Tag: DC

Although DC's "New 52" relaunch was well past its prime in February, sales were still good enough for the publisher to take the Top 10 slots on the Diamond Top 300 chart again, for the second month in a row. The average "New 52" title dropped by 7.6% in February, which is in line with January's 7.4% drop and suggests that, while the bigger drops seem behind us, the numbers haven't quite found their level yet, either. The average DC Universe title now sells fewer copies again than it did two years ago (34,456 vs. 35,895), but then again, the company's main imprint had 20 more titles on sale this time around: In February 2010, it was 47; in February 2012, it's 67. On balance, consequently, DC is still selling a lot more superhero comics than it has in most months in the last 10 years. In the 108 months since March 2003 we have comparable data on, February 2012 is only No. 71 in terms of average DC Universe sales, but it's still No. 17 in total DC Universe unit sales (2.3 million) and No. 20 in total DC Universe dollar sales ($7.3 million). Looking at the individual "New 52" books, meanwhile, we're once again getting a mixed picture. The top-selling books mostly continue to be very stable, but the farther down the chart you go, the steeper the decline. There were 14 "New 52" books selling below 20K in February (up from 10 in January) and 21 selling below 25K (up from 19).

If you watch the cable newsers these days, you know that instant analysis and punditocracy of the kind once confined to sports is now the only way to analyze anything of import. Sound bites, gotchas, double backs, keeping em honest...analyzing what people are saying about what people are saying is way more productive than actually identifying and solving problems...so everyone does it. And while it isn't quite as entertaining as 2011's Republican primary debate analysis, say, comics have developed their own "Counterpoint Arena" in the last few months, as executives from DC and Marvel come out and give their play-by-play on the just released sales charts.

MAD Magazine now has its own iPad app; the laffer launched yesterday on Alfred E. Neuman's birthday. The app is free to download but you can purchase individual issues through it for $4.99, or back issues for $1.99, or subscribe for $1.99 per issue or just pay an annual fee of $9.99 upfront. If you're a print subscriber you get the digital sub for free. All in all, there's bound to be a good deal there. The e-mag will include all the print material with added interactive elements.

Gone to Amerikay, the new Vertigo original graphic novel by Derek McCulloch and Colleen Doran, will have a book launch party, benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. McCulloch and Doran will both be at Harbor Lights Restaurant in New York City on March 30 from 6 to 8 pm, celebrating the release of their new book and demonstrating their support of the CBLDF’s mission. All are welcome to join the celebration; admission will be free, though donations to the CBLDF are suggested. There will be complimentary hors d’oeurves, and special guests from the comics community will be on hand to inaugurate Gone to Amerikay. Copies of the book will be on sale, courtesy of Midtown Comics.

To mark the first ten years of his stint as Executive Editor at DC, Dan DiDio ran down the top ten highlights of his years there on his Facebook page. It's an interesting list that tells you everything you need to know about the last decade in superhero comics publishing.

Yeah.

Some old art on Kyle Baker's hard drive, probably for licensing.

Earlier today, we spotlighted the new Wonder Woman Chuck Taylors. But with spring in the air, the ornamental crabapple blooming, and weather warming everywhere, maybe it is time to think of lounging by the pool. And if you favor a star-spangled posterior, Spencer Gifts has just the stuff for you: Wonder Woman and Supergirl bikinis.

Looking for some stylish, superhero-themed footwear to announce your allegiance to Nerd World? Look no further than the new Converse Chuck Taylor All Star DC Comics Wonder Woman and Killer Croc shoes. They go on sale next month exclusively at Journeys—and as usual, they are limited editions, so don't wait too long to decide which one to get.

When DC rolled out its website, we remarked on how much of a West Coast DC project this was. Although we were just guessing, here's an interview with VP of Interactive Marketing Jason James talking about the new website. Fan reaction has been a bit unkind, but then...when isn't it? And yet, the goal is to engage, engage, engage.

BY CASEY BURCHEY -- Last summer, DC inaugurated a series of artist-centric hardcover Batman collections with Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan, Volume 1, which highlighted the moody work Colan contributed to Batman and Detective Comics in the early 1980s. Since then, DC has also released similar volumes featuring stories drawn by Don Newton and Marshall Rogers.

As many have noted, DC rolled out its brand spanking new website yesterday, with a whole new look, new logo and new commenting system. Among the many improvements, new sections for major characters, and subsections for videos, live social media updating and the like. (What, no Pinterest?) The site seems to be the work of the West Coast branding/web team, and although useful and streamlined, it does match the corporate vibe of a lot of DC rollouts of late.