by The Numbers: July 2018
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 6 years but grew up reading comics. He’s had work published with Outre Press, Alterna Comics and Nemesis Studios. He often wonders WHO indeed was responsible for letting the dogs out.
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 and has released his first novel. Ray also does a weekly roundup of DC comic reviews for website Geekdad and they’re brilliantly entertaining. He’s currently deciding whether the contents of the black barn or seeing Happytime Murders was more traumatizing.
We also do a podcast together with longtime buddy, Brandon James on iTunes with Rabbitt Stew or at the link here! Don’t ask, I didn’t pick the name. If you’d like to hear what me and Ray sound like, give it a listen!
Top 300 in full available here!
Glenn: In what may be the busiest top 10 in a while in regards to sales July has a lot for myself and my good pal Ray to go over. Lets not waste time and get the ball rolling.
To no one’s surprise the much hyped and talent filled Batman 50 tops the charts with a whopping number of over 440.8k. With the amount of publicity, talent and variants involved its no big shock this issue comes as one of the biggest selling of the year along with Amazing 800 and Action Comics 1000. The issue itself along with Catwoman (which we’ll get to in a bit) was made returnable by DC due to some outcry about what was promised vs what was delivered but overall I’m sure DC came out massively ahead. The title charts again at 8 with issue 51 selling over 113.9k which is slightly about what the titles been selling leading to the wedding. The long term effects of 50 will be clearer next month but I have little doubt that Batman will continue its winning ways.
Ray: There were certainly a lot of people angry about what they saw as a bait-and-switch, but there’s no denying it worked here. Even without a wedding actually happening, this delivered a spectacular package of art from some of the best creators in the industry. Comics hyping events that don’t quite happen is nothing new – Archie’s brief experiment with event comics last year pulled much the same trick on us – but if you give the audience a good comic, they’ll forgive you. There’s no question this got people talking, and I have no doubt they’ll stick around for the fallout. This will remain the most consistent ongoing on the stands as long as King is around.
Glenn: Taking silver is the newest launch of Amazing Spider-Man by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottely which sells over 289.1k which is less than 800 but much more than Slott’s real final issue, 801. If Marvel didn’t get a great number following the position Slott left the run in, the hype machine and the new creative team that includes the biggest Image grab since Greg Capullo then something would have been very rotten in Denver. How the title continues to perform long term will remain to be seen with issue 2 landing this month at 7 selling over 113.9 meaning the second issue of this much hyped run barely outsells the 51st issue of the juggernaught that is Batman. Things could go either way from here since as we all know, Marvel has no problem getting attention with launching books but keeping the interest is usually another matter.
Ray: Amazing Spider-Man is still Marvel’s #1 brand, and this debut seems to be mainly due to that weight. The second-issue sales are acceptable, but also below Slott’s final issue by about 9K. With the first two issues shipping the same month, there’s no way to tell where actual demand is, but I would guess third-issue sales at about 80K. We’ll see where it goes from there, but it’s worth noting that Ottley’s first off-arc is coming up quickly. That won’t help.
Glenn: Ottely being off soon did get a lot of confusion but he quickly clarified online that he will need regular breaks and can’t do a monthly schedule (which fans of Invincible will have known going in) but still it’ll be interesting to see in a few months what…if any effect that has on sales.
Speaking of new launches from Marvel, the new direction in Captain America gets a lot of interest too with it selling at 3 with sales over 167.4k. A very encouraging start for a title that’s had a troubling history for a few years. The Waid run usually managed about mid 30k and I think this one do a little ahead of that but again, next month will be the real test.
Ray: This is definitely a healthier debut for Captain America than the Mark Waid Legacy run had, although it’s worth noting that it’s less than half the debut of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ last Marvel run, the first issue of Black Panther. I chalk that up to Marvel being in a very different place right now than it was then, but this is still a strong comeback. Worth noting that unlike Waid’s run, this follows up directly on the events of the reviled Secret Empire and focuses on Cap trying to save his reputation and figure out if there’s still a place for him. Daring, but Coates may manage to spin gold out of, well, insert your own descriptor here.
Glenn: Despite delays, DC’s Doomsday Clock remains remarkably steady selling over 135.1k at 4. The book is basically performing very similarly to Dark Knights III which is great all things considered. Even in a month full of relaunches, people still want the latest piece of Doomsday Clock’s fascinating puzzle.
Ray: This book is invincible. It’s also performing rather similarly to Dark Nights: Metal, which shows how strong DC’s event brand is right now. I think these events with limited or no tie-ins are really appealing to readers, and I expect next month’s Heroes in Crisis to land in a similar area.
Glenn: It also bodes well for the Black Label prestige line coming up which seem to be a series of hard blows to people’s wallets.
Superman relaunches under new writer Brian Bendis at 5 selling over 133.7k which is good but I’d almost wager DC maybe wanted more since Bendis on Iron Man sold over 250k not that long ago when it launched. As long as the run comes out ahead of previous sales its a win but DC maybe wanted another sure thing in their artillery like Batman and while this is good sales, its not overly encouraging. What is encouraging is that the other Superman book, Action comics sells over 79.3k which will make DC happy as from memory I believe the last time Action sold along this line was when Johns came back with Romita JR. If both titles can average in the 70k range then it’ll be a big win. Another one to double check next month.
Ray: This is definitely good, but also probably lower than DC wanted. Action had an interesting trajectory during the last run – starting at just over half of Superman’s run, but then leveling out much faster and actually ending above its sister title. Will that repeat here? Too early to tell, but critical reaction was much kinder to Action than Superman so far.
Glenn: I’d say that Superman and Action will sell very similarly to each other going forward. This has been the first time since Kurt Busiek from memory we’ve had the same writer on both so I could see retailers treating it like just one book that’s telling two stories much like Wonder Woman did at the start of Rebirth.
At 6 is the relaunch of Catwoman by Joelle Jones which sells over 121k which is brilliant.. The characters profile is very high at the moment and DC has picked the right time to take advantage. This is another one that likely won’t be effected too harsly by reorders I’d wager. Previous Catwoman runs usually settle around 20k at best and I can easily see this book doing well above that given the creator involved and the characters momentum.
Ray: Joelle Jones is definitely a fast-rising creator as well, so she’ll be bringing her own fanbase here. It’s impossible to know how much of this is the wedding hype and where it’ll land in coming months, but if it can level out close to Harley or Nightwing rather than Batwoman, DC will have a hit. It’s worth noting that Catwoman was one of less than ten characters to make it all the way to #52 during the New 52 era, so she can certainly carry a series.
Glenn: At 9 is a little bit of a surprise as the relaunch of X-23 sells over 93.8k and I’m not sure why. I know this character recently came off a turn as Wolverine but didn’t realize there was this much interest in her. Things make a little more sense at 44 where the second issue sells over 36.3k. Laura had a big year last year which maybe explains the first issue bonanza but even those second issue sales I would say are very strong. If it stays around the 30k range, the book will live a long happy life.
Ray: Those second issue sales are pretty close to what All-New Wolverine was doing, so I’m guessing retailers hoped those fans would stick around even if she doesn’t have the title anymore. It’ll fall further, but I think the character (and especially her little sister and pet wolverine) have built a fanbase during the previous run. She’s a headliner now, although I’m not sure this darker direction will click with the fans.
Glenn: Final spot in the top ten is another surprise in the form of Cosmic Ghost Rider, a completely new character (kinda/sorta) that is less than a year old but has picked up a lot of popularity. This new mini launches strong with sales over 92.3k making this the hottest new character debut from Marvel since Spider-Gwen. Hopefully in this instance, Marvel takes more care and takes advantage of something that fans have clear interest in without falling into any of their usual bad habits when it comes to these things.
Ray: Spider-Gwen is a pretty good parallel here, in that this is a character who became a sensation out of nowhere and Marvel wasn’t quite ready. Fortunately, Donny Cates was. He’s basically Marvel’s newest star writer, so they should just let him do whatever he wants as long as the craze lasts. I’m loving this book, although it feels like it could wear thin quickly if they’re not careful. Also, the next DC/Marvel crossover needs to be Batman and Cosmic Ghost Rider taking Baby Darkseid and Baby Thanos on a ridiculously violent play date.
Glenn: We should copyright that idea before Cates, King and/or Snyder beat us to it. I want that book yesterday.
Ray: Justice League seems to have already locked down its sales, with its third and fourth issues charting at #11/#13 and selling 80K and 77K respectively. Top characters, top writer, events spinning directly out of a big event, and a hot up-and-coming artist. This is the exact same model that Marvel is using for the new Avengers series, but DC’s brand is so much stronger that it’s working better. They’ve got a big hit on their hands, probably their #2 ongoing for the foreseeable future.
Glenn: Settled to where Johns was when he was on the book towards the latter end of his run but its a different market than it was seven or so years ago so this is very encouraging. Like Batman, I could see this getting random spikes for specific stories and/or issues but never dropping below a certain threshold. Certainty not bad company to be in.
Ray: Two strong debuts for new Marvel titles at #14/15. At #14 we have The Life of Captain Marvel, the origin-centric relaunch by Margaret Stohl as the movie gets closer, and just below it we’ve got the surprise launch Mr. and Mrs. X, which spins out of the X-wedding that wasn’t and then was. Both of these titles are well above where I would expect them to be, and that’s probably Marvel incentives and the like – remember Iron Fist’s top ten debut? – but the fact that a Captain Marvel and Rogue/Gambit title are selling this high likely means retailers are seeing more female readers in stores.
Glenn: Mr. and Mrs. X was also sold without any details so retailers had to order this without knowing what it was. Now the word is out it’ll be interesting to see how that effects its numbers. I was surprised by the sales of Captain Marvel’s mini since her last few ‘ongoing’ attempts haven’t gone over too well but this particularly retelling of her origin seemed to get some people talking. I don’t expect it to hold most of its sales but the collection will be nice to have on shelves for the movie early next year.
Ray: A surprisingly big boost in sales for Teen Titans #20 at #16, selling 67K. That’s close to double what the series was doing before this, and the effect isn’t duplicated by its sister book Titans (down at #50 with 33K). Both titles spin out of No Justice, but neither one has a huge impact on the goings-on in the DCU. Given the quality of this and the special, I doubt this will be much more than statistical noise.
Glenn: This says to me that there is some interest in a new direction on Teen Titans but then its just up to how good it is to see how many people stick around. It could very well be a top franchise with the right creative team, its not as if DC is hurting for talent right now.
Ray: It didn’t get into the top 10 this time, but Walking Dead is still kicking in the top 20, at #17 with 67K. Unstoppable.
The launch of Marvel’s newest event, Infinity Wars, sees a muted debut at #18 with 67K for Infinity Wars: Prime, but given that this event has been going on for months in Infinity Countdown (which charts its final issue this month at #30 with 50K), who knows how retailers saw this bridge/prequel/continuation. It turned out to be a massively significant issue with a huge spoiler, but Marvel didn’t hype that. We’ll see how the proper event does in August.
Glenn: I feel like we’ve been talking about this event forever and it still hasn’t properly started?! We’ll see some reorders here next month for sure but I’m completely lost in regards to how this event is structured and I’m not even reading it.
Ray: Avengers charts the first of two issues this month at #19 with 61K, but then it sinks to 55K at #24. This is the same space as books like Flash, Detective Comics, Venom, and Thor – the market’s strongest properties at the moment. If it can level out here in the 20s, it’ll be in good shape long-term.
Glenn: Marvel probably wanted more from it given like you said, they put on the biggest creators they had on the book but its definitely in the upper tier of what is healthy in the market.
Speaking of Thor, the third issue of the newest title starring the Thunder God sells over 55.5k at 25, pretty much the level its been at the entirety of Aaron’s whole run. Another astonishingly stable title.
Ray: Star Wars gets a nice boost for its #50 issue this month, landing at #20 with sales of 60K, but it drops right back down to 49K at #32 that same month. Still rock solid, and its above Darth Vader and that title’s annual, which sell almost the exact same number at 34/35.
Glenn: This is just probably just where Star Wars lives now which isn’t bad four years later after their massive launch. Titles on the stand would kill to be at around 40k after over four years of output.
Ray: Man of Steel wraps up its run at #21 with 61K, and given how much stronger the debuts for the proper Superman titles were, I think this was probably a bit of a misfire in scheduling and marketing rather than a problem with Bendis’ pull. The decision to have no variant covers was certainly educational about how the numbers look without that inflation.
Glenn: Having a pause after the momentum 1000 created was an odd decision, this mini sold well and may have been seen as necessary to pull in a new audience but given how many potential new readers and/or lapsed readers came and checked out 1000 for its historical significance it doesn’t seem as if this mini was really needed.
Ray: A relatively strong debut at #22 for Justice League Dark, selling 60K. A world apart from what the main Justice League book did, but aside from Wonder Woman this title doesn’t have any headliners. Spinning out of both No Justice and Tynion’s own Detective Comics run, this looks to be a modest hit for DC while its sister book Justice League Odyssey may have crashed before it got off the ground.
Glenn: This is pretty healthy for a Justice League offshoot, pretty in line with how JLA launched but I think it’ll have a far better hold than that book given that its going to be more closely tied in to Justice League’s overall narrative.
Ray: A huge increase in sales for Wonder Woman #51. #50 sells only 38K at #41, while the next issue (the debut of Steve Orlando) jumps up to #31 and sells 50K. Given that Orlando’s run is only one arc, there’s only one way to read this – the previous run was largely hated, and people are happy to have a Wonder Woman run starring Wonder Woman again. This bodes well for G. Willow Wilson’s November debut.
Glenn: Such an odd year for Wonder Woman, maybe one of the weirdest periods a title’s ever seen. We’re getting a bunch of high profile fill ins to tide us over until GWW comes on but I think that run will be a big win for DC.
Ray: Also a surprising increase for Astonishing X-Men, which gains 20K in sales for its new creative team to land at #33 with sales of 48K. Matthew Rosenberg is a rising star, but he’s not bigger than Charles Soule and the characters he’s working with aren’t bigger names. That makes this strong start a puzzle – maybe all down to variants and promotion? I would have expected a slight boost.
Glenn: Maybe its just general interest in the X-line right now? Shame it seems to be all rejiggled again in a few months when things seem the steadiest than its been in years.
Ray: We start to see where last month’s big Fresh Start debuts are landing. The news is very good for The Immortal Hulk, which charts two issues at #36/38, only about 1000 copies apart in the 44K range. This is clearly a case of the audience being hungry for a traditional Hulk book again, and Marvel responding. I wouldn’t have expected them to be sandwiching Dan Slott’s Iron Man book at #37, which had a top ten debut last month and then crashed. Marvel’s still having trouble getting people invested because of frequent relaunches. I’m also shocked all these books landed above Scottie Young’s Deadpool at #40, which sold 41K. This also crashed hard from a top ten debut last month.
Glenn: Deadpool’s a big surprise. Its good for Hulk and Iron Man but bad news for a character Marvel has been really been able to depend on over the last few years. Maybe people were upset how the Duggan run ended or maybe its cause of all the other Deadpool material launching at the same time that the actual real title got lost in the shuffle? A puzzling one.
Ray: The power of Donny Cates can’t save everything. Apparently people don’t even care about the Inhumans enough to want to watch them die. Cates’ “Death of the Inhumans” miniseries ends up at #39 with sales of 42K. Odds of a resurrection…dimming.
Glenn: Its probably faring better than it would be without Cates to be fair but yes, can we please call time on this experiment? We all want it to be mercifully over.
Ray: Saga is always steady, this month landing at #43 with sales of 36K – the #2 Image book consistently. It’s worth noting this month, though, because this is the last time we’ll be seeing it on the charts for at least eighteen months. The title’s going on a lengthy hiatus as it hits its midpoint.
Glenn: Can’t wait for Image offshoot title, Sega about a…I don’t know, I don’t read Saga…it just features Sonic the Hedgehog and some weird ass stuff, okay?!
Ray: A strong debut for X-Men Grand Design: Second Genesis, as Ed Piskor’s retelling of the entire X-canon begins its second miniseries with sales of 35K at #46. As we talked about when this first debuted, this will do 90% of its business in collections. Given that, this is a solid singles number and shows that the series is gaining buzz.
Following a top ten debut last month, The Magic Order crashes all the way down to #53 with sales of 31K. That’s barely above what Kirkman’s Oblivion Song is doing with three more issues under its belt. This makes pretty clear that this title was massively inflated last month, and the numbers here aren’t really any better than most of the Millarworld line.
Glenn: The interesting link with Netflix seems to have had no impact then. It may be a different story with the collections, its not as if Netflix’s audience like getting their material in installments, unless you’re me that is.
Ray: One book that immediately leveled out very nicely is Hawkman, which lands at #56 with sales of 30K. That’s just down 25% from its first issue sales, and is probably a good sales trajectory if it continues to level out. The title debuted without much hype, but it is a direct spin-off from Dark Nights: Metal, so there’s likely some real interest here.
Glenn: The creative team likely helps too, probably way more than DC could expect from a Hawkman book any other way.
Ray: One thing that’s interesting is just how closely clustered together most of the X-line is right now. Aside from the top-selling X-Men: Red, most of the other books – X-Men Gold, X-Men Blue, Old Man Logan, and the four Hunt for Wolverine minis – are all selling between 34K and 29K in the 47-65 section of the charts. The line’s getting a big refresh come the fall, and it’s clear why – these titles aren’t selling badly, but there’s very little buzz around them.
In a strong candidate for the oddest book to make the top 100 in a while, Injustice vs. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Tim Seeley debuts at #68 with 27K in sales. Clearly this is more due to Injustice than He-Man given the strengths of the brands, but this is still well above where the usual Injustice 2 comic lands. Power of Seeley?
Glenn: Power of nostalgia? Not sure how this got ordered so heavily but I can’t wait to see Injustice vs Street Sharks hit shelves next year.
Ray: Another victory for weird is the strong top 100 debuts of two new Image titles, debuting less than 700 copies apart in the 26K range. At #71 is the launch of Rob Guillory’s family farm/organ harvesting sci-fi drama Farmhand, which likely did so well based on the Chew fanbase. Then at #75 is Mirka Andolfo’s Zootopia-meets-The Handmaid’s Tale drama Unnatural. Both writer-artist books, both very odd, both surprising hits. Farmhand in particular is a must-read.
Glenn: Really pleased for Farmhand and its good to see the market being accepting of more off beat material. Superheroes are still kinds of the industry overall but there is clearly a market for people looking for something a bit more quirky to balance that all out also.
Nearly duplicating the sales of their team up with Spider-Man last month, Wakanda Forever: X-Men which sees the warriors of Wakanda team with the titular team at 73 selling over 26.1k. These one shots seem to be doing pretty well.
Ray: The Wakanda Forever one-shots are all #1s, which is an interesting tactic – it’s a miniseries, but it gets the #1 boost every single issue. That’s one way to prevent attrition.
Glenn: At 76 is a True Believer One Shot which has the theme of Fantastic Four this month (remember them? They’re back, in Slott form), The highest selling of these is the Coming Of Galactus that reprints the iconic Lee/Kirby story that new FF writer Dan Slott once likened to the hard drugs of trying comics for the first time. It sells over 25.3k despite being reprinted more times than any of us can imagine. Free money for Marvel.
Ray: None of these True Believers one-shots have done anywhere close to the Spider-Man vs. Venom one, but there seems to be consistent interest in them. I’m intrigued by the What If ones that are coming down the pipe soon – that’s a title not too many people have read.
Glenn: I’m also curious if its a low risk measure for Marvel to bring the title back. I’d love some modern What If?
Only a slight increase for the 50th issue of Green Lanterns at 77 which sells just over 25.3k and although the days of Green Lantern being one of DC’s top books might be done, the title now starts spinning its wheels waiting for Grant Morrison and Liam Sharpe to make the sales on this party like its 2007 or so.
Ray: Yeah, it’s worth noting that Robert Venditti’s run on Green Lantern has been going on for over five years now. The title hasn’t had a high-profile refresh since then and has just been plugging along as a mid-level DC property. Given that, it’s still pretty stable. We’ll see some big numbers for Morrison’s run.
Glenn: Archie Meets Batman 66 is the latest collaboration between Archie and DC selling over 24.4k at 82 making this the highest debut from Archie is quite some time. Since this is the Batman of the campy Adam West show and retro Archie I think this is quite a strong start. A lot of people want more wacky old school nonsense in their comics and I doubt they’d find many more comics that fit the bill more than this one.
Ray: That is a strong debut for a crossover between two retro versions of properties that have been modernized a lot since then. But Batman sells in any incarnation. Can’t wait for Betty to meet Barbara Gordon. “So, they rushed your recovery with weird fake science too?”
Glenn: In a bizarre one, Dynamites new Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark Comic debuts at 89 with sales over 23.3 and…I’m not sure how or why? I mean the next issue will probably be below 10k but this is one hell of a strong launch about a comic featuring a buxom vampire tv show host from yesteryear. Can’t wait for her to team up with Nancy Drew soon.
Ray: Yeah, I got nothing here. This had a lot of variant covers, including some by elite horror artists. Dynamite gave this an unexpectedly big rollout, so I wouldn’t be surprised by a huge crash next month. The way Dynamite rolls things out is almost Marvelesque at times.
Glenn: Another True Believers One Shot at 92 in Fantastic Four vs Doctor Doom which sells over 21.7k. This is another often repackaged comic that reprints the first encounter between the Fantastic Four and their greatest enemy. I’m sure we’ll have old tin face yelling ‘Richards!‘ to the heavens again in no time.
In as much as Saga’s unscheduled break was a surprise, the ending of Scottie Young’s ‘I Hate Fairyland‘ was probably a big shocker too. The final issue charts at 93 and picks up a big sales spike for its final issue selling over 21.6k on its way out the door. Young’s writing schedule is filling up so I guess something had to give.
Ray: Yeah, he’s launching two new Image books in the coming months, although he’s just drawing rather than writing. Many people felt the ending was a bit rushed, but we won’t be missing Skottie Young for long.
Glenn: Gail Simone’s Plastic Man’s second issue holds on fairly well at 99 selling over 20.6k. This is just a mini that was put out because of Gail’s desire to write it so these are very good sales with that in mind.
For those keeping score at home, Spawn starts to return to more sane sales levels this month with it charting 100 with sales over 20.1k but its still a good bit ahead of what it was. There’s life in the old demon yet.
The new Sentry book lands at 103 with sales over 19.9k so not too harsh a drop on this one either. This will probably be one of the most stable books coming out from Marvel going forward and could see some climbs as it carries on along the likes of Mr. Miracle.
Ray: This is basically exactly what Vision did when it came out, by a little guy named Tom King. I’m expecting a solid 12-issue run for Sentry, but few writers but Lemire could keep this book above the red line for long.
Glenn: True Believers: Fantastic Four Hulk Vs Thing sells over 19.5k at 105 barely being outsold by the now cancelled Immortal Men which probably explains why it wasn’t so immortal.
Pretty soft fall for the Infinity Countdown (when will it eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend?!) mini starring the Champions at 107 selling over 19.2k. This event may be insanity to keep track off and not a sure fire hit but it seems to have a lot of consistency which is good.
Marvel Rising Ms. Marvel Squirrel Girl sells over 17.9k at 112 which is very good for this series being disguised as various one shots given these books aren’t really for the direct market. More female fans to credit for this one?
Ray: I think a big part of this is simply combining the Ms. Marvel and Squirrel Girl fandoms into one book. Orders sort of reflect that. The fanbase for these two in the direct market is small, but solid.
Glenn: No boost really for the final issue of Spider-Gwen from her creators at 114 selling over 17.2k, She’s getting a big spotlight in her rebranding/relaunch in a few months so hopefully that brings some sames back to the book that Marvel really dropped the ball on.
Ray: Marvel didn’t really hype this finale that much, which is a shame. This was one of their biggest new property launches in a while, and it was just allowed to fade away after its initial high. Relaunch coming.
Glenn: At 115 is another True Believers reprinting the wedding of Reed and Sue which sells over 16.9k and I’m sure all these people who bought this were relieved they got to see the wedding they paid for.
At 116 is the start of the latest (and last?) League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen mini, Tempest from IDW which sells over 16.9k. Like the 300 prequel I’m sure many of the League fans out there read it in some sort of collection and are waiting on that rather than the monthly installments. Still this is very good sales from the legendary series of course.
Ray: Much like the X-Men: Grand Design singles, this is a title that was made for trades and these are all bonus sales at this point.
Glenn: Another Dark Crystal title from BOOM at 122 sells over 16.4k which is pretty much where the rest have been selling. This an old property that has a very loyal audience and BOOM will probably get an influx of interest when the new Netflix show debuts.
Ray: Boom’s done a lot of Dark Crystal titles before, but I believe this is the first one that continues the movie’s story. That likely gave it a boost over the rest of the Henson line – this is performing rather similarly to Boom’s new Labyrinth title.
Glenn: At 123 is the second issue of the Unexpected, the last of the New Worlds Of DC series to launch and it sells over 16.4k so don’t get attached to this one folks if you remember where Immortal Men was and keep in mind its already canned.
Ray: Rumor is this is done at six just like Immortal Men, with none of the line going beyond 12 except The Terrifics if Lemire wants it to.
Glenn: In some sort of tie in to the movie (I’m guessing?) Teen Titans Go To The Movies a one dollar offering sells over 16.2k at 125. Its pretty much a promotional comic that is charted anyway so its sales are almost insignificant. Heard the movie was surprisingly good though.
Pretty okay numbers from the second issue of Multiple Man’s new mini at 128 selling over 16k considering it is indeed a mini and the character is over 10 years removed from his most popular period. Marvel seems to be investing a lot in writer Matthew Rosenburg so this could be one that sells well in collections down the line.
Top quality one shot, DC Beach Blanket Bad Guys sells over 15k at 135 and with this price tag that’s very good and in line with similar projects DC has been putting out. There’s more of these coming and Marvel is getting in on the game too come October so they seem to be considered successful.
Ray: As the anthologies go for DC, this is middle of the road – I believe it’s higher than the New Talent Showcase or the last Halloween special, but a bit below the Holiday special. As long as DC keeps arranging a murderer’s row of creative talent on these, they’ll keep selling well for $10 comics. This was excellent, too.
Glenn: Two more True Believers One Shots at 138 with Fantastic Four What If? and 140 Galactus Hungers selling 14.6k and 14.1k respectfully. Whether by choice or by credence, MArvel’s decision to not have any Fantastic Four comics for a few years seems to have brought about some genuine demand in their comics both old and new. Of course we’ll see the biggest benefit in regards to that next month.
Ray: We know from the sales spoilers for next month that there’s a big hunger for Fantastic Four comics out there, so more free money for Marvel. Another issue, from John Byrne’s run, is down at #152 selling 12.8K, followed by a Walter Simonson issue selling 12K at #157 and an issue of “New Fantastic Four” featuring the alternative team two spots below selling 11.8K.
Another one of those oddball “How did it sell that high?” entries at #146, as Lady Mechanika: Dame Sans Merci sells 13.5K. I still don’t know what this franchise is, but it seems to have a solid fanbase. Lady Mechanika/Elvira crossover coming soon?
IDW launches a new Transformers event, Transformers: Unicron at #153 selling 12.5K. This is the finale to the company’s extended Transformers continuity, with the line being relaunched somehow in the near future. Fans from the history of the property are likely turning out to see how it ends, because this is a decent boost. The second issue is down at #179 selling 9.3K.
Two more True Believers Fantastic Four comics at #162 and #166, selling in the 11K range. These are the Coming of Herbie and the Birth of Valeria. One auspicious event in FF history, and one Herbie. If even Herbie can get over 10K copies, that’s good news for where the franchise is.
Glenn: Don’t diss Herbie! He saved kids from setting themselves on fire back in the day!
Ray: No real boost for the finale of Descender, which sells less than 100 copies less than last month’s issue, closing out its run at #163 with sales of 11.3K. This book is likely doing most of its numbers in trades now, so a finale doesn’t really boost sales for an Image title. Off this title goes to trade-land, where – oh, wait, we’re getting a whole big sequel with a new title, Ascender in 2019! At By The Numbers, we do the happy dance. *falls over*
Glenn: I can’t wait for Ascender which will see a slight boost upon launch and then probably pick up around this level. Like other Lemire properties, this book has a solid fanbase that picks it up monthly but there will be a larger fanbase to enjoy this masterpiece in collections until we are ruled by sentient robots for reals.
Ray: Speaking of Lemire! The latest Black Hammer spinoff, the Legion of Super-Heroes inspired The Quantum Age, bows at #165 with sales of 11.1K. This seems to be where Black Hammer spin-offs land, and this is one of the top-selling Dark Horse books of the month only behind a Gaiman book, a Miller book, and an Alien title.
Glenn: Black Hammer always deserves more sales but its clear Dark Horse loves the line, long may it continue!
Ray: The latest Ales Kot title, The New World, lands at #167 with sales of 11K. Kot is one of those creators who have a small, locked-down audience and retailers order cautiously because they know who’s likely to buy them.
As Disney wants everyone to publish their comics besides Marvel, Dark Horse gets into the game this month with Incredibles: Crisis in Mid-Life, which lands at #172 with sales of 10.2K. This isn’t the place where Disney comics are going to do most of their audience, so these numbers are fine. Next month brings a Frozen miniseries, which should do even higher numbers. Disney takes away from Dark Horse, Disney giveth.
Glenn: I’m surprised we didn’t see more from Incredibles given the new movie and such but licensed properties (outside of Star Wars and that’s seen better days) never do that great nowadays anyway. This will see most of its sales in Disney stores, book shops and theme parks long after we’re all dead and Disney is now providing your funeral too!
Ray: An odd entry at #174 with sales just under 10K – it’s Die! Die! Die! No, this isn’t the comic about how I feel about TMNT: Urban Legends, it’s the new Robert Kirkham/Chris Burnham title that was dropped with only two days’ notice on retailers for free. Many retailers didn’t get it in time for Wednesday morning, and it became a bit of a mess. But as none of these were ordered (orders were matched to the top ten debut of Oblivion Song), those 90K didn’t show up on the charts. These are likely reorders that stores actually paid for.
Glenn: I thought on paper the idea behind this roll out was great. Here’s a new high demand title for free, wahay! It was all a bit messy though and stores weren’t too pleased about the last minute drop. The intention was good but I don’t think this market is ready for surprises like this.
Ray: #175 brings us the new supernatural drug thriller Bone Parish from Cullen Bunn, selling 9.8K. The latest horror mystery for Bunn does decent numbers given Boom’s usual sales trajectory, but I’m expecting his Image launch in August, Cold Spots, to increase over this quite a bit.
One final True Believers one-shot at #182 selling 8.8K, Fantastic Four Two-in-One. I don’t believe this is the recent Zdarsky comic but the 1974 title teaming Thing and Man-Thing.
Oh, this one’s depressing. At #183 we’ve got the debut of one of my favorite books of the month, Outpost Zero. This sci-fi coming of age story by Sean McKeever and new artist Alexandre Tefengki sells 8.8K. McKeever’s been gone from comics for a while, and before then his best books didn’t sell like they should in singles. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Buy this book! Come on, people!
Glenn: McKeever’s been gone from comics for like 13 years which is a looooong time. Retailers probably ordered this more like he was an unknown so it could be worse. It’ll probably pick up a decent hold and some solid word of mouth.
Ray: At #188 is the Rat Queens: Neon Static one-shot. Surprisingly, it only sells 270 copies less than the main title this month, with both coming in at the 8K range. This title’s been low but steady for a while, despite many relaunches.
The latest Aftershock #1, Relay, lands at #198. Despite an FCBD preview and Donny Cates’ name on the cover (he co-developed the concept with writer Zac Thompson), Aftershock couldn’t get more than 7.8K for this complex sci-fi serial about religion and colonialism. Shame, this is probably the most inventive comic Aftershock’s done yet.
#200 brings us the third miniseries in Valiant’s Brittania series, selling 7.6K. I’m still not sure how this factors into the Valiant universe at all, but it seems to have a limited but loyal audience.
Glenn: At 202, Image’s Steller has its second issue which sells over 7.5k. Pretty normal non big name Image stuff, this is around the level where Shutter lived in monthly form and this is the same writer so like that book, this book will do well in collections most likely.
Slight boost of the 50th issue of Zombie Tramp at 205 with sales over 7.2k which means this title has managed a longer run than any Marvel title in recent history. I think we should all think long and hard about that before sitting down.
Ray: Good ol’ Zombie Tramp, official mascot of By The Numbers. Jokes aide, Action Lab seems to have created a bizarre little shared universe here that is picking up steam.
Glenn: At 206 is a new Dark Horse launch, She Could Fly which sells over 7.2k which is pretty normal for a non big name creator Dark Horse launch these days.
Ray: She Could Fly is actually a Berger Book, from Dark Horse. That line has struggled with sales after a less-than-spectacular initial output, and retailers seem to be ordering cautiously. This one feels like it could pick up some steam due to the quality.
Glenn: At 207 another Image book, Shanghai Red holds on to a good amount of sales from its first issue selling over 7.2k on its second issue. Not too shabby at all!
Selling over 7.1k at 208 is a zero issue for Rise Of TMNT and these ‘zero’ issues are always hard to gage. Technically they are the start but they’re also kind of not? Pretty decent and standard numbers from a Turtles comic these days.
Ray: To say this new Ninja Turtles cartoon has had a mixed reception would be putting it lightly. This isn’t a terrible number, but I don’t see this one having the spinoff legs that the previous cartoon did.
Glenn: At 211 is some reorders for the Teen Titans special bringing in over another 7.1k in sales. I know Ray wasn’t too fond of this but hey, something seems to have worked…maybe its teenage female Lobo?
Another all ages throwaway at 214 in MSH Ms. Marvel Teleporting Dog selling over 6.7k in sales which is decent enough given that this is not for the direct market. Poor Lockjaw though…now I’m sad…
Another relatively low profile Image book gets a second issue in Last Siege at 218 which sells over 6,6k. This didn’t debut last month so I’m guessing some shipping issues? That won’t help the books chances sales wise.
Pretty steady hold for the second issue of Sword Daughter at 220 which sells over 6.5k but it being priced at 4.99 will help a lot. I’m guessing there’s a reason for this being a dollar more than the majority of the books on the charts?
Ray: Sword Daughter, the latest Brian Wood Viking adventure, is 30 pages for every issue. Not sure why, but it explains the price point.
Glenn: Bryan Hill has a new Image book at 224 selling over 6.4k and this one is a surprise. He’s just taken over Detective for a brief run and seems to be on the rise at DC so where’s the interest? This is another book like we saw with Analog where the sales should be a lot higher on paper.
Ray: Aphrodite V is the latest reinvention of an old Top Cow property, and a spinoff of the current Cyber Force series. Bryan Hill’s writing has gained some buzz, especially on Detective Comics, but even he can’t revive largely defunct properties.
Glenn: Quirky animal adventure comic Ruinworld launches from BOOM at 237 selling over 5.9k. This is pretty standard for creator owned at BOOM but this series looks like a lot of fun, will probably do well with younger readers in collection form.
Ray: Yeah, with no big-name creators and funny animals, this is definitely not a book Boom was gearing for the direct market. This is only a miniseries and will do 90% of its sales in bookstores.
Glenn: In one of the last Bongo comics ever, Futurama annual sells over 5.9k at 238 which is pretty standard.
More reorders for the insanely popular new Venom run at 239 selling over another 5.9k and this is now one of Marvel’s top books, what a world.
More reorders at 241 and 243 for Immortal Hulk and X-Men Gold respectively selling 5.7k a piece. One is encouraging for the new Hulk run, while the other is encouraging for the new Mr. and Mrs. X series.
Ray: The new Hulk book in particular seems to be getting some real buzz. Keeping a character gone for a while can have an effect, like JMS‘ Thor.
Glenn: At 245 is a one shot from IDW, the Bumblebee movie prequel comic tie in which sells over 5.6k which again is pretty standard for this sort of thing. This will be for hardcore fans only.
Ray: In this one, Bumblebee is a spy in the Cold War. I’m completely serious.
Glenn: In Soviet Union, Bumblebee is good spy?
I’m surprised Joe Hill’s new Cape series The Fallen didn’t do better than 251 with sales over 5.4k but maybe people prefer his work in collection form? Clearly the two previous Cape offerings have sold well enough to warrant this third being green lit so I doubt IDW is overly concerned.
Ray: Yeah, with the irregular schedule of these chapters and Hill’s bookstore appeal, this is definitely not geared towards the single issue market.
A fairly disastrous launch for the new Image title New Lieutenants of Metal, written by Joe Casey. At #252 with 5.4K, this might be the lowest-selling main-line Image #1 I can remember. It’s very much a niche property, especially as the artist is coming over from smaller companies like Oni.
Glenn: Casey seems to have lost any of the notoriety he may have had too. They better hope for some sales elsewhere or this book won’t last.
Ray: Nancy Drew #2 is down at #262 with 4.8K in sales. That’s keeping a little over 60% of its first issue sales, not a hard drop. This one will keep getting buzz in a way Dynamite books rarely do.
Glenn: Nancy Drew should outsell Batman 50!
Ray: Titan continues to make the most out of its Doctor Who license with a series of one-shots focusing on the previous current-wave Doctors. #265 brings us one focusing on David Tennant’s 10th Doctor, who is popular enough to command 4.8K in sales.
IDW’s Black Crown line, which brings us offbeat creator-owned books, has another muted debut by Assassinistas writer Tini Howard. Euthanauts, a twisted tale of fascination with death, lands at #266 with sales of 4.8K. I’m guessing IDW is hoping for Vertigo-like trade sales here.
Glenn: Seems likely, its interesting to see a lot of companies try these new imprints catered to different audiences lately.
Ray: Nothing notable for 4.7K in sales for an X-files spinoff, but I just want to spotlight the spectacularly named X-Files Case Files: Hoot Goes There? at #271.
Jody Houser’s Starcraft miniseries, Scavengers, lands at #268 with sales of 4.3K. This is obviously a niche property, and I wouldn’t be surprised by numbers of 10x this for her Stranger Things series in a few months.
Glenn: Surely a Stranger Things mini written by one of the best new voices in comics right now can do that? That would make Dark Horse very happy.
Ray: It’s time to strike up the Rachel Bloom songs, Glenn! #282 brings us Revenge of Wonderland from Zenoscope, selling 4.3K. I got nothing.
Glenn: I got nothing either except eye rolls and personal stories about a previous Wonderland writer stealing money from me and I’m all out of eye rolls.
Ray: A very low debut from the Celtic mythology-based new Aftershock title, Clankillers, at #288. I think Aftershock continues to have major distribution and market awareness issues – it lands below the second issue of Farel Dalrymple’s niche Image title Proxima Centauri.
Glenn: Aftershock still manages to pull in some big names so they’re working on their brand at the moment. They could be in a worse position for sure.
Ray: More reorders for Venom #2 and Amazing Spider-Man #800 at 290/291, selling around 4K. ASM #800 keeps on chasing that Action #1000 record.
#294 finds Lion Forge cracking the Top 300 with the launch of the new Voltron: Legendary Defenders miniseries. This is just in time to tie in with a popular but controversial seventh season. The show has a fanbase bigger than any comic book store’s market, so these 4K in sales are just the start of likely strong sales in bookstores.
Glenn: Good for Lion Forge cracking the top 300 though! I bet they were thrilled to land a licensed property that is now finding a new audience
Ray: Hey, Glenn! It’s your favorite book, The Weeknd Presents Starboy, getting just under 4K in reorders at #297!
Glenn: This title makes my eye twitch.
Ray: The popular sci-fi podcast Thrilling Adventure Hour gets a new comic at #299, selling 3.9K. I don’t think comics based on podcasts are very common, so there’s not many comparisons here. But I think this one might appeal more to digital comics fans, given the audience of podcast fans.
Glenn: Time for Rabbitt Stew the comic! Starring three geeks who battle their arch nemesis, scheduling and audio trouble!
Ray: Another rock-bottom IDW creator-owned debut at #300 for Brian Buccellato’s Lowlifes, which sells 3.9K. Not much to say – IDW continues to struggle to get awareness for their originals.
Glenn: IDW is putting out a heavy amount of content, much more than Image so they’re asking a lot of their audience. This is an effect of that.
Ray: The series Orphan Black is over, but IDW still has the new comic miniseries Crazy Science spinning out of it. It sells 3.8K at #301.
Glenn: For hardcore fans of the series only and it was only ever just a cult hit to begin with. One of many IDW properties that fall in the same category.
Ray: Two more Zenoscope comics at #310/311, selling 3.6K. Grimm Fairy Tales is a pretty standard one, but then there’s the Grimm Fairy Tales 2018 Cosplay Special. Is this even a comic? Is this just photos of people dressed up as sexy comic book characters? I’m so confused, Glenn.
Glenn: I told you going below 300 was a bad idea Ray, it just features weirdness and borderline porn but no one listens to Glenn.
Ray: Pretty standard numbers for a Star Trek alternate universe spin-off one-shot for Star Trek: New Visions – An Unexpected Yesterday, which charts at #316 with sales of 3.5K.
Aspen has a bit of a presence in this section of the charts this month, with several new launches. The top one is the latest volume of one of their flagship properties, Soulfire. That lunches at #318 with sales of 3.4K. Aspen seems to be trying to build some momentum lately with a big relaunch, but we’ll see if it works long term.
Glenn: won’t hold my breath for much. Aspen is floating on pure nostalgia which will only get them so far.
Ray: Now I’m gonna rage, because three of the best books on the market – The Highest House #5, Flavor #3, and By Night #2 – are all down here from 322-324, selling 3.4-3.3K. They were outsold by three Zenoscope books, Glenn. Highest House will likely return for volume two in OGN form, and By Night will get to finish out its run, but Flavor is probably headed for the same fate as Elsewhere and that makes me sad.
Glenn: There’s so many comics that some high quality ones are bound to get lost in the shuffle. Thank goodness that this era of comics is probably the best ever for the collection market so a whole batch of new fans can discover these stories later down the line.
Ray: A lot of reorders starting to creep in around this point, with the first two issues of Justice League getting about 3.2K in reorders at 329/330. Flash #47, the start of Flash War, gets 3K in reorders at #333, and the latest Deadpool relaunch does the same at #335. Nothing like last month’s bizarre wave of inexplicable reorders, though.
Glenn: I guess Marvel ran out of excess stock for the moment.
Ray: #340 brings us the launch of a new Casper and Hot Stuff series for American Mythology. They launched a new Casper series last year. The second issue comes out this week. So needless to say, this isn’t the most reliable company, and that shows in the 2.9K sales.
The Image comic Elsewhere ended its run with #8, and we can unfortunately see why with sales of 2.8K at #345. This book is a minor gem and people should pick up the trade.
Glenn: I eagerly await reading the first trade. I loved the concept but it didn’t seem to catch many people’s attention. Its a shame that writer Jay Faeber never seems to manage to get a solid hit as everything I’ve read of his has been good to great.
Ray: #350 brings us a rare original Oni comic, the post-apocalyptic satire The Long Con, which does just under 2.8K. Sending up both post-apocalyptic drama and comic convention tropes, this book has gotten some good buzz and will likely get some more awareness with the inevitable $1 reprint. Oni’s very slowly restarting their single issue line even as they focus more on OGNs, and this is a good start.
Glenn: Not bad for the very Amusing Long Con but Oni isn’t primarily focusing on the singles market at the moment. I could see this picking up in sales though with their $1 reprint likely getting into a lot of hands, its a great idea.
At 354 is a record high debut for It Came Out On A Wednesday from Alterna comics which sells over 2.7k. Alterna has been working hard building a brand based around high quality but cheap comics and this is a great number for them. I’ve tried to get a few Wednesday stories myself published and have yet to had the good fortune, maybe next year!
Ray: This feels like the month Alterna broke out. Their low price points – ICOAW was $1.99 for over 40 pages of story – are starting to get more people interested, and sales are going up fast. I feel like they’ve lapped some of the flashier companies like Lion Forge, Vault, and Scout.
Glenn: Issue 2 of Modern Fantasy from Dark Horse is selling just over 2.4k at 362 so don’t get attached to this one folks, at least in monthly format. The art style and premise does indicate it’ll do well in a larger audience so it could be going straight to ogn’s after this if the creators can/want to continue
At 364 is the second (and final issue) of the bizarre story of Archies Superteens vs Crusaders which sells over 2.4k. The back story to this book is probably more interesting than the story the poor creative team had to tell in the time they had.
Ray: This was quite the bizarre comic, feeling like it just got cut short a little over 1/3rd of the way through with the actual event teased never happening. There was definitely some behind the scenes weirdness going on here. Maybe they found out Archie was secretly working for Hydra? Maybe he had to go to Sweden? (I’ll never stop.)
Glenn: Mike Hammer the detective thriller noir type series from Titan has its second issue at 365 selling over 2.4k. Not much demand for hard boiled detective stories perhaps. Then again, Titan lives and breathes on its licensed properties, not original content like this seems to be.
At 367 is another high debut from Alterna, a reprint of a graphic novel they published some years ago in Metaphase which sells over 2.4k The graphic novel is about a little boy with down syndrome who gets powers and got some major media attention leading to some great sales. The graphic novel is being split in two for the singles market so these are just bonus sales to a very important comic.
Ray: This is one of Alterna’s biggest hits overall, and it’s great that it’s getting more attention in a new form. This book definitely deserves to be seen for the awareness and empowerment it’s trying to achieve.
Glenn: Deadlife, another original property from Titan doesn’t make much of an impact either selling over 2.4k at 368. The premise of this sounds very interesting but there’s a lot of similar content that are from higher profile names and higher profile companies so this one has to live with the scraps.
Donald & Mickey Quarterly Treasure Menace In Venice (try saying that ten times fast) sells over 2.3k at 377 which is pretty typical for a Disney comic like this. It’ll sell better elsewhere.
Submerged, a new Vault Comics offering debuts at 387 selling over 2.1k. This is another book that sounds like its really interesting that has failed to catch interest. I’m guessing this time its down to Vault’s position in the market.
Ray: I would have expected Vita Ayala to get more sales for Submerged. This is a quality book and has a rising name attached. It probably comes down to Vault’s place in the market – aside from Donny Cates’ book, they haven’t been catching on.
Glenn: Oh Sh#t Its Kim and Kim sells over 1.9 at 396. I would have expected more since writer Magdeline Visaggio’s star is on the rise but I think this is an existing property of hers so the audience is likely set.
Ray: It’s also Black Mask. This is the closest they have to a real franchise, but the company as a whole is struggling to find traction. Clearly they need more post-apocalyptic couriers.
Glenn: At 398 is the Cape Greatest Hits which I’m assuming is some reprint of previous Cape mini’s to tie in with the newest one. It sells over 1.9k but to be honest, its almost immaterial since the two mini’s have been in the trade market for a few years so this is just to have in case the newest mini picks up a few new single issue readers and they want to be caught up.
Another Scout debut in the Mall at 399 selling over 1,9k and I guess this is where their comics live by and large.
Ray: The Mall is probably the best book Scout has ever put out, and given the FCBD preview issue I might have expected more. Sadly, unless you’re Stabbity Bunny, their books don’t have much sales traction.
Glenn: Another offering from Aspen at 400 in Dissention War Eternal selling over 1.9k. See comments regarding their audience above.
Nancy In Hell at 405 which sells over 1.7k appears to be a reprint of a comic I’ve never heard of Image put out several years ago from another company. I guess people weren’t mourning missing this one the first time around.
Even though it sounds like we’re making up titles now, Real Science Adventures Nicodemus Job is a real comic that came out. It sold over 1.7k at 407. This is a comic with an apparent link to Atomic Robo and I’m guessing that’s not a huge property to have books with complex titles linked to it?
Ray: Atomic Robo is a cult property, kind of like a more niche Hellboy. It definitely sells more in trades.
Glenn: Some reorders for Magic Order’s first issue at 409 with another 1.7+ additional sales. Those bumped up orders from last month don’t seem to have created much demand for more.
Jungle Fantasy Secrets (save me Jeebus) sells 1.7k at 410 even though its priced at 7.99 (!!!!) this is for the ‘nude’ cover while the ‘regular’ cover charts at 428 selling over 1.4k at the bargain price of 5.99. I guess the extra $2 is for them nudee pictures of dem gurls.
Ray: Given that these Jungle Fantasy comics have like 20 covers, I’m always puzzled by how the sales break down here.
Glenn: It has no nudity (that I’m aware of) but I’m sure there’s plenty of near nudity in 411’s Danger Girl Gallery Edition which is priced at 9.99 (!!!!!) and sells over 1.7k. This seems more like a collection so I’m not sure why its here? I mean I’m not sure why its here in general but…
Ray: There’s always some weird classifications about collections vs. single issues. It must be a similar thing like we saw with Batman: The Dark Prince Charming, which was an OHC and was classified as a single issue.
Glenn: Another debut from Alterna in Eden at 413 which sells over 1.7k. I bet the creators are thrilled in how these books are doing and that’s not counting all the markets that Alterna seem to be making outside the market.
At 414 I was worried that Aspen Splash was a comic swimsuit issue and…it is. It sells over 1.6k. Here’s me trying to break into comics using fully defined female protagonists who don’t wear skimpy clothing. Its all so clear now.
Another Aspen offering at 424 selling 1.5k in the form of comic Nu Way. I fear I might go insane if I google to see what it is and I love you all too much to do that.
At 432 is Wyonna Earp Greatest Hits, a comic tie in to the cult hit TV show which sells over 1.3k. Not much interest in this one outside of her core medium it seems.
A comic mini simply titled ‘Little Girl‘ from Devil’s Due debuts at 435 selling over 1.2k. The premise sounds verly by the numbers and the title is a bit generic so that’s probably why its here.
Ray: Devil’s Due got some brief buzz for having a new Bill Willingham comic, his first since Fables. This is not that book.
Glenn: A One Shot featuring a hero named Gekido who has apparently been featured on such channels like E, ABC, FOX and such debuts at 437 selling over 1.2k. I’ve never seen a comic use channels its been mentioned on as a cover selling point. It doesn’t seem to impress many people.
At 440 is Cyko KO from Alterna which debuts which over 1.2k sales. This seems to be their most kid friendly comic so orders will reflect that.
Ray: This is Deadpool meets Robocop meets a 1950s beach movie and it should be selling 50X this.
Glenn: Comic House Of Waxwork from Waxwork comics (no seriously) sells over 1.2k at 446. I’m assuming this is somehow tied to the classic horror franchise and its an anthology book to boot. Horror is a busy place in the market and anthologies can be a hard push so put them together and you get this.
Hellicious, an off brand ‘I Hate Fairyland’ is a new mini that sells over 1.2k at 450. Copyright your work folks.
Image First’s The Walking Dead sells 1.1k at 457 despite the issue being reprinted a gazillion times in every language under the sun.
At 459 is Tank Girl All Stars selling over 1.1k and I could have sworn this was out last month too…
Ray: Worth noting that the publisher of Hellicious, Starburns Industries, seems to be making a push with cartoon-style books. We’ll see how their second outing, Oddwell, does next month.
Glenn: I’m reading Black Hops USA #1 Buns Of The Patriot is a real comic that exists (it is I swear) and I need to lie down…Ray? Wake me when its August.
Ray: How dare you, Glenn. Those bunny rabbits sacrificed for our country. So many twitchy noses and floppy ears, filled with fear but steeled with courage. *salutes while singing Little Bunny Foo Foo*
This area is FULL of reprints, as everything from Champions to Hawkman to Old Man Hawkeye to Man of Steel to Infinity Countdown to the OHC Dark Prince Charming gets about 1K more in sales.
#479 brings us a one-shot called Morte, which sells exactly 1,000 copies. This is a horror comic from Source Point Press, which is trying to build itself a brand as a suspense/horror company. It doesn’t seem to be working so far, but with so many startups in the industry, it’s really hard to get traction.
Gabriel Rodriguez’ Sword of Ages, an epic fantasy comic from IDW, sees its special edition get 962 copies at #486. This is a $7 expanded edition, so only for completists – especially since much of this content will eventually be in the hardcover.
Three reprints round out the charts, with Doomsday Clock #3 selling 837 copies at #499, followed by Justice League: No Justice #4 and True Believers: Thanos the First tied at #500 with 824 copies.
There’s been a really big surge of reorders the last few months, and it pushed a lot of smaller books out of the top 500. For the second month in a row, we don’t see any of Lion Forge’s Catalyst Prime line in the top 500. Priest and Gail Simone are coming on that line in a bit, so we’ll see what happens then.
Glenn: Its hard to tell, having huge names seems to only get Aftershock so far but hey, stranger things have happened
Ray: Looking ahead, this month will surely be dominated by the long-awaited revival of a classic property that’s been gone a while. But which one?
DC’s headliner of the month is definitely The Sandman Universe, which debuts the new creative teams spinning out of Dark Nights: Metal in a story overseen by Neil Gaiman himself. Part DC book, part Vertigo book, I imagine this will easily make a top ten debut. Definitely a world apart from Vertigo’s usual place. DC also has the next wave of DC/Looney Tunes specials, featuring Gail Simone on Catwoman/Sylvester and Palmiotti and Conner returning to Harley Quinn to pit her against Gossamer. We also get the return of Supergirl’s title with new writer Mark Andreyko, and the return of Super-Sons in a flashback maxiseries.
Marvel’s likely going to blow away the competition in August with the long-awaited return of Fantastic Four by Dan Slott and Sara Pichelli. This is expected to easily top the charts with sales of over 300K, and will dwarf the sales of the month’s other launches. Still, Infinity Wars ships two issues and will likely land at least one in the top ten, and mini-X event Extermination debuts as well, as do the preludes to the upcoming Spider-Geddon event. Yes, three events are launching in the same month. Everything is fine. There’s also a Venom spin-off special and miniseries, and the end of The Hunt for Wolverine. In this chaos, Kelly Thompson’s West Coast Avengers and Matt Rosenberg’s Punisher will be competing for attention. I wish them both luck (but especially WCA).
From indieland, Image is bringing us the latest Cullen Bunn horror comic, Cold Spots, as well as John Layman and Nick Pittara’s kaiju comic Leviathan and the Howard Chaykin history-of-comics story Hey Kids! Comics! Dark Horse is bringing us the new Berger Book The Seeds, plus a story-driven miniseries based on a little movie called Frozen.
What will rise? What will fall? Will Ray cry over how low his favorites are selling? Tune in next time on By the Numbers!
Liked what you read or have any questions, comments or concerns? Let us know here or hit us up on Twitter @glenn_matchett & @raygoldfield
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