Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #10

All I can say is ... WOW!

I have been singing the praises of R.E.B.E.L.S. since its beginnings but I felt the title might be in a bit of a rut lately. It seemed like each month showed another planet falling to Starro while Dox and his band kept half a step ahead. While each issue was great, there was a repeating pattern. I was hoping that writer Tony Bedard would shake things up a bit.

Well, R.E.B.E.L.S. #10 did that! What an absolutely great issue, turning this whole series on its head. And since this was the issue tied into theBlackest Night and was the issue linked to the Indigo Corps ring giveaway, my guess is sales are going to be through the roof. Given the quality of the issue, I hope all the Indigo ring-slingers will be drawn in and will stick around.



The issue starts with a nice and neat recap of prior L.E.G.I.O.N. issues specifically the origin of Stealth, Dox's ex-wife and mother to his son. With the memories downloaded, Black Lantern Stealth arises from the swamps of Voorl. It was here that the Starro-controlled L.E.G.I.O.N. robots killed her.

As a reader who didn't collect much of the prior incarnations of L.E.G.I.O.N. or R.E.B.E.L.S., the recap was appreciated. It was just long enough to give me the information I needed of the character but short enough not to detract from the overall story.


Last issue, we saw the R.E.B.E.L.S. team ranks swell with the addition of Adam Strange, Captain Comet, and Kanjar Ro.

Strange and Comet bring Dox up to date on the events outside this area of the galaxy. Blackest Night and the various Corps are all described to Dox in detail including the dead Black Lanterns and how one can defeat them.

Dox is at his most condescending throughout the conversation. He says he always knew the Guardians were setting themselves up for failure with the design of their corps. I also love how he dismisses the threat of the Black Lanterns. "Zombies with power rings, now that I'd like to see." I wonder if that was Dan Didio's response to Geoff Johns original pitch for Blackest Night.

While the Ring War is ripping apart the universe, Dox doesn't lose sight of the more immediate threat, Starro and his armada.


And here is more of Dox's confidence and arrogance.

When asked about the overwhelming threat of Starro, he calmly responds that he has managed things so far. Only Dox would dismiss the Starro situation as being handled well.

But that is the allure of Dox as a character. He is a cocky bastard but he produces.



Last issue, we saw that Starro's vanguard, his most powerful and independent warriors, had landed on Voorl to find Lyrl Dox, Brainiac's son.

When they do catch up with him, Lyrl agrees to join their group. That is how much he hates his father, the man who lobotimized him.

Vril Dox is the character which really makes this title work. What a delicious new adversary for him to match wits with ... his own son.



When Dox is informed that Lyrl has left with Starro's troop, he becomes unhinged.

Dox always plays things close to the vest. This is the guy who pages earlier calmly talked about how he would neutralize an army of over a trillion troops. Suddenly the cool, calm, 'uniform perfectly pressed' Dox explodes! When he loses his cool, people should be worried.

But it is this change in characterization that gives Dox such depth. He can't always be in control. He knows that once Starro reactivates Lyrl's intelligence that the Lyrl will break down the force field wall trapping the Starro wave. And when that wall goes down, the galaxy will soon follow.



And that is exactly what happens. Starro welcomes Lyrl to his vanguard, the special starfish attached to the Coluan's back.

And just like that Lyrl's intelligence returns. He isn't Lyrl the jungle boy anymore. He is Brainiac 3!

I think Brainiac 3 will obviously be a huge threat against Brainiac 2's plans. But I also wonder just how much of a threat he will be internally to Starro. If Lyrl is anything like Vril, he isn't going to be happy serving anyone for very long. He is going to think he should be in charge. And since he has free will, I wonder if he will lash out at some point against his 'master'.



Knowing that his force field wall will soon be down, knowing that all his plans are basically ruined, Vril decides it is time for the R.E.B.E.L.S. to cut and run. As they take off, the remaining Vanguard troops start to chase them.

As usual, Dox is ruthless. There is no point in attempting to rescue Lyrl. In fact, he thinks the best thing they could do is kill his son the next time they see him. Again, that icy exterior when talking about killing his progeny is what makes Dox the character he is. That doesn't make him explode like he did in the prior scene.

But the Vanguard aren't the only people hunting down Dox. So is Black Lantern Stealth!

One thing we learn quickly ... it doesn't matter how strong the Vanguard are, Stealth appears stronger. Without breaking a sweat she rips the heart out of Limina. Remember, these are considered the strongest of Starro's troops. We have seen individual members raze whole planets. And yet Stealth easily kills one.

Unbelievable. Scary.

With Stealth as a sudden wild card, Dox knows it truly is the time to run.

Incredibly, some of the R.E.B.E.L.S. think that Stealth was helping the team, saving them from Starro's forces. Ummm ... didn't they see her decaying flesh?

Dox knows what the Black Lanterns are about and knows that running is the only option. And as he anticipated, Lyrl was able to deactivate the force field wall. The time has come to warp to Earth and rally the troops.

Dox almost looks proud when he hears the wall has fallen, 3 hours earlier than he anticipated. But just like that the entire premise of the first year of this book is dissapated. This isn't about the R.E.B.E.L.S. fighting Starro in a fishbowl. This is about the whole universe!

The R.E.B.E.L.S. ship warps into the middle of a battle between members of the Sinestro Corps and Black Lanterns.

One of those Black Lanterns is Harbinger from Crisis on Infinite Earths. I don't know why her addition to the Black Lantern ranks made me cringe a bit more than any of the other heroes who have been resurrected. I guess I always thought she got kind of a raw deal.

Harbinger is completely focused on killing the Yellow Lanterns. Stealth is drawn to Dox.

In the ensuing battle, the R.E.B.E.L.S. ship is ripped in half and any number of Yellow Lanterns are slaughtered. One of theYellow Lanterns who is killed hails from Sector 1287. When he dies, his ring finds a suitable new host, a person capable of instilling great fear ...

Vril Dox!!

Perfect! I think Dox instills fear in friends and foes alike. And while wielding the yellow ring, he is probably a match for Stealth.

What a great issue!

Unlike many 'crossover' event issues, this one makes perfect sense. Blackest Night is effecting all of the universe, including the galaxy Starro is currently controlling. It would seem artificial if the events of Blackest Night didn't effect the R.E.B.E.L.S. team.

This crossover with the Ring War didn't seem forced in any way. In fact, it actually moved the main title's plot forward!

And between Blackest Night and the Lyrl betrayal, the overall Starro arch suddenly has a new dynamic feel to it. Tony Bedrard suddenly isn't painted into the corner of that one galaxy. Suddenly the universe is open to him.

As always, this comic is at its best when Vril Dox is the straw stirring the drink. After a couple of issues where Dox was in the background, he is clearly showcased here. And we get a great sense of who he is ... calm when he thinks he has things handled, irate when teammates make stupid mistakes, oddly proud of his son's abilities, thrilled to be handed a Yellow Lantern ring. Dox is simply one of the most interesting characters in comics now. I don't know if I would like him if I met him. But I bet I would want to be on his team.

Andy Clarke was back on art with this issue and I have to say the book just has a whole different feel when he is on board. The book just takes on a distinct and polished feel. I wish he could be here every issue. I think his stuff is slick.

But I am going to reiterate my opening statement.

All I can say is ... WOW!

Overall grade: A+

Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #8

I am finally catching up with last week's reviews and that means a good look at R.E.B.E.L.S.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #8 was another very good issue in this underappreciated series. One thing that I liked about this issue was that it not only dealt with the current threat of Starro but set up some sub-plots as well. I feared that the comic might get into a 'let's see which race gets ruined by Starro this month' rut. While we do see Starro mopping up another intergalactic power, newer threads are started.

As usual, Tony Bedard does a great job with the dialogue as each character sounds distinct and fully formed. What is more impressive is how quickly you get a sense of the different cultures and races in the comic. Last issue Bedard showed the Gil'Dishpan xenophobia and how far they would go to keep others out of their mother ocean. In this issue, we see how overconfident the Khunds are with their military might.

But the issue starts with the R.E.B.E.L.S. team hiding out on Voorl, a sort of refugee planet for all those fleeing the Starro wave.

Vril Dox's son Lyrl has been hiding out on the planet with his mother, ex-L.E.G.I.O.N. member Stealth, but Wildstar is able to track him down. With the help of Tribulus, Lyrl is captured.

One character who I felt has been lacking in some characterization is Wildstar who hasn't really had much to say in the comic. It is clear that she is still so happy to be free of Starhaven's prejudice that she will do anything Brainian asks her to. This opening scene is told from Wildstar's perspective and we see some notes from her personal journal. It isn't much but it is more that we have seen recently. I think slowly but surely she is going to learn just what kind of person Dox is and that may lead to more begrudging and less blind loyalty to him.

While the family reunion is happening on Voorl, the Khund military fleet (called 'The Godfist' ... spectacular), begins to approach the Dominator homeworld which has become Starro's base of operations.

Like most people in this comic, the Khunds have completely underestimated Starro's power. The fleet admiral thinks this will be a simple military exercise. The Khunds will bomb the Dominator world from orbit and pick over the scraps for the spoils of war. That overconfidence is usually called hubris and never ends well.

I love the visual of a massive Starro taking up about a quarter of the Dominator planet, the eye visible from space.

But before we see the result of that battle, we return to Voorl.

I have talked all along about how Vril Dox is really the straw that stirs the drink of this comic. The scenes with him are clearly the best scenes in this book as we see just how ruthless and efficient he can be.

Here we see just what a strange life he has led. Dox acts rather coldly to the news that Stealth is dead, something which irks Bounder. I love this exchange where Dox explains how Stealth raped and killed him and therefore does not deserve his grief. Even better is the 'straight man' response by Strata simply saying 'It's complicated'. The fact that this little exchange is humorous let's you know just how complicated Dox is as a character.

It is these small things that make me like this comic so much.




For those of us who didn't collect much L.E.G.I.O.N. or any of the older incarnations of R.E.B.E.L.S., Ciji asks for and receives some exposition. Lyrl was born with complete intellect and attempted to take over Dox's empire only to be infantilized for his own good.

It does add to the mystery of this side mission. Why does Dox want to find Lyrl. Is it that he feels some paternal feelings towards him and wants to make sure he is safe? Is it that he thinks he can use Lyrl in his own agenda? Or does he fear Starro using Lyrl against him? I doubt Vril is doing this because he feels warm and fuzzy.

I also love how Hakk off screen yells how he fears no one. Again, some frivolity mixed into the action. This team is such a chaotic mix, Bedard must have a lot of fun writing them. There is infinite opportunity for stress, humor, and action.

We finally see why Lyrl accused Dox of killing Stealth. Early on in the Starro conflict, when the starfish took over Dox's robot army, L.E.G.I.O.N. androids where sent to Voorl to capture or kill Stealth and Lyrl. Stealth apparently sacrificed herself to allow Lyrl to run and hide.

Recent solicits show Stealth coming back as a Black Lantern.

Unfortunately this is the last we see of Dox this issue as we are brought up to speed on a number of other characters seen in the book.


First off, the Khunds simple plan turns out to be a misguided exercise. Shortly after the fleet surrounds the planet, Starro's metahuman army emerges from behind the moon and begins destroying the Godfist. Even the missile barrage is stopped from reaching the planet.

The look on the Khund Admiral is priceless. I almost wish he said 'inconceivable' as he hears how his troops are being routed.

You would think that Khunds might be more cautious given what Starro has accomplished so far. I guess this is what happens when you are overconfident.



The Omega Men begin forming an uneasy alliance with the Psions. The Psions have experimented on some Starro drones and have mutated them. These dark stars (a little insult at Darkstars, the space police force?) will augment a beings strength, will allow them to appear as Starro slaves to other Starro slaves, but leave the person with their free will.

With the ability to move 'unseen' amongst the Starro army, the Omega Men can reach the homeworld and attempt to assassinate Starro or at least perform some guerilla warfare.

I don't trust the Psions at all but I guess 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'.



While hiding out on Voorl, Strata asks Wildstar to track down her husband and son who have become refugees.

Using her tracking skills, Wildstar is able to find the two easily. I wonder if *this* family reunion will lead to Garv joining the R.E.B.E.L.S. or of Strata leaving the team.



As I have come to expect, Starro has little trouble in defeating the Khund army. Despite begging to be a lieutenant, the stubborn Khund admiral is reduced to a face-hugged slave.

What is interesting is just how powerful Starro's general Strife is shown to be. I can only see Tribulus giving him any sort of challenge.

If the only plot this issue was the fall of the Khunds, I would worry about how this comic's plots might become routine. That's why the addition of subplots this issue really strengthens the title.



And now bolstered by the dark stars, the Omega Men slip through Starro's orbital defenses and make their way to the Dominator homeworld.

After the relatively stream-lined plot of the first seven issues, I really liked the more diverse action this issue. With a book with as huge a cast as this book, Bedard is really doing a good job of keeping all the juggled balls in the air.

Sure I would have liked to see more of Dox and the R.E.B.E.L.S. this issue but it was important to show what is happening throughout the sector. By establishing new threads this issue, we are set up for the next several months of the book. I hope DC will give the book the time it needs to weave all these stories into one big tapestry.

That said, I do think that showcasing the individual R.E.B.E.L.S. is important. I appreciated the closer look at Wildstar this month. I would love to hear some of Ciji's back story too.

Lastly, I have to gush a bit about Andy Clarke's detailed artwork here. The book has a particular feel when he is on pencils and it fits this book perfectly. I see that Claude St. Aubin is listed as next month's artist. I was happy to see that Clarke is drawing the Blackest Night crossover issue.

Anyways, another month ... another fun issue.

Overall grade: B+

Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #7

With the first story arc over and the Starro wave as well as our heroes trapped in a galaxy-wide force field bubble, R.E.B.E.L.S. #7 tried to establish the new political landscape in the comic, both within the containment field as well in the DCU as a whole.

It also tidied up one potential weakness in Dox's containment strategy as well.

The issue also marked the return of the title's 'regular artist' Andy Clarke. It was good to see his finely detailed art back on the title. And, as usual, Tony Bedard does a great job of juggling all the players on the periphery while making sure the action focuses closely on Dox and his team.



The comic opens up with a great sequence where the surviving Dominator general tries to smash through the force field wall with a lunavore - a sort of free roaming space leviathan. Suffice it to say that the wall holds and the lunavore bursts into pieces.

But the dominator realizes the obvious. Why smash through the wall if you can teleport to the other side. And since the Gil'Dishpan have the innate ability to warp, the Dominator heads there. Given the obvious nature of this solution, he surely won't be alone.

The situation within the force field remains dire though. The Starro wave most likely will take over the entire penned in area and then figure out a way to break through.

Given the impending war against Starro, Dox gets onto the airwaves and starts asking for help. Again, Bedard does a good job of giving the reader a lot of information in one panel. We have Kajar Ro's self-serving nature as he delays joining Dox's cause, weighing his options.

I also like that Bedard shows that this story line does not exist in a vacuum but is a part of the current DCU and it's other cosmic characters. We see Dox try to contact both Oa and Rann to try to drum up support only to get shunned by both.

Bedard needed to do this to place the story in the current continuity. Surely the GL Corps would want to know about the Starro wave and would intercede if not otherwise busy with Blackest Night. Surely the people of Thanagar and Rann would want to join the fray as well if capable.

Dox comes to the same conclusion that the Dominator came to. If help is going to come it will probably need to come from outside the containment field and the only way to do that without dropping the field is with teleportation. He flies the team to the Gil'Dishpan homeworld.

Knowing how the Gil'Dishpan are xenophobes, Dox tries to manipulate them into joining his war by telling them that the Starro wave will soon invade the sacred 'mother ocean' and use their innate abilities to run roughshod through the universe.

The Gil'Dishpan leader though was already aware of what was going on because the Dominator General had beaten Dox to the punch.

Just another quick comment about the art. I think Clarke is one of the better artists when it comes to showing shapeshifters changing forms. That first panel showing the Ciji 'little girl' form melting into a large fanged monster is captivating - grotesque and eerie at the same time. It looks like something from John Carpenter's The Thing. Hopefully Clarke will be able to keep up on the art chores here.

Again, that isolationist nature of the teleporting race comes through. They think they can bargain with Starro - trading Dox and his team for a nonaggression pact. It is clear the Gil'Dishpan have little understanding of Starro's methods.

Even the Dominator warns them of Starro's insatiable thirst for domination. You don't negotiate with Starro ... you fight or be consumed into his armies.

Throughout this series, I have talked about how much I love reading the Machiavellian Dox, the master manipulator.

When his initial attempts to pursuade the Gil'Dishpan fail, he switched tactics. If scaring them into joining out of fear of invasion then maybe flattery and the promise of power will work instead. Dox reminds them that with their inherent warping powers, the Gil'Dishpan would act as the gatekeeper into the sector and therefore be the most important and powerful race.

Before they can respond definitively, Starro forces the issue. A huge drone producing starfish crashes through the ice followed by drone ships and infantry.

The fight doesn't last long. Much like with the Dominators, the Gil'Dishpan army can't hold back the invasion. The head Gil'Dishpan is soon masked by a drone and suddenly sees the 'wisdom' of the Starro way. Suddenly Starro has access to an army of teleporters making Dox's force field wall a mere nuisance.

Something else I like about this series is the unveiling of the Starro lieutenants, those who have some free will while serving the greater cause. This man-shark look pretty cool. Moreover, I love how where the drone is on someone represents their 'rank' in Starro's forces. If you have a face hugger, you are a drone, infantry, cannon fodder. If you have a bigger fish on the back, you carry more clout in the Starro wave.

There isn't much more for the R.E.B.E.L.S. to do except run.

But maybe they have a new ally. As the R.E.B.E.L.S. ship flies off, they notice more drag than they should. The Dominator has linked to them with a tractor beam. With Dox providing propulsion, the Dominator dumps his nuclear-powered engine into the methane oceans of the Gil'Dishpan ocean.

When the engine explodes, it ignites the methane in the waters effectively setting the world on fire. Scratch one race of teleporters. I love this shot from space as we see the world being engulfed in flames, Kirby dots crackling in waves. Of course, you would think that if it was that easy to destroy the Gil'Dishpan world that someone would have done it already. Still, it is an 'OMG' moment, the sort of thing that keeps me reading comics.

So I guess we can add a Dominator to Dox's band now. What a motley crew! As a legion fan, I can't get enough!

I looked at this issue as more of an epilogue to the initial arc. The warping powers of the Gil'Dishpan needed to be taken care of immediately or Dox's plan is worthless. With the warp-weavers off the grid, the R.E.B.E.L.S. can move forward in bigger plans to thwart Starro.

R.E.B.E.L.S. is the only non-Super-title I review at length hoping if I sing its praises loud enough someone will pick up an issue. This is a really good comic that I fear is not long for this world. And that's a shame.

Overall grade: B+

Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #3

Okay, so it's not a super-title and there isn't even a glimpse of Supergirl in this issue. It technically doesn't fit the usual scope of this blog. Still, R.E.B.E.L.S. has been a fun title and as close to Legion as we have these days.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #3, released 2 weeks ago, was another interesting issue in this team-building initial story arc. And since I reviewed the first 2 issues, I figured I would officially review this one too.

The last issue ended on a semi-ominous note with Vril Dox aiming a weapon of some sort at Wildstar. It turns out that (as I had imagined) his plan was not to kill her but to manipulate her and change her into something useful.

In the opening scene we see Dox seemingly incinerate Wildstar, although longtime Legion fans could have guessed where this was going.

As Dox is confronted by members of the tribe, he tells them to not disturb the anti-energy download.

Ahh ... anti-energy ... the basis for the powers of my absolute favorite Legionnaire Wildfire. It seems Brainiac 5's template for the Legion included Wildfire and Dawnstar. And Brainiac 2 decided to get the benefits of both Legion members in one body. Heck, even the name works! Wildstar is an amalgam of Wildfire and Dawnstar.

And at least out of the gate Wildstar is happy with this change. She was shunned in her own tribe. She was the 'crazy one' with tracking instincts that were called delusions and vestigial wings which kept her grounded. Without any delay, she grabs the members of her tribe and tells them to leave or else. They are more than happy to oblige. To them she is a trouble maker and now out of their hair.

But that initial optimism is squelched a bit when Dox tells her that she is a noncorporeal now. She needs to stay in the suit now forever.

Here is an interesting twist which I like in the book. Brainiac 2 tries to tell Wildstar about the Legion of the future. But Brainiac 5 put in a lock function in the download. While Dox knows all he knows about the future, he cannot voice it or write it down. And I like the moral high ground that Brainiac 5 takes here. In many ways, he will be acting as Brainiac 2's conscience. That is innovative.

Still, Dox is at his most conniving here as he shows Wildstar how much 'better' she is know. Her tracking senses can span galaxies. And she can control energy blasts. And most important to Wildstar, she can fly.

The character trait of isolation was one that was played up a lot in stories about Wildfire. He had no body. He could never have any meaningful relationship. All of those feelings happened after his accident. How ironic than that feelings of isolation are what led to Wildstar's creation.

One thing I like about the design of Wildstar are the anti-energy wings. It is a very slick look. Kudos to Andy Clarke.

Wildstar leads Dox to Cairn where he runs into his old teammate Strata and her comrade Bounder (sort of a Bouncing Boy stand-in).

Strata is upset with Brainiac 2 initially because she has been fighting off swarms of L.E.G.I.O.N. robots. Whatever took over Dox's business aimed it right at Strata. In fact, Strata actually looks like she might attack Dox.

Wildstar is quick to defend him though leading to this great exchange.

Wildstar tells Bounder that Dox 'remade' her and that is why she is loyal. Strata responds 'whose life did you ruin this time?'

It just speaks volumes about the dislike Strata has for Dox. And yet, he is so smug and manipulative she ends up leaving with him. Is it possible to like and dislike the lead character of a title. I find Dox to be a self-serving jerk but he definitely makes for a great read.

But Dox and his team aren't the only team in the DC cosmos. The Omega Men are also active. And in a slick bit of guerrila warfare, bait the L.E.G.I.O.N. forces away from the headquarters allowing their small group to infiltrate. It is the classic 'crush the head and the body will die' tactic!

And surprisingly it works. With D-listers like Broot and Doc, they make their way into the control room where Elu blasts Silica, the L.E.G.I.O.N. living computer. In another bit of good design, Silica is swirling pink lines of binary code.

In the middle of Silica's smoking body is something else though ... a Starro drone. Much like Streaky, I have a soft spot for Starro.

And so the Omega Men meet the person behind the L.E.G.I.O.N. upheaval ... Starro! And whoever this host body is, she promises the Omega Men that they are next in line to become Starro slaves.

I will start out by saying that I did not expect to enjoy this comic as much as I have. It has been a very fun ride.

First off, Vril Dox is just a fascinating character. He is so arrogant and rigid in his political views. He is not likeable. But I think that is part of the allure of him as the headliner in this book. He is not your standard hero.

The team he is bringing together - Tribulus, Wildstar, Strata - are not typical heroes either. They are simply a bunch of flawed beings who Dox can mold to his purposes. But you wonder how long they will follow along?

Add to that the Legion links and the presence of Brainiac 5 as 'Jiminy Cricket' and you have a good set-up.

Plus, the art is at time stunning. Clarke's designs on the characters are slick.

If you are a Legion of Super-Heroes fan, this might be a book to look at.

Overall grade: B+

March Sales Review

ICv2 does it's usual great job in reviewing the economic state of comics and individual titles over on their website. Here is the link which discusses March 2009 sales in general: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/14745.html

Of note, one passage really stuck out.

For the first time since March of 2001, the month that ICv2 began tracking sales of periodical comics through Diamond Comic Book Distributors, no comic sold more than 100,000 copies in March of 2009. While sales of periodical comics were down 7% in dollars for the month, the decline in units sold was greater, considering the rise in cover prices of key titles versus their cost in March, 2008.

So maybe comics aren't recession proof. It strikes me that the comic industry thinks the way to survive in tough economic times is to INCREASE prices! Seems counter-intuitive.

So sales drop 7%, but individual comic book issues drops even more. Unfortunately this sales models probably means less titles (and less diversity) in the market, less time for a title to try and build an audience before being cancelled.

As for individual titles, here is the link for the list of the top 300 titles: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/14743.html Anyone who knows me can tell you I am no optimist. Still, I think things continue to look okay for Supergirl, at least from a sales point of view.



Supergirl #39 comes in as the 50th best selling title, having sold 33,713 issues. Supergirl #38 sold 34,225 issues. Thus, sales dropped about 1.5% in March.

But when you think about the market, this slight drop is actually sort of reassuring. The Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle team has found a stable audience. This couldn't be said about this title last year when it seemed to be hemorrhaging readers.

And that stable audience is there in the middle of a story arc without crossovers, variant covers, or other gimmicks. I think that is good news.

The same sort of optimism can be seen in sales for Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eight Grade #4.

Cosmic Adventures #4 sold 6200 units. Cosmic Adventures #3 sold 6222. Essentially, this comic sold the same number of issues. So again, stability in a volatile market is a good thing. It appears Landry Walker and Eric Jones have found their audience.

Is an all ages book that sells 6K a month a good selling book? I don't know the bench mark that Johnny DC books are aiming for. But when you compare that to mainstream comics around it, I think this book is a strong seller. Do you hear that DC !!!

Just for the sake of comparison and to spotlight a book I reviewed here, let's look at March sales for R.E.B.E.L.S. #2.

Despite what felt like a lot of publicity and sneak peeks, issue #2 limped in at 16,122 sold, a drop of 33% (!!!) from the modest sales if issue #1 (23,739 sold). In this market, how long does DC keep a new book that sells 16K? My guess is new books get a year to find their legs and then get assessed. For example, Squadron Supreme 2, which sits just below R.E.B.E.L.S. in sales, ends with issue #12.

Kudos to the creative teams for the Supergirl books though for holding steady in uncertain financial waters.