I have to say that I have been spoiled over the last couple of years by ICv2, the site I use every month for my market watch. They do such a great job of breaking down the sales of comics by units sold, ranking titles.
For some reason, the site has not posted that level of breakdown for June making my review less than complete. I was able to find a breakdown of sales on The Comics Beat site, one of my usual haunts, a great resource, and extremely helpful here. Here is the link to their list of the top 300 for June:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/2011/07/18/diamond-top-300-periodical-june/
And here are the sales for Supergirl #65, the first issue of the Kelly Sue DeConnick/ChrisCross three part arc, the last story for this Supergirl pre-DCnU.
So without an issue count, it is hard to fully grasp these sales figures. Supergirl #64, the last Peaty/Chang issue ranked as the 82nd ranked comic in May. Here in June was see that Supergirl #65 is now the 116th best selling title. Was there a freefall in sales? Was there a 'this story doesn't matter' ennui that led to people dumping the title?
Or is this more a matter of there being more comics out there. Every Flashpoint crossover outsold Supergirl. There were a lot of Fear Itself minis above her too. Did people buy these new titles instead of Supergirl? Or as well as Supergirl? A number would be helpful.
Anyways, I hate to see Supergirl ranked so low regardless of a flood of 'event comics'. It also makes me happy that DC remains confident in the character enough to continue some version of Supergirl in the DCnU.
But it would be a shame if prior fans are missing out on this fun story by DeConnick and Cross. If you have left, come back!
I agree that the current arc should be given a chance. I've enjoyed it more than any of the others since Joe Kelly left.
ReplyDeleteI am excited by the new Supergirl, as I think her sales numbers could really jump. DC really cut and divided the fanbase by so radically altering how the character was written and drawn beginning in issue 20. I think we lost a lot of teen-30's readers. I personally couldn't stand the changes to uniform, personality, and appearance. I think the new Supergirl could bring some of those readers back.
Those readers left a long time before issue 20.
ReplyDeleteI too have been enjoying the current arc. I was afraid the college angle would be too gimmicky, but it's being handled just right. While the rest of the Super-titles have been in a bit of an odd place since New Krypton (although I have enjoyed Action), Supergirl has been consistently awesome. So, there's that.
ReplyDeleteI generally hate getting origins more than once, so that is the aspect of the reboot Supergirl that bothers me the most. Those awkward "early years" of a character are used to often as the story driver, instead of playing with an established character in a larger world.
Meh.
" I think we lost a lot of teen-30's readers."
ReplyDeleteThe industry lost them, not Supergirl's writers or other creatives. They aren't consuming these characters thru floppy comics anymore, if they are interacting with that material it is via TPB. Otherwise they've got RP Games and Cosplay to sustain them. Anything if Supergirl's costume is so off putting, why do all the major cons these days swarm with young women all done up in Kara's kurrent kostume?
I don't think the revamp will bring in many new readers once the hoopla dies down, simply because DC doesn't seem to have a single original idea on offer, once again they are trying to be a better more efficient Marvel clone, this has never worked for them in the past and it won't now.
I am however really really interested in the digital initiative, if it works out (somehow) it might hasten DC"S conversion from a comic book company to a multimedia studio.
John Feer
When the Matrix/Supergirl became Lex Luthor's personal sex toy. I couldn't look at Supergirl for over 20 some years because of it.
ReplyDeleteI missed out on the Peter David years with Linda Danvers as Supergirl. I didn't find out and started to read his version of Supergirl until long after her series was cancelled.
If this version is bad, DC risks losing long time Supergirl fans, who won't look at another Supergirl comic book for a long time.
Just think they can tell that "Kara loves Lex" story all over again...I mean who is more alienated Luthor or Supergirl under the coming regime?
ReplyDeleteJohn Feer