Welcome to TEN's coverage of comic-book sales. Every calendar month - starting with this 1 - TEN volition postal service 1 lengthy edit...
Welcome to TEN's coverage of comic-book sales. Every calendar month - starting with this 1 - TEN volition postal service 1 lengthy editorial on the month's comic sales figures - followed past times smaller, to a greater extent than bitesized analysis direct after. This week's editorial is on bang-up the argue why All-New Marvel Now! titles aren't selling. Also, exactly below the editorial you'll notice coverage on DC, the independent publishers, too this month's transcend ten. Thanks for reading.
All-New Marvel Now: Why it isn't Working
The latest comic mass sales figures lead hold been released, too it paints a rather dim painting for All-New Marvel Now. Marvel launched the initiatory - a follow upwards to their master Marvel NOW! draw - at the starting fourth dimension of year, too since too thus they lead hold seen championship later championship autumn direct to the bottom of the sales charts exactly a few months later debuting. The novel titles that autumn foul to this unfortunate fate are numerous: New Warriors, All-New Ultimates, Secret Avengers, Elektra, All-New Invaders, All-New X-Factor too Captain Marvel are the titles suffering most, with other titles similar X-Force, She-Hulk too Loki: Agent of Asgard on the brink of next the tendency equally well. The interrogation is: Why is this happening?
Cast you're hear dorsum to May 2012 too nosotros run into a similar tendency that may assist us respond that question. The New 52 had been launched nine months prior too had succeeded inwards putting DC Comics dorsum on the map inwards price of comic-book sales. With the exception of smaller titles similar Men of War, Blackhawks, too OMAC - which had been expected to struggle, too definitely were - work concern was booming. However, when DC tried to replicate that success, eliminating some of the aforementioned slow-starters inwards favour of some novel titles, they found it to a greater extent than hard than it had been the foremost time. Of the half-dozen novel titles that started that May, 3 failed miserably (G.I Combat anyone?), too the other 3 were solely moderate successes non capturing the sort of sales numbers that DC must lead hold hoped for considering their rigid start.
Things got worse, too past times the next yr almost every novel championship DC launched was hitting the bottom of the sales nautical chart exactly a few months into its run: Vibe, Katana, Green Team, The Movement, The Phantom Stranger, too fifty-fifty Pandora - the mysterious figure that was the centre of thus much involvement at the starting fourth dimension of the New 52 - failed to send a serial of her own. As DC has at 1 time stopped releasing equally many novel titles, the haemorrhaging of their sales numbers has slowed somewhat (although a aspect at the sales of Aquaman too the Others suggests they are soundless struggling to launch novel books).Nonetheless, it seems that it's mainly at 1 time Marvel who is suffering from Wave 2-failure syndrome, equally a large amount of All-New Marvel Now titles struggle to notice fifty-fifty the smallest of audiences. With books similar Ultimate FF too Iron Patriot already cancelled later exactly 5 too half-dozen issues respectively, too the titles listed at the starting fourth dimension of this article seemingly non far behind, what could perhaps endure causing this?
1. Marvel's Prices too Shipping
"Things that DC practise meliorate than Marvel" hasn't been a hugely pop listing inwards recent years, yet 1 affair that I e'er similar to credit DC on is their continual back upwards of the $2.99 cost point. The publisher soundless places many of its top-selling titles such equally Harley Quinn, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Batgirl too The Flash at the competitive cost of exactly $2.99, land Marvel lead hold been aggressively bumping titles upwards to a cost of $3.99 too of late a ludicrous $4.99 inwards recent months. If you're reading this, you lot in all probability similar comics, but I intend nosotros tin laissez passer on the sack all grip that $5 is also much to pay for a comic that has sometimes less than thirty pages of lineament content (damn you, adverts!).
And equally if this cost betoken wasn't expensive plenty already, Marvel lead hold also started the unsavoury habit of double-shipping with many of their titles too. I notice double-shipping frustrating personally equally land a even out may motion along faster, the cost of this added pacing is a far to a greater extent than expensive monthly pull-list. As a comic reader on a depression salary, I lead hold began making an endeavour to cheque which Marvel titles are double-shipped thus that I may avoid them. If I'm the solely 1 doing this I'd endure extremely surprised. These are non adept economical times for many people too the rising expense of comic-books is going to endure harmful for the medium equally a whole if non capped soon.
The immediate number double-shipping too a higher cost betoken has on novel titles, is it makes people to a greater extent than cautious almost trying them. Speaking personally, I lead hold wanted to read Avengers World, All-New Ghost Rider, All-New X-Factor too Elektra since they launched but lead hold had to steer clear due to the books either having a high cost point, beingness double-shipped or both. Were exactly a brace of these titles released at $2.99 too at a manageable charge per unit of measurement of 1 number per calendar month I would endure reading a lot to a greater extent than of them, too this would also complimentary upwards some cash to perhaps afford 1 double-shipped championship too. Ultimately, that's the strategy I would recommend to Marvel. If they must double ship some titles at a high cost point, too thus it should solely endure a brace of books. By making their entire draw to a greater extent than expensive they're doing impairment to themselves, equally inwards these frail times people merely can't afford an unlimited number of expensive comics.
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| Looks awesome but I can't afford it! |
2. Relaunches Produce Too Many Titles!
While DC's New 52 technique of cancelling oft inwards "waves" could endure seen equally aggressive, of late Marvel's technique of fixing low-selling titles - a relaunch - has been seen equally exactly obviously annoying, particularly when these books come upwards dorsum at a higher cost (see All-New X-Factor too Daredevil with others). Recently it has been speculated that comic readers may endure becoming apathetic towards relaunches with many of them seeming unnecessary too exactly a inexpensive means for Marvel to catch headlines. What the publisher needs to retrieve is that relaunches are a great chance for readers to saltation on, but also a great chance for readers to jump off (see Secret Avengers). By relaunching thus many titles, Marvel may terminate upwards reducing their audience - the reverse of what they're aiming for.
Also, past times relaunching many titles that actually don't take away it Marvel terminate upwards taking coverage away from their build novel books that practise take away assist finding readers. H5N1 mass such equally Mark Waid's Daredevil did non take away to endure relaunched - it has a rigid fanbase too to a greater extent than critical acclaim than you lot tin laissez passer on the sack milkshake a stick at. But past times bringing to a greater extent than attending to already established books such equally this one, novel series' similar All-New Ghost Rider too Elektra lost opportunities for coverage. All-New Marvel NOW!'s liberate schedule has been chaotic for this argue with an abundance of relaunched titles trampling over a large amount of novel titles with the winner beingness no one. Instead, we're left with all of the books beingness damaged inwards the mayhem.
I worry that many of these titles are at 1 time beyond hope, yet if whatsoever of the struggling books mentioned inwards this editorial involvement you, I implore you lot to selection them upwards now. Before it's also late.
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DC Comics
As I mentioned inwards the editorial above, at that topographic point was a fourth dimension shortly later the launch of the New 52 where DC actually struggled with launching novel books. However, to some extent it seems that hard menstruum may endure finishing for the publisher. Don't larn me incorrect - DC soundless lead hold struggling books, and you tin laissez passer on the sack read our article hither on the DC books on "cancellation watch." Additionally, some of the books DC has of late debuted such equally Justice League 3000 too Aquaman too the Others lead hold non been whatsoever Definition of a hit, with those books at 1 time selling exactly over 24,000 too 23,000 respectively. But, the disaster menstruum of Summer 2013 where books such equally Vibe, Katana, Green Team too to a greater extent than died on touching on with shop shelves seems to endure over, with DC's electrical current novel books at to the lowest degree putting upwards to a greater extent than of a struggle with their competition.
DC's biggest success continues to endure Scott Snyder too Greg Capullo's Batman which takes the number 1 spot 1 time once again this calendar week selling 130,000 copies. If you lot weren't already convinced that Gotham City is the most profitable expanse inwards the DC Universe, the publisher's 2nd best-selling championship was (surprisingly) Harley Quinn with 93,000 copies sold! This was a mass that I expected to expire shortly later release, equally Larfleeze did earlier it, but I acknowledge I was incorrect on this one. Harley Quinn seems to endure DC's large success even out of 2014. It non solely helps their line-up of female-led titles, but it also keeps the bat-presence high inwards the New 52, something DC volition desire to practise inwards the run-up to Batman vs. Superman inwards 2016. Speaking of Superman, his ongoing serial sits comfortably behind Quinn at number 5 with 89,000 copies sold, receiving a corporation boost with the all-star squad of Geoff Johns too John Romita Jr. at 1 time attached.
As for DC's recent endeavour into weekly series' with both Batman: Eternal too New 52: Future's End, it has been a moderate success for the publisher, yet sales are continuing to drop. Who volition endure approximately to witness the terminate of these really costly titles? Only fourth dimension volition tell, but for the time-being the books aspect healthy, with Batman: Eternal the best-selling of the ii pretty unsurprisingly. The impairment for that championship was bearable this calendar month - inwards May, it's best-selling number peaked at approximately 67,000 copies, land this calendar month the best-selling number of Eternal had sold approximately 62,000 copies. H5N1 driblet of 5,000 isn't awful for a weekly book, too the drops should halt shortly equally it establishes a meat readership of die-hard Bat-fans.
The less acclaimed Future's End yet may struggle more, with terminal month's peak of 70,000 falling to a peak of exactly 48,000 this month. H5N1 driblet of 22,000 copies inwards 1 calendar month is going to endure a work for the weekly mass if non stopped soon, too with less pop characters too less favourable reviews than Eternal, Future's End may endure on depression numbers past times the terminate of its run.
Independents
June was a great calendar month for Image Comics, with 1 championship inwards the transcend x too 1 exactly exterior - too both of which written past times Robert Kirkman, securing him equally the most of import author at the publisher. The Walking Dead #128 was their best-selling mass ranking at number nine with approximately 74,000 copies sold. Meanwhile, Kirkman's other championship - his novel mass Outcast - was exactly exterior the transcend x at number 11 with 71,000 copies sold.
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| The Walking Dead continues to thrive! Will the craze ever end? |
However, Image isn't exactly a publisher reliant on Kirkman. Another Image hitting inwards June was Brian K Vaughan's Saga which continues to build waves inwards the manufacture selling a salubrious 56,000 copies. Other stand-outs include the supply of the Phonogram too Young Avengers partnership Kieron Gillen too Jamie McKelvie. Their Image Comics title, The Wicked too the Divine debuted inwards June too sold an impressive 41,000 copies. In this writer's opinion, if you lot haven't yet bought it, you lot definitely should equally it's 1 of the most promising debuts of the yr thus far. Matt Fraction's Sex Criminals too Warren Ellis' Trees also perform good managing to rest inwards the Top 100.
As for the smaller publishers, Boom Studios biggest championship was Big Trouble inwards Little China. The serial - a spin-off from the 1986 painting present of the same yell - sold over 24,000 copies, a fantastic number for Boom who are yet to achieve the heights of their immature human being independent publisher Image. However, a painting present bargain over Boom properties with 20th Century Fox may modify that 1 24-hour interval soon.
Dark Horse's transcend ii books are also licensed properties, suggesting these kinds of books may play an increasingly of import purpose inwards the survival of smaller publishers. Dark Horse's transcend ii books were their continuation of Joss Whedon's cult-hit TV present Firefly inwards Serenity: Leaves on the Wind too Brian Wood's Star Wars series, which continues to perform good - fifty-fifty if it's days lead hold been numbered since the Disney buy-out of Lucasfilm.
Thanks for checking out this month's comic mass sales! Be certain to allow us know what comics you're reading on our Facebook page, on Twitter or inwards the comments below!
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