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Mini Reviews For The Week Ending 4/2/16

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Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling short reviews from the staff of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full review for. These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews.

Alex

elasticator 1.jpgElasticator #1 (Scout Comics) I was pleasantly surprised by this comic, which may sound good, but I didn’t expect much, honestly. That being said what is here has me interested enough to come back for the next issue; issue #1 takes the shape of an interrogation of Elasticator that enables the telling of an origin story combined with some exposition without either feeling forced. A good start to a new series. Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Judge Dredd #4 (IDW) Despite really enjoying this series, I don’t have much to say about it other than if you’re a fan of Judge Dredd go read it! Overall: 7 Recommendation: Read

Godzilla: Oblivion #1 (IDW) Nothing stunningly original here, but if you’re a fan of giant monsters then this brilliantly illustrated comic should be right up your alley. I’m typically not a fan of big monsters, but I still enjoyed it. Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

 

Ryan C

Black Science #21 (Image)**: Rick Remender and Matteo Scalera wrap up their five-part “Godhead” storyline with a more “dialed-down” conclusion than we’re used to seeing from this title in terms of its scale, but its impact? As jarring as ever, and then some. Apparently some major upheavals are coming our way in the next arc, but shit — major upheavals have been this series’ stock in trade from day one. 50 miles of bad road in every issue, at minimum. Overall: 7.5. Recommendation: Buy.

Suiciders+Kings+of+HELL 1Suiciders: Kings Of HelL.A. #1 (DC/Vertigo)**: I found the first arc of Lee Bermejo’s “Suiciders” to be a lot more enjoyable than I expected it to be. Clearly he’s seen flicks like Joe D’Amato’s “Endgame” and “2020 Texas Gladiators” more than once, but what the heck? Dystopian-future bloodsports worked like a charm at the Italian box office in the early 1980’s, and if I’m not mistaken that’s where (and when) Bermejo grew up.New artist Alessandro Vitti brings something of a sketchier, more loose-flowing style to this second series, and while it’s nice enough in its own right, it feels like a step back from what we’re used to — as does the story, as we move from the arena to the streets for a so-far -pretty -standard post-apocalyptic street gang story. Whaddya know, I guess our guy Lee has seen “1990 : The Bronx Warriors” and “The New Barbarians,” as well. I guess I can give it one more issue, but it’ll need to show me a lot more than this one did to keep me around after that. Overall: 5. Recommendation: Read —for now, I guess.

Postal #11 (Top Cow/Image)**: Keeping up the darker and more character-focused storytelling that’s been in evidence since Bryan Hill took over as solo writer on this title a few months back, the fucked-up tension in this issue is nearly off the charts as postman Mark finds himself sucked ever deeper into the web of a new “friend” who’s anything but. He knows it, and it’s not even that he can’t help himself — it’s more like, if he does decide to do the smart thing and get away from his femme fatale, everyone he knows, loves, and cares about will be dead. It seems someone hasn’t read “How To Win Friends And Influence People.” Isaac Goodhart’s art continues to look like the very best of 1980s indie comics, which means that I love it. Overall: 8. Recommendation: Buy.

The Omega Men #10 (DC)**: The final shape of Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda’s intricate cosmic puzzle begins to take shape, and could it really be so simple as — Kyle Rayner and his new allies/”friends” being played for suckers by an irresistible alien woman? Wheel out William Shatner if you wanna go any further down that well-worn road, Mr. King. Still, the art’s great, and there are still two issues left to prove it was always about something more than this. Overal: 6. Recommendation: Buy if you’re following the series, pass if you’re not.

 

Shean

LanternCity-001-A-Main-415d3Lantern City Volume 1 (Archaia): Steampunk is a genre that has berthed several alternate versions of our favorite properties including Battlestar Gallactica and Green Hornet and have created interesting heroes of their own, such as Lady Mechanika.Another original property is Lantern City , which already had a huge following online, and from this first volume , one can definitely see why so many readers are entranced by this premise. Within the steampunk world of Lantern City, we are introduced to Sander Jorve, who lives in the depressing lower section , where only the underprivileged dwell, as his brother in law, Kendal , convinces him to infiltrate the police force better known as the Guard. By the end of the first volume, the stakes have never been higher, as the issue of class has never been examined better in dystopian fiction than in Lantern City. Art: 9 Story: 9 Overall: 9.4 Recommendation: Buy

Well, there you have it, folks. The reviews we didn’t quite get a chance to write.

Please note that with some of the above comics, Graphic Policy was provided FREE copies for review. Where we purchased the comics, you’ll see an asterisk (*). If you don’t see that, you can infer the comic was a review copy. In cases where we were provided a review copy and we also purchased the comic you’ll see two asterisks (**).

Review: Danger Girl Renegade #1

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dgr001Danger Girl is to most a misunderstood comic book franchise.  Many judge the book by its cover and dispel it before reading a single panel and give it the same criticism that many other female led comics get -it is labeled as silly or exploitative and never really given a chance.  It is true that it is silly, but it is designed as a parody of the spy franchise and any parody has to contain some level of humor.  What is not understood is the exploitation, which is evidently there but not to the degree that most assume.  The female characters are sometimes treated as caricatures of female characters in espionage films, but the male characters are actually far more over-the-top.  Johnny Barracuda could be easily considered to be more offensive to male readers than Sydney or Abbey could be to female ones.  Furthermore, while the Danger Girls are drawn in revealing clothing, it should also be noted that their costumes are actually far less revealing than most comic book superheroines.  The entire franchise could then be said to be one which is somewhat misunderstood and underappreciated.

Because of that the series has never really caught on, although it does have its fans.  There have been a few ongoing plot elements that have never really been explored, but chief among those is Abbey’s background.  As is evident in this first issue, it is not as though Abbey is an amnesiac and cannot remember anything from her younger years, rather it is just that she does not understand what the events of those early years signify.  There have been other developments that have been hinted at in previous series, but there have never really been any answers.

There are no real answers here either, but they are ready to be explored, or so it would seem.  The setup to revealing Abbey’s past is handled well here as there are no immediate revelations, but rather true to the life of a spy, her secrets have secrets, and the introduction to her past in this issue is thus handled well, giving a glimpse, albeit a short one, into her past and how she is tied to the others.  The only drawback one could identify from this series is that the other members of the Danger Girl team are missing, though that doesn’t seem to be something that will continue through the series.  At the moment this is a fun introduction to a question that fans of the series have always had and it will be interesting to see what the creators have in store for the remainder of the series.

Story: Andy Hartnell Art: Stephen Molnar
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review.

Review: Jem and the Holograms #6

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jem006Jem and the Holograms has been one of the nicer surprises in comics in the past year.  As an update of the 1980s animated television series, there was some expectation that it would meet certain standards in terms of entertainment, but there was not really much of a sense as to how the television would merge with the comics to create something sustainable.  While Kelly Thompson is somewhat of a newcomer to the medium of comics as a writer, she proved that a basic approach could and does work with these characters, by focusing on the characters before the outlandish plots, she proved that the series can work with a different outlook in a different medium.  The artwork by Sophie Campbell captured the same overall approach as the characters despite being over-the-top in appearance are full of a contagious energy.

The previous issue featured fall out from the sabotaged stage equipment and resulted in a huge food fight.  With the instigators of the food fight brought before the concert organizers, Jerrica and her colleagues soon find themselves on the wrong side of the blame and are promptly kicked out of the concert.  Jerrica also has to deal with the ongoing concern of Rio as to the absence of Jem at crucial times, feeling that she has forsaken the band at a crucial moment when they needed her help, and this continues to be a fresh take on the usual superhero secret identity cliche in the medium.

There might be those that think that the approach for the new series is somewhat simplistic.  After all after the first six issues, there has not been a lot of development in terms of plot as the character’s have played out the battle of the bands story.  It is true that the story could be considered a bit bare, but stories have to succeed on either their characters or their concept, and while the concept is played out slowly here, the characters are so full of life, thanks to both the art and the script, that it more than compensates for the slow-ish development of the plot.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.4  Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

 

Review: Jem and the Holograms #5

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Jem and the Holograms 005Jem and the Holograms has thus far been one of the unexpected surprises of recent comic releases.  It focuses on concepts closely related enough to the romance genre of comics, but also incorporates a plot element with Jem/Jerrica which is close enough in spirit to that of the more traditional superhero comics.  Although the plots available to the tales of an all-girl band might seem to be somewhat restrictive, the creative team has been effective at creating a series which is engaging and fresh, and has proven that there is a demand for such titles on the comic market.

The story here follows on that of the previous issue.  With the battle of the bands still looming, the competition is heating up between the two competitors, to the point that sabotage was in the works for Jem.  Obviously the series can’t do without its leading character, but surprisingly the repercussions of this attempt to take Jem out of the competition are not as evident as they might be expected to be.  Instead once again the issue focuses on the developing relationship between Kimber and Stormer and between Jem and Rio before things get back to being pretty serious.

Some might see it as a huge challenge to create fictional material which is designed to be approachable to all ages.  Part of the problem is that the stories have to be relevant enough for the adult market but also fun enough for a younger audience.  Such is the challenge facing Jem and the Holograms, and while at times it veers off into a territory which is perhaps a bit too sedate, it gets back those moments by throwing in the unexpected.  Such is the case here, as the suggested food fight from the cover gets underway towards the end of the issue, although the issue itself was a bit slower paced than previous issues.  Nonetheless the series maintains the same level of approachable fun which has let it makes its mark thus far, and presumably which will keep it going for a long time to come.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5  Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

Review: Jem and the Holograms #4

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jem004It can be tricky when updating a previous franchise or fictional property.  On the one hand, one expects the creative team to stay close to the original material, on the other hand, significant changes are bound to occur as society progresses and leaves outdated ideas behind.  In the case of Jem and the Holograms it would seem that many of the changes have been for the better in terms of the characters.  What were 1980s big hair and big shouldered music superheroines were transformed into modern characters that would fit in with the big names in music at the moment.  Part of the approach for this series is that it leaves the characters in the hands of two women, something which is a relative rarity for comics which still tend to be dominated by male creators, and notably when it comes to female characters.  Although there is nothing to say that a man cannot write a deep female character, it is also interesting to see a couple of female creators get their hands on an all-girl squad.

The story in this series continues to be that of the initial story arc.  Having discovered her Jem alter ego, Jerrica is still busy trying to get the band ready for the Battle of the Bands.  Meanwhile Kimber and Stormer are getting a bit more wrapped up with each other romantically, and the romance between Jerrica and Rio seems to be heating up as well, except for the unexpected arrival of Jem in Jerrica’s changing room just after she was seen there.  As before the series is extremely effective in portraying the music scenes as well, with the music styles of both bands being easy to relate to through their presentation.

This series is a success, at least from the sense of being fun and approachable.  At the same time, there are a few problems notable for first time writer Kelly Thompson.  While she is talented she does occasionally rely on cliches or what seems like filler to get more out of each issue.  If there is one drawback to this series, this is it, that she hasn’t yet fully moved into a comfort zone and is not yet ready to let loose.  That will come with time, and for now it seems as though Kelly and Sophie are the two best fits for this series that the comic world could conceive of as this series is all about the girls, and rightfully so.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5  Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a free copy for review

Review: Ragnarok #5

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ragna5The fact that the upcoming Thor movie has the subtitle Ragnarok only makes the central gimmick of IDW’s Ragnarok, a comic written and drawn by beloved Thor writer/artist Walter Simonson about Thor himself, even more fun. Simonson’s knack for epic storytelling and kinetic, killer art work has worked out well for this series thus far. The latest issue is a good time, despite being one of the weakest entries so far. The world-building and characterization is still big and neat, but there is a lack of the action that made past issues especially shine.

In this issue, the God of Thunder sets off on his journey to find the Well of Wisdom in order to learn up on things after his leave of absence. Along the way, he has some interaction with some other unimportant characters that shows off this book’s flair for comedy and charm in the writing. The protagonist is powerful and seemingly unstoppable, which is played up for laughs at the expense of surrounding characters. This book is certainly a bit of a power fantasy.

That isn’t to say that there won’t be challenges for Thor, evident in the building up of a nefarious, imposing foe. It’s here that the art is at its best, with the hulking, fiery baddy atop his throne. The intense coloring gives off a bit of a glowing effect, and the page-long scene as a whole looks straight out of Hell.

Once Thor reaches the well, there is some solid, creepy interaction with a bit of a strange character. This scene sets up a generational connection between Thor and his father that adds legacy to this epic. Ending this issue is the obligatory vague preview for what’s to come in the form of a sort of prophecy. All of this manages to make everything generally grander, which is important for a high fantasy book like this.

This is a good issue that adds more meat to the tale Simonson is telling with some fun dialogue. It just isn’t as exciting as past issues without dedicated action.

Story and Art: Walter Simonson
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

IDW provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Review: Jem and the Holograms #3

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Jem and the Holograms 001In terms of what this series offers it kind of stands alone.  Most comics tend to take on one of several fairly common forms.  Prominent among them is the superhero genre, but there are also comics from the independents which explore more bizarre themes, often with the intention of a bit of social commentary.  Another group of comics could be easily be categorized as those which are all about fun, whether that be Scooby Doo, My Little Pony or Adventure Time.  These titles seem to be geared primarily towards a younger audience (though they do have their adult fans) but Jem and the Holograms might stand out as something a little different still.  Its main focus is fairly whimsical and fun, but its audience is not intended to necessarily be only a younger crowd, as this aims to appeal to the heartstrings of those that watched the series in the 1980s, who would now be much older.

This third issue mostly takes a break from the ongoing story line of the Holograms versus the Misfits and focuses instead on romance.  Kimber and Stormer’s date was abruptly interrupted as Pizzazz forbids mingling with the enemy, as the Holograms are evidently the ban which they will have to beat.  Elsewhere Jerrica agrees to the date with Rio.  As the story progresses this romance ends up being the main focus as the battle of the bands heats up behind the scenes.  There is also an unexpected cameo from another IDW property which is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the show and the characters.

In terms of providing gripping stories, this series is evidently not the place to go.  The stories are lighthearted, some might even say fluffy, but below it all they are fun to read.  That this remains true across generations is proof that the creative team behind this series is accomplishing more than they are credited by appealing to a wide age group and still managing to keep them all happy.  In that this series is a success, as comics don’t always have to be sensational of hard-hitting, but sometimes can exist just to lighten the day.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.4  Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy

Review: Jem and the Holograms #2

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jem002The choice to reboot Jem and the Holograms into comics is probably one which left some fans of the medium scratching their heads.  Jem had a decent run on animated television in the 1980s, but her fan base had long since dissipated and there were few that asked for the return of her and her bandmates.  The first issue of the new series from IDW proved something else though, that while there might have been little reason to demand a return for Jem, there maybe should have been.  With the crush of girl-centric books on the market, it made sense to go back to the female rocker from the 1980s that proved that it is possible to be strong and feminine at the same time.

Some might have been a bit disappointed with the first issue in a different context though, specifically that Jem was mostly absent, instead dealing with the introduction of the character through her alter ego Jerrica.  For those that decided to stick around to check out the followup issue, they would find that as opposed to dealing on the past that the band is heading straight to the future.  This is primarily done with the introduction of the anti-Holograms, the Misfits.  The popular group is looking for an easy band to beat in an upcoming battle of the bands contest, and while they are hoping to choose their foe for an easy defeat (as it is their own contest) pressure is building through social media to force the two bands head to head in the contest.  There are a few other factors at play here, specifically the introduction of what might be a romatic interest for Jem, but mostly the story sticks to the battle of the bands and throws in a few curves.

This issue does a good job and bascially doing what it must.  It is still growing into its space a little bit, as the sometimes disjointed conversation alludes to, but most of all this is an overall treat which doesn’t let up.  The art is a treat and while the battle of the bands story might seem a bit obvious, so too do the Holograms need some kind of antagonist in their journey to pop stardom.  They have found it in the Misfits, and the series is better off for it, as it seems to be progressing and developing in a natural manner.

Story: Kelly Thompson  Art: Sophie Campbell
Story: 8.6  Art: 8.6 Overall: 8.6 Recommendation: Buy

We Talk Jem and the Holograms with Kelly Thompson

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Kelly Thompson might be new to the medium of comics as a writer but she has a lot of experience with both comics and creative writing, having previously worked in reporting on the medium, as well as working on creative writing projects.  She joined us to talk about her new series Jem and the Holograms.

jem001Graphic Policy:  Can you tell us a little bit about how you got involved with the new series?

Kelly Thompson:  I was already talking to IDW about some work for hire and potential creator-owned work and so when Jem got announced my name was put forward as someone that might be interesting for it. I was of course all over it and since Sophie Campbell and I had been looking for something to do together for a few years and I knew she was a super fan of Jem it seemed like the perfect project to do together. We started working on our pitch right away. There were a lot of secret texts…sometimes just an all caps out of nowhere “JEM!” text…we were pretty excited.

GP:  Were you a fan of Jem as a child?

KT:  Yes, I was a big fan of Jem. Original creator Christy Marx did such a great job of making the show all about women. They had screen time and agency in a way that not many other women in cartoons at the time did. I’m sure as a kid I didn’t realize that was what I was responding to, but I knew there was something special about it, even if I couldn’t put my finger on it.

GP:  The original cartoon series often featured (relatively sedate) action sequences to appeal to a wider audience (boys).  Do you think that culture has moved to a place where we don’t need this any more?

jem002KT:  Well, I’m not sure how sedate it was! Right off the bat you have a car chase along a cliffside with The Misfits throwing instruments out of a moving vehicle and running Jem and The Holograms off the road. That’s pretty high-octane. There were also people falling off of cruise ships and getting trapped on deserted islands, volcanoes, people trying to run people over with steamrollers, fighting a bear! Quite a bit of action…I don’t know what kind of action you like but I’m not sure it was sedate!

That said, I think your larger point that the action elements were included in Jem specifically to appeal to boys and that it’s not necessary to do that these days to appeal to boys is interesting. I think for a cartoon in 2015 you’d still probably take that approach – i.e. making sure to include some action, but part of that is just because some action is cool and fun and creates natural drama and stakes. I think for the purposes of our comic there will definitely be less action both because we’re aiming for a slightly older audience that maybe doesn’t need that element as part of its draw and also just because of our medium change. Not that comics can’t handle action of course, some would say it’s what they do best (shameless Wolverine joke) but just that our panel time is extremely limited so having prolonged action sequences means other stuff has to get cut or pared back. There will be some action, but it’s definitely less than the show.

jem003GP:  The idea of an alter ego for a pop star is interesting considering the effects that fame can have on people, but do you think that fame is an unfortunate effect of success in pop culture, or part of the appeal?

KT:  Well, obviously this is a generalization, everyone is different, but I suspect for a lot of people fame may start out as part of the appeal and quickly become a really painful downside. Even people that get into it FOR the fame probably find out that it’s a real monster, a machine that constantly has to be fed and one that ultimately demands very high price for its rewards – like having zero private life. Sophie said at one time in our talks about Jem something like, Jerrica creating Jem is in fact a kind of ingenious solution to the insane demands of celebrity. I love that and think it’s both really accurate and fascinating for our storytelling purposes.

GP:  It can be hard sometimes for writers to switch between mediums, and you kind of have to delve a bit into songwriting.  Did you have a hard time coming up with lyrics for the songs?

KT:  It was definitely the thing I was most afraid of when I took this project on but it turned out to be one of the easier things to do. Like anything, if you’ve built your characters correctly, they’ll do most the work for you. So I just did a lot of research looking at music lyrics and song structures and then got into the head of whatever character was writing the music (mostly Jerrica, Kimber, or Stormer) and thought about what they were trying to say and it just started flowing.  I guess time will tell how well the readers think I handled it, though.

jem004GP:  Part of the appeal of the original series was the music, with each episode delivering new music videos.  Comics obviously can’t do this, but do you feel a need to compensate in some way?

KT:  Yeah, I think music is obviously the biggest hurdle we have in that we just cannot possibly duplicate actually hearing the music like the original show. As you’ve seen from the first issue we’re trying to approach the music in a really visual way, using color, icons, and movement to convey sound as an actual physical thing on the page. We’re also hoping to cut loose with some crazy and hilarious visuals for the videos.

GP:  What some people forget is that while Jem is a story about a young pop star, that there is still a strong science fiction element due to Synergy.  Do you think that writers limit themselves with the use of science fiction in more traditional ways without thinking outside the box?

KT:  Well, I’ve seen and read a lot of great science fiction that blows my mind, so while I’m sure there’s plenty of it out there that’s also uninspired or mines familiar territory, that’s usually not my experience. That said, I think Jem’s take on sci-fi, i.e. as this almost matter of fact element that’s actually incredible and highly influential and sort of crazily dangerous if used with ill intentions is fascinating. I hope we can explore some of that, especially as it pertains to celebrity.

GP:  One notable difference is the depiction of Jem, for instance with a significantly higher hemline than in the cartoons.  Do you think that female stars are empowered or exploited by the need to reveal more?

KT:  I don’t actually find the hemline to be that much higher. Jem’s old skirt was more asymmetrical than the first cover image Sophie did so I guess that gives the impression of ours being shorter, but all those ladies in the cartoons wore pretty short skirts, which as far as I’m concerned is really normal and realistic – they’re pop stars. The same way that superheroines probably shouldn’t be in super impractical unzipped and high-heeled outfits, pop stars kind of SHOULD be in those kind of outfits. It’s all a performance and in Jem’s case it’s literally an illusion and so it can (and should) be almost impossible and ridiculous. I think that female celebrities are held to impossible and frustrating standards. Be thin but not too thin, be sexy but not too sexy, be gorgeous but don’t be too confident, it’s exhausting. That said, I think many of our modern female celebrities have made a real effort to rise above that junk and embrace the power they have and have taken real ownership of their image, which is both impressive and encouraging.

GP:  Can you give us a bit of an idea about where the series is headed?

KT:  Well, for this first arc we’re exploring a fairly classic “battle of the bands” idea but with a modern update. Though some of our stories are obviously going to break further away form the original, the core idea remains to look at some of the classic storylines through a 21st century lens. One of the most fascinating things about Jem is how music, technology, and celebrity have changed since the 1980’s. So that’s the sweet spot to me, figuring out what those original stories would look like in a new context.

By The Numbers: January 2015

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By The Numbers: January 2015

Welcome readers for the first article in a new series at Graphics Policy!  Like in any industry, comic books and their companies listen most to one thing and that’s your money!  What does your money tell them?  What does it tell us as fans?  What series do people say they adore but can’t seem to catch a break and what books to people hate that sell out?  What are the trends?  What looks good?  What looks rough?

All these questions and more will be answered here, every month in ‘By The Numbers’ by comic writers, editors and fans, Glenn Matchett and Ray Goldfield.

Glenn Matchett is a comic writer and editor.  He’s worked in the industry for 5 years but grew up reading comics.  He loves the format deeply and spends way too much time concerned that his favorite books will be cancelled.  He intends to use these articles to help as therapy for his OCD.  He also releases comics now and then and has a weekly column right here at Graphics Policy where he talks about whatever takes his fancy.

Ray Goldfield is a fan of comic books for going on 25 years, starting with the Death of Superman. He is a writer and editor for GrayHaven Comics, in addition to his day job. He started out as a DC Zombie, but has broadened his tastes to Marvel and indie books in recent years. He follows the comic sales charts obsessively, primarily to cheer on Magneto’s steady hold each month.

All sales figures retrieved from ICv2.com

What Went Well

Glenn:  Well obviously the big debut and the big story this month is Marvel new Star Wars title which sold just over an astounding 985 thousand copies.  I don’t recall a Marvel book selling that well since the Obama, Amazing issue and I don’t think it did those kind of numbers right away.

This property is obviously back at Marvel who had in initially in the 70’s after being a solid backbone of Dark Horse for 20 years or so.  I don’t think the Dark Horse versions of the Star Wars comics ever broke 6 figures.  Why do you think that is here?

Ray:  I agree, this is just incredible. I think the Obama issue sold something in the 350K range, and that was a cultural event. This is probably the highest sales for any comic since the 90s. The big question, of course, is how it holds up from here, but the early rumors is that #2 sold over 200K. That would put it in a position to regularly be the top selling comic on the stands.

I think the big x-factor here is probably the sense of a new beginning. This is no longer expanded universe stuff, catering to an audience of die-hards following the complex continuity of the books and comics. This is the start of a new era, where the story of the original characters will continue in the movies. I think it felt much more important to the larger Star Wars fandom at large. I think the comic benefitted from that a lot, as well as the huge creative team and glut of variant covers, of course. It’s pretty much a perfect storm for massive success.

Another big success story for Marvel is Thor. This seems to be a rare case of a new status quo actually delivering a lasting sales change. The combination of buzz for the new female Thor and the continued excellence of the Aaron run has turned this into the second-highest selling Marvel Universe series, only behind Amazing Spider-man.

It’s a smaller-scale success, of course, but I feel like the debut of Jonathan Hickman’s The Dying and the Dead is noteworthy as well. Launching with 32K for a creator-owned book is pretty impressive in the superhero-dominated top 100.

I feel like the news is a bit more mixed for this month’s other four big Marvel debuts, though.

Glenn:  Yeah, it seems the big media push they gave the new Thor paid off.  This is likely why they have also decided to do a whole team of female Avenger’s.

It doesn’t seem like it’s paid off as well on the new Captain America but we’ll get there.

It seems like Hickman has now become a name that sells on its own.  I mean he’s been one of Marvel’s big names the last few years now, he actually made the Fantastic Four sell better than it has for like…years.  I’m not surprised his creator owned stuff would do well, he’s on the same level as Snyder who seemingly will get a big debut with Wytches.

Batman, Amazing and Walking Dead seem to be the reliable sellers for their respective companies.  It seems that concerns that Superior sales wouldn’t carry over to a Peter Parker led book but it seems those fears at least have been quelled but I’m sure Spider-Verse has helped there.

I think it should be noted that currently, Walking Dead is the cheapest book in the top ten and two of those books in the top ten were 4.99, which to me, could be a scary sign of things to come.

A new launch this month was Ant Man which debuted at number 7 with just over 70 thousand copies sold.  I’m not expected this to last up there, to be honest.   Even with the movie coming out.

Ray:  All-New Captain America did fall pretty hard right off the bat. I don’t think Remender’s style is really clicking with what the public expects a Cap comic to be, but this did make up for some of the slipping sales of the previous run. I think the timing of this run, with Sam Wilson debuting as Cap and then promptly being inverted to be evil, took a lot of the wind out of its sales.

Ant-Man debuted impressively for what it was, for sure. I think the critical acclaim might help it to keep some of its momentum, at least a bit longer than some books. It’s interesting that it debuted roughly in the same level as Uncanny Avengers, another big launch this month. I expect both of them to drop a good deal next month, just based on the pattern for Marvel relaunches lately.

One of Marvel’s most significant debuts this month was the weekly series “Wolverines“. This is their first foray into weeklies, as well as the first weekly comic priced at $3.99 besides the unconventional “Wednesday Comics“. It debuts in the top ten – and then promptly slips hard the same month, with #2 landing at #25 and out of the top 30 by #4. By the end of its first month – all ordered at the same time – it’s selling well below Batman: Eternal, which is almost a year in. If I was Marvel, I’d be pretty worried about what this looks like once orders get adjusted for the following months.

Glenn:  Well to me, since Brubaker left and really since Bucky stopped being Captain America, the book has struggled.  When you had Death Of Cap, obviously that was a big thing but then the book sold continuously well.  It just seems to be one of those nuts that overall are hard to crack, like Fantastic Four or Superman.  By all intents and purposes, those books SHOULD sell but for some reason or another they’re (at best) middle of the road.

Yeah no doubt.  I kind of made the joke that by killing Wolverine, Marvel have only made him stronger.  Overall they’re still coming out because instead of one Wolverine book that sells like 50-70 k or whatever, you have 4 so overall they’re ahead.

Squirrel Girl seems to have had a solid launch too for a D list (being generous) character.  Maybe because of her exposure on Bendis Avenger’s run but I think that’ll be short lived too.

One of the big surprises is having the Star Trek/Planet Of The Apes mini do so well.  I can’t remember what the Doctor Who crossover sold but I think this is a pretty solid debut.

Ray:  Squirrel Girl is a big question mark. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is closer to the mark in terms of demand than some of the other debuts, and so it starts lower but might hold better. I assume Marvel is trying for the same audience that is buying Ms. Marvel, and it’s not a bad idea. Of course, next month will tell the tale.

I’m pretty sure that is a very impressive debut for a licensed comic. One factor that might have helped it is that it’s one of the seven books that were sold on New Year’s Eve. Those tend to be ordered heavily because casual readers might take a chance on them during an unusually small week.

Steady books/books in the middle

Ray:  The first thing I notice is that comedy is still doing well. Harley Quinn, of course, is probably the most surprising big hit out of DC in years, and is still hanging around just below the top ten. Not a surprise this creative team is getting a new book and a spin-off in June. And Rocket Raccoon is hanging around in the upper 30s, about 40 spots before the other Guardians spin-offs. I expect to see more of this type of book from the companies.

Wonder Woman had a brief peak when the Finches landed on the title, but now it’s selling at about the same level as the end of the Azzarello run with far weaker response. DC has to be a bit worried about that one.

I’m surprised SHIELD fell this far with its second issue, from a top ten debut. I’m less surprised by the drops for Angela and Spider-man & the X-men, as those two seemed like they were dropped with relatively little fanfare. It’s a bit surreal to see an Angela comic in the top 50 again, heh.

Glenn:  I actually thought that they might be looking at the people buying Harley Quinn, the success of that book may be the oddest thing to happen in years.

Wonder Woman will be definitely one to watch, I think.  I mean the Azzarello run wasn’t a best seller but it was extremely stable.  Putting Finch on will definitely keep those sales but like you said, the critical response has been less than generous.  If Finch can stay on schedule, it may be fine but its likely to face a creative overall after Convergence I’d say.

SHIELD is kind of something with a specific hook.  It’s a kind of fringe book that don’t tend to stay stable long at the big two.  It kind of makes you wonder that if the same premise and writer had been done at Image how it would have performed in the current market.

I think a lot of the success of ‘Wolverine and the X-Men’ has to attributed to Jason Aaron, now he’s gone and they’re trying to shoe horn Spider-Man in, I think this is the kind of response the current comic market will give you.  I’m as big a Spidey fan as anyone but I’m not picking up this book, it seems to be a bit of a hail Mary to me.

A lot of indie/creator owned books seem to stabilize very quickly.  They might not do as big number as say Amazing or Batman but the audience seems more dedicated.  No one can overlook the success of Star Wars this month but as you said, its set to lose like 700 thousand sales in one issue.  It seems like most Image or Dark Horse or whoever books obviously launch a lot lower but suffer less of a drop.

Green Lantern and Green Arrow have both seen better days at DC but both are stable sellers.  Of course, we’ve found out recently that Green Arrow is set for another creative change which I believe is the 5th since the new 52 launch 3 years ago.

Ray:  I think it’s actually six creative changes. All but one of them (the acclaimed Lemire/Sorrentino run) have only lasted one arc. And that’s not counting Judd Winick’s one-off. This title has been in creative flux since moment one. With Green Lantern, I think this is sort of course correction after they lost their A-list creator in Johns. The line will be paring back to only three books come June, which seems like a smart move.

Looking at the other weeklies for DC, it’s a world between Eternal and these books. Futures End is sort of a mid-level performer, but World’s End is really sinking fast. It probably doesn’t help that the title lost its chief architect right before the weekly began, with Tom Taylor leaving the line.

I must say, I’m sad to see three of my favorite Bat-books, Gotham Academy, Gotham By Midnight, and the short-lived Arkham Manor sinking out of the top 100 so quickly. These are clever, unique books, but they don’t seem to be reaping the benefit that Bat-titles seem to get.

This is where we start to see a lot of lower-tier books from Marvel and DC that just aren’t finding their footing, unfortunately. And I think the fact that Hulk’s main title is selling scarcely 1K more than Magneto’s solo book is testament to the diminishing returns we’re seeing with Marvel’s frequent relaunches. I’m interested to see if Secret Wars and the likely relaunch that follows will turn this around, or if we’ll continue to see the huge starts and huge drops. Marvel has developed a strategy of using tons of variant covers and mainstream press to launch huge, but it doesn’t seem to be carrying over past the first month or two.

Glenn:  This to me presents two very big problems in this market at the moment.  Firstly, people say they want something a little different/off-beat but when they deliver, it doesn’t seem that the market indicates the demand.

The second problem is like you mentioned, diminishing returns.  Back in the day, a relaunch was a big, big deal but 30’s-50’s, especially in terms of Marvel are rare.  It just seems to be relaunch, boom, sink, relaunch and so on and so on.

The Danger Zone

Glenn: This may sound a bit random but I noticed Halo on the charts, near the bottom.  I remember when this property was a big deal at Marvel, it seems to have fallen in a major way.

Then again, outside of the monster hit that it was Star Wars, it seems a very bad time for properties in the industry.  A lot of them are scarping around the low end of 5 figures.  Most of them are even being outsold by creator owned.  It doesn’t seem that properties like Star Trek, Doctor Who, Tomb Raider and more have a place in today’s market.

It also looks to me that Constantine is now down to the level ‘Hellblazer’ was at during its Vertigo days.  It’s due for a rebranding following Convergence though.

I would think that Bucky would be performing better given the fact that this title is essentially a follow on from ‘Original Sin’ and he was in a movie a lot of people went to see.

Ray: I also forgot Marvel was even putting out Halo comics, to be honest. And outside of Star Wars, as you said, it seems very hard for licensed comics to get any traction. Besides that and the Star Trek/Apes crossover, the next one down is My Little Pony all the way at 119, and that’s clearly an unconventional mix of fanbases driving it. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the TMNT/Ghostbusters crossover are hanging around the mid-130s. It seems like there’s a lot of problems getting a significant portion of the original fan base to check out the comic.

Constantine fell to earth rather quickly. I’m not surprised they’re relaunching it – it was the lowest-selling un-cancelled DC book for a while, before the Earth 2 tie-in briefly boosted its sales. While the relaunch should help, I wonder if the character is just a bit too unconventional to sell to a wide superhero audience.

With Bucky’s book, I think this is just a mismatch of property and comic. Original Sin was rather poorly received, and it has an odd concept with Bucky in space fighting aliens. I think if they launched a spy comic starring the Winter Soldier that resembled the movie more, they might have done better.

Two comics that jump out at me are Klarion at 225 and Star-Spangled War Stories at 245. For main-line DC comics only a few issues in, that’s shocking. It’s interesting that DC’s experiments in unconventional, non-superhero comics like these are landing with such a thud, but they seem to be doubling down on this type of book with the June relaunch. What is their plan to make things like Prez, Doomed, Bizarro, and Omega Men succeed, when they’ve had such trouble recently?

Glenn:  I think they’re going to be looking to replicate the success they’ve had with Harley but to me, that might be lightning in a bottle.

Again, at least they’re trying new things, which is fans say they want but sales prove different.

It’ll be an interesting summer at both companies, for sure.

Coming up next month

Ray: Looking ahead to next month, it’s sort of the calm before the storm. Next month’s chart will have a few interesting points, though. We’ve got the launch of Grant Morrison’s first Image ongoing, The Nameless. Marvel is bringing us the next Star Wars launch in Darth Vader, plus the internet phenomenon of Spider-Gwen makes its ongoing debut. Those will probably be dueling for #1. There’s also the launch of Silk, a more controversial character that Marvel has a lot of faith in. It’ll be interesting to see how those books shake up the charts.

Glenn: It should be the debut of Wytches on the sales chart, I believe.  I think this one might be one of the big winners from the company.  You’re right though, the majority of books will be treading water sales wise until we get our annual huge shake up.  Most of the ones to watch next month will be the indie books.  I’m personally hoping that Nailbiter can gain a stronger following over time.  Once upon a time, Walking Dead was down that part of the charts too.

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