DC Sales Figures

[George L]

Here are the sales figures up to end of May:

ALBION (WildStorm)
06/2005: Albion #1 (of 6) -- 18,791 -- [20,427]
07/2005: Albion #2 (of 6) -- 15,403 (-18.0%)
10/2005: Albion #3 (of 6) -- 14,835 (- 3.7%)
04/2005: Albion #4 (of 6) -- 10,766 (-27.4%)
05/2005: Albion #5 (of 6) -- 10,476 (- 2.7%)
----------------

THUNDERBOLT JAXON (WildStorm)
02/2006: Thunderbolt Jaxon #1 (of 5) -- 11,475
03/2006: Thunderbolt Jaxon #2 (of 5) -- 8,726 (-24.0%)
04/2006: Thunderbolt Jaxon #3 (of 5) -- 6,239 (-28.5%)
05/2006: Thunderbolt Jaxon #4 (of 5) -- 5,408 (-13.3%)

[kevf]

So, as revivals go, it's hardly Doctor Who is it?

Robot Archie and The Spider used to be read by 300,000 kids a week, in Britain alone, in the 1960s. Someone revives them 40 years later (in Albion) and they're read by 5 percent of that number, and probably none of the readers are kids.

A cruel person might suggest it was a waste of paper beginning the project in the first place. What's the point of producing populist pulp fiction if you're not aiming to sell it to a vast number of people and make lots of money?

I mean, what do they think they're making? Art?

Kev F

[Lew Stringer]

The main problem is US comics are pitched towards adult fanboys. They're only on sale in comic stores so the majority of kids are unlikely to discover them unless they venture into one of those places (assuming their town has a comic store).

One has to wonder if fickle fans would have paid more attention if they'd had the DC Comics imprint on them instead of Wildstorm. By putting their main characters into the same cohesive DC universe, and constantly pushing that superhero concept to the fans, DC create a rod for their own backs because the fans then tend to be less interested in characters outside of that universe.

I suspect Battler Britton will face a similar sales struggle because there aren't superheroes in it.

Incidentally, are they actually sales or just the numbers ordered by comic stores? (In which case it might mean even less people read them as some copies would still be sitting on shelves). The big question is did the stores under-order? (I only saw a few copies of Thunderbolt Jaxon in comic shops I visited).

Comic stores are run by comic fans and they're not always the most perceptive people to judge what might actually sell! (Case in point: one shop was taken by surprise on the popularity of the Marvel Essentials books. "We sold out in a few days. I don't understand it. The artwork's in black and white!" )


Lew

[Peter Gray]

I like the Essential books.....just reading Peter Parker the spectacular Spider-man......got it from the library:)

I'm also into the DC Showcases presents and bought Superman vol 1 and 2
Green Lantern vol 1 I like the clear black line and a new story every time.

Superman Family with Jimmy Olsen vol 1

Looking at these I wish the Silver age was back.....with a bit of bronze mixed in.........

Looking forward to Elongated man vol 1 out tomorrow......

More humour and fun is needed in super hero comics....less blood and boring realisms .I can watch the news for that.....

I like to read lots of comics who cares about colour....in this country Marvel was always in black and white in the UK comics

[brisey]

With DC over-reliance on superheroes.Maybe they would have been better off incorporating them into the DC universe like the Charlton line.Crossovers to increase customer awareness etc and then go from there.We know these are great characters with enormous potential.

Or trying to get the Megazine to put it in the back like Preacher.

This was not the Relaunch that British comics deserved.It was not going to re-connect with old readers who do not go into comic shops.And quite frankly it was tosh,that if it did not have Alan Moore's name on it wouldn't have seen the light of day.

Did the suits learn nothing from Julian Lennon-you don't inherit talent.

Buy-the much ignored on these boards- Jack Staff is my advice.

[Earl]

These are not bad sales for a Direct Market comic.

For comparion

09/2005: Detective Comics #811 -- 38,772 (-19.7%)
10/2005: Detective Comics #812 -- 39,270 (+ 1.3%)
11/2005: Detective Comics #813 -- 38,338 (- 2.4%)
12/2005: Detective Comics #814 -- 37,145 (- 3.1%)
01/2006: Detective Comics #815 -- 35,569 (- 4.2%)
02/2006: Detective Comics #816 -- 35,410 (- 0.5%)


Or

10/2005: Hellblazer #213 -- 14,688 (- 0.2%)
11/2005: Hellblazer #214 -- 14,766 (+ 0.5%)
12/2005: Hellblazer #215 -- 14,405 (- 2.5%)
01/2006: Hellblazer #216 -- 14,590 (+ 1.3%)
02/2006: Hellblazer #217 -- 14,306 (- 2.0%)
03/2006: Hellblazer #218 -- 14,129 (- 1.2%)
04/2006: Hellblazer #219 -- 14,206 (+ 0.6%)

Or

11/2005: Manhunter #16 -- 14,257 (- 0.6%)
12/2005: Manhunter #17 -- 13,615 (- 4.5%)
01/2006: Manhunter #18 -- 13,212 (- 3.0%)
02/2006: Manhunter #19 -- 12,970 (- 1.8%)
03/2006: Manhunter #20 -- 16,090 (+24.1%)
04/2006: Manhunter #21 -- 14,950 (- 7.1%)

[kevf]

I can see how, in the diverse market of nowadays, that selling 13,000 copies is viable. If the publisher takes a dollar a copy, that gives you the budget to pay for the art and print it, but not much profit. However you've then got the rights, the likelihood of repackaging, and you're constantly keeping a toe in the water to find out if something will be a hit.

Though I the long lost olen days of mass sales, I champion a publisher who keeps producing work and maintaining a readership.

I agree that finding a wider readership or a totally new audience is the holy grail of any publisher (except maybe 2000AD who seem dedicated to pleasing the same dwindling number of hardcore fans), so here's hoping someone stumbles across that magic formula soon.

[Lew Stringer]

I can see how, in the diverse market of nowadays, that selling 13,000 copies is viable. If the publisher takes a dollar a copy, that gives you the budget to pay for the art and print it, but not much profit. However you've then got the rights, the likelihood of repackaging, and you're constantly keeping a toe in the water to find out if something will be a hit.

Yes, there are often foreign editions of US comics that bring in revenue to the publishers. (Panini's European versions of Marvel & DC comics for example, which DC and Marvel receive a license fee from).

Also, US comics contain so many bloomin' adverts (practically half the comic) so that helps I guess.

What about merchandise (toys, etc)? Does profit from action figures go to prop up comics?

Presumably profits from (say) Batman help to pay for the print run of lesser selling comics? (I could be wrong here, but I can't imagine the large amount of comics DC and Marvel produce all having individual budgets).

Lew

[Earl]

Tracing comics sales is one of the interests of my sad life

Speaking to some of the US 'indy' publishers who sell to comic shops via Diamond they tell me that 2,500 sales is typically break even.

Earl.

[presterjohn]

I never know how to take these figures these days. So many of the titles mentioned above seem to do best as trades that can go into multiple printings.

I would guess that Albion for instance will be turned into a trade within a month of its completion and be available in many bookshops for years to come.

Its about time someone started working out what the real sales figures are for comics/trades are today. At the moment I think someone on this very site pointed out that long term trade sales are not being compiled at all for public viewing.