Sales Review: October 2013

Sales figures for October have been released and, as always, I like ICv2's coverage of the market. Here is the link to the top 300 comics from last month: http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/27180.html

I have really hammered DC Comics recently on the direction of their universe, their missteps with classic characters, and their poor understanding of some of their audience. Well, DC Comics can laugh at me. Because last month, DC got, by a whisker, the biggest share of the market. In a business where dollars are everything, that trumps any whining I might do. At least in the short term, and with 'events', gimmicks, and variants puffing things up, DC's dark universe sells.

So go ahead and fire your rotten tomatoes at me DC. Maybe I don't get it.

Last month' Supergirl #24 was the last issue of the Michael Alan Nelson 'era' on the book. Zor-El recreated Supergirl, keeping her body and psyche intact, and allowed her to escape by becoming the Cyborg Superman again.

The issue ended with the I'noxian collective telling Kara to find happiness. We knew that Tony Bedard was on the book the next issue. Things seemed to be looking up.

Unfortunately sales remain in a tail spin. Just around 1500 fewer copies of this comic were sold. Maybe the Villains' Month pause, where there was no Supergirl issue, was a good jumping off point (as I feared). Of course, the comic has continued to crush Supergirl, getting darker and grimmer and sadder.

As I have said before Supergirl fans don't typically want a Dark Supergirl. And fans of Dark characters don't want to read Supergirl. The sales numbers don't lie.

Will a Red Lantern Supergirl continue to fall?

I will point out that My Little Pony outsold Supergirl. I think MLP knows its audience. The primary creators add some humor and nuance for the older readers. It is a high quality all ages book. And it sells.

And what about the other super-book reeling under some creative uncertainty?

Superboy #24 completed Kon's battle with the Psycho Pirate. It was a wild story but with a high school Superboy which was umpteenth rethinking of the character. Who is/was this Superboy?

No surprise that this book also seems to be plummeting in sales. At 18K in sales, the book seems to be on life support unless the villain-led Jon Lane Kent book catches fire. Of course, I won't be there. So sales will go down by one.

I should stop doing these sales reviews as they are depressing. It is clear that the Bat books and big name books continue to flourish while the periphery of the universe seems to struggle.

I worry that 6 months from now Supergirl will be below 20K in sales and then I'll be talking about cancellation.

Review: Supergirl #24

It's catch up time for me as I scramble to get up to date on all things Supergirl after being away for a week because of work. And first thing on my plate is my review of Supergirl #24, written by Michael Alan Nelson and drawn by Diogenes Neves.

Now this is an interesting issue for any number of reasons but primarily because it marks the end of the Nelson 'era'. Steeped in horror roots, Nelson said there would be darkness in his book but with an eye towards the light. And technically he achieved that goal because this issue does end with Supergirl optimistically pining for happiness. But technically achieving a goal and actually achieving the goal are separate things. After the fun opening issue, we moved on to some sad dark stuff - leaving Earth, K poisoning, fighting her own fears, and then ultimately dying. And every time I thought the best, that these darker times were meant to be the deepest before a dawn, we just got even darker. Even this issue, with a rethinking of Zor-El and ending with a positive note, shows Kara at her most unhinged and vengeful.

And I will remind people that Chase and Harras were literally giddy about announcing Nelson and the darker turn he was bringing. I guess the question is why is Nelson leaving? Did he step down? Told to step down? Maybe he knew that another H'El arc would be doom. Or did DC realize AGAIN that this character cannot sustain itself with that take.

The art by Diogenes Neves is wonderful. I find that his stuff can be too stylized at times (his eyes are spooky) but that works with a Supergirl who is forming the clay of I'Noxia into whatever shape she thinks of.

Remember that last issue ended with Supergirl dead, disintegrated, and absorbed into the consciousness of I'noxia. The Cyborg Superman had been reconstituted into Zor-El, who seemed not to realize what he had done.

Now I guess I can understand Supergirl being angry for being destroyed. And I can understand her wanting to deny this false existence of a phony Krypton. But rather than try to figure out a way to use this omnipotence of her surrounding, she decides she will use it to exact a pound of flesh.

Seems a bit Draconian don't you think? And not subtle as we hear her say 'Hard to know what I would do in her situation. But I read these books to see what heroes would do and be inspired.

Now if there is one saving grace about this issue is that Zor-El actually comes out of this looking better. Cleansed of the Cyborg Superman persona, he instantly regrets his actions and orders his I'Noxian lieutenant Delacore to reverse the process. Kara needs her body back and the only way to do that is to become the Cyborg again. It means he will once again lose his memories and personality. He will once again become a villain. But Supergirl will be safe. It is noble and sacrificial. He even tells Delacore to tell Kara to search for happiness.

It also means he will need to fight Brainiac off so that the reversal can occur. And he needs to become the Cyborg again to fight Brainiac, unknowingly to help Supergirl escape. 

Since the beginning of this new incarnation, I have said that Zor-El is desperate to save his daughter to the point of crossing some ethical lines. Here he is just as desperate, becoming a villain once more, leading a horrible life (although as the Cyborg, he won't retain the knowledge he is Zor-El), but at least his daughter is safe.

Unfortunately, Zor-El's plan is to save Supergirl is being undermined by Supergirl herself. Having taken control of I'Noxia, she begins ripping it apart from the inside out.

She will leave the place a 'ruin of cinder and ash', have 'the world burn' until the Cyborg 'lies broken at my feet'. And even if she destroys the I'Noxian collective, so be it. They begrudgingly helped the Cyborg; they are just as guilty in Kara's mind.

I do like this panel as it does conjure up images of the Earth Angel Supergirl with her flame wings.

Zor-El's plan is relatively intricate and plays off the fact that he will reclaim all the foibles of the Cyborg's personality when he is reconfigured. The Cyborg won't remember he is Zor-El. He will be told by Delacore that Brainiac stopped his transformation to human, thus making the two villains fight. Zor-El will 'shrink' the I'Noxian collective to make it safe, sparing them the fallout of the fight. And thus, Kara can be presumed dead and escape without the Cyborg or Brainiac following. And he wants Kara to find happiness.

Again, this redeems Zor-El in about as best as can be expected for him. He is flawed and the guy can't catch a break. But at least he hasn't killed Kara. Unfortunately, it means he will remain a villain and neither he nor Supergirl will know their relationship.

And her anger is so blazing that she does take utter control of I'Noxia, pulling matter which makes up the city to form a super-sized avenger. And she means business. Moon fists and sun legs and a world of misery and wrath. Not very Supergirl-like.

Again, rather than trying to figure out a way to get her body back, this Supergirl is simply driven to destruction. If Michael Caine were here, he would describe her as someone who just wants to watch the world burn. This is the dark twisted Supergirl that DC wants and it's wrong.

The art here is very nice showing Supergirl forming from the swirling matter and dripping with fury.

Zor-El's plan works perfectly. He becomes the Cyborg, forgets all about what happened when he was Zor-El, and flies off to fight Brainiac.


Supergirl is reformed and cured of her Kryptonite poisoning. And no one knows she is alive.

With all that hate and anger behind her, with the need for vengeance removed, Supergirl is suddenly calm again, riding her space-cycle a distance from the Cyborg/Brainiac brawl. And Zor-El even succeeded in saving the I'Noxian collective mind. Sure, they are in floating sphere thing but at least they are free.

And then we get the ending 'feel good' moment. In some ways it is a coda to Nelson's run. I suppose he wanted to eventually get Kara here. And knowing that Tony Bedard has said he wants a likable Kara on Earth, this sets the stage.

It is good to have Supergirl hear one more time that her parents loved her and would want her to be happy.  Maybe this whole near-death experience will be some sort of catharsis for her, making her cling to life and happiness that much more.

Alas, before we can get there we have to suffer one more H'El arc which might derail things again. Remember, Mike Johnson was turning this book around before the first H'El.

And so ends another darker chapter and darker 'era' in the New 52 Supergirl book. Could DC, as they did with the last incarnation of Supergirl, finally have come to the realization that this character deserves something better, that this book warrants a different slant?

So, all together an unhinged Supergirl, a repentant Zor-El, and a happy ending. But in a rough package.

Overall grade: B-