Mayo Report: 2008-06 Comics

[Lobo]

It's unsurprising that Dark Horse & IDW outsold Image, given the amount of comics they publish based upon media licenses.

For example, the top-selling non-DC or Marvel title is Buffy.

Dynamite doesn't have as many media licensed books, or at least not as many where the audience crosses over with the comic reading audience, but I imagine this accounts for the majority of their market share too.

I'd slam DC for Final Crisis selling almost a third less than Secret Invasion. Like you said, this is a long-term, not a short-term issue, which indicates this has been a problem at DC for a long time.

Isn't Wolverine #66 the return of Mark Millar to the title? I believe that last time he wrote Wolverine (the title, not the character) was in the Enemy of the State story arc. This seems to be an obvious reason for a 57% increase in orders, even without excessive promotion.

Had the same story been announced with a different writer, I don't know that we'd have seen the same increase in orders.

Skaar is one of the only (if not the only) DCU or Marvel U title I'm currently ordering. In fact, I ordered the first issue because it was deeply discounted by Heroes Corner, and wound up re-ordering #2 & #3.

It will be interesting to see how Sky Doll's (and other Soleil titles) sales compare to the upcoming Devil's Due/Humanoids comics.

From: http://devilsdue.net/

Check out the official press release if you missed the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con. Comic Book Resources , Publishers Weekly , Newsarama , and ICv2 are abuzz about what CBR's Augie De Blieck calls the "biggest news from the convention." DDP and Humanoids will bring English language editions of previously untranslated comics by John Cassaday, Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek, and Stuart Immonen to the U.S. in a deal that is going to rock comic book shelves. Watch for the first volume of Cassaday and Laura Martin's I Am Legion to hit shelves in November.

Note: Unlike DC, DDP is starting by publishing Humanoids comics from creators who already have a following in the U.S.

[JohnMayo]

Isn't Wolverine #66 the return of Mark Millar to the title? I believe that last time he wrote Wolverine (the title, not the character) was in the Enemy of the State story arc. This seems to be an obvious reason for a 57% increase in orders, even without excessive promotion.

Had the same story been announced with a different writer, I don't know that we'd have seen the same increase in orders.

That issue of Wolverine was Millar's return to the title. So a bump was expected because of that. It was the size of the bump that surprised me. A 57% bump for a new storyline and/or a new writer doesn't happen often.

I agree that the same story but by another writer would not have gotten that big of a bump in orders.

[Lobo]

That issue of Wolverine was Millar's return to the title. So a bump was expected because of that. It was the size of the bump that surprised me. A 57% bump for a new storyline and/or a new writer doesn't happen often.

I agree that the same story but by another writer would not have gotten that big of a bump in orders.

If you look at the amount of the increase, as opposed to the percentage, maybe it'll seem less surprising.

Wolverine #66 shipped roughly 35,000 more copies than Wolverine #65.

War Heroes #1 shipped roughly 30,000 copies, outselling Walking Dead #50 by 10%.

[JohnMayo]

Wolverine #66 shipped roughly 35,000 more copies than Wolverine #65.

True. And the reorders in July for Wolverine #66 were around 7,139 units.

Then the title lost over 16,000 units with Wolverine #67. While that is still much more than #65 sold, it throws into question how many people flocked to that title based on the strength of Millar's name.

[Lobo]

Wolverine #66 shipped roughly 35,000 more copies than Wolverine #65.

True. And the reorders in July for Wolverine #66 were around 7,139 units.

Then the title lost over 16,000 units with Wolverine #67. While that is still much more than #65 sold, it throws into question how many people flocked to that title based on the strength of Millar's name.

True, but we're talking about how many copies retailers thought they'd sell, not how many copies were sold.

Let's see if the drop off is similar on War Heroes #2.

[JohnMayo]

True, but we're talking about how many copies retailers thought they'd sell, not how many copies were sold.

Let's see if the drop off is similar on War Heroes #2.

Agreed. This is what retailers bought, not what readers bought. The reorders indicate that some stores needed more copies. The FOC for #67 was the day after #66 arrived in stores so most retailers probably didn't have enough data on how #66 sold before needing to lock down their orders for #67.

I suspect that we will see a drop off on War Heroes with #2. For that matter, many retailers probably ordered Wolverine #66 as if it were a first issue of sorts, hence the "second issue drop" with #67.