April was a good month for comic sales with sales down about 1.5% in comparison to April 2010. The top comic Fear Itself from Marvel sold over 140K as well. As always, this information has been gleaned from ICv2. Here is a link to their list of the top 300 comics for April:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/20090.html
Comics are still down around 6% for the quarter, so as always stability in sales is to be admired. Which takes us to Supergirl #63.
Supergirl #63 was the penultimate chapter of the 'Good Looking Corpse' story arc. Remember, this arc started with the mini-upheaval at writer with Nick Spencer being ousted (leaving on his own?) in the middle of the first issue. I was worried that the loss of Spencer and the sense of uncertainty around the title might lead to a serious sales drop. Instead, Supergirl fans are holding strong. Supergirl #63 sold 21,598. Supergirl #62 sold 21786. That's a drop of less than 1% in a market where there is almost always attrition. That is the definition of stability.
I think it is also a testament to James Peaty and Bernard Chang. If this wasn't a good story I am sure some folks would have left.
It's funny, even with another new creative team, Kelly Sue DeConnick and ChrisCross, coming on for only 3 issues, I don't have that sense of unease about the title anymore. We'll see if upcoming sales mirror my new-found optimism.
I am somewhat curious to see if we don't want up with a "Team Superman" book post-Flashpoint that incorporates all the Super-folks, but could lead to the cancellation of some Super-titles. September solicits are going to be interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhat the second coming of "The Superman Family" dollar book?
ReplyDeleteYikes logical thought there....
Y'know I'd love to see Gail Simone get a crack at writing Supergirl, failing that I wish DC could come to terms with Mark Waid and get him on the book.
John Feer
Given the "big announcement" stuff floated by DC today that I read after the above comment, at this point I don't know what we can guess.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Nick Spencer's leaving, I heard from a guy at my comic shop that he presented the story he wanted to tell to DC, they wanted to make editorial changes, so he decided to leave. Then they saw the reception his first story got and I imagine, were kicking themselves.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where this version of events came from, I don't think this guy has any insider knowledge, I imagine it was put on the internet in an interview.
I actually wouldn't mind a Superman family book for Jimmy, Lois, Cat, and even Steel and the Guardian.
ReplyDeleteBut Supergirl and Superboy should keep their own books.
Mark Waid? Not sure those of us, who are Supergirl and Brainiac 5 shippers would look forward to it. When Mark Waid had Supergirl in his version of the Legion of Super Heroes, (in what was later learned to be the Earth-Prime Legion) it quickly became clear he WASN'T going to allow Kara and Querl to get together as a couple, especially since he planned and had spent several issues getting Brainy and Dream Girl together as a couple and planned for them to get married, eventually. So the only thing he was going to allow Supergirl and Brainiac 5 to have at best a platonic relationship.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the way Waid made and kept Kara at odds against the Earth-Prime Legion members way too long. Technically his three-boot Legion stories were very good but most were way too dark for my taste.