Sales Review: July 2014

July sales have been posted and there is some good news to share! As always, ICv2 covers the market best. Here is the link to their top 300 comics:http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/29385.html

And overall this has been a week of great news. Starting with the Supergirl variant issue announcement and recapping the Boston Comic Con, I have been in a happy place. So will sales news continue that momentum?

Supergirl #33 was the final part of the exciting Red Daughter storyline. This is the arc which hopefully helps Kara turn the corner, head towards heroism and a healthier life, and end the black hole drag of angst which has plagued the book for most of its history since the New 52.

This arc was fantastic, especially the Red Lanterns issues. Tony Bedard and Emanuela Lupacchino are established on the book. And we see Kara shedding the ring. So far so good!

But would sales be effected?

The book slipped in terms of ranking down to #131, a product I think of one-shots, weeklies, and mini-series.

I say that because the book sold more this month than the last, up around 400 units. In this day and age of chronic sales erosion, this is amazing. Especially since it didn't come with some sort of massive reboot or creative team shake-up. Is this word of mouth?

Are the slightly increased sales from Red Lantern readers? Will new readers stick around?

I usually review the sales of a title I like which is lower than I like. But this time I thought I would do something different.

Batgirl #33 is sitting pretty at #79, selling just north of 37K, a number I wish Supergirl was selling at. I want us to remember this number. Because Batgirl #36 is one of those creative shake-ups. This is the soft reboot of the character, skewing to a younger Babs and looking way more kid friendly. The new creative team of Brenden Fletcher, Cam Stewart, and Babs Tarr have been receiving massive praise for the new feel and look of the book and it hasn't even been released!

What number will Batgirl #36 hit? I am guessing more than 100K.

Review: Supergirl #33

Supergirl #33 came out this week, the conclusion of the Red Daughter storyline and the beginning of a 'new' more heroic more likable Supergirl.

Here's the bottom line. I very much liked Red Daughter. There ... I said it. You can quote me. Because in the end, this arc did what Charles Soule and Tony Bedard said it was going to do. It was a transformative story, a redemption tale, where the grim, angry, angsty loner Kara was burned away to reveal something more classic, something more worthy of the moniker Supergirl.

Now do I like that in the 3 years of the New 52 that Supergirl was so distorted that it actually made some sort of sense that a Red Lantern ring would find her? No ... no I do not.

But once again, after another failed experiment ... ANOTHER attempt at making Supergirl a dark and brooding character, DC realized that a bitter Kara does not work, that not all their books can be painted with the same cynical brush, not all characters work as disaffected anti-heroes filled with hate and feared and loathed by the public.

If it took some sort of cathartic arc like Red Daughter to return a true Supergirl to the racks, then I applaud it. And I have to applaud Charles Soule and Tony Bedard because ironically, Kara sounded the most like Kara while wearing that red mask. And here, in this issue, she sounds truly classic! It is refreshing!

Art this issue is split between regular artist Emanuela Lupacchino and Jeff Johnson. Their styles mesh well and this issue is filled with wild moments, from straight up fights to terrible body horror to stellar storms and it all shines.

In the Kryptonite haze over Earth (from the K-bomb/Metallo over in Doomed), Supergirl has to rely on rage and the red ring to battle. Her cells are dying.

There are so many nice little flourishes in the book as Supergirl fights World Killer 1. Bedard goes through a nice progression of recognizing the rough parts of this Kara's past, showing how much she has grown, and finally getting her to embrace life.

And it is these moments that I adored in this book.

So as the World Killer symbiote tries to overwhelm her and take control of her body, she comments on how violated she feels, even worse than how she felt with H'El!

And even more good Kara moments.

WK-1 takes the fights to the crowded city streets of Rio de Janeiro, battering through homes and causing property damage.

I love Supergirl's response to this too. She worries about the people surrounding them and how one false move or blast will kill innocents.

Imagine how different this sentiment is from the Supergirl that called Earth 'a ball of mud and sweat' and thought about blowing up Earth to save Krypton.

Nice character progression!

To show Kara he means business, he takes over a human who literally melts before Supergirl's eyes. The energy of WK-1 is too much for the average human. When he fries one, he jumps into another. And he is pretty determined to merge with Supergirl. He keeps talking about becoming one with Supergirl. It is borderline creepy. '

I love how Kara is nauseated by his bizarre words. That is so different than the gullible swooning Kara who fell for the nonsense that H'El said.

And then to save this man, Supergirl promises to give herself up.

Imagine that. Supergirl is so worried for this anonymous human that she would sacrifice herself.

Again, amazing growth. Yes we saw some of this sentiment throughout the title but it wasn't consistent and it wasn't this dramatic.

Ahh ... but this is also a crafty Supergirl. She isn't thinking with just her fists. She allows WK-1 to start to sink into her body. But then she flies directly into the Kryptonite cloud at ground zero. This weakens both of them (he is linked to her) but with the ring she is able to grab him and fly off into space, warping to the sun.

The idea of weakening herself to weaken while he is linked to her again shows some sacrifice from her.

Unfortunately, the World Killer is still incredibly powerful.

The only way Kara can think of stopping him from taking her over is to truly sacrifice herself. And so she removes the Red Ring, a move that has been fatal to all before her. She is dying here. The World Killer won't take her failing body and instead dumps her in the sun. Besides, he can always take over Superman, an idea he plucked when he merged minds with Kara.

There is so much to like here. She sacrifices herself to try to save the world from this threat. She actually worries about Kal, asking for his forgiveness. And I can't help but think that this panel is somehow a sideways homage to the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earth #7. Nice subtle homage without being obvious.

This all works. This is who Kara should be. Fierce in battle. Fighting injustice. Thinking of others. Learning. Heroic.

Shockingly ... I guess ... dumping a Kryptonian into a yellow sun isn't an effective way to kill them or dispose of their bodies.

Rejuvenated by a solar shock to the system, Kara emerges from the sun ... cured and stronger than ever.

And then this fantastic moment of self-revelation.

Her mind is free of all the rage and confusion! That's right ... no more rage. No more angst. No more nonsense.

And the World Killer, a mockery of life gets vaporized.

Hurrah!

The story ends with a glorious moment of victory.

A heroic pose, near splash page. And then a determined Supergirl goes to start a new life. Mop up the Diasporans. This is just a beautiful page by Lupacchino.

And make a life for herself on Earth!!

Finally .... FINALLY ... after 33 issues, I get the sense that I am reading a true Supergirl comic!

There is so much to love about this issue but I highly recommend you go out, read it, and rejoice. This was a sort of hero's journey writ small. This mini-journey ends with Kara in a very different place, her past behind her, trying to move forward in her new life.

And I am frankly thrilled to read it.

Supergirl #34 is the beginning of a new era in Kara's life. One where she accepts Earth and strives to be a hero. One where she makes a new life for herself in her new home.

Sorta sounds like history repeating itself.

Remember this Supergirl #34? Also a turning point.

Maybe DC will finally learn their lesson!

Overall grade: A

July 2014 Solicits

The DC July solicits came out over this week and I have to say there are some pretty significant ups and downs that month. While I am relatively thrilled with the Supergirl proceedings, the whole Doomed storyline looks like it is heading down a path I won't be thrilled about.

Here is a link to Newsarama's complete solicits: http://www.newsarama.com/20913-dc-comics-full-july-2014-solicitations.html

And now the super-solicits!

SUPERGIRL #33
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover by JEFF JOHNSON and CAM SMITH

“Red Daughter of Krypton” – the finale! Faced with a threat from Worldkiller-1 and staggering allegations about her past, Supergirl is forced to question her role as a Red Lantern – and as a hero! Don’t miss the thrilling conclusion to this epic adventure – and its shocking final pages!

Amazingly, the Red Daughter  storyline actually looks like it will be only a few issues long. And it sounds like the right sort of solicit with Kara rediscovering her role as a hero.

And trust me I was thrilled to see this cover with the ring off her finger. Hopefully this arc purges the character of much of the angsty baggage she was carrying and will make her start a true hero's journey.

SUPERGIRL: FUTURES END #1  
Advance solicit • On sale SEPTEMBER 17 32 pg, FC • RATED T 3-D Motion Edition: $3.99 US 2-D Standard Edition: $2.99 US Orders due May 29 • Not offered on FOC  

At last, Supergirl reconciles with her father, Cyborg Superman – in the most horrific way possible!








Now DC is also doing Future's End issues in September with lenticular covers like last year's Villains Month. And to get ahead of order snafus that plagued them a year ago, DC is advance soliciting. There are no covers or creative teams.

But there is a blurb about the story. And we get a reconciliation with Zor-El. Now a horrific ending sounds bad but I am hoping that isn't something horrible. How about Zor breaks his conditioning and has to sacrifice himself?

Now plenty of this Future's End business sounds dismal. But I am just happy to see Supergirl be part of the event!

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #3 Written by JEFF LEMIRE Art and cover by MIKE McKONE
So many questions hang over this nascent team. Will Hawkman sacrifice himself to save Rann, one of Thanagar’s enemies? Will Alanna and Adam ever be reunited? Can Miiyahbin face her fears and become the hero she’s meant to be? And the answer to all of this spells death for one of them.

 The jury is still out on this title and for me it will hinge on how Supergirl is used in the book. If she is a brooding Hulk or Wolverine character, there to make Equinox and Stargirl all the sunnier I'll be unhappy.

And that would be a shame because I think that Lemire probably has great stuff in store for this book. I just don't want him to misuse Kara.

ACTION COMICS #33 Written by GREG PAK Art and cover by AARON KUDER
Superman finally succumbs to the Doomsday virus and transforms into SUPERDOOM! Is anybody in the universe safe from his vast power and fury? How can Superman possibly find a cure for his condition when the Monster of Steel has completely taken over his mind?

And then we move to the Doomed issues.

Just what the DCU needs, more problems to make humanity distrust and hate Superman.

Can even Pak and Kuder make this right? Can't we have a heroic Superman? The inspirational hero?

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #3 Written by GREG PAK Art by AARON KUDER and KEN LASHLEY Cover by AARON KUDER
As an epic space battle rages above the Earth, how will humanity and the other heroes of the DC Universe cope with this Day of Doom?

And it sounds like, of course, the other DC heroes have to unite to defeat Superman. In The Death of Superman, Superman was the ultimate hero, coming in when the other heroes failed and sacrificing himself. Now, the roles are actually reversed. Superman is the monster.

What is wrong with the DCU??

SUPERMAN #33 Written by GEOFF JOHNS Art and cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON
It’s up, up and away as the titanic team of Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson continue their epic run on the Man of Steel! In their second issue, we learn more about the mysterious Ulysses and what his emergence will mean to Clark Kent and the world. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure is targeting Metropolis with strange mechanical creations...but why? And what dark secret from Clark’s past does it connect to?

No surprise that the Johns/Romita book is kept separate from Doomed. 

I loved Johns' Superman stuff in the past. I am hoping he can continue to fix Superman's image. Let Pak and Johns bring the classic hero back!

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #8 Written by SCOTT SNYDER Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
It’s all going to hell as cosmic-level war breaks out! The full truth of who — or what — Wraith is finally comes to light!

I talked about this last month. I'll believe it is coming out in July when I see it.

SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #10 Written by CHARLES SOULE Art by TONY S. DANIEL and MATT BANNING Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
Twelfth level intellect Lois Lane uses all her new Psi Power against the God of War, Diana, in the ultimate showdown! And Superman must go up against the new Cyborg Superman as an invading armada arrives in space!

Hmmm ... Cyborg Superman showing up. I wonder if Supergirl gets involved at some point.

But the main thing is that we get the cat fight that DC has been angling for ... Lois vs. Diana. Terrible. 

Lois hasn't been a big part of the New 52. Now she is a villain. Fighting Superman's girlfriend. Terrible.

SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1 Written by CHARLES SOULE Art and cover by ED BENES
Only an Annual could contain this chapter of “SUPERMAN: DOOMED”! It’s an all-out assault by the heroes of Earth (superpowered and not) on the God of War, Wonder Woman, who’s leading the charge against all manner of alien attackers. The monstrous Superman smashes through everything friend or foe as his de-evolution reaches a critical stage. It all leads to their best hope: the Phantom Zone?!

And then things get even crazier. Now it sounds like the heroes of Earth are attacking Wonder Woman. While Superman smashes friends and foes alike.

There hasn't been one thing about Doomed that has made me think it is going to be good. 

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #13 Written by GREG PAK Art and cover by JAE LEE
A new arc begins following the events of “FIRST CONTACT.” The worlds of Batman and Superman come to an explosive clash as something terrible happens to the World’s Finest team, and a Dark Knight who is not quite himself must team up with Lois Lane to find a missing Man of Steel. Meanwhile, Selina Kyle encounters a person of amazing strength who has no idea who he is.

Another issue which has been resolicited so many times I don't think I need to cover it. I am hoping this book also rights itself, coming out more consistently.

WORLDS’ FINEST #25 Written by PAUL LEVITZ Art by TYLER KIRKHAM Cover by BARRY KITSON
Power Girl and Huntress return to the ruins of Earth 2, but they question whether their trip was worth the effort as they discover the state of their former home and friends.

Finally heading back home! They shouldn't be too shocked at the state of their former home as they saw it through the portal in First Contact. I don't think I am going to get the Earth 2 weekly. So will this be a jump-off point for me??

I keep waiting for a new creative team. I like Kirkham fine.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11: LANTERN #4 Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER Art by MARCIO TAKARA Cover by CAT STAGGS
Fighting a pitched battle against the strength of Parallax, John Stewart is able to regain his Green Lantern will. But will the change come in time to defeat Parallax’s minions?

Loving this series. This sounds great. But when ... when!! .... will the Crisis happen!

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #15 Written by RON MARZ Art and cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
When a giant robot from outer space crashes into Metropolis Harbor, Superman makes the shocking discovery that the robot was built by none other than his own father, Jor-El!

I love Marz work. I love Doc Shaner's work (check out Flash Gordon!). So this seems fine. Although it seems like a lot of the Adventures seemed to mine Krypton and Jor-El for ideas.

Still. I am going to enjoy this book while it is around.

TINY TITANS: RETURN TO THE TREEHOUSE #2 Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
The Tiny Titans journey to the Fortress of Solitude, where they meet up with the Man of Steel! Can he help them get their treehouse back? Only if he’s not super-busy!

A super-issue with all the Titans sporting S-shields! I am there. This will be a nice palate cleanser after a month of Doomed.

So will Kara shedding the ring be enough to offset Doomed? We shall see!