It's not only bad because it reinforces the notion of comics as a boy's club by excluding a female writer, but they're also by proxy excluding their most important female character and title. A character that's supposedly so important that she's getting her own film.
First, we’ll take a quick peek at the winners for the month, the genuine top ten sellers of the month. I neglected to look at the Independents, and I really should have since one of them became the top seller of the month. (Probably The Walking Dead, right?) But the other nine run like this:
So, to sum it up, seven books sold over 100,000 copies and two more came damn close; Batman and Spider-Man continue to bask in the sunny heights, Wolverine’s death rises high, Harley Quinn not only flies high but does it with an annual (!), the female Thor must be worthy indeed, and the Avengers and the X-Men return with a new event series. All in all, that’s a pretty healthy bunch of books sitting in the top ten.
On to the Carousel Of Doom. Last month’s “Future’s End” books from DC sort of skewed sales numbers a bit. I’m going to ignore them here for the purpose of figuring accurate movement on the sales charts, based on the actual series rather than shoehorning the special issues in. Things certainly look a bit more normal this month:
1 Star-Spangled War Stories 3 (237) is bombing quickly and not-so-quietly, falling down to a precarious 9,288 units, falling 21.3% from the previous regular issue, and 50.5% since the first issue. The “Future’s End” issue last month actually sold more copies than all three issues of the regular series thus far. Oh, this is so doomed! 2 Infinity Man & Forever People 4 (224) won’t be having an infinite run. At 10,275 units, it’s still just above the cancellation mark, but with a drop of 17.1% since the previous issue and 58.7% since the first, it won’t be long. Destined for the Doom Tube. 3 Constantine 18 (173) dropped 15,674 units this month, achieving the most remarkable feat of making no move whatsoever up or down the chart, remaining steady at 0%. An amazing sleight-of-hand! The six-month drop is 15.2%, which is a bit slower. Still hovering at a dangerous point just above the cancellation point, and if the TV show can’t win more viewers, there’ll be no reason to keep the book running. 4 Batwoman 35 (167) moved 16,767 units, barely moving down by 1.0%; the six-month drop is 12.7%. That’s fairly steady; the numbers aren’t great, but maybe this is the book’s level. 5 Aquaman & The Others 6 (164) slides to 17,086 units. A 1.0% drop from the previous issue, and a six-month fall of 49.8%. Also finding its level. 6 Swamp Thing 35 (160) 17,354 copies, dropping 1.0%, and 6.0% for six months. The fall is slowing to a gentle flutter.
Actually, apart from the first two, the rest of the list is remarkably steady, barely moving at all; could be a good sign that there’s still some life in those titles. Or maybe they’re all just getting some residual benefits from last month’s event. We’ll see how things stand next month.
And then there’s Marvel:
1 Miracleman is fighting with itself for the top slot, having released two issues this month, #’s 11 & 12 (181 & 183); that’s 14,824 and 14,634 copies respectively. That’s two drops, first by 3.8% and then by 1.3%, with an overall 37.9% drop over six months. 2 All-New Invaders 11 (168) tumbles further down to 16,711 copies. That’s a 6.2% drop for the month, and a 27.1% decline over the past six months. Rumor is that this title is on the ropes. 3 All-New Ghost Rider 8 (156) continues to hurtle out of control, shedding another thousand readers to fall to 17,907 copies. A big monthly skid of 4.3% and a six-month swerve of 39.2%. Not even a Deadpool variant helped here. 4 Secret Avengers 9 (153) sold 18,974 units, and managed, for the second time in three months, to gain ground, struggling to stave off oblivion with a 1.6% rise (and a six-month loss of 23.3%). Oh, sure – Deadpool variants work here. 5 Savage Hulk 5 (151), rampages onto the list with 19,351 copies, falling 15.4 % for the month and 56.2% since the first issue. Hulk not looking good. 6 Storm 4 (148) trails close behind with 19,862 units, just slipping under the 20,000 cancellation point. A 10.0% monthly drop and a 58.2% loss since the first issue. I see dark clouds on the horizon.
All six of the Marvel bottom six are below the cancellation point, though only a couple are in immediate danger of being cancelled. And Elektra is cancelled as of #11.
Information here is based on numbers presented in monthly columns by Dave Carter and Jason Enright for The Beat.
As primarily a Marvel guy, the bottom feeders on the list are the ones that get my attention every month. It pains me to see Secret Avengers where it is. It's such a good read, cut from the same cloth as Hawkeye and Superior Foes of Spider-Man. If you like either of those 2 titles, you're doing yourself a dis-service in not picking up Secret Avengers.
I've been reading All-New Invaders, largely for nostalgia purposes though. Would hate to see it go, but them's the breaks.
I also read Savage Hulk and am pretty much "eh" about it. Stay or go, doesn't matter to me.
According to Comichron, the number one book was issue #132 of the Walking Dead with 326,334 copies! Of course the Loot Crate inclusion boosted those numbers for October, so not really missing it on the list as the numbers are skewed anyways.
As an aside, I wish one of the geeks would get caught up on WD so we can all hear Chris of @wildpigcomics reasons why he thinks the "show has jumped the shark."
Thanks again Chuck. Like a good train wreck, I just can't look away from your monthly "Carousel Of Doom"! Also primarily a "Marvel guy", and lover of the D-list characters, I'm surprised that there are are only two titles on this list that I pick up on a monthly basis! Perhaps my tastes are changing?
The new Previews for January mentions finales for both All-New Ghost Rider and Nightcrawler were concluding. While last month it said that the All-New Invaders series was "drawing to a close".
It may be a New Year, but we've still got some numbers from last year to crunch! And here come the results for November!
A quick reminder that I'm only noting the mainstream DC and Marvel titles here -- no Digital Firsts, Vertigo, Max, Johnny DC or Ultimates since most of these fall under different rules of sales, distribution and cancellation.
The top sellers are split between Marvel and DC, with the House of Ideas taking the lead:
1 Amazing Spider-Man 9 135,280 copies 2 Captain America 1 120,500 copies 3 Batman 36 115,183 copies 4 Amazing Spider-Man 10 100,899 copies 5 Spider-Woman 1 93,723 copies 6Thor 2 89,131 copies 7 Superior Iron Man 1 83,994 copies 8 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 4 79,068 copies 9 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 5 74,928copies 10 Justice League 36 74,796 copies
Batman and Spider-Man continue to dominate, Thor hangs around, the X-Men and Avengers continue to duke it out, and a handful of Marvel #1's debut big! Only four titles clock in over 100,000 copies, but that's not too bad.
The Carousel Of Doom looks more like a game of Tetris this month, with so many titles being cancelled and the remaining books dropping into the vacant slots. Even I was surprised by how many were dropped, especially in the wake of the upcoming Convergence event. Both companies have practically brand new lists as a result. Let's move on.
DC has the most casualties. Gone are Star-Spangled War Stories, Infinity Man & Forever People, Batwoman, Aquaman & The Others, Swamp Thing and World's Finest, and God knows how many others... I didn't make a full list. The new Wheel Of Misfortune looks like this:
1 Constantine 19 (138) moved 15,716 units this month, actually moving up the chart a tiny notch of +0.4%, although still managing a six-month drop of 10.3%. Not great, but at least it's a move upward. The numbers are still well above cancellation, but I wonder if it would still be here if not for the TV show. 2 Justice League 3000 11 (118) is the first of two JLA books to slip into the Top Six with 18,642 units; a monthly drop of 5.0%, and a six-month decline of 28.7% 3 Red Hood And The Outlaws - seriously? This is still being published!? - #36 (117) hangs at 19,245 copies sold (not altogether bad, truth be told), falling only 3.0% this month, and 9.5% for six months. 4 Green Arrow 36 (103) hits the list with 21,842 copies sold. A one month decline of 6.4% and six month drop of 7.0%. 5 Justice League Dark 36 (99), the other JLA book on the list, arrives with 24,495 units moved, actually climbing up .1%. (And dropping -3.3% for six months.) Finding a level. 6 Red Lanterns 36 (96) blaze in with 25,654 copies, dropping -3.3% this month, and up 5.5% over six months.
To be honest, I can't see any of these six titles being in any major trouble for quite a while. Half of these are sitting at better than 10,000 units over the cancellation mark, and the rest are sitting comfortably between the two points. Probably the worst mover of the bunch is Justice League 3000, and I wouldn't even worry about that one just yet. The only one to worry about is Constantine – if that show gets cancelled, then the book isn't likely to be long for this world.
And what about Marvel? There's some big movements there as well; just look:
1 Miracleman # 13 (151) hangs on to the top slot by falling to 14,155 copies. That’s a 3.3% monthly fall, and 31.3% over six months. 2 Secret Avengers 10 (124) slides to 17,652 units dropping 7.0% this month, and 22.8% over six months. What this book needs is another Deadpool variants. 3 Storm 5 (122) drizzles further to 17,999 units. That's a 9.4% drop and a 62.2% loss since the first issue. Not looking good. 4 Cyclops 7 (120) follows his fellow X-Man with 18,371 copies, falling 8.7% this month and 61.3% over six months. Does it seem right that any of the X-Men would be among the lowest selling comics of any month!?. 5 Captain Marvel 9 (113) checks in at 19,885 copies, just dropping below Marvel's cancellation point, falling 3.9 % for the month and 56.2% over six months. 6 Deathlok 2 (110) rounds off the list with 20,883 units, just barely above the 20,000 cancellation point. A 52.5% drop since the first issue. Still in good territory, but that's not a good sign.
All-New Ghost Rider is cancelled with #12; All-New Invaders is gone with #15; Savage Hulk has not been solicited past #6, so is presumed cancelled at this point
All but one of the Marvel bottom six are below the cancellation point.
Information here is based on numbers presented in monthly columns by Dave Carter and Jason Enright for The Beat.
Red Lanterns is one of the books being cancelled in March.
I'm hoping that we'll see a bump in the numbers for JL3K as a result of the Blue and Gold appearance and revelation that it's not the New52 earth.
You're right -- I missed that cancellation notice. (So many...) That would actually make Catwoman the #6 title on the list. Just insert the following:
6 Catwoman #36 -- 26,237 copies; climbs 1.0% for the month, and climbs 30.2% over six months. That's actually a pretty healthy outlook for this title. It doesn't really belong on this list, and is only here by circumstance. I expect it to be soon displaced as it continues to rise and others fall.
Y'know, looking further at that list, I'm really surprised to see some books (like the various Lantern series) being dropped while there are others there with even worse sales being held on -- like Red Hood.
I gave up on Miracleman as of last month. I had never read it so I was excited to finally get the chance to after hearing so much about it. I never really got into it and I wonder if I just expected too much.
Cyclops was great..until Rucka left.
Deathlock is a book I'm really enjoying and I hope it can find an audience before it slips too far down the sales chart.
I love Red Hood because it basically flips the bird to everyone who immediately hated it (most without reading it first) because Starfire had boobs and liked sex.
It's a good book that made characters like Jason Todd, Starfire and god help me, Arsenal, interesting and fun to read about again.
Y'know, looking further at that list, I'm really surprised to see some books (like the various Lantern series) being dropped while there are others there with even worse sales being held on -- like Red Hood.
I'm thinking the Lanterns books are getting cancelled due to editorial changes with Convergence coming, and the consequences of that storyline. Just a hypothesis. Thanks for bringing the numbers back to us @Chuck_Melville
This month, the Carousel is spinning so hard that it makes my head hurt. Between Convergence and Secret Wars, so many books are suddenly cancelled or else ending in order to be revamped and started over, that it almost seems pointless to find the six lowest selling books at each company. And I can't even go around yelling “Doomed!” any more. Well, not so much, anyway. Let's have a look...
A quick reminder that I'm only noting the mainstream DC and Marvel titles here -- no Digital Firsts, Vertigo, Max, Johnny DC or Ultimates since most of these fall under different rules of sales, distribution and cancellation.
First, just to show that not all is doom and gloom, here's a quick rundown of the top winners for the month of December, 2014:
Batman and Spider-Man continue to duke it out for dominance, but the Avengers and X-Men wrestle their way onto the list, while SHIELD muscles in with a first issue, the Justice League holds fast, and Thor manages a respectable stance for third issue. But only two titles are doing better than 100,000.
There were so many titles cancelled that I'm not even going to try to make a list. Let's just say – there were a lot of them. If someone wants to make a comprehensive list of them all (if there isn't already one that I might have missed), please do, and add it to the thread.
Convergence has made this list difficult, and, I confess, a little less fun. Pretty much everything on it last month is gone, some predictably, in order to make way for the new. But because the cuts went so unusually deep, I really had to track pretty high in order to find the bottommost six that hadn't yet been cut. Here's what we've got; forgive me if I just cut to the bare numbers this time around:
1 Lobo 3 (129) 20,208 units / month drop of 21.9% / a loss of 48.2% since the first issue. 2 Green Arrow 37 (125) 20,904 units / month drop of 4.3% / 6 month decline of 11.4% / a 71.1% loss since the first issue. 3 Catwoman 37 (105) 25,154 units / monthly drop of 4.1% / 6 month decline of 25.3% / 66.7% loss since the first issue. 4 Gotham Academy 4 (94) / 26,509 units / month drop of 14.8% / 38.8% loss since the first issue. 5 Gotham By Midnight 2 (89) / 27,849 units / first month drop of 27.5%. 6 Aquaman 37 (79) / 31,198 units / month drop of 5.0% / six month decline of 30.4% / 71.3% loss since the first issue.
Although these are the bottommost six ongoing series, not one of them is even close to that 10,000 issue cancellation point. Saleswise, they all should be pretty secure for awhile... but who knows what DC will do tomorrow!? It's enough to make me want to put this list on hiatus for several months and wait until Convergence has passed and the new ongoing series are introduced so we can get a new baseline for what's selling and what's sliding off into oblivion.
Marvel's a little less chaotic – I guess the real impact of the Secret Wars hasn't hit yet, but I expect that will be just as much of a headache when it does. How'd the House of Ideas do in December? Just look:
1 Storm 6 (148) continues to wash out, cascading down to 17,028 units. That's a 5.4% drop for the month and a 64.2% loss since the first issue. I'm thinking the 'd' word... but not just yet. 2 Cyclops 8 (145) is also tumbling off with only 17,146 copies sold, falling 6.7% this month and 44.9% over six months. It ain't easy bein' a mutant. 3 Deathlok 3 (141) ain't makin' it, with a mere 18,112 units. A fall of 13.3% this month, and a 58.8% drop since the first issue. This time I'll say it: DOOMED! 4 Iron Fist: Living Weapon 7 (133) managed 19,526 copies, falling 10.9% this month and 34.5% over six months. It'd be cool if he could hang on until his Netflix series premieres... 5 Captain Marvel 10 (130) checks in at 19,973 copies, just a nudge below Marvel's cancellation point, gaining +0.4 % for the month and losing -17.0% over six months. 6 Avengers World 16 (126) just makes the list with 20,853 units, just a hair above the 20,000 cancellation point. Drops 23.3% this month and has a 22.5% decline over six months.
What puzzles me is... where the heck is Miracleman this month? He'd practically monopolized the top spot for several months before now. Did he skip shipping for December? As low as the sales were, I can't believe he was cancelled already!
Information here is based on numbers presented in monthly columns by Dave Carter and Jason Enright for The Beat.
What puzzles me is... where the heck is Miracleman this month? He'd practically monopolized the top spot for several months before now. Did he skip shipping for December? As low as the sales were, I can't believe he was cancelled already!
No issue of the new/reprint Miracleman in December. They did an All New Miracleman Annual for December. It did enough to stay out of the bottom 6.
4 Iron Fist: Living Weapon 7 (133) managed 19,526 copies, falling 10.9% this month and 34.5% over six months. It'd be cool if he could hang on until his Netflix series premieres...
It ends with issue #12. I like this series, but the plan was to end it at 12 unless the numbers were there. Maybe Danny Rand will make a cameo in DD. The book will still be being published by then.
Looks like DC's decision to nuke their lowest selling titles barely paid off, at least in sales numbers. Even nuLobo beat out several of Marvel's legacy character titles. According to the Comic Book Podcast's John Mayo, in December, DC accounted for 39.6% of the top comic sales, and Marvel accounted for 38.09%. A difference of 1.51% of the total sales for the top 300 comics. Hardly a commanding lead in sales. In terms of dollars for the top 300 comics, Marvel accounted for 41.63% while DC accounted for 36.4%. Marvel brought in more dollars but did so with an average price of $4.07 compared to the $3.35 average price for DC. (source)
What I'd like to know is where is Batman #36? It was included in the December Loot Crate, but unlike Rocket Raccoon and Walking Dead, who's Loot Crate numbers were counted by Diamond, nothing for DC's Batman? Diamond is still DC's sales rep too. Not that I think they should include Loot Crate numbers in the sales figures, I just think it's odd they didn't show up for Batman #36 (which did it's normal 115,183 for the November numbers). LC would've probably accounted for at least another 100,000+ copies.
Thanks again @Chuck_Melville ! Once again the best thread on the forums. Can't get enough of a great train wreck. and I agree... Secret Wars is going to be a huge headache to crunch the numbers. No one would blame you if you shelved the "The Carousel of DOOOM" until after the smoke clears, and we have a better picture of the Battleworld landscape.
I had to wait for the data to become available through the postings of the appropriate columns; both seemed to be a little late, but I expect the holidays had a lot to do with that.
4 Iron Fist: Living Weapon 7 (133) managed 19,526 copies, falling 10.9% this month and 34.5% over six months. It'd be cool if he could hang on until his Netflix series premieres...
It ends with issue #12. I like this series, but the plan was to end it at 12 unless the numbers were there.
I didn't know that, or I'd have skipped it from the list altogether, it being a limited series.
Comments
psst. Loot Crate.
First, we’ll take a quick peek at the winners for the month, the genuine top ten sellers of the month. I neglected to look at the Independents, and I really should have since one of them became the top seller of the month. (Probably The Walking Dead, right?) But the other nine run like this:
2 Death Of Wolverine 3 141,567 copies
3 Thor 1 150,862 copies
4 Death Of Wolverine 4 165,582 copies
5 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 1 138,966 copies
6 Batman 35 118,860 copies
7 Amazing Spider-Man 7 116,051 copies
8 Amazing Spider-Man 8 99,549 copies
9 Harley Quinn Annual 1 97,312 copies
10 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 2 87,964 copies
So, to sum it up, seven books sold over 100,000 copies and two more came damn close; Batman and Spider-Man continue to bask in the sunny heights, Wolverine’s death rises high, Harley Quinn not only flies high but does it with an annual (!), the female Thor must be worthy indeed, and the Avengers and the X-Men return with a new event series. All in all, that’s a pretty healthy bunch of books sitting in the top ten.
On to the Carousel Of Doom. Last month’s “Future’s End” books from DC sort of skewed sales numbers a bit. I’m going to ignore them here for the purpose of figuring accurate movement on the sales charts, based on the actual series rather than shoehorning the special issues in. Things certainly look a bit more normal this month:
1 Star-Spangled War Stories 3 (237) is bombing quickly and not-so-quietly, falling down to a precarious 9,288 units, falling 21.3% from the previous regular issue, and 50.5% since the first issue. The “Future’s End” issue last month actually sold more copies than all three issues of the regular series thus far. Oh, this is so doomed!
2 Infinity Man & Forever People 4 (224) won’t be having an infinite run. At 10,275 units, it’s still just above the cancellation mark, but with a drop of 17.1% since the previous issue and 58.7% since the first, it won’t be long. Destined for the Doom Tube.
3 Constantine 18 (173) dropped 15,674 units this month, achieving the most remarkable feat of making no move whatsoever up or down the chart, remaining steady at 0%. An amazing sleight-of-hand! The six-month drop is 15.2%, which is a bit slower. Still hovering at a dangerous point just above the cancellation point, and if the TV show can’t win more viewers, there’ll be no reason to keep the book running.
4 Batwoman 35 (167) moved 16,767 units, barely moving down by 1.0%; the six-month drop is 12.7%. That’s fairly steady; the numbers aren’t great, but maybe this is the book’s level.
5 Aquaman & The Others 6 (164) slides to 17,086 units. A 1.0% drop from the previous issue, and a six-month fall of 49.8%. Also finding its level.
6 Swamp Thing 35 (160) 17,354 copies, dropping 1.0%, and 6.0% for six months. The fall is slowing to a gentle flutter.
Actually, apart from the first two, the rest of the list is remarkably steady, barely moving at all; could be a good sign that there’s still some life in those titles. Or maybe they’re all just getting some residual benefits from last month’s event. We’ll see how things stand next month.
And then there’s Marvel:
1 Miracleman is fighting with itself for the top slot, having released two issues this month, #’s 11 & 12 (181 & 183); that’s 14,824 and 14,634 copies respectively. That’s two drops, first by 3.8% and then by 1.3%, with an overall 37.9% drop over six months.
2 All-New Invaders 11 (168) tumbles further down to 16,711 copies. That’s a 6.2% drop for the month, and a 27.1% decline over the past six months. Rumor is that this title is on the ropes.
3 All-New Ghost Rider 8 (156) continues to hurtle out of control, shedding another thousand readers to fall to 17,907 copies. A big monthly skid of 4.3% and a six-month swerve of 39.2%. Not even a Deadpool variant helped here.
4 Secret Avengers 9 (153) sold 18,974 units, and managed, for the second time in three months, to gain ground, struggling to stave off oblivion with a 1.6% rise (and a six-month loss of 23.3%). Oh, sure – Deadpool variants work here.
5 Savage Hulk 5 (151), rampages onto the list with 19,351 copies, falling 15.4 % for the month and 56.2% since the first issue. Hulk not looking good.
6 Storm 4 (148) trails close behind with 19,862 units, just slipping under the 20,000 cancellation point. A 10.0% monthly drop and a 58.2% loss since the first issue. I see dark clouds on the horizon.
All six of the Marvel bottom six are below the cancellation point, though only a couple are in immediate danger of being cancelled. And Elektra is cancelled as of #11.
Information here is based on numbers presented in monthly columns by Dave Carter and Jason Enright for The Beat.
I've been reading All-New Invaders, largely for nostalgia purposes though. Would hate to see it go, but them's the breaks.
I also read Savage Hulk and am pretty much "eh" about it. Stay or go, doesn't matter to me.
According to Comichron, the number one book was issue #132 of the Walking Dead with 326,334 copies! Of course the Loot Crate inclusion boosted those numbers for October, so not really missing it on the list as the numbers are skewed anyways.
As an aside, I wish one of the geeks would get caught up on WD so we can all hear Chris of @wildpigcomics reasons why he thinks the "show has jumped the shark."
Like a good train wreck, I just can't look away from your monthly "Carousel Of Doom"!
Also primarily a "Marvel guy", and lover of the D-list characters, I'm surprised that there are are only two titles on this list that I pick up on a monthly basis!
Perhaps my tastes are changing?
ghost Rider is pretty bad for me. I've dropped it. I need to read a few more of the other comics before I pass judgement.
I must have been on the "Nice" list this year, because Santa brought me a copy of "Invaders Classic: The Complete Collection Volume 1". So much fun.
I read a good deal of the series, and dropped it. It was blah to me, but I appreciate Marvel trying something new with the character.
A quick reminder that I'm only noting the mainstream DC and Marvel titles here -- no Digital Firsts, Vertigo, Max, Johnny DC or Ultimates since most of these fall under different rules of sales, distribution and cancellation.
The top sellers are split between Marvel and DC, with the House of Ideas taking the lead:
1 Amazing Spider-Man 9 135,280 copies
2 Captain America 1 120,500 copies
3 Batman 36 115,183 copies
4 Amazing Spider-Man 10 100,899 copies
5 Spider-Woman 1 93,723 copies
6Thor 2 89,131 copies
7 Superior Iron Man 1 83,994 copies
8 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 4 79,068 copies
9 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 5 74,928copies
10 Justice League 36 74,796 copies
Batman and Spider-Man continue to dominate, Thor hangs around, the X-Men and Avengers continue to duke it out, and a handful of Marvel #1's debut big! Only four titles clock in over 100,000 copies, but that's not too bad.
The Carousel Of Doom looks more like a game of Tetris this month, with so many titles being cancelled and the remaining books dropping into the vacant slots. Even I was surprised by how many were dropped, especially in the wake of the upcoming Convergence event. Both companies have practically brand new lists as a result. Let's move on.
DC has the most casualties. Gone are Star-Spangled War Stories, Infinity Man & Forever People, Batwoman, Aquaman & The Others, Swamp Thing and World's Finest, and God knows how many others... I didn't make a full list. The new Wheel Of Misfortune looks like this:
1 Constantine 19 (138) moved 15,716 units this month, actually moving up the chart a tiny notch of +0.4%, although still managing a six-month drop of 10.3%. Not great, but at least it's a move upward. The numbers are still well above cancellation, but I wonder if it would still be here if not for the TV show.
2 Justice League 3000 11 (118) is the first of two JLA books to slip into the Top Six with 18,642 units; a monthly drop of 5.0%, and a six-month decline of 28.7%
3 Red Hood And The Outlaws - seriously? This is still being published!? - #36 (117) hangs at 19,245 copies sold (not altogether bad, truth be told), falling only 3.0% this month, and 9.5% for six months.
4 Green Arrow 36 (103) hits the list with 21,842 copies sold. A one month decline of 6.4% and six month drop of 7.0%.
5 Justice League Dark 36 (99), the other JLA book on the list, arrives with 24,495 units moved, actually climbing up .1%. (And dropping -3.3% for six months.) Finding a level.
6 Red Lanterns 36 (96) blaze in with 25,654 copies, dropping -3.3% this month, and up 5.5% over six months.
To be honest, I can't see any of these six titles being in any major trouble for quite a while. Half of these are sitting at better than 10,000 units over the cancellation mark, and the rest are sitting comfortably between the two points. Probably the worst mover of the bunch is Justice League 3000, and I wouldn't even worry about that one just yet. The only one to worry about is Constantine – if that show gets cancelled, then the book isn't likely to be long for this world.
And what about Marvel? There's some big movements there as well; just look:
1 Miracleman # 13 (151) hangs on to the top slot by falling to 14,155 copies. That’s a 3.3% monthly fall, and 31.3% over six months.
2 Secret Avengers 10 (124) slides to 17,652 units dropping 7.0% this month, and 22.8% over six months. What this book needs is another Deadpool variants.
3 Storm 5 (122) drizzles further to 17,999 units. That's a 9.4% drop and a 62.2% loss since the first issue. Not looking good.
4 Cyclops 7 (120) follows his fellow X-Man with 18,371 copies, falling 8.7% this month and 61.3% over six months. Does it seem right that any of the X-Men would be among the lowest selling comics of any month!?.
5 Captain Marvel 9 (113) checks in at 19,885 copies, just dropping below Marvel's cancellation point, falling 3.9 % for the month and 56.2% over six months.
6 Deathlok 2 (110) rounds off the list with 20,883 units, just barely above the 20,000 cancellation point. A 52.5% drop since the first issue. Still in good territory, but that's not a good sign.
All-New Ghost Rider is cancelled with #12; All-New Invaders is gone with #15; Savage Hulk has not been solicited past #6, so is presumed cancelled at this point
All but one of the Marvel bottom six are below the cancellation point.
Information here is based on numbers presented in monthly columns by Dave Carter and Jason Enright for The Beat.
I'm hoping that we'll see a bump in the numbers for JL3K as a result of the Blue and Gold appearance and revelation that it's not the New52 earth.
6 Catwoman #36 -- 26,237 copies; climbs 1.0% for the month, and climbs 30.2% over six months. That's actually a pretty healthy outlook for this title. It doesn't really belong on this list, and is only here by circumstance. I expect it to be soon displaced as it continues to rise and others fall.
Cyclops was great..until Rucka left.
Deathlock is a book I'm really enjoying and I hope it can find an audience before it slips too far down the sales chart.
It's a good book that made characters like Jason Todd, Starfire and god help me, Arsenal, interesting and fun to read about again.
Are my tastes changing?
Thanks again for the great posts Chuck!
A quick reminder that I'm only noting the mainstream DC and Marvel titles here -- no Digital Firsts, Vertigo, Max, Johnny DC or Ultimates since most of these fall under different rules of sales, distribution and cancellation.
First, just to show that not all is doom and gloom, here's a quick rundown of the top winners for the month of December, 2014:
1 Batman 37 113,255 copies
2 Amazing Spider-Man 11 104,739 copies
3 SHIELD 1 94,503 copies
4 Batman Annual 3 81,396 copies
5Thor 3 72,563 copies
6 Justice League 37 72,081 copies
7 Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1 71,284 copies
8 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 7 70,194 copies
9 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 8 69,449copies
10 Uncanny Avengers/X-Men - Axis 9 69,518copies
Batman and Spider-Man continue to duke it out for dominance, but the Avengers and X-Men wrestle their way onto the list, while SHIELD muscles in with a first issue, the Justice League holds fast, and Thor manages a respectable stance for third issue. But only two titles are doing better than 100,000.
There were so many titles cancelled that I'm not even going to try to make a list. Let's just say – there were a lot of them. If someone wants to make a comprehensive list of them all (if there isn't already one that I might have missed), please do, and add it to the thread.
Convergence has made this list difficult, and, I confess, a little less fun. Pretty much everything on it last month is gone, some predictably, in order to make way for the new. But because the cuts went so unusually deep, I really had to track pretty high in order to find the bottommost six that hadn't yet been cut. Here's what we've got; forgive me if I just cut to the bare numbers this time around:
1 Lobo 3 (129) 20,208 units / month drop of 21.9% / a loss of 48.2% since the first issue.
2 Green Arrow 37 (125) 20,904 units / month drop of 4.3% / 6 month decline of 11.4% / a 71.1% loss since the first issue.
3 Catwoman 37 (105) 25,154 units / monthly drop of 4.1% / 6 month decline of 25.3% / 66.7% loss since the first issue.
4 Gotham Academy 4 (94) / 26,509 units / month drop of 14.8% / 38.8% loss since the first issue.
5 Gotham By Midnight 2 (89) / 27,849 units / first month drop of 27.5%.
6 Aquaman 37 (79) / 31,198 units / month drop of 5.0% / six month decline of 30.4% / 71.3% loss since the first issue.
Although these are the bottommost six ongoing series, not one of them is even close to that 10,000 issue cancellation point. Saleswise, they all should be pretty secure for awhile... but who knows what DC will do tomorrow!? It's enough to make me want to put this list on hiatus for several months and wait until Convergence has passed and the new ongoing series are introduced so we can get a new baseline for what's selling and what's sliding off into oblivion.
Marvel's a little less chaotic – I guess the real impact of the Secret Wars hasn't hit yet, but I expect that will be just as much of a headache when it does. How'd the House of Ideas do in December? Just look:
1 Storm 6 (148) continues to wash out, cascading down to 17,028 units. That's a 5.4% drop for the month and a 64.2% loss since the first issue. I'm thinking the 'd' word... but not just yet.
2 Cyclops 8 (145) is also tumbling off with only 17,146 copies sold, falling 6.7% this month and 44.9% over six months. It ain't easy bein' a mutant.
3 Deathlok 3 (141) ain't makin' it, with a mere 18,112 units. A fall of 13.3% this month, and a 58.8% drop since the first issue. This time I'll say it: DOOMED!
4 Iron Fist: Living Weapon 7 (133) managed 19,526 copies, falling 10.9% this month and 34.5% over six months. It'd be cool if he could hang on until his Netflix series premieres...
5 Captain Marvel 10 (130) checks in at 19,973 copies, just a nudge below Marvel's cancellation point, gaining +0.4 % for the month and losing -17.0% over six months.
6 Avengers World 16 (126) just makes the list with 20,853 units, just a hair above the 20,000 cancellation point. Drops 23.3% this month and has a 22.5% decline over six months.
What puzzles me is... where the heck is Miracleman this month? He'd practically monopolized the top spot for several months before now. Did he skip shipping for December? As low as the sales were, I can't believe he was cancelled already!
Information here is based on numbers presented in monthly columns by Dave Carter and Jason Enright for The Beat.
Looks like DC's decision to nuke their lowest selling titles barely paid off, at least in sales numbers. Even nuLobo beat out several of Marvel's legacy character titles. According to the Comic Book Podcast's John Mayo, in December, DC accounted for 39.6% of the top comic sales, and Marvel accounted for 38.09%. A difference of 1.51% of the total sales for the top 300 comics. Hardly a commanding lead in sales. In terms of dollars for the top 300 comics, Marvel accounted for 41.63% while DC accounted for 36.4%. Marvel brought in more dollars but did so with an average price of $4.07 compared to the $3.35 average price for DC. (source)
What I'd like to know is where is Batman #36? It was included in the December Loot Crate, but unlike Rocket Raccoon and Walking Dead, who's Loot Crate numbers were counted by Diamond, nothing for DC's Batman? Diamond is still DC's sales rep too. Not that I think they should include Loot Crate numbers in the sales figures, I just think it's odd they didn't show up for Batman #36 (which did it's normal 115,183 for the November numbers). LC would've probably accounted for at least another 100,000+ copies.
Thoughts?
Once again the best thread on the forums. Can't get enough of a great train wreck.
and I agree... Secret Wars is going to be a huge headache to crunch the numbers. No one would blame you if you shelved the "The Carousel of DOOOM" until after the smoke clears, and we have a better picture of the Battleworld landscape.
LOL
Also (reported) ending are:
Marvel Universe: Guardians of the Galaxy #4
Uncanny X-Men #35 & #600
Wolverines #17-20
I expect Marvel has a few replacements for these titles in the works.
Now I feel guilty for not having kept up with it the past couple of months.