09/2015: Bat-Mite #4 of 6 -- 13,040 (- 10.6%) 
10/2015: Bat-Mite #5 of 6 -- 11,929 (-  8.5%) 
11/2015: Bat-Mite #6 of 6 -- 10,961 (-  8.1%)

At least it stayed above 10K…

173 - ASTRO CITY (Vertigo) ($3.99)
11/2005: -- 
11/2010: --
11/2011: --
11/2012: --
11/2013: Astro City #6   -- 16,031 
----------------------------------
11/2014: Astro City #17  -- 12,055 (- 3.4%)
12/2014: Astro City #18  -- 11,985 (- 0.6%)
01/2015: Astro City #19  -- 11,734 (- 2.1%)
02/2015: Astro City #20  -- 11,603 (- 1.1%)
03/2015: Astro City #21  -- 11,492 (- 1.0%)
04/2015: Astro City #22  -- 11,359 (- 1.2%)
05/2015: Astro City #23  -- 11,215 (- 1.3%)
06/2015: Astro City #24  -- 11,226 (+ 0.1%)
07/2015: Astro City #25  -- 11,242 (+ 0.1%)
08/2015: Astro City #26  -- 11,118 (- 1.1%)
09/2015: Astro City #27  -- 11,019 (- 0.9%)
10/2015: Astro City #28  -- 10,808 (- 1.9%)
11/2015: Astro City #29  -- 10,748 (- 0.6%)
-----------------
6 months: -  4.2%
1 year  : - 10.8%
2 years : - 33.0%
5 years :    n.a.
10 years:    n.a.

Pretty consistent, but still dropping ever so slightly most months.

174 - UNFOLLOW (Vertigo) ($3.99)
11/2015: Unfollow #1  -- 10,740

Needs more followers, stat.

175 - HE-MAN: ETERNITY WAR ($2.99)
11/2012: He-Man & MotU #4    -- 17,499 
11/2013: He-Man & MotU #8    -- 15,154 
--------------------------------------
11/2014: He-Man & MotU #19   -- 11,022 (-  4.2%)
12/2014: He-Man Eternity #1  -- 18,884 (+ 71.3%)
01/2015: He-Man Eternity #2  -- 12,104 (- 35.9%)
02/2015: He-Man Eternity #3  -- 11,700 (-  3.3%)
03/2015: He-Man Eternity #4  -- 11,746 (+  0.4%)
04/2015: He-Man Eternity #5  -- 11,625 (-  1.0%)
05/2015: He-Man Eternity #6  -- 11,426 (-  1.7%)
06/2015: --
07/2015: He-Man Eternity #7  -- 11,315 (-  1.0%)
07/2015: He-Man Eternity #8  -- 11,096 (-  1.9%)
08/2015: He-Man Eternity #9  -- 11,053 (-  0.4%)
09/2015: He-Man Eternity #10 -- 10,845 (-  1.9%)
10/2015: He-Man Eternity #11 -- 10,618 (-  2.1%)
11/2015: He-Man Eternity #12 -- 10,382 (-  2.2%)
----------------
6 months: -  9.1%
1 year  : -  5.8%
2 years : - 31.5%

Standard attrition, though I have to admit that each month I’m always surprised that this is still being published.

175 - LOBO ($2.99)
11/2014: Lobo #2  -- 25,881 (- 33.7%)
12/2014: Lobo #3  -- 20,208 (- 21.9%)
01/2015: Lobo #4  -- 16,889 (- 16.4%)
02/2015: Lobo #5  -- 14,770 (- 12.5%)
03/2015: Lobo #6  -- 13,715 (-  7.1%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: --
06/2015: Lobo #7  -- 19,281 (+ 40.6%)
07/2015: Lobo #8  -- 12,459 (- 35.4%)
08/2015: Lobo #9  -- 11,568 (-  7.2%)
09/2015: Lobo #10 -- 11,328 (-  2.1%)
10/2015: Lobo #11 -- 11,069 (-  2.3%)
11/2015: Lobo #12 -- 10,382 (-  6.2%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 59.9%

A rare tie on the Diamond chart this month. Penultimate issue.

179 - AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SECOND CYCLE (Vertigo) ($3.99)
11/2010: American Vampire #8      --  19,850
11/2011: American Vampire #20     --  15,685
11/2012: American Vampire #33     --  13,614
11/2013: --
-------------------------------------------
11/2014: --
12/2014: --
01/2015: --
02/2015: American Vampire 2Cy #6  --  13,234 (-  7.2%)
03/2015: --
04/2015: American Vampire 2Cy #7  --  12,273 (-  7.3%)
05/2015: --
06/2015: --
07/2015: American Vampire 2Cy #8  --  11,738 (-  4.4%)
08/2015: American Vampire 2Cy #9  --  11,034 (-  6.0%)
09/2015: American Vampire 2Cy #10 --  10,500 (-  4.8%)
10/2015: --
11/2015: American Vampire 2Cy #11 --  10,045 (-  4.3%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  :    n.a.
2 years :    n.a.
5 years : - 49.4%

Final issue of the Second Cycle. Will there be a third?

180 - MORTAL KOMBAT X (Digital-First) ($3.99)
01/2015: Mortal Kombat X #1  -- 21,062 
02/2015: Mortal Kombat X #2  -- 13,277 (- 37.0%) 
02/2015: Mortal Kombat X #3  -- 12,581 (-  5.2%)
03/2015: Mortal Kombat X #4  -- 14,038 (+ 11.6%)
04/2015: Mortal Kombat X #5  -- 14,741 (+  5.0%)
05/2015: Mortal Kombat X #6  -- 14,603 (-  0.9%)
06/2015: Mortal Kombat X #7  -- 14,720 (+  0.8%)
07/2015: Mortal Kombat X #8  -- 13,991 (-  5.0%)
08/2015: Mortal Kombat X #9  -- 12,626 (-  9.8%)
09/2015: Mortal Kombat X #10 -- 12,118 (-  4.0%)
10/2015: Mortal Kombat X #11 -- 10,990 (-  9.3%)
11/2015: Mortal Kombat X #12 --  9,992 (-  9.1%)
-----------------
6 months: - 31.2%

Final issue slips just below the 10K mark.

182 - THE OMEGA MEN ($2.99)
06/2015: Omega Men #1  -- 33,174 
07/2015: Omega Men #2  -- 17,093 (- 48.5%) 
08/2015: Omega Men #3  -- 13,246 (- 22.5%) 
09/2015: Omega Men #4  -- 11,302 (- 14.7%) 
10/2015: Omega Men #5  -- 10,532 (-  6.8%) 
11/2015: Omega Men #6  --  9,709 (-  7.8%)

The not-final issue, as it was given a reprieve until issue #12 by the demand of fans who wanted to see the story to its completion. But how low will it drop by then? I mean, there has to be some kind of floor here, if there was such overwhelming demand for it to continue, right?

183 - SENSATION COMICS FEAT WONDER WOMAN (Digital-First) ($3.99)
11/2014: Sensation Comics #4  -- 16,573 (-  7.9%)
12/2014: Sensation Comics #5  -- 14,323 (- 13.6%)
01/2015: Sensation Comics #6  -- 12,927 (-  9.7%)
02/2015: Sensation Comics #7  -- 12,115 (-  6.3%)
03/2015: Sensation Comics #8  -- 11,399 (-  5.9%)
04/2015: Sensation Comics #9  -- 11,007 (-  3.4%)
05/2015: Sensation Comics #10 -- 10,565 (-  4.0%)
06/2015: Sensation Comics #11 -- 10,761 (+  1.9%)
07/2015: Sensation Comics #12 -- 10,623 (-  1.3%)
08/2015: Sensation Comics #13 -- 10,175 (-  4.2%)
09/2015: Sensation Comics #14 -- 10,262 (+  0.9%)
10/2015: Sensation Comics #15 -- 10,066 (-  1.9%)
11/2015: Sensation Comics #16 --  9,706 (-  1.9%)
----------------
6 months: -  8.1%
1 year  : - 41.4%

Drops below 10K for its penultimate issue.

BTW, the second issue of Dynamite’s Grumpy Cat series falls here on the chart, right below Sensation Comics. But then again, Dynamite has almost already sold out of 100,000 copies of the hardcover collection in pre-orders

This is the sort of thing that i mean when I say that DC has to expand their concept of the comics market beyond the Diamond-served stores and make more comics that appeal to a wider range of interests and tastes. The market for a comic like Grumpy Cat is ten times that of what shows up on Wednesdays in comic shops.

185 - SLASH & BURN (Vertigo) ($3.99)
11/2015: Slash & Burn #1  -- 9,623

So maybe there’s a huge audience for Slash & Burn and the collection will sell gangbusters? Yeah, I don’t think so either, but there’s always a slight glimmer of hope that one of these Vertigo titles will suddenly catch on like Fables did. Or maybe get optioned for a TV series or a movie.

187 - CLEAN ROOM (Vertigo) ($3.99)
10/2015: Clean Room #1 -- 14,304
11/2015: Clean Room #2 --  9,351 (- 35.6%)

No trend-bucking here yet, as Clean Room take a typical second-issue drop.

This is just about the same sales level as Nailbiter from Image; the difference being that at this level an Image book is just about breaking even, whereas a book from DC/Vertigo is most likely losing money (though digital & trade sales may make up some of the difference). We of course don’t know what the financial structure of these Vertigo books are, but considering that they are at least partially creator-owned they are likely different from that of the regular DC books which would allow them to survive at the publisher at a lower level. But typically this is the level in the past where Vertigo would start to wrap up a series. That these new crop of books are hitting the under-10K level by their first or second issues is troubling.

Batman: Endgame Director’s Cut #1 falls here at #196 with 8,884 copies at $5.99. It’s a reprint of Batman #40 in raw pencils with script pages, so the numbers have been added to Batman #40’s total.

210 - SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP (All-Ages) ($2.99)
11/2013: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #1  -- 13,036
-----------------------------------------
11/2014: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #7  --  7,530 (-  9.6%)
12/2014: --
01/2015: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #8  --  6,678 (- 11.3%)
02/2015: --
03/2015: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #9  --  6,780 (+  1.5%)
04/2015: --
05/2015: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #10 --  6,566 (-  3.2%)
06/2015: --
07/2015: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #11 --  6,809 (+  3.7%)
08/2015: --
09/2015: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #12 -- 15,426 (+126.7%)
10/2015: --
11/2015: Scooby-Doo Team-Up #13 --  8,008 (- 48.1%)
-----------------
6 months: + 22.0%
1 Year  : +  6.3%
2 Years : - 38.6%

No Harley Quinn this issue so sales drop back down, but still up over 1K from where they were previously.

211 - ART OPS (Vertigo) ($3.99)
10/2015: Art Ops #1 -- 12,211
10/2015: Art Ops #2 --  7,982 (- 34.6%)
212 - SURVIVORS' CLUB (Vertigo) ($3.99)
10/2015: Survivors' Club #1 -- 13,194
11/2015: Survivors' Club #2 --  7,846 (- 40.5%)

Two more new Vertigo series, already in trouble by their second issues.

228 - DOOMED ($2.99)
06/2015: Doomed #1  -- 35,485 
07/2015: Doomed #2  -- 17,630 (- 50.3%) 
08/2015: Doomed #3  -- 12,387 (- 29.7%) 
09/2015: Doomed #4  --  9,527 (- 23.1%) 
10/2015: Doomed #5  --  8,147 (- 14.5%) 
11/2015: Doomed #6  --  7,113 (- 12.7%)

Final issue. Dear DC: In the future, try not to title your series such that they serve as commentary on their sales.

234 - FABLES: THE WOLF AMONG US (Vertigo) (Digital-First) ($3.99)
01/2015: Fables: TWAU #1  -- 13,620 
02/2015: Fables: TWAU #2  -- 10,224 (- 24.9%) 
03/2015: Fables: TWAU #3  --  9,352 (-  8.5%) 
04/2015: Fables: TWAU #4  --  8,793 (-  6.0%) 
05/2015: Fables: TWAU #5  --  8,378 (-  4.7%) 
06/2015: Fables: TWAU #6  --  8,019 (-  4.3%) 
07/2015: Fables: TWAU #7  --  7,683 (-  4.2%) 
08/2015: Fables: TWAU #8  --  7,398 (-  3.7%) 
09/2015: Fables: TWAU #9  --  7,123 (-  3.7%) 
10/2015: Fables: TWAU #10 --  6,965 (-  2.2%) 
11/2015: Fables: TWAU #11 --  6,788 (-  2.5%) 
-----------------
6 months: - 19.0%

Standard attrition. Must be selling decently as a digital title, I guess? Also Vertigo is probably hoping for decent trade sales, as the main Fables series was quite a strong seller in its collected editions.

269 - SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (All-Ages) ($2.99)
11/2005: Scooby-Doo #102               -- 4,587
11/2010: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #3  -- 4,861
11/2011: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #15 -- 4,701
11/2012: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #27 -- 5,032
11/2013: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #39 -- ????? 
-----------------------------------------------
11/2014: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #51 -- ????? (< 5,214)
12/2014: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #52 -- ????? (< 5,053)
01/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #53 -- 4,703 
02/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #54 -- ????? (< 4,804) 
03/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #55 -- ????? (< 4,917) 
04/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #56 -- ????? (< 6,352) 
05/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #57 -- 4,794  
06/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #58 -- 5,033 (+ 5.0%)  
07/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #59 -- ????? (< 5,446)  
08/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #60 -- 5,091  
09/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #61 -- 5,220 (+ 2.5%)  
10/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #62 -- 5,143 (- 1.5%)  
11/2015: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? #63 -- 5,215 (+ 1.4%)  
-----------------
6 months: +  8.8%
1 year  :    ???%
2 years :    ???%
5 years : +  7.3%
10 years: + 13.7%

Continues to hover in its comfort zone.

Average Periodical Sales (not counting reprints, reorders shipping after the initial month of release, and magazines)

DC COMICS
11/2005: 32,971
11/2010: 25,497
11/2011: 41,414
11/2012: 34,272
11/2013: 32,664 
---------------
11/2014: 28,654 (-  9.3%)**
12/2014: 29,047 (+  1.4%)**
01/2015: 24,289 (- 16.4%)
02/2015: 24,537 (+  1.0%)**
03/2015: 23,466 (-  4.4%)**
04/2015: 38,318 (+ 63.3%)**
05/2015: 31,237 (- 18.5%)**
06/2015: 35,318 (+ 13.1%)**
07/2015: 27,005 (- 23.5%)**
08/2015: 27,301 (+  1.1%)**
09/2015: 26,092 (-  4.4%)**
10/2015: 25,681 (-  0.5%)**
11/2015: 30,743 (+ 19.7%)
-----------------
6 months: -  1.6%
1 year  : +  7.3%
2 years : -  5.9%
5 years : + 20.6%
10 years: -  6.8%


DC UNIVERSE
11/2005: 42,342
11/2010: 34,180
11/2011: 46,670
11/2012: 36,585
11/2013: 35,282 
---------------
11/2014: 36,710 (-  8.2%)
12/2014: 34,882 (-  5.0%)
01/2015: 30,680 (- 12.0%)
02/2015: 32,403 (+  5.6%)
03/2015: 28,559 (- 11.9%)
04/2015: 49,845 (+ 74.5%)
05/2015: 42,635 (- 14.5%)
06/2015: 46,980 (+ 10.2%)
07/2015: 32,688 (- 30.4%)
08/2015: 33,079 (+  1.2%)
09/2015: 30,645 (-  7.4%)
10/2015: 30,402 (-  0.8%)
11/2015: 38,396 (+ 26.3%)
-----------------
6 months: -  9.9%
1 year  : +  4.6%
2 years : +  8.8%
5 years : + 12.3%
10 years: -  9.3%


VERTIGO
11/2005: 15,730
11/2010:  9,034
11/2011: 10,355
11/2012: 11,487
11/2013: 13,958 
---------------
11/2014:  8,511 (-  6.1%)**
12/2014: 13,195 (+ 55.0%)**
01/2015:  8,361 (- 36.6%)
02/2015:  8,612 (+  3.0%)**
03/2015:  7,055 (- 15.6%)**
04/2015:  7,257 (+  2.9%)**
05/2015: 10,616 (+ 46.3%)**
06/2015:  8,011 (- 24.5%)**
07/2015: 15,251 (+ 90.4%)**
08/2015: 10,216 (- 33.0%)**
09/2015: 15,814 (+ 54.8%)**
10/2015: 10,771 (- 31.9%)**
11/2015:  9,780 (-  9.2%)
-----------------
6 months: -  7.9%
1 year  : + 14.9%
2 years : - 29.9%
5 years : +  8.3%
10 years: - 37.8%

Mea culpa time: Last month I completely forgot about Vertigo Quarterly SFX, which wasn’t on the Top 300 chart. In my defense it only comes out quarterly and has never made the Top 300, so it was easy to forget. But the Vertigo and All-DC numbers for October 2015 have been adjusted above.

6 month comparisons
===================

+ 22.0% - Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
+  8.8% - Scooby-Doo Team-Up
-  4.2% - Astro City
-  8.1% - Sensation Comics feat. Wonder Woman
-  9.1% - He-Man: Eternity War
- 18.9% - Batman: Arkham Knight
- 19.0% - Fables: The Wolf Among Us
- 30.9% - Batman '66
- 31.2% - Mortal Kombat X


1 year comparisons
===================

+110.3% - Batman Beyond
+ 23.0% - Constantine
+ 11.7% - Green Arrow
+  6.3% - Scooby-Doo Team-Up
+  3.2% - Red Hood/Arsenal (Red Hood & the Outlaws)
-  5.2% - Flash
-  5.7% - New Suicide Squad
-  5.8% - He-Man: Eternity War (He-Man & MotU)
-  7.1% - Batman
- 10.8% - Astro City
- 11.1% - Batman '66
- 11.7% - Batman & Robin Eternal (Batman Eternal)
- 12.1% - Deathstroke
- 15.0% - Action Comics
- 15.6% - Green Lantern
- 17.4% - Catwoman
- 18.1% - Harley Quinn
- 18.8% - Detective Comics
- 20.3% - Superman
- 20.9% - Aquaman
- 21.4% - Justice League 3001 (JL3K)
- 21.7% - Batman/Superman
- 27.1% - Teen Titans
- 28.9% - Superman/Wonder Woman
- 30.8% - Earth 2: Society (Earth 2)
- 33.1% - Grayson
- 41.4% - Sensation Comics feat. Wonder Woman
- 42.3% - Wonder Woman
- 48.8% - Justice League United
- 59.9% - Lobo


2 year comparisons
===================

+ 64.5% - Batman Beyond
+ 21.6% - New Suicide Squad (Suicide Squad)
+  6.0% - Superman
+  1.5% - Wonder Woman
-  7.9% - Constantine
- 13.6% - Flash
- 14.8% - Batman
- 17.6% - Green Arrow
- 18.2% - Teen Titans
- 23.6% - Action Comics
- 25.9% - Justice League of America
- 26.5% - Catwoman
- 26.6% - Detective Comics
- 27.7% - Grayson (Nightwing)
- 28.3% - Green Lantern
- 31.5% - He-Man: Eternity War (He-Man & MotU)
- 33.0% - Astro City
- 35.2% - Red Hood/Arsenal (Red Hood & the Outlaws)
- 37.1% - Aquaman
- 38.6% - Scooby-Doo Team-Up
- 44.9% - Earth 2: Society (Earth 2)
- 48.0% - Superman/Wonder Woman
- 48.3% - Batman '66
- 50.7% - Batman/Superman
- 58.8% - Harley Quinn


5 year comparisons
===================

+100.4% - Constantine (Hellblazer)
+ 64.1% - Batman
+ 27.9% - Detective Comics
+ 21.4% - Batman/Superman (Superman/Batman)
+  7.5% - Action Comics
+  7.3% - Scooby-Doo Where Are You?
+  3.4% - Justice League of America
+  0.3% - Teen Titans
- 10.0% - Superman
- 10.2% - Red Hood
- 23.0% - Secret Six
- 37.3% - Flash
- 38.5% - Green Arrow
- 48.8% - Green Lantern
- 49.4% - American Vampire


10 year comparisons
===================

+ 53.5% - Batman
+ 44.1% - Aquaman
+ 30.9% - Constantine (Hellblazer)
+ 23.3% - Detective Comics
+ 13.7% - Scooby-Doo
+ 10.3% - Robin
+  1.9% - Catwoman
- 12.6% - Grayson (Nightwing)
- 20.3% - Action Comics
- 21.2% - Flash
- 25.3% - Green Arrow
- 31.0% - Wonder Woman
- 34.9% - Justice League of America
- 40.3% - Superman
- 57.8% - Green Lantern
- 61.9% - Teen Titans


Sales Indices
=============

DCU: Average: 38,396. Median: 31,087. No.: 53. Total: 2,035,008

11.5 - Dark Knight III
 2.8 - Batman
 2.1 - Batman: Europa
 1.5 - Harley Quinn
 1.4 - Justice League of America
 1.2 - Detective Comics
 1.2 - Batman & Robin Eternal (5)
 1.2 - Batman & Robin Eternal (6)
 1.1 - Batman & Robin Eternal (7)
 1.1 - Batman & Robin Eternal (8)
 1.1 - Superman
 1.1 - Superman: American Alien
 1.0 - Green Lantern
 1.0 - Batman/Superman
 0.9 - Flash
 0.9 - Robin: Son of Batman
 0.9 - Action Comics
 0.9 - Justice League Darkseid War Flash
 0.9 - Harley Quinn 7 Power Girl
 0.9 - Wonder Woman
 0.9 - Justice League Darkseid War Superman
 0.9 - Justice League Darkseid War Green Lantern
 0.9 - New Suicide Squad
 0.8 - Deathstroke
 0.8 - Grayson
 0.8 - Superman/Wonder Woman
 0.8 - Justice League Darkseid War Shazam
 0.7 - Starfire
 0.7 - Batman Beyond
 0.7 - Teen Titans
 0.7 - Aquaman
 0.6 - Green Arrow
 0.6 - Superman: Lois & Clark
 0.6 - Titans Hunt
 0.6 - Sinestro
 0.6 - Earth 2 Society
 0.6 - Catwoman
 0.5 - Green Lantern: Lost Army
 0.5 - Red Hood/Arsenal
 0.5 - Constantine: The Hellblazer
 0.5 - We Are Robin
 0.5 - Justice League United
 0.4 - Martian Manhunter
 0.4 - Secret Six
 0.4 - Justice League 3001
 0.3 - Doctor Fate
 0.3 - Bizarro
 0.3 - Midnighter
 0.3 - Telos
 0.3 - Bat-Mite
 0.3 - Lobo
 0.3 - Omega Men
 0.2 - Doomed


Vertigo: Average: 9,780. Median: 10,045. No.: 11. Total: 107,577

1.2 - The Twilight Children
1.2 - Red Thorn
1.1 - Jacked
1.1 - Astro City
1.1 - Unfollow
1.0 - American Vampire
1.0 - Slash & Burn
1.0 - Clean Room
0.8 - Art Ops
0.8 - Survivors' Club
0.7 - Fables: The Wolf Among Us


Digital First & Other: Average: 14,832. Median: 13,860. No.: 11. Total: 163,152

1.8 - DC Comics Bombshells (4)
1.7 - DC Comics Bombshells (5)
1.3 - Batman Arkham Knight Genesis
1.2 - Batman Arkham Knight Robin Special
1.2 - Batman Arkham Knight
0.9 - Batman '66
0.7 - He-Man Eternity War
0.7 - Mortal Kombat X
0.7 - Sensation Comics feat. Wonder Woman
0.5 - Scooby-Doo Team Up
0.4 - Scooby-Doo Where Are You?

The Fine Print (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 of physical comics 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. Keep in mind that sales for some titles may include incentives to acquire variants and not every unit sold is necessarily even intended to be sold to a customer.

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 brackets 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 which are returnable have their numbers artificially adjusted down by Diamond. To make up for that this column increases the reported numbers for those titles by 10%. Which is likely also wrong, but it’s a different and likely less wrong kind of wrong, and experience has shown that this leads to sales figures which are more consistent.

Titles released under the All-Ages line 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.

Please keep in mind that raw sales numbers do not tell us about how profitable a book is for a publisher or for the creators.

Above all, do not allow sales numbers to dictate your purchasing and enjoyment of a particular comic. If you enjoy reading a comic series then go right on buying and reading that comic, no matter what the sales figures say.

** Two asterisks after a given month in the average charts mean that one or more periodical release did not make the Top 300/400 chart in that month. In those cases, it’s assumed that said releases sold as many units as the No. 300/400 comic on the chart for that month for the purposes of the chart, although its actual sales are likely to be less than that.

Opinions expressed in this column are mine alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer, Heidi MacDonald or anyone at The Comics Beat, the National Newspaper Association, or my former neighbor’s dog Miles.

The author of this column does weekly snapshots of Amazon comic sales charts at Yet Another Comics Blog and tweets about comics and related subjects on Twitter at @davereadscomics (PM me there is you need to contact me).

As always, we welcome your comments and corrections below. Please try to keep things civilized.

18 COMMENTS

  1. I’m surprised by Unfollow. Immediately picked up for TV, no one seems to even know it exists. In fact, I was looking for a copy of the second issue (as my store had only copies that literally had split open on all the bottom seams, part of that whole “We print crappier comics today than we did in the 60’s!” mentality the Big Two are using today, but I digress… ) and comic shop owners were all like “Unfollow? I’ve never heard of that title.” Boom.

    And can ANYONE tell me what Survivors’ Club is actually about? I mean, I read the first issue and it made 99.8% no sense. Honestly, I pick up each issue that comes out, look over it in the shop and go “Nope, still making NO sense!” ;) I wanted to like it, too.

  2. I thought creators were ditching Vertigo for Image because its page rates had gotten worse (see: Snyder, Morrison, Lemire). Something must have changed to spark all these launches.

  3. Superman Lois & Clark turns out to be an 8-issue miniseries in a tweet posted before the publication of this article.

    Wow at Omega Men doing the usual Vertigo numbers.

  4. “In DKIII’s case, even if you are very generous and assume that up to 200K of those copies went to customers who actually read them (and frankly I think that the number is likely closer to 150K), that means that over half of the total copies sold of DKIII #1 are either sitting unread in a bag and board somewhere or just taking up space on a retailer’s rack (and before too long in a retailer’s quarter box…)”

    Dave, maybe don’t confuse sell-through with profit?

    My basic line is that you can’t succeed in retail if you’re not keystoning cost-of-goods (doubling your whole cost), but the nature of Variants, both limited by number (1:25, 1:50 and so on) as well as retailer-exclusive covers (where the large majority of DK3’s 440k is going to *actually* come from) means that you might very well be keystoning COGs and yet still be liquidating the majority of your sell-in number.

    I also suspect there’s a WIDE swath of retailers who are “just” breaking even on store-exclusives, but they view it as a marketing expense, and therefore are revenue neutral in their heads.

    If someone has been selling comics for six years or more, and is still in business, and doesn’t show any signs of imminent closure… well, it’s probably safe to assume that their business model is absolutely no worse than break-even at which point the market needs to say “Sure, OK” — it’s only cases in which retailers are actively losing money that we should have the slightest concerns about their viability — and the impact on the greater market in the sense of “collapse”

    *just because you don’t like how someone conducts commerce does not, a priori, make it a poor model*

    (All said with the understanding that I personally believe variants, and marketing in that direction to be the equivalent to a disease: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=41000)

    -B

  5. @Brian: I understand fully well that retailers can be breaking even or coming out ahead on incentive variants even while leaving a large amount of the stock unsold. That was kind of my point. It may be good in the term for retailers and publishers, but long term it is bad for everyone.

    I mentioned my August 2015 column with my variants rant, but neglected to link to it; it’s here https://www.comicsbeat.com/dc-comics-month-to-month-sales-august-2015-bombshells-return/

    I suspect you and I agree far more than disagree on this.

  6. Nathan AAron–

    I’m with you. I haven’t bought a book from ‘the big 2’ for years, but the premise (as advertised) for Survivor’s Club intrigued me.

    I read the first issue, scratched my head, and never went back.

  7. “Based on Diane Nelson’s description of Vertigo as reported by Variety at the Variety Summit in September 2015 it sounded like the creator-owned aspect is all but gone.”

    But if it’s all about IPs for other media, I wonder if that’s the lure, and if there’s a major incentive if they get bought up.

  8. I’m not gonna cry for vertigo as they launched al those new titles with a 3.99$ cover price and apparently stopped their 9.99$ pricing, and did not bother to communicate at all on what their new offer will be to promote this new line of titles.

    And yes, I was quite early this month with my column, as I was the last one last month. :p

  9. I quite like the new Vertigo line, I just think it hasn’t received enough word-of-mouth. Survivor’s Club is weird in all the right ways, Slash and Burn has beautiful art and an intriguing storytelling style, while Red Thorn has GORGEOUS art and wry humor. Twilight Children…well I don’t care about the story at all (but at least the art and lettering are great).

    I’m not sure what DC needs to do, but at the very least I think they need to double down on core titles. I’ve heard rumblings about rebooting to #1, but I don’t think that will solve anything.

  10. “I quite like the new Vertigo line, I just think it hasn’t received enough word-of-mouth.”

    I think this is true of all of DC’s output lately. Aside from new title launches and the Justice League storyline, I literally have heard NOTHING about any of their ongoing titles. No hype, not plot twists, no big moments, no previews or clues. I mean, Marvel’s hype doesn’t interest me in their books, but at least I have a clue of what they’re publishing. DC, say something!

    But yeah, they terribly undermarketed (read: not at all) this new Vertigo wave.

  11. The new Vertigo contract (which I have never seen), seems to have changed the model of participation.

    Now, it seems that DCE owns part of the media rights, similar to Boom’s relationship with Fox.

    So, if you’re an established creator, and can sell enough copies to break even on the comics (and make gravy on the trades), then Image’s “pay us to print your comic” model works better.

    Creators have many options now. Make smart choices.

  12. I’ve just checked the numbers for December and, spoiler alert, they’re terrible. looks like a typical drop with no f.o.v is 20%! Catwoman is down 30% to 15k!

    Looking forward to next month’s column.

  13. I think DC’s model, for Vertigo and its main line, is banking on what worked 15 years ago in rare cases:

    Geoff Johns raised sales and interest in the Flash and JSA with no fancy stunts or hype, just quality storytelling.

    Same for Brian K. Vaughan on Y the Last Man, and Willingham on Fables.

    The problem is that there is far less leeway and sales inertia in the market to allow for such books today to pick up. I hear people talking about Midnighter and Omega Men, but sales on those books have absolutely tanked in six months. There is no way for them to recover in the same way books might have 15 years ago.

  14. First time I’ve been on this column since Convergence ended. Heard about a possible return to old continuity and came over here to see what might be herding DC in that direction. Wheet whew! I can see why, their sales on average are abyssssssmal.

  15. I hope Midnighter and JL3001 don’t get cancelled to soon. 2 of my fav DC titles (along with Grayson). The new Earth 2 title is good too. I really like the art.

    And I think Eternity War ends at #15.

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