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This book has Mark Waid writing and George Perez doing fantastic artwork and is only selling 59,000 copies? With the creative team and the quality of the book, I would expect it to be in the 90,000 to 80,000 copy range.

Koete wrote:This book has Mark Waid writing and George Perez doing fantastic artwork and is only selling 59,000 copies? With the creative team and the quality of the book, I would expect it to be in the 90,000 to 80,000 copy range.

It started off fairly strong but fell victim to the typical sales trend for comics with either rotating creators or rotating content.

In this case, even though the series has top notch talent doing excellent work, the lack of a clear through line for the series due to the rotating characters is the most likely cause for the drop. After all, the retailers had no way of knowing that even though the feature characters rotating in and out with each issue that there is a strong unified storyline for the opening arc.

It is possible that the series will start picking up in sales now that retailers and readers have seen the series and read a few issues. Hopefully that will happen because I'm really enjoying the series. But, so far, the sales chart doesn't look good.

Issue #7 came out yesterday, and other than an appearances by the Challengers of the Unknown, there appeared to be no set up in this issue for the next arc. I'm not saying I need an arc every six issues. I think Waid should shorten the arcs to 2-4 issues, because the first one felt drawn out when I was reading it monthly. I do like how Perez is doing 3 on 1 off, which makes him keep the book relativley on schedule. I wish more artists would approach books this way, or DC would schedule a one-shot fill in between arcs similar to what happened when Gail Simone's Wonder Woman got moved back, I'm fairly certain that was an art issue there. Terry Dodson isn't the fastest.

knightwingbk wrote:Issue #7 came out yesterday, and other than an appearances by the Challengers of the Unknown, there appeared to be no set up in this issue for the next arc. I'm not saying I need an arc every six issues. I think Waid should shorten the arcs to 2-4 issues, because the first one felt drawn out when I was reading it monthly. I do like how Perez is doing 3 on 1 off, which makes him keep the book relativley on schedule. I wish more artists would approach books this way, or DC would schedule a one-shot fill in between arcs similar to what happened when Gail Simone's Wonder Woman got moved back, I'm fairly certain that was an art issue there. Terry Dodson isn't the fastest.

I get my books from DCBS so that will be in my shipment that arrive Monday.

I sort of expected there to be no real connection at all between story arcs so there being even a tangental one pleases me. I kind of like the old days when stories just flowed from one to the other and ther enever really was a "the end" moment every six issues or so.

While I've love to read a new George Perez comic each week, that simply isn't possible. I'd be happy with a monthly one. But, I'd be perfectly okay with the title coming out every 5 weeks or every 6 weeks if that is how much time he needs. A predictable and regular schedule it important.

If an artist needs to take every 4th issue off to stay ontime I'm not as happy with that but as long as the fill in artist is of a similar quality and style, I'm not overly upset either. But, in that case, I'd rather see the two artists alternate issues and speed up the title to every three weeks instead of every month or something like that. Of course, that is provided the two artists mesh well artistically and professionally.

johnmayo wrote: If an artist needs to take every 4th issue off to stay ontime I'm not as happy with that but as long as the fill in artist is of a similar quality and style, I'm not overly upset either. But, in that case, I'd rather see the two artists alternate issues and speed up the title to every three weeks instead of every month or something like that. Of course, that is provided the two artists mesh well artistically and professionally.

A perfect example of this is Steve Epting and Mike Perkins on Captain America. Either they rotate every few issues, switch off every few pages, or one inks the other (which I think Mike Perkins used to be Epting's inker? I'm not certain.) but, that book has been on time ever since Marvel decided not to wait for Fallen Son to end to release the other Cap issues. In #31 (Which came out this week) it just lists Epting as artist (pencils and inks), but to me the art looks exactly the same as when both him and Perkins were doing the art evenly.

Hope I didn't spoil that Brave and the Bold for you John, I didn't think much of it b/c it was short and seemed of small importance in the book, but it may become bigger later...

knightwingbk wrote:

johnmayo wrote: If an artist needs to take every 4th issue off to stay ontime I'm not as happy with that but as long as the fill in artist is of a similar quality and style, I'm not overly upset either. But, in that case, I'd rather see the two artists alternate issues and speed up the title to every three weeks instead of every month or something like that. Of course, that is provided the two artists mesh well artistically and professionally.

A perfect example of this is Steve Epting and Mike Perkins on Captain America. Either they rotate every few issues, switch off every few pages, or one inks the other (which I think Mike Perkins used to be Epting's inker? I'm not certain.) but, that book has been on time ever since Marvel decided not to wait for Fallen Son to end to release the other Cap issues. In #31 (Which came out this week) it just lists Epting as artist (pencils and inks), but to me the art looks exactly the same as when both him and Perkins were doing the art evenly.

That is a great example. While I haven't compared issues side by side, reading it monthly I'm not really notieing any change at all in the art team. It is conistently good art each issue and feels like the same style from issue to issue.

knightwingbk wrote:Hope I didn't spoil that Brave and the Bold for you John, I didn't think much of it b/c it was short and seemed of small importance in the book, but it may become bigger later...

Not a problem. Since the Challengers had been in the previous issue and the titles has established a pattern of using characters to bridge issues, it wasn't really any kind of major spoiler.

Just keep in mind that I get me books th following Monday after they come out and usually don't have time to read all few dozen of them immediately.

Since the Challengers appeared in this issue and on the cover to an issue down the line, I believe that there will be an underlying storyarc through the next few issues with the Challengers that will eventually culminate into a final issue that will tie everything together.

johnmayo wrote:

knightwingbk wrote:Hope I didn't spoil that Brave and the Bold for you John, I didn't think much of it b/c it was short and seemed of small importance in the book, but it may become bigger later...

Not a problem. Since the Challengers had been in the previous issue and the titles has established a pattern of using characters to bridge issues, it wasn't really any kind of major spoiler.

Just keep in mind that I get me books th following Monday after they come out and usually don't have time to read all few dozen of them immediately.

You can tell I tried though right? Lol.

knightwingbk wrote:

johnmayo wrote:

knightwingbk wrote:Hope I didn't spoil that Brave and the Bold for you John, I didn't think much of it b/c it was short and seemed of small importance in the book, but it may become bigger later...

Not a problem. Since the Challengers had been in the previous issue and the titles has established a pattern of using characters to bridge issues, it wasn't really any kind of major spoiler.

Just keep in mind that I get me books th following Monday after they come out and usually don't have time to read all few dozen of them immediately.

You can tell I tried though right? Lol.

Yes and I do appreciate it.

As it is, I've fallen a little behind in my reading. I've still got about half of the comics from last week and about half a dozen from the previous week to read.

The lackluster sales of this book really makes me lose faith in the Typical Comic Reader.

This book is the epitome of Pure Comic-y Goodness™.

Anyone who formed their comic-reading habits in the 70s or early 80s should be loving Brave & Bold.

If there's any justice, the trades should have a nice long shelf-life.

Your typical comic reader is says, "I'll wait for the trade now that I bought the first issue" but I betcha only a quarter of them actually follow through on that thought and pick up the trade.

Course then the problem might be, which trade are they waiting for? The softcover, the digest, the hardcover, the black and white trade, the omnibus/absolute? The market is to really has to many options with no sense or order in which the trade formats are releashed.

Skyhawke wrote:Your typical comic reader is says, "I'll wait for the trade now that I bought the first issue" but I betcha only a quarter of them actually follow through on that thought and pick up the trade.

Course then the problem might be, which trade are they waiting for? The softcover, the digest, the hardcover, the black and white trade, the omnibus/absolute? The market is to really has to many options with no sense or order in which the trade formats are releashed.

I also think we, the hardcore comic fans, have a hard time getting into the heads of the real target audience for the trades: casual readers who get theirs at the big box stores.

I know there's no good figures available, but it's my belief that those folks' purchases of trades dwarf those of the "real" comic fan.

And I think those folks will find the Brave & Bold trades VERY attractive.

WetRats wrote:

Skyhawke wrote:Your typical comic reader is says, "I'll wait for the trade now that I bought the first issue" but I betcha only a quarter of them actually follow through on that thought and pick up the trade.

Course then the problem might be, which trade are they waiting for? The softcover, the digest, the hardcover, the black and white trade, the omnibus/absolute? The market is to really has to many options with no sense or order in which the trade formats are releashed.

I also think we, the hardcore comic fans, have a hard time getting into the heads of the real target audience for the trades: casual readers who get theirs at the big box stores.

I know there's no good figures available, but it's my belief that those folks' purchases of trades dwarf those of the "real" comic fan.

And I think those folks will find the Brave & Bold trades VERY attractive.

Hopefully Brian Hibbs' yearly Tilting at Windmills article on the BookScan data will answer that question on the sales of the Brave and the Bold collected edition in book stores.

While I hope that mass market sales for the collected editions dwarfs that of the direct market, I'm not convinced that is usually the case. But, believe me, I'd love to be wrong about that.