by Paul O’Brien

The CIVIL WAR crossover continued to sprawl across Marvel’s line in September. However, the delays are starting to take their toll. PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL was supposed to launch last month as a tie-in series. But the main CIVIL WAR series isn’t ready yet, so the series has been put back to late November.

That leaves BLADE as the only new ongoing title for the month – Marvel’s latest attempt to relaunch the character on the back of his success in other media. Also on this month’s charts, a range of new miniseries, including ZOMBIE, which sees the beleaguered Max imprint showing signs of life again. And there’s the first of the very odd STAN LEE MEETS one-shots.

Despite the CIVIL WAR delays, Marvel still thrashed DC in terms of market share. In dollar terms, they win 41.3% to 33.4%. In unit share, it’s 45.8% to 36.1%. Not even close.

Thanks as always to Milton Griepp and ICV2 for permission to use their figures for these calculations.

1.  CIVIL WAR
05/06  #1 (of 7) - 354,536
06/06  #2 (of 7) - 333,404  ( -6.0%)
07/06  #3 (of 7) - 309,028  ( -7.3%)
08/06  ---
09/06  #4 (of 7) - 272,573  (-11.8%)

Running a month late, CIVIL WAR continues to rack up enormous sales. The re-order activity is insanely high, especially by Marvel standards – issue #1 picks up a further 22,867 sales to chart at number 99, issue #2 sells another 20,473, and issue #3 sells another 5,390. Of course, variant covers play a big part in those re-orders, but even by those standards, the continued sales on early issues are extremely high. As always, the added sales are included in the numbers above.

Issue #4 also has a variant cover by Michael Turner, which will also boost sales. But these are incredibly good sales, by any standards. Admittedly, there’s been something of an online backlash to the actual content of issue #4 – and the introduction of Clone Thor seems a curious direction for a book that was being aggressively marketed to new readers. But online complaints about top sellers rarely seem to be reflected in sales, and it’s virtually guaranteed that CIVIL WAR will remain a juggernaut for the whole run.

3.  ASTONISHING X-MEN
09/04  #5  - 131,552
======
09/05  ---
10/05  ---
11/05  ---
12/05  ---
01/06  ---
02/06  #13 - 148,244  (+10.1%)
03/06  ---
04/06  #14 - 124,129  (-16.3%)
05/06  ---
06/06  #15 - 119,991  ( -3.3%)
07/06  ---
08/06  #16 - 121,897  ( +1.6%)
09/06  #17 - 124,026  ( +1.7%)
              6 mnth  (  --- )
              1 year  (  --- )
              2 year  ( -5.7%)

ASTONISHING attempts to return to monthly shipping and actually manages it – for one issue. Unfortunately, issue #18 has been delayed into November. Since the creative team insist that they’re perfectly capable of meeting a monthly schedule, one has to wonder what on earth is going on here.

The book continues to hover at a very satisfying level, and issue #16 picks up 1,526 in re-orders. There’s a variant sketch cover on this issue, as well.

4.  AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
09/01  #35  -  83,559
09/02  #45  -  98,817
09/03  #58  -  92,294
09/04  #512 -  87,236
======
09/05  #524 -  71,065  ( -1.4%)
10/05  #525 -  91,707  (+29.0%)
11/05  #526 -  90,343  ( -1.5%)
12/05  #527 -  89,922  ( -0.5%)
01/06  #528 -  97,807  ( -8.8%)
02/06  #529 - 132,329  (+35.3%)
03/06  #530 - 101,226  (-23.5%)
04/06  #531 -  96,213  ( -5.0%)
05/06  #532 - 119,083  (+23.8%)
06/06  #533 - 137,926  (+15.8%)
07/06  #534 - 125,553  ( -9.0%)
08/06  ----
09/06  #535 - 117,056  ( -6.8%)
               6 mnth  (+15.6%)
               1 year  (+64.7%)
               2 year  (+34.2%)
               3 year  (+26.8%)

AMAZING continues to benefit from its CIVIL WAR tie-in. Interestingly, as we’ll see, the unmasking seems to have had very little effect on sales for the other two Spider-Man titles, so it seems likely that the big impact here is the crossover. Issues #533 picks up 1,498 re-orders, and issue #534 shifs 2,001.

This is another book whose schedule has been knocked off course by the late-running CIVIL WAR, since it can’t run ahead of the parent book. It’ll be suffering major disruption over the next few months.

5.  ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
09/01  #13  -  79,891
09/02  #26  -  94,104
09/03  #46  - 105,409
09/04  #65  -  94,174
======
09/05  #82  -  75,756  ( +0.2%)
09/05  #83  -  75,539  ( -0.3%)
10/05  #84  -  74,670  ( -1.2%)
11/05  #85  -  74,264  ( -0.5%)
11/05  #86  -  76,864  ( +3.5%)
12/05  #87  -  74,537  ( -3.0%)
12/05  #88  -  74,213  ( -0.4%)
01/06  #89  -  71,935  ( -3.1%)
02/06  #90  -  71,470  ( -0.6%)
03/06  #91  -  74,028  ( +3.6%)
03/06  #92  -  72,269  ( -2.4%)
04/06  #93  -  72,831  ( +0.8%)
05/06  #94  -  74,051  ( +1.7%)
05/06  #95  -  73,564  ( -0.7%)
06/06  #96  -  73,472  ( -0.1%)
07/06  #97  -  76,612  ( +4.3%)
08/06  #98  -  77,304  ( +0.9%)
08/06  #99  -  76,075  ( -1.6%)
09/06  #100 - 116,197  (+52.7%)
               6 mnth  (+60.8%)
               1 year  (+53.4%)
               2 year  (+23.4%)
               3 year  (+10.2%)

Celebrating 100 issues of the Ultimate universe, which has proved a lot more enduring than many people predicted. The anniversary sales boost, combined with yet another variant cover, sends the book to its highest level in years. History suggests that these boosts tend not to last, especially where (as here) the actual story content is the middle chapter of a storyline.

10. WOLVERINE
09/01  #168 -  70,909
09/02  #181 -  69,503
09/03  #5   -  81,728
09/04  #19  -  65,046
======
09/05  #32  -  89,026  (+17.7%)
09/05  #33  -  78,508  (-11.8%)
10/05  #34  -  75,664  ( -3.6%)
10/05  #35  -  73,684  ( -2.6%)
11/05  #36  -  94,355  (+28.1%)
12/05  #37  -  73,866  (-21.7%)
01/06  #38  -  73,815  ( -0.0%)
02/06  #39  -  75,285  ( +2.0%)
03/06  #40  -  77,627  ( +3.1%)
04/06  #41  -  70,965  ( -8.6%)
05/06  #42  - 112,209  (+58.1%)
06/06  #43  - 116,540  ( +3.9%)
07/06  #44  - 111,478  ( -4.3%)
08/06  #45  - 110,662  ( -0.7%)
09/06  #46  - 107,865  ( -2.5%)
               6 mnth  (+39.0%)
               1 year  (+21.2%)
               2 year  (+65.8%)
               3 year  (+32.0%)

Overtaking WOLVERINE: ORIGINS for the first time since that book launched. This is another Civil War crossover storyline, easily outperforming the book’s usual level. Issue #45 picks up 1,982 in re-orders.

11. CIVIL WAR: FRONT LINE
06/06  #1 (of 11) - 145,271
06/06  #2 (of 11) - 118,392  (-18.5%)
07/06  #3 (of 11) - 114,454  ( -3.3%)
07/06  #4 (of 11) - 111,868  ( -2.3%)
08/06  #5 (of 11) - 111,435  ( -0.4%)
09/06  #6 (of 11) - 105,289  ( -5.5%)

The CIVIL WAR B-title is still delivering over 100K an issue without much in the way of star power – clear proof of the power of the Civil War brand.

12. WOLVERINE: ORIGINS
04/06  #1 - 182,672
05/06  #2 - 131,522  (-28.0%)
06/06  #3 - 116,058  (-11.8%)
07/06  #4 - 110,830  ( -4.5%)
08/06  #5 - 120,448  ( +8.7%)
09/06  #6 - 101,013  (-16.1%)

No variant cover this month, as the book enters its second storyline. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it drops back below the parent book. Then again, it’s still way above the level that WOLVERINE normally achieves when it isn’t in a major crossover. I was sceptical that the market would support two Wolverine titles, but thus far, sales seem to suggest I was wrong.

13. ULTIMATES
09/02  #8  - 103,998
09/03  ---
09/04  ---
======
09/05  #8  -  95,980  ( -3.2%)
10/05  ---
11/05  ---
12/05  #9  -  94,493  ( -1.5%)
01/06  ---
02/06  ---
03/06  #10 -  94,900  ( +0.4%)
04/06  ---
05/06  ---
06/06  #11 -  96,751  ( +2.0%)
07/06  ---
08/06  ---
09/06  #12 -  97,259  ( +0.5%)
              6 mnth  ( +7.6%)
              1 year  ( +1.3%)
              2 year  (  --- )
              3 year  (  --- )

Once again, ULTIMATES proves that people may complain about ludicrously slow books, but they keep buying them anyway.

Thanks to the combined forces of CIVIL WAR and DC’s 52, even though ULTIMATES is actually climbing slightly in sales, it’s no longer a top ten book. That really shows how much the top of the charts have been changed by these big event books over the last few months.

14. CIVIL WAR: X-MEN
07/06  #1 (of 4) - 114,905
08/06  #2 (of 4) - 100,772  (-12.3%)
09/06  #3 (of 4) -  92,974  ( -7.7%)

Back to CIVIL WAR, at least nominally. In reality, the CIVIL WAR elements of this story are pretty marginal. But that doesn’t stop the crossover brandname boosting sales. This is actually outperforming both X-MEN and UNCANNY X-MEN, something that’s unusual for a spin-off miniseries.

Issue #1 picks up 1,352 re-orders, and issue #2 sells a further 1,699.

16. UNCANNY X-MEN
09/01  #398 - 112,744
09/02  #412 -  85,261
09/03  #430 -  94,165
09/04  #448 -  94,708
======
09/05  #464 -  85,885  ( -2.0%)
10/05  #465 -  84,271  ( -1.9%)
11/05  #466 -  82,825  ( -1.7%)
12/05  #467 -  81,282  ( -1.9%)
01/06  #468 -  79,808  ( -1.8%)
02/06  #469 -  79,039  ( -1.0%)
03/06  #470 -  79,389  ( +0.4%)
03/06  #471 -  78,286  ( -1.4%)
04/06  #472 -  79,157  ( +1.1%)
05/06  #473 -  79,335  ( +0.2%)
06/06  #474 -  78,140  ( -1.5%)
07/06  #475 - 106,037  (+35.7%)
07/06  #476 -  92,154  (-13.1%)
08/06  #477 -  89,225  ( -3.2%)
09/06  #478 -  89,850  ( +0.7%)
               6 mnth  (+14.8%)
               1 year  ( +4.6%)
               2 year  ( -5.1%)
               3 year  ( -4.6%)

A very slight upwards tick from last month. Ed Brubaker has a track record of slow climbs on his Marvel Universe titles, having done it with DAREDEVIL and CAPTAIN AMERICA. Can he do it again here?

17,40. CAPTAIN AMERICA
09/01  #47 - 35,410
09/02  #6  - 63,011
09/03  #17 - 43,295
09/04  #31 - 37,128
======
09/05  #10 - 52,609  ( +17.9%)
10/05  #11 - 45,162  ( -14.2%)
11/05  #12 - 45,038  (  -0.3%)
12/05  #13 - 44,954  (  -0.2%)
01/05  ---
02/06  #14 - 44,041  (  -0.2%)
02/06  #15 - 43,350  (  -1.6%)
03/06  #16 - 44,717  (  +3.2%)
04/06  #17 - 45,541  (  +1.8%)
05/06  #18 - 46,740  (  +2.6%)
06/06  #19 - 47,315  (  +1.2%)
07/06  #20 - 47,357  (  +0.1%)
08/06  ---
09/06  #21 - 49,050  (  +3.6%)
09/06  #22 - 82,230  ( +67.6%)
             6 mnth  ( +83.9%)
             1 year  ( +56.3%)
             2 year  (+121.5%)
             3 year  ( +89.9%)

Two issues this month, as CAPTAIN AMERICA concludes its ongoing storyline with the late-running issue #21, and then throws itself into CIVIL WAR. Sales have been climbing steadily anyway, but with Cap playing a major role in the crossover, it should come as no surprise that they now go through the roof.

18. X-MEN
09/01  #118 - 118,542
09/02  #132 -  99,001
09/03  #146 - 105,573
09/04  #161 -  90,591
======
09/05  #175 -  76,555  ( +0.3%)
10/05  #176 -  74,635  ( -2.5%)
11/05  #177 -  78,405  ( +5.1%)
11/05  #178 -  76,195  ( -2.8%)
12/05  #179 -  77,189  ( +1.3%)
12/05  #180 -  75,559  ( -2.1%)
01/06  #181 -  74,094  ( -1.9%)
02/06  #182 -  78,653  ( +6.2%)
02/06  #183 -  79,477  ( +1.0%)
03/06  #184 -  79,480  ( +0.0%)
04/06  #185 -  78,815  ( -0.8%)
05/06  #186 -  79,536  ( +0.9%)
06/06  #187 -  77,918  ( -2.0%)
07/06  #188 -  95,487  (+22.5%)
07/06  #189 -  85,157  (-10.8%)
08/06  #190 -  83,436  ( -2.0%)
09/06  #191 -  82,048  ( -1.7%)
               6 mnth  ( +3.2%)
               1 year  ( +7.2%)
               2 year  ( -9.4%)
               3 year  (-22.3%)

Mike Carey’s run seems to be settling down in the low 80K range, which is at least a few thousand higher than Peter Milligan was managing. Issue #190 picks up 1,352 in reorders, which at least shows there’s some continuing interest in the book.

20. CIVIL WAR: YOUNG AVENGERS & RUNAWAYS
07/06  #1 (of 4) - 91,297
08/06  #2 (of 4) - 81,176  (-11.1%)
09/06  #3 (of 4) - 75,497  ( -7.0%)

Another high-performing Civil War tie-in miniseries. Issue #2 picks up re-orders of 2,576, and this sort of exposure can only help the Runaways, who are normally much further down the charts.

21. CIVIL WAR FILES
09/06  Civil War Files - 74,684

This is the OFFICIAL HANDBOOK’s crossover contribution, and as you’d expect, it sells extremely well for a profile book.

22. X-MEN: PHOENIX - WARSONG
09/06  #1 (of 5) - 71,724

A sequel to Greg Pak’s X-MEN: PHOENIX – ENDSONG miniseries from last year, although from what we’ve seen so far, it’s really more of a Stepford Cuckoos miniseries. Still, these are very good numbers for a spin-off mini, which can probably be attributed to the good reception for ENDSONG.

23. ULTIMATE X-MEN
09/01  #10 -  99,862
09/02  #22 -  92,199
09/03  #37 - 108,612
09/04  #51 -  94,965
======
09/05  #63 -  74,760  ( -1.9%)
10/05  #64 -  75,118  ( +0.5%)
11/05  #65 -  74,264  ( -1.1%)
12/05  ---
01/06  #66 -  73,720  ( -0.7%)
02/06  #67 -  72,700  ( -1.4%)
03/06  #68 -  72,765  ( +0.1%)
04/06  #69 -  73,188  ( +0.6%)
05/06  #70 -  72,235  ( -1.3%)
06/06  #71 -  71,314  ( -1.3%)
07/06  #72 -  70,593  ( -1.0%)
08/06  #73 -  70,153  ( -0.6%)
09/06  #74 -  68,874  ( -1.8%)
              6 mnth  ( -5.3%)
              1 year  ( -7.9%)
              2 year  (-27.5%)
              3 year  (-36.6%)

The Ultimate titles have somewhat drifted off the radar over the last couple of years, and ULTIMATE X-MEN now seems to be stuck in a steady decline. Next month’s anniversary issue should spike the numbers, but in the long term, the book really needs something to draw attention.

27. MS MARVEL
03/06  #1 - 73,407
04/06  #2 - 46,204  (-37.1%)
05/06  #3 - 43,048  ( -6.8%)
06/06  #4 - 40,627  ( -5.6%)
07/06  #5 - 38,874  ( -4.3%)
08/06  #6 - 68,330  (+75.8%)
09/06  #7 - 64,973  ( -4.9%)
            6 mnth  (-11.5%)

The second part of a CIVIL WAR tie-in arc, which is why it’s selling so much better than normal. As always, the big question is how well it manages to hold onto these sales when the story is over.

28. MOON KNIGHT
04/06  #1 - 114,533
05/06  #2 -  77,552  (-32.3%)
06/06  #3 -  72,206  ( -6.9%)
07/06  ---
08/06  #4 -  67,802  ( -6.1%)
09/06  #5 -  64,736  ( -4.5%)

Levelling out somewhat, but not quite there yet. Still, if you look past the numbers on issue #1, this isn’t bad at all. It’s a C-list hero being launched into an incredibly crowded market, and it’s still in the top 30 after five issues. That’s something of an achievement.

31. HEROES FOR HIRE
08/06  #1 - 74,367
09/06  #2 - 63,996  (-13.9%)

A fairly standard second issue drop for this title, which had the good sense to launch as a CIVIL WAR tie-in for maximum attention. In fact, although the tie-in is genuine, it’s still a peripheral book in the crossover. We’ll have to wait and see how well HEROES FOR HIRE can hold on to these readers when the crossover ends, since that’ll give us a better idea of its long term performance.

32. ETERNALS
06/06  #1 (of 6) - 110,269
07/06  #2 (of 6) -  79,086  (-28.3%)
08/06  #3 (of 6) -  73,997  ( -6.4%)
09/06  #4 (of 6) -  63,996  (-13.5%)

Neil Gaiman and John Romita Jr’s relaunch of the Kirby concept has fallen under the radar with all the big stunts going on at the moment – this isn’t even in the league of MARVEL 1602 where sales are concerned. On the flip side, though, it’s selling very well for an Eternals book. Issue #2 picks up 1,745 in re-orders, and issue #3 gets 1,809.

33. ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR
09/04  #11 -  87,620
======
09/05  #23 -  71,494  ( -0.4%)
10/05  #24 -  70,549  ( -1.3%)
11/05  #25 -  70,032  ( -0.7%)
12/05  #26 -  69,689  ( -0.5%)
01/06  ---
02/06  #27 -  67,922  ( -2.5%)
03/06  #28 -  67,480  ( -0.7%)
04/06  #29 -  67,554  ( +0.1%)
05/06  #30 - 103,837  (+53.7%)
06/06  ---
07/06  #31 -  84,460  (-18.7%)
08/06  #32 -  80,730  ( -4.4%)
08/06  #33 -  65,191  (-19.2%)
09/06  #34 -  63,447  ( -2.7%)
              6 mnth  ( -6.0%)
              1 year  (-11.3%)
              2 year  (-27.6%)

Another title getting on with business as usual while the crossovers and stunts continue around it. The previous arc was boosted by the MARVEL ZOMBIES elements; overall, UFF seems to be on a gentle longterm downward trend, much like the other ongoing Ultimate books.

34. CABLE & DEADPOOL
09/04  #7  - 30,325
======
09/05  #19 - 25,298  (  -0.0%)
09/05  #20 - 24,982  (  -1.2%)
10/05  #21 - 25,030  (  +0.2%)
11/05  #22 - 23,746  (  -5.1%)
12/05  #23 - 23,296  (  -1.9%)
01/06  #24 - 23,542  (  +1.1%)
02/06  #25 - 22,918  (  -2.7%)
03/06  #26 - 25,584  ( +11.6%)
04/06  #27 - 26,153  (  +2.2%)
05/06  #28 - 25,665  (  -1.9%)
06/06  #29 - 25,368  (  -1.2%)
07/06  #30 - 59,333  (+133.9%)
08/06  #31 - 59,804  (  +0.8%)
09/06  #32 - 57,792  (  -3.4%)
             6 mnth  (+125.9%)
             1 year  (+128.4%)
             2 year  ( +90.6%)

Another low-selling title receiving an enormous boost from CIVIL WAR. It’s back to normal next month, which will be crunch time. Issue #31 picks up a healthy 4,221 in reorders.

36. DAREDEVIL
09/01  #25 - 51,537
09/02  #37 - 52,027
09/03  #51 - 59,636
09/04  #65 - 56,547
======
09/05  #77 - 45,945  ( -1.0%)
10/05  #78 - 45,071  ( -1.9%)
11/05  #79 - 44,250  ( -1.8%)
12/05  #80 - 43,309  ( -2.1%)
01/06  #81 - 44,252  ( +2.2%)
02/06  #82 - 53,058  (+19.9%)
03/06  #83 - 46,804  (-11.8%)
04/06  #84 - 47,123  ( +0.7%)
05/06  #85 - 47,899  ( +1.6%)
06/06  #86 - 48,280  ( +0.8%)
07/06  #87 - 51,989  ( +7.7%)
08/06  #88 - 50,554  ( -2.8%)
09/06  #89 - 55,481  ( +9.7%)
             6 mnth  (+18.5%)
             1 year  (+20.8%)
             2 year  ( -1.9%)
             3 year  ( -7.0%)

There’s a variant sketch cover on this issue, which makes the sales a little harder to interpret. Overall, though, DAREDEVIL still seems to be on a solid upward trend under Brubaker and Lark.

37. SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN
09/04  #6  - 71,492
======
09/05  #18 - 47,654  ( -1.9%)
10/05  #19 - 75,461  (+58.4%)
11/05  #20 - 73,262  ( -2.9%)
12/05  #21 - 76,763  ( +4.8%)
01/06  #22 - 74,923  ( -2.4%)
02/06  #23 - 59,051  (-21.2%)
03/06  #24 - 53,910  ( -8.7%)
04/06  #25 - 51,992  ( -3.6%)
05/06  #26 - 52,496  ( +1.0%)
06/06  #27 - 50,721  ( -3.4%)
07/06  #28 - 58,532  (+15.4%)
08/06  #29 - 55,420  ( -5.3%)
09/06  #30 - 54,467  ( -1.7%)
             6 mnth  ( +1.0%)
             1 year  (+14.3%)
             2 year  (-23.8%)

After the initial surge of interest from Spider-Man’s unmasking, SENSATIONAL seems to be drifting quietly back to its normal level. I would have expected the stunt to have a more lasting effect on the Spider-Man books as a whole, since they’re all doing storylines built around that event, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

38. GHOST RIDER
09/05  #1 (of 6) - 119,575
10/05  #2 (of 6) -  71,473  (-40.2%)
11/05  #3 (of 6) -  62,914  (-12.0%)
12/05  #4 (of 6) -  59,678  ( -5.1%)
01/06  #5 (of 6) -  56,958  ( -4.6%)
02/06  #6 (of 6) -  55,802  ( -2.0%)
03/06  ---
04/06  ---
05/06  ---
06/06  ---
07/06         #1 -  98,826  (+77.1%)
08/06         #2 -  61,793  (-37.5%)
09/06         #3 -  54,029  (-12.6%)
                    6 mnth  (  --- )
                    1 year  (-54.8%)

A bit of a steep drop for a third issue, although it’s levelling out somewhat. The jury’s still out on where this book will end up when (or if) it settles down.

39. INCREDIBLE HULK
09/01  #32 - 32,601
09/02  #45 - 51,002
09/03  #60 - 58,584
09/04  ---
======
09/05  #86 - 52,992  ( -0.3%)
10/05  #87 - 42,454  (-19.9%)
11/05  #88 - 41,141  ( -3.1%)
11/05  #89 - 39,635  ( -3.7%)
12/05  #90 - 36,924  ( -6.8%)
01/06  #91 - 35,980  ( -2.6%)
02/06  #92 - 53,661  (+49.1%)
03/06  #93 - 47,437  (-11.6%)
04/06  #94 - 47,966  ( +1.1%)
05/06  #95 - 49,089  ( +2.3%)
06/06  ---
07/06  #96 - 49,209  ( +0.2%)
08/06  #97 - 48,893  ( -0.6%)
09/06  #98 - 52,987  ( +8.4%)
             6 mnth  (+11.7%)
             1 year  ( -0.0%)
             2 year  (  --- )
             3 year  ( -9.6%)

Another book with a variant sketch cover. Since this is part three of a four-part story (which in turn is just the middle act of a trilogy) the variant probably accounts for the sales jump.

41. FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN
10/05  #1  - 100,430
11/05  #2  -  82,988  (-17.4%)
12/05  #3  -  81,309  ( -2.0%)
01/06  #4  -  78,672  ( -3.2%)
02/06  ---
03/06  #5  -  59,900  (-23.9%)
03/06  #6  -  58,853  ( -1.7%)
04/06  #7  -  55,381  ( -5.9%)
05/06  #8  -  53,910  ( -2.7%)
06/06  #9  -  50,177  ( -6.9%)
07/06  #10 -  48,902  ( -2.5%)
08/06  #11 -  50,995  ( +4.3%)
09/06  #12 -  48,063  ( -5.7%)
              6 mnth  (-18.3%)

See the comments above for SENSATIONAL, basically. Spider-Man’s unmasking seems to have little effect on his B-titles.

44. ANNIHILATION
08/06  #1 (of 6) - 61,006
09/06  #2 (of 6) - 44,537  (-27.0%)

A bit of a steep second issue drop, but not completely unusual for a miniseries. Considering the parade of D-list characters who make up the cast, Marvel are doing very well with sales like this.

46. X-FACTOR
12/05  #1  - 64,861
12/05  #2  - 52,705  (-18.7%)
01/06  ---
02/06  #3  - 48,307  ( -8.3%)
03/06  #4  - 48,183  ( -0.3%)
03/06  #5  - 46,490  ( -3.5%)
04/06  #6  - 45,220  ( -2.7%)
05/06  #7  - 44,315  ( -2.0%)
06/06  #8  - 76,150  (+71.8%)
07/06  #9  - 68,799  ( -9.7%)
08/06  #10 - 44,603  (-35.2%)
09/06  #11 - 43,431  ( -2.6%)
             6 mnth  ( -6.6%)

Aside from a two-issue blip caused by CIVIL WAR, this book is on a gentle downward slide.

50. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
09/06  #1 (of 8) - 39,859

Miniseries set in the X-Men’s very early days, and telling fairly straightforward superhero stories with them. A very respectable debut for a project of that sort.

51. NEW X-MEN
09/03  #4  - 41,448
09/04  #5  - 48,526
======
09/05  #18 - 43,286  ( -1.4%)
10/05  #19 - 41,691  ( -3.7%)
11/05  #20 - 59,466  (+42.6%)
12/05  #21 - 43,473  (-26.9%)
01/06  #22 - 42,923  ( -1.3%)
02/06  #23 - 41,463  ( -3.4%)
03/06  #24 - 42,044  ( +1.4%)
04/06  #25 - 40,176  ( -4.4%)
05/06  #26 - 40,073  ( -0.3%)
06/06  #27 - 39,785  ( -0.7%)
07/06  #28 - 39,771  ( -0.0%)
08/06  #29 - 40,303  ( +1.3%)
09/06  #30 - 39,658  ( -1.6%)
             6 mnth  ( -5.7%)
             1 year  ( -8.4%)
             2 year  (-18.3%)
             3 year  ( -4.3%)

Holding up pretty well, all things considered. Over the last few months, NEW X-MEN has been hovering stubbornly around the 40K mark.

55. IRON MAN
09/01  #46 - 36,501
09/02  #59 - 36,134
09/03  #72 - 30,438
09/04  #88 - 32,932
======
09/05  ---
10/05  ---
11/05  ---
12/05  ---
01/06  #5  - 45,243  ( -6.5%)
02/06  ---
03/06  #6  - 40,264  (-11.0%)
04/06  #7  - 49,404  (+22.7%)
05/06  #8  - 38,860  (-21.3%)
06/06  #9  - 37,650  ( -3.1%)
07/06  #10 - 38,102  ( +1.2%)
08/06  #11 - 37,279  ( -2.2%)
09/06  #12 - 36,278  ( -2.7%)
             6 mnth  ( -9.9%)
             1 year  (  --- )
             2 year  (+10.2%)
             3 year  (+19.2%)

Despite his leading role in CIVIL WAR, Iron Man hasn’t yet seen any noticeable effect on his own title. But that should probably change next issue, when his book catches up to the crossover.

56. BLADE
09/06  #1 - 35,839

Another year, another Blade relaunch. The character has been relatively successful in movies over the last few years, but alongside that we’ve seen Marvel try and fail to cash in, again and again, with a string of frankly embarrassing flops. It’s tempting to wonder why they’re still bothering when the character now has such a clear and unequivocal track record of failure in this medium. But then again, perhaps the problem isn’t the character so much as the approach. (The 1999 Bart Sears version really does defy description.)

This time the impetus is Blade’s short-lived TV show, and they’re taking a much more direct and straightforward approach. And once again his book launches with a desultory 35K. That’s not a very encouraging starting point, and to judge from the fate of the TV show, even the casual audience has largely moved on by now. In fairness, this is a far better effort than some of the BLADE projects Marvel have published over the last few years but the signs are not encouraging.

59,61. PUNISHER [Max]
09/01  #4  - 67,465
09/02  #17 - 47,880
09/03  #32 - 37,240
09/04  #11 - 44,038
======
09/05  #25 - 37,149  ( +0.3%)
10/05  #26 - 36,450  ( -1.9%)
11/05  #27 - 36,072  ( -1.0%)
12/05  #28 - 35,535  ( -1.5%)
01/06  #29 - 34,708  ( -2.3%)
02/06  #30 - 34,293  ( -1.2%)
03/06  #31 - 34,505  ( +0.6%)
04/06  #32 - 34,076  ( -1.2%)
05/06  #33 - 34,480  ( +1.2%)
06/06  #34 - 34,161  ( -0.9%)
07/06  #35 - 34,116  ( -0.1%)
08/06  #36 - 34,227  ( +0.3%)
09/06  #37 - 34,250  ( +0.1%)
09/06  #38 - 33,839  ( -1.2%)
             6 mnth  ( -1.9%)
             1 year  ( -8.9%)
             2 year  (-23.2%)
             3 year  ( -9.1%)

Until now, I haven’t bothered labelling the various Marvel imprints in the way that Marc does for the DC column. But with Max coming back to life, and the Dabel Brothers about to unleash a deluge of books, it seems worthwhile to start. Both developments, by the way, show Marvel making an unusually concerted effort to break out of the superhero ghetto, which will be worth watching.

Anyway, PUNISHER is still clinging like a barnacle to the 34K mark, and there’s not much more to say about it.

60. NEW EXCALIBUR
11/05  #1  - 58,333
12/05  #2  - 48,816  (-16.3%)
01/06  #3  - 47,196  ( -3.3%)
02/06  #4  - 45,071  ( -4.5%)
03/06  #5  - 43,523  ( -3.4%)
04/06  #6  - 40,687  ( -6.5%)
05/06  #7  - 38,744  ( -4.8%)
06/06  #8  - 37,428  ( -3.4%)
07/06  #9  - 36,466  ( -2.6%)
08/06  #10 - 36,108  ( -1.0%)
09/06  #11 - 34,104  ( -5.6%)
             6 mnth  (-21.6%)

Definitely sliding. NEW EXCALIBUR has been derailed by Chris Claremont’s ill health – after all, its raison d’etre is to be the X-book for Chris Claremont fans. But it seems he’s due back in February 2007, so things may get back on track then.

64. EXILES
09/01  #4  - 44,444
09/02  #17 - 38,833
09/03  #33 - 41,635
09/04  #52 - 36,245
======
09/05  #69 - 43,794  (+29.5%)
09/05  #70 - 42,434  ( -3.1%)
10/05  #71 - 41,131  ( -3.1%)
11/05  #72 - 34,329  (-16.5%)
11/05  #73 - 34,008  ( -0.9%)
12/05  #74 - 33,881  ( -0.4%)
01/06  #75 - 33,485  ( -1.2%)
01/06  #76 - 32,843  ( -1.9%)
02/06  #77 - 32,998  ( +0.5%)
03/06  #78 - 33,506  ( +1.5%)
04/06  #79 - 34,119  ( +1.8%)
05/06  #80 - 34,039  ( -0.2%)
05/06  #81 - 33,908  ( -0.4%)
06/06  #82 - 33,342  ( -1.7%)
06/06  #83 - 33,143  ( -0.6%)
07/06  #84 - 32,866  ( -0.8%)
08/06  #85 - 33,978  ( +3.4%)
09/06  #86 - 33,080  ( -2.6%)
             6 mnth  ( -1.3%)
             1 year  (-24.5%)
             2 year  ( -8.7%)
             3 year  (-20.5%)

Rock solid as ever. Claremont’s run on the book, delayed due to his health problems, is now set to start in January. In the meantime, the book has been doing just fine with the previous creative team sticking around for a few more months.

68. MARVEL 1602: FANTASTICK FOUR
09/06  #1 (of 5) - 31,784

I think the ship has sailed on this franchise.

69. CLAWS
08/06  #1 (of 3) - 39,967
09/06  #2 (of 3) - 31,546  (-21.1%)

Fairly standard second-issue drop for this utterly pointless Wolverine/Black Cat miniseries.

70. THUNDERBOLTS
09/01  #56  - 32,360
09/02  #71  - 27,897
======
09/05  #12  - 25,912  ( -30.0%)
10/05  #13  - 29,250  ( +12.9%)
10/05  #14  - 27,864  (  -4.7%)
11/05  #15  - 25,245  (  -9.4%)
12/05  #16  - 25,084  (  -0.6%)
01/06  #17  - 23,417  (  -6.7%)
02/06  #18  - 23,735  (  +1.4%)
03/06  #100 - 26,798  ( +12.9%)
04/06  #101 - 24,170  (  -9.8%)
05/06  #102 - 23,741  (  -1.8%)
06/06  #103 - 60,823  (+156.2%)
07/06  #104 - 54,092  ( -11.1%)
08/06  #105 - 61,467  ( +13.6%)
09/06  #106 - 31,527  ( -48.7%)
              6 mnth  ( +17.6%)
              1 year  ( +21.7%)

Well, here’s a surprise. Returning to its normal stories this month, THUNDERBOLTS has actually held on to a big chunk of its CIVIL WAR crossover audience. That’s very unusual indeed. Nonetheless, the book is set for a revamp in a few months time, with Warren Ellis taking over – sure to be a drastic style change for a book which has always been fairly old school.

79. STAN LEE MEETS...
09/06  Spider-Man - 26,859

First in a series of one-shots commemorating Stan Lee’s career at Marvel, in which he meets his creations and gives them his insights. Since his insights have been unexpectedly cynical, these have been some darned odd comics. The involvement of A-list creators seems to be helping, with much higher sales than Marvel’s themed one-shots normally deliver.

80. ZOMBIE  [Max]
09/06  #1 (of 4) - 26,621

Curious relaunch of the old TALES OF THE ZOMBIE character, dropping virtually everything except for the name and the idea that he’s a zombie. This isn’t a great start, to be honest, but horror books have been doing alright for Marvel in the bookstores, so they may have hopes for better results outside the direct market.

81. BLACK PANTHER
09/01  #36 - 19,596
09/02  #49 - 19,028
======
09/05  #8  - 46,239  (  +7.8%)
10/05  #9  - 40,173  ( -13.1%)
11/05  #10 - 31,987  ( -20.4%)
12/05  #11 - 29,327  (  -8.3%)
01/06  #12 - 27,933  (  -4.7%)
02/06  #13 - 26,054  (  -6.7%)
03/06  #14 - 28,809  ( +10.6%)
04/06  #15 - 28,361  (  -1.6%)
05/06  #16 - 28,091  (  -1.0%)
06/06  #17 - 27,993  (  -0.3%)
07/06  #18 - 69,912  (+149.7%)
08/06  #19 - 28,372  ( -59.4%)
09/06  #20 - 26,585  (  -6.3%)
             6 mnth  (  -7.7%)
             1 year  ( -42.5%)

Beyond the one-issue boost for the wedding issue, BLACK PANTHER seems to have gained absolutely nothing from the addition of Storm. This is now one of Marvel’s lowest-selling superhero books, and the big stunt has failed. Where now?

82. SHE-HULK
09/04  #7  - 25,303
======
10/05  #1  - 37,220  ( +60.4%)
11/05  #2  - 31,610  ( -15.1%)
12/05  #3  - 29,428  (  -6.9%)
01/06  #4  - 28,214  (  -4.1%)
02/06  #5  - 27,183  (  -3.7%)
03/06  #6  - 26,631  (  -2.0%)
04/06  ---
05/06  #7  - 26,561  (  -0.3%)
05/06  #8  - 58,053  (+118.6%)
06/06  ---
07/06  #9  - 29,902  ( -48.5%)
08/06  #10 - 28,555  (  -4.5%)
08/06  #11 - 27,393  (  -4.1%)
09/06  #12 - 26,448  (  -3.4%)
             6 mnth  (  -0.7%)
             1 year  (   --- )
             2 year  (  +4.5%)

Back to the mid-20K range, which is where it was before the CIVIL WAR crossover issue.

89. UNION JACK
09/06  #1 (of 4) - 25,333

Loosely a spin-off from CAPTAIN AMERICA, in the sense that Union Jack appeared in that book’s last storyline. Not great sales for the debut issue, and chances are this will drift quietly off the radar in early course.

91. BEYOND!
07/06  #1 (of 6) - 35,728
08/06  #2 (of 6) - 28,727  (-19.6%)
09/06  #3 (of 6) - 25,096  (-12.6%)

Fairly normal miniseries numbers. This is actually doing fairly well considering its mainly C-list cast.

92. SPIDER-MAN: BLACK & BLUE & READ ALL OVER
09/06  1-shot - 24,785

Curious one-shot which looks suspiciously as though it was published solely to recoup costs on an inventory story that no longer works after Spider-Man’s unmasking.

97. RUNAWAYS
09/03  #6  - 20,035
09/04  #18 - 18,614
======
09/05  #8  - 26,954  ( -0.4%)
10/05  #9  - 26,800  ( -0.6%)
11/05  #10 - 25,761  ( -3.9%)
12/05  #11 - 25,260  ( -1.9%)
01/06  #12 - 24,989  ( -1.1%)
02/06  #13 - 24,313  ( -2.7%)
03/06  #14 - 24,536  ( +0.9%)
04/06  #15 - 24,046  ( -2.0%)
05/06  #16 - 23,842  ( -0.8%)
06/06  #17 - 23,654  ( -0.8%)
07/06  #18 - 24,678  ( +4.3%)
08/06  #19 - 25,042  ( +1.5%)
09/06  #20 - 23,561  ( -5.9%)
             6 mnth  ( -4.0%)
             1 year  (-12.6%)
             2 year  (+26.6%)
             3 year  (+17.6%)

Still hovering around its normal range. With the demise of NEXTWAVE, this is now the lowest selling ongoing Marvel Universe title, but the upcoming Joss Whedon run should transform its sales.

98. NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E.
01/06  #1 - 41,041
02/06  ---
03/06  #2 - 29,911  (-27.1%)
03/06  #3 - 27,126  ( -9.3%)
04/06  #4 - 26,728  ( -1.5%)
05/06  #5 - 30,818  (+15.3%)
06/06  #6 - 24,626  (-20.1%)
07/06  ---
08/06  #7 - 24,245  ( -1.5%)
09/06  #8 - 23,059  ( -4.9%)
            6 mnth  (-15.0%)

Axed with issue #12, although Warren Ellis promises further miniseries to come.

107. OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
09/04     DD/Elektra - 22,781
======
09/05  Alt Universes - 18,680  (-26.6%)
10/05         Horror - 15,849  (-15.2%)
11/05          X-Men - 22,986  (+45.0%)
12/05      Ultimates - 20,795  ( -9.5%)
01/06     #1 (of 12) - 23,423  (+12.6%)
02/06     #2 (of 12) - 21,828  ( -6.8%)
03/06     #3 (of 12) - 21,681  ( -0.7%)
04/06     #4 (of 12) - 21,531  ( -0.7%)
05/06     #5 (of 12) - 21,331  ( -0.9%)
06/06     #6 (of 12) - 20,731  ( -2.8%)
07/06     #7 (of 12) - 20,124  ( -2.9%)
08/06     #8 (of 12) - 19,926  ( -1.0%)
09/06     #9 (of 12) - 18,966  ( -4.8%)
                       6 mnth  (-12.5%)
                       1 year  ( +1.5%)
                       2 year  (-16.7%)

Going into slight decline, but overall the A TO Z series has held up very impressively. The series continues in January with what’s billed as a four-issue quarterly update. It’s not yet clear what the HANDBOOK office will be producing in the other eight months of 2007.

115. MARVEL TEAM-UP
09/05  #12 - 21,240  ( -4.1%)
10/05  #13 - 21,048  ( -0.9%)
11/05  #14 - 26,200  (+24.5%)
12/05  #15 - 20,000  (-23.7%)
01/06  #16 - 19,955  ( -0.2%)
02/06  #17 - 19,422  ( -2.7%)
03/06  #18 - 18,944  ( -2.5%)
04/06  #19 - 19,891  ( +5.0%)
05/06  #20 - 18,843  ( -5.3%)
06/06  #21 - 18,397  ( -2.4%)
07/06  #22 - 17,944  ( -2.5%)
08/06  #23 - 17,709  ( -1.3%)
09/06  #24 - 16,737  ( -5.5%)
             6 mnth  (-11.7%)
             1 year  (-21.2%)

Axed with issue #25.

121. AGENTS OF ATLAS
08/06  #1 (of 6) - 19,292
09/06  #2 (of 6) - 14,416  (-25.3%)

Oh dear. That’s a big drop at this level, and the book’s actually quite good.

128. CIVIL WAR: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN - DECISIONS
09/06  Decisions - 13,174

A catch-up reprint of the Spider-Man CIVIL WAR stories, basically. And considering that, it’s a good number.

158. MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS
05/06  #1 - 13,891
06/06  #2 -  9,359  (-32.7%)
07/06  #3 -  9,006  ( -3.8%)
08/06  #4 -  8,610  ( -4.4%)
09/06  #5 -  7,994  ( -7.2%)


166. SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE
09/04  #4  - 15,273
=====
12/05  #1  - 11,171
01/06  #2  -  8,590  (-23.1%)
02/06  #3  -  7,648  (-11.0%)
03/06  #4  -  7,672  ( +0.3%)
04/06  #5  -  7,165  ( -6.6%)
05/06  #6  -  7,069  ( -1.3%)
06/06  #7  -  6,834  ( -3.3%)
07/06  #8  -  6,769  ( -1.0%)
08/06  #9  -  6,719  ( -0.7%)
09/06  #10 -  6,623  ( -1.4%)
             6 mnth  (-13.7%)
             1 year  (  --- )
             2 year  (-56.6%)

As I say every month, the sales on the all-ages books are pretty much irrelevant, because they do most of their business outside the direct market.

169. MARVEL SPOTLIGHT
12/05  Cassaday/McKeever - 9,763
01/06       Ellis/Cheung - 6,843  ( -29.9%)
02/06        Whedon/Lark - 5,947  ( -13.1%)
03/06       Finch/Sacasa - 4,146  ( -30.3%)
04/06         Way/Coipel - 3,309  ( -20.2%)
05/06  ---
06/06     Millar/McNiven - 7,668  (+131.7%)
06/06     Gaiman/Larroca - 5,449  ( -28.9%)
07/06       Kirkman/Land - 3,963  ( -27.3%)
08/06       Brubaker/Tan - 3,580  (  -9.7%)
09/06          Lee/Kirby - 6,313  ( +76.3%)
                          6 mnth  ( +52.3%)

A surprising surge in interest for Lee and Kirby, who are clearly still a draw.

174. MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN
09/05  #7  - 7,199  ( -5.7%)
10/05  #8  - 7,088  ( -1.5%)
11/05  #9  - 6,637  ( -6.4%)
12/05  #10 - 6,391  ( -3.7%)
01/06  #11 - 6,107  ( -4.4%)
02/06  #12 - 6,087  ( -0.3%)
03/06  #13 - 5,899  ( -3.1%)
04/06  #14 - 5,970  ( +1.2%)
05/06  #15 - 6,165  ( +3.3%)
06/06  #16 - 6,114  ( -0.8%)
07/06  #17 - 6,133  ( +0.3%)
08/06  #18 - 6,220  ( +1.4%)
09/06  #19 - 6,057  ( -2.6%)
            6 mnth  ( +2.7%)
            1 year  (-15.9%)


190. MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR
09/05  #4  - 6,064  ( -5.9%)
10/05  #5  - 5,969  ( -1.6%)
11/05  #6  - 5,522  ( -7.5%)
12/05  #7  - 5,058  ( -8.4%)
01/06  #8  - 4,834  ( -4.4%)
02/06  #9  - 4,711  ( -2.5%)
03/06  #10 - 4,663  ( -1.0%)
04/06  #11 - 4,526  ( -2.9%)
05/06  #12 - 4,836  ( +6.8%)
06/06  #13 - 4,752  ( -1.7%)
07/06  #14 - 4,668  ( -1.8%)
08/06  #15 - 4,569  ( -2.1%)
09/06  #16 - 4,687  ( +2.6%)
            6 mnth  ( +0.5%)
            1 year  (-22.7%)

Pretty much academic, but it’s interesting to note these two MARVEL ADVENTURES titles have actually started to gain readers in the direct market.

Finally, number 219 is a Marvel Milestones reprint of an X-Men/Starjammers story, with 2,814 orders.

Skip months
===========
NEW AVENGERS
09/01  #46  -  60,722
09/02  #58  -  54,765
09/03  ---
09/04  #502 -  93,105
======
09/05  #10  - 143,014  (  -3.0%)
09/05  #11  - 134,125  (  -6.2%)
10/05  #12  - 130,110  (  -3.0%)
11/05  #13  - 126,148  (  -3.0%)
12/05  #14  - 126,583  (  +0.3%)
01/06  #15  - 124,143  (  -1.9%)
02/06  #16   - 124,256  (  +0.1%)
03/06  #17  - 122,847  (  -1.1%)
04/06  #18  - 121,550  (  -1.1%)
05/06  #19  - 125,223  (  +3.0%)
06/06  #20  - 125,600  (  +0.3%)
06/06  #21  - 142,625  ( +13.6%)
07/06  #22  - 143,391  (  +0.5%)
08/06  #23  - 155,550  (  +8.5%)
09/06  ---

Another CIVIL WAR delayed title. Issue #23 picks up re-orders of 1,288.

ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK
12/05  #1 (of 6) - 115,492
01/06  ---
02/06  #2 (of 6) - 105,770  (-8.4%)
03/06  ---
04/06  ---
05/06  ---
06/06  ---
07/06  ---
08/06  ---
09/06  ---
10/06  ---
11/06  ---

Issue #3 is currently scheduled for 27 December. Believe it when you see it. Tell me, if the writer’s been so busy over the last ten months that he hasn’t found time to write issue #3, when exactly do they think he’s going to write issues #4, #5 and #6?

FANTASTIC FOUR
09/01  #47  - 49,778
09/02  #61  - 55,040
09/03  #504 - 53,885
09/04  #518 - 48,939
======
09/05  #531 - 49,745  (  -3.9%)
10/05  ---
11/05  #532 - 47,771  (  -4.0%)
12/05  #533 - 46,751  (  -2.1%)
01/05  ---
02/06  #534 - 44,573  (  -4.7%)
02/06  #535 - 43,124  (  -3.3%)
03/06  #536 - 79,680  ( +84.8%)
04/06  #537 - 79,576  (  -0.1%)
05/06  ---
06/06  #538 - 92,624  ( +16.4%)
07/06  ---
08/06  #539 - 89,676  (  -3.2%)
09/06  ----

Another CIVIL WAR delayed title.

SQUADRON SUPREME
03/06   #1 - 61,625  (+21.8%)
04/06   #2 - 51,197  (-16.9%)
05/06   #3 - 49,205  ( -3.9%)
06/06   #4 - 48,035  ( -1.8%)
07/06   #5 - 46,029  ( -4.2%)
08/06   #6 - 44,564  ( -3.2%)
09/06  ---

Late.

DAREDEVIL: FATHER
09/05  #3 (of 6) - 37,571  ( -5.5%)
10/05  ---
11/05  #4 (of 6) - 33,562  (-10.7%)
12/05  #5 (of 6) - 30,249  ( -9.9%)
01/06  ---
02/06  ---
03/06  ---
04/06  ---
05/06  ---
06/06  ---
07/06  ---
08/06  ---
09/06  ---
10/06  ---

According to Marvel’s website, issue #6 will be out in November.

POWERS  [Icon]
09/01  ---
09/02  #25 - 26,500
09/03  ---
09/04  #4  - 33,046
======
09/05  ---
10/05  #13 - 26,535  (-12.4%)
11/05  #14 - 26,109  ( -1.6%)
12/05  #15 - 25,633  ( -1.8%)
01/06  ---
02/06  #16 - 24,924  ( -2.8%)
03/06  #17 - 24,139  ( -3.1%)
04/06  ---
05/06  #18 - 23,617  ( -2.2%)
06/06  ---
07/06  #19 - 23,156  ( -1.9%)
08/06  ---
09/06  ---

Late.

KABUKI  [Icon]
09/04  #2 - 16,705
=====
09/05  ---
10/05  #5 - 11,420  (-20.3%)
11/05  ---
12/05  ---
01/06  ---
02/06  #6 - 11,349  ( -0.6%)
03/06  ---
04/06  ---
05/06  ---
06/06  ---
07/06  ---
08/06  #7 - 10,798  ( -4.9%)
09/06  ---

Ships when it feels like it.

JACK KIRBY'S GALACTIC BOUNTY HUNTERS  [Icon]
07/06  #1 - 13,514
08/06  #2 -  9,301  (-31.2%)
09/06  ---

Skip month.

6 month comparisons
===================

+125.9% - Cable & Deadpool
+ 83.9% - Captain America
+ 60.8% - Ultimate Spider-Man
+ 52.3% - Marvel Spotlight
+ 39.0% - Wolverine
+ 18.5% - Daredevil
+ 17.6% - Thunderbolts
+ 15.6% - Amazing Spider-Man
+ 14.8% - Uncanny X-Men
+ 11.7% - Hulk
+  7.6% - Ultimates
+  3.2% - X-Men
+  2.7% - Marvel Adventures Spider-Man
+  1.0% - Sensational Spider-Man
+  0.5% - Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four
-  0.7% - She-Hulk
-  1.3% - Exiles
-  1.9% - Punisher
-  4.0% - Runaways
-  5.3% - Ultimate X-Men
-  5.7% - New X-Men
-  6.0% - Ultimate Fantastic Four
-  6.6% - X-Factor
-  7.7% - Black Panther
-  9.9% - Iron Man
- 11.7% - Marvel Team-Up
- 12.5% - Official Handbook
- 13.7% - Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
- 15.0% - Nextwave
- 18.3% - Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
- 21.6% - New Excalibur


1 year comparisons
==================

+128.4% - Cable & Deadpool
+ 64.7% - Amazing Spider-Man
+ 56.3% - Captain America
+ 53.4% - Ultimate Spider-Man
+ 21.7% - Thunderbolts
+ 21.2% - Wolverine
+ 20.8% - Daredevil
+ 14.3% - Sensational Spider-Man
+  7.2% - X-Men
+  4.6% - Uncanny X-Men
+  1.5% - Official Handbook
+  1.3% - Ultimates
-  0.0% - Hulk
-  7.9% - Ultimate X-Men
-  8.4% - New X-Men
-  8.9% - Punisher
- 11.3% - Ultimate Fantastic Four
- 12.6% - Runaways
- 15.9% - Marvel Adventures Spider-Man
- 21.2% - Marvel Team-Up
- 22.7% - Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four
- 24.5% - Exiles
- 42.5% - Black Panther
- 54.8% - Ghost Rider


2 year comparisons
==================

+121.5% - Captain America
+ 90.6% - Cable & Deadpool
+ 65.8% - Wolverine
+ 34.2% - Amazing Spider-Man
+ 26.6% - Runaways
+ 23.4% - Ultimate Spider-Man
+ 10.2% - Iron Man
+  4.5% - She-Hulk
-  1.9% - Daredevil
-  5.1% - Uncanny X-Men
-  5.7% - Astonishing X-Men
-  8.7% - Exiles
-  9.4% - X-Men
- 16.7% - Official Handbook
- 18.3% - New X-Men
- 23.2% - Punisher
- 23.8% - Sensational Spider-Man
- 27.5% - Ultimate X-Men
- 27.6% - Ultimate Fantastic Four
- 56.6% - Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane


3 year comparisons
==================

+89.9% - Captain America
+32.0% - Wolverine
+26.8% - Amazing Spider-Man
+19.2% - Iron Man
+17.6% - Runaways
+10.2% - Ultimates
- 4.3% - New X-Men
- 4.6% - Uncanny X-Men
- 7.0% - Daredevil
- 9.1% - Punisher
- 9.6% - Hulk
-20.5% - Exiles
-22.3% - X-Men
-36.6% - Ultimate X-Men

1 COMMENT

  1. “Issue #3 is currently scheduled for 27 December. Believe it when you see it. Tell me, if the writer’s been so busy over the last ten months that he hasn’t found time to write issue #3, when exactly do they think he’s going to write issues #4, #5 and #6?”

    Apparently, he wrote 4, 5, and 6 at the same time as 3. One of those things where he just sat down and cranked them all out.

    I think Nicieza would be better off if he just played ball. He only gives his Civil War cross-over 3 issues? This is your chance to up you numbers man, make it 6 issues and have something interesting happen.

  2. Amazing, informative stuff. This column gets printed and put in my work sales folder for future reference. Great job as always, Paul.