By Todd Allen
Here’s the drill: Diamond has released the top 100 titles and relative rankings for the monthly comics for March 2012. Since Walking Dead is usually a fairly consistently selling title, I’m going to plug last month’s Walking Deadnumbers ( Comichron had January’sWalking Dead estimated at 32,361) into Diamond’s rankings. That should get us relatively close to the formal estimates that should be out soon. If Walking Dead had a good month, the numbers should be higher. If Walking Dead had a bad month, the numbers will be lower. History suggests this will be within +/- 5%, if not +/- 1%, praise to Great Kirkman.
I’m looking at these estimates and AVX is not anywhere near the 250K copies Marvel has been talking about. I’ve got it at ~194K. I ran another set of numbers, bumping up the Walking Dead total to 34K copies — a bit over a 5% jump from February. With that reference point, I still only came up with ~203.7K. Marvel total sales tend to be 10-20% higher than the Diamond estimates, and at +20%, that’s still just 244K. And using 34K as the baseline would have Justice League and Batman only dropping about 1K in sales from February, which seems a bit small.
Possible explanations:
- Walking Dead had a REALLY good month and so did the market.
- AVX had REALLY strong UK orders
- Marvel has some non-Diamond channels for ~20K copies that we’re not seeing
- Somebody rounded up to get to 250K
That said, Amazing Spider-Man looks to be solidly up, or at least one issue of it is. Fairest has a very strong debut at 30K. Fatale is holding fairly steady and it’s possible it might even be up when the “real” estimates come in. On the whole, Marvel’s top tier doesn’t appear to be making any gains, except for AVX. We’ll have to wait a month to see what kind of a rising tide AVX provides for all the crossover titles.
1
|
159.48
|
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1
|
MAR
|
193,874
|
2
|
105.58
|
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #0
|
MAR
|
128,350
|
3
|
103.37
|
JUSTICE LEAGUE #7
|
DC
|
125,663
|
4
|
100
|
BATMAN #7
|
DC
|
121,566
|
5
|
79.18
|
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1
|
MAR
|
96,256
|
6
|
72.07
|
ACTION COMICS #7
|
DC
|
87,613
|
7
|
70.82
|
GREEN LANTERN #7
|
DC
|
86,093
|
8
|
70.56
|
DETECTIVE COMICS #7
|
DC
|
85,777
|
9
|
59.1
|
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #7
|
DC
|
71,846
|
10
|
52.27
|
SUPERMAN #7
|
DC
|
63,543
|
11
|
51
|
FLASH #7
|
DC
|
61,999
|
12
|
48.94
|
AQUAMAN #7
|
DC
|
59,495
|
13
|
48.04
|
BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 [*]
|
DC
|
58,401
|
14
|
45.19
|
UNCANNY X-MEN #8
|
MAR
|
54,936
|
15
|
44.85
|
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #682
|
MAR
|
54,523
|
16
|
44.72
|
UNCANNY X-MEN #9
|
MAR
|
54,365
|
17
|
44.29
|
AGE OF APOCALYPSE #1
|
MAR
|
53,842
|
18
|
43.7
|
AVENGERS X-SANCTION #4
|
MAR
|
53,125
|
19
|
42.82
|
WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #7
|
MAR
|
52,055
|
20
|
41.01
|
AVENGERS #24
|
MAR
|
49,854
|
21
|
40.94
|
AVENGERS #24.1
|
MAR
|
49,769
|
22
|
40.93
|
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #681
|
MAR
|
49,757
|
23
|
40.58
|
NEW AVENGERS #23
|
MAR
|
49,332
|
24
|
40.35
|
TEEN TITANS #7
|
DC
|
49,052
|
25
|
40.28
|
WONDER WOMAN #7
|
DC
|
48,967
|
26
|
38.36
|
UNCANNY X-FORCE #23
|
MAR
|
46,633
|
27
|
38.01
|
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #7
|
DC
|
46,207
|
28
|
36.79
|
BATWOMAN #7
|
DC
|
44,724
|
29
|
36.33
|
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #8
|
MAR
|
44,165
|
30
|
35.86
|
BATGIRL #7 [*]
|
DC
|
43,594
|
31
|
35.67
|
NIGHTWING #7 [*]
|
DC
|
43,363
|
32
|
35.49
|
KICK-ASS 2 #7 (MR)
|
MAR
|
43,144
|
33
|
34.4
|
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #7 [*]
|
DC
|
41,819
|
34
|
33.07
|
FANTASTIC FOUR #604
|
MAR
|
40,202
|
35
|
32.68
|
CAPTAIN AMERICA #9
|
MAR
|
39,728
|
36
|
32.09
|
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #5
|
MAR
|
39,011
|
37
|
31.81
|
INCREDIBLE HULK #6
|
MAR
|
38,670
|
38
|
31.61
|
SWAMP THING #7
|
DC
|
38,427
|
39
|
29.93
|
DAREDEVIL #10
|
MAR
|
36,385
|
40
|
29.55
|
SAGA #1 (MR) [*]
|
IMA
|
35,923
|
41
|
29.41
|
RED LANTERNS #7 [*]
|
DC
|
35,753
|
42
|
29.21
|
WOLVERINE #302
|
MAR
|
35,510
|
43
|
29.16
|
FF #16
|
MAR
|
35,449
|
44
|
28.55
|
WOLVERINE #303
|
MAR
|
34,707
|
45
|
28.26
|
X-MEN LEGACY #263
|
MAR
|
34,355
|
46
|
28.22
|
X-MEN LEGACY #264
|
MAR
|
34,306
|
47
|
28.13
|
X-MEN #26
|
MAR
|
34,197
|
48
|
27.98
|
CATWOMAN #7 [*]
|
DC
|
34,014
|
49
|
27.41
|
WINTER SOLDIER #3
|
MAR
|
33,321
|
50
|
27.29
|
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #7 [*]
|
DC
|
33,175
|
51
|
27.22
|
SUPERCROOKS #1 (MR)
|
MAR
|
33,090
|
52
|
26.83
|
ASTONISHING X-MEN #48
|
MAR
|
32,616
|
53
|
26.66
|
MIGHTY THOR #12
|
MAR
|
32,410
|
54
|
26.62
|
WALKING DEAD #95 (MR)
|
IMA
|
32,361
|
55
|
26.17
|
SUPERGIRL #7 [*]
|
DC
|
31,814
|
56
|
26.04
|
ANIMAL MAN #7 [*]
|
DC
|
31,656
|
57
|
25.6
|
SCARLET SPIDER #3
|
MAR
|
31,121
|
58
|
25.49
|
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #7 [*]
|
DC
|
30,987
|
59
|
25.29
|
ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #8
|
MAR
|
30,744
|
60
|
24.94
|
FAIREST #1 (MR)
|
DC
|
30,319
|
61
|
24.92
|
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #7 [*]
|
DC
|
30,294
|
62
|
24.69
|
WOLVERINE AND X-MEN ALPHA AND OMEGA #3
|
MAR
|
30,015
|
63
|
24.67
|
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #514
|
MAR
|
29,990
|
64
|
23.61
|
ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #9
|
MAR
|
28,702
|
65
|
23.38
|
DEFENDERS #4
|
MAR
|
28,422
|
66
|
23.35
|
SUPERBOY #7 [*]
|
DC
|
28,386
|
67
|
23.25
|
SUICIDE SQUAD #7 [*]
|
DC
|
28,264
|
68
|
23.16
|
AVENGERS CHILDRENS CRUSADE #9
|
MAR
|
28,155
|
69
|
22.7
|
VENOM #14
|
MAR
|
27,596
|
70
|
22.69
|
BTVS SEASON 9 FREEFALL #7
|
DAR
|
27,583
|
71
|
22.53
|
CARNAGE USA #4
|
MAR
|
27,389
|
72
|
21.97
|
DEADPOOL #52
|
MAR
|
26,708
|
73
|
20.62
|
BIRDS OF PREY #7 [*]
|
DC
|
25,067
|
74
|
20.49
|
GREEN ARROW #7 [*]
|
DC
|
24,909
|
75
|
19.53
|
CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY #628
|
MAR
|
23,742
|
76
|
19.14
|
STORMWATCH #7
|
DC
|
23,268
|
77
|
18.71
|
X-FACTOR #233
|
MAR
|
22,745
|
78
|
18.55
|
FEAR ITSELF FEARLESS #10
|
MAR
|
22,551
|
79
|
18.5
|
BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #2
|
DC
|
22,490
|
80
|
18.22
|
FEAR ITSELF FEARLESS #11
|
MAR
|
22,149
|
81
|
17.91
|
ALL STAR WESTERN #7 [*]
|
DC
|
21,773
|
82
|
17.52
|
PUNISHER #9
|
MAR
|
21,298
|
83
|
17.13
|
AVENGERS ACADEMY #27
|
MAR
|
20,824
|
84
|
17.02
|
HUNTRESS #6
|
DC
|
20,691
|
85
|
16.97
|
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #635
|
MAR
|
20,630
|
86
|
16.94
|
MOON KNIGHT #11
|
MAR
|
20,593
|
87
|
16.88
|
HULK #49
|
MAR
|
20,520
|
88
|
16.88
|
NEW MUTANTS #39
|
MAR
|
20,520
|
89
|
15.87
|
FATALE #3 (MR) [*]
|
IMA
|
19,293
|
90
|
15.79
|
X-23 #21
|
MAR
|
19,195
|
91
|
15.76
|
MAGIC THE GATHERING #3
|
IDW
|
19,159
|
92
|
15.56
|
MARVELS AVENGERS PRELUDE FURYS BIG WEEK #1
|
MAR
|
18,916
|
93
|
15.54
|
DEMON KNIGHTS #7 [*]
|
DC
|
18,891
|
94
|
15.47
|
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #7 [*]
|
DC
|
18,806
|
95
|
14.97
|
THUNDERBOLTS #171
|
MAR
|
18,199
|
96
|
14.89
|
SECRET AVENGERS #24
|
MAR
|
18,101
|
97
|
14.88
|
BATWING #7 [*]
|
DC
|
18,089
|
98
|
14.74
|
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ONGOING #8
|
IDW
|
17,919
|
99
|
14.39
|
BATMAN ODYSSEY VOL 2 #6
|
DC
|
17,493
|
100
|
14.22
|
STAR WARS DAWN O/T JEDI FORCE STORM #2
|
DAR
|
17,287
|
The other possible explanation is that some of the sales will show up on next month’s chart – this is an April comic, after all, it just appears on this one because Marvel shipped it a week early.
20,000 Digital copies?
As there’s a second printing already, I would expect that some sales will show up in the next month. We went through this on Justice League #1…
http://blog.comichron.com/2011/09/justice-league-1-tops-200k-copies-with.html
…and we figured that UK kicked in around 20k, and then some more came in.
It is sometimes hard to parse these announcements; if a publisher speaks of print run, for example, that could throw in newsstand, which is something of a black box.
New Mutants v3 is getting down to the cancel line (20k) after months of steadily eroding sales. Even Fear Itself didn’t spike sales (not like Age of X!), and since then it’s been a slow, steady decline. I guess Marvel will shuffle creative teams after the AvX event (which NMv3 is not part of) – last time they did this, they brought in DnA to resurrect sales above the 20k line. The boost worked until after FI. I wonder what Marvel’s plans are? Cancel this book and get a cheap #1 with another title? Bring in another writer?
Nr. 40 – Saga 1 – 35.923
Nr. 96 – Secret Avengers 24 – 18.101
I’m gonna take a guess here and say someone accidently switched these???
Saga being where Secret Avengers usually is, and Secret Avengers being where new image nr. 1’s usually are??
Hate to pop the optimism bubble regarding Saga but can anyone really explain why Secret Avengers would have lost half its sales one month from another?
Hmm, it’s possible they were mixed up, but Scarlet Spider comes between those two in alphabetical order…
More likely that Secret Avengers has ended up split between the March and April charts for some reason (it came out on the last week of the month). There was an announcement that Saga had sold out, which would probably mean more than 18K sales.
I assume that Secret Avengers #24 shipped in the last week of the month and that some sales will show up on the chart next month. 18,101 in sales seems very low and would put the book in cancellation territory.
I thought that it was the final week thingy too at first, but none of the other titles shipping at that date seem to show any glitches.
That it went to second printing would mean the first printing was too low – and since the second printing isn’t in stores before april 11th (according to what I found via google searches) it would seem possible that the 2nd printing is not counted on the march chart. Which would mean a low’ish march number for Saga 1. Around the usual nr. 1’s for Image.
Like I said in my first comment, it’s just a guess, I’m not claiming it’s a fact, I’m just curious.
No, Wonderer, Saga #1 was not swapped with Secret Avengers #24.
I think there was an issue with Secret Avengers #24. It was scheduled to ship the last week of March, but I know stores in Seattle did not recieve until this week.
*yawn*
There was a shipping error with Secret Avengers. A whole lot of stores didn’t receive their shipments. That’s why it’s not counted. It’ll show up on next month’s charts.
Monthly sales charts analysis are flawed because of under-ordering and books that sell over a few months. The fact that DC had Superman #1 go for a 3rd print right now, means that back issues are still selling.
“20,000 Digital copies?”
LOL
But these charts are not about real sales but from the orders from the retailers. If the shipment are late, it doesn’t interfere with the orders that were due 2 months before? No?