So, im getting caught up a little over the weekend…

Red Lanterns 2 – crap. It seems like no ground is gained between the last issue and this one and like I said last month, this seems like they’re setting up a DC equivalent of Ghost Rider, seeking vengeance. Im officially out.

Detective 2 – I thought this had a good start last month, but after I read this one I wasn’t as excited and today when I went to grab one, I actually had to flip through the book and think about it to remember if I had read it or not. I’m going to pick up the next couple probably, but maybe not.


Animal Man 1 & 2 - this one sold out last month before my second visit that week and I had never read animal man before, so I wasn’t heart broken, but I read the great reviews, so I figured I check it out…wow, I loved it. I’m hooked, this is one im staying with for the time being for sure…..


So for the first month, I still have the GL Corps, New Guardians, and Batman TDK to read. But so far, I still rank Batman as the best one for the month. I enjoyed Superman a lot more than I thought I would as well. I’m sticking with GL, Batman & Robin, All-Star Western, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Animal Man, and I going to buy at least one more of Aquaman, Flash, Detective, Action, and Teen Titans. Other than that, I may pick up some trades later if people recommend them.

I am going to pick up the 2nd printing of demon Knights this month too, because that one sold out before I grabbed it last month.

I, Vampire was the pits. Bah fooey. Feel free to pass this one up.

I kinda dug Justice League Dark though. Nice feel to it, good writing, stupid name for a book but let's see where it goes.

Green Arrow #2 was much better than Green Arrow #1, but it was still pretty terrible. GA is one of my all time favorite characters. He's always witty and snarky but with enough muscle to cash the checks his loudmouth attitude is writing. You can tell just from the quality of the writing that JT Krul got has ass consistently handed to him in high school. Plah.

Detective #2 was good. I thought #1 was too cliche ridden, trying to hit every iconic Batman beat it could in 20 pages. #2 was more substantial.

I tried reading Hawk & Dove #2 but I simply couldn't stop guffawing maniacally to myself with page after page of Liefeld monstrosities. So maybe the book succeeded on some level? I was definitely entertained, perhaps for all the wrong reasons?

Animal Man #2 continued the awesomeness of Animal Man #1.

Can't wait for more Demon Knights and Frankenstein...

This is a perspective of a new reader again. Although I said I was only going to buy #2s of some of the Dark/Edge titles this month, when I was in the shop I got some others too this week.

I bought Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Detective, Action, and Batwing. I really like them all. Next week looks like it will be an even more expensive week, but I'm really looking forward to it!

A friend picked up Huntress #1 and Hawk & Dove #2. Huntress was all flashy fight scenes, and no origin/back story for a new reader. H&D, I couldn't look past Liefeld's art to even finish reading it.

^Huntress did NOT impress. Nor was it a bad comic. It was basically action/adventure from right out of the gate, without any basic knowledge or understanding of the character required (nor provided, either).

Do I understand correctly that she is actually Batman/Catwoman's daughter on Earth-2 again?

Numbers are out. Batman is the #1 book across all at 188k copies. OMAC is the lowest of the 52 at 33K

Yay for Batgirl for the highest female book across all comics!

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?p...ticle&id=34838

Well so much for the new 52 bringing in lots of new readers. Only the top six broke 100,000 which isn't any different than any other monthly sales.

I thought all these titles were supposed to be selling 200,000+ what with all the third and fourth printings they are getting. It looks like Justice League is the only one that actually broke 200,000.

So the new 52 failed in its goal to get new readers, and all it did was piss off long-term readers. Time for Flashback to restore the old continuity!

Also:

I'd be interested in seeing the change in number for some of the titles on the lower end of the spectrum. Lots of people bought Batman/Superman before, but how many copies of Teen Titans/Firestorm/Nightwing or that tier of titles were selling...and have we still ever seen the numbers for digital DLs...I am a hoarder, I still have all of my old comics from when i was a kid, but I just dont have the time to catagorize recent purchases and I really wish i had an ipad or android that i could read these on so they aren't laying around my house. When they are on sale around black friday, I am definitely buying one and abandoning the floppies i think...I'll still buy some trades of stories i enjoy probably, but i thnk I've lost my interest in floppies...

I'd also say, some of the goal was to generate interest and conversation and that has definitely happened around here. There are way more people in the comic stores on the college campus i work on than there were before August (even when school was in last year) and people who know i read comics have asked me questions that they would never have asked me before...I guess they aren't buying them, but the awareness is there and I think that was some of the point of the reboot, to generate interest for the TV/Movie franchises. Maybe this interest won't last, maybe it will go back down in the long run, but I would absolutely not say it is already a failure and they better return to the old DCU.


I, for one, have enjoyed it way more than i thought i would. there is just something about knowing that I'm not going to be lost if I try a new title...I have been reading comics for years, but still that is intimidating.


I just wish it was happening at a different time, I have my first kid coming in March, and I may not be able to afford as many books as I'd like once that happens...fucking daycare is expensive...

Here is the full 52:

Exactly. To suggest that the new 52 is a failure on any level at this point is simply not accurate.

I would also add, I know we are a DVD/Movie forum, but the 2011 comic thread has like ~200 posts by 32 different members and ~6500 views in the last 10 months, while the DCU Reboot thread has ~950 by 69 different members and ~25,000 views in 5 months. The reboot definitely generated some discussion...

I guess the bulk of Justice League sales were counted the month before?

Interesting that Flash is way up there, but it may move down a bit once the returnable numbers are adjusted (up). Basically a great win for the comic shops in the short term (at least), and yeah, I 'd be interested to see what digital sales are like (and also what the numbers are for issue 4).

Discussion is all well and good, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter. Sales are all that matter, because sales bring in revenue and discussion doesn't.

Yes, I know these sales only show the direct market, but really how many people buy comics off the newsstand anymore? Most stores don't even carry comics at all anymore.

Only a handful of #1s really sold more than 100k, and these are #1s which always bring in big numbers. #2s and #3s are going to return to normal. So really what has DC gained? Revenue hasn't really increased except in the short term of one or two months. So if the new 52 didn't bring in lots of new readers and sales, then how is it not a failure?

Of which we're looking at month one. It's entirely too early for anyone to claim it's a failure because the numbers "are probably" going to return to normal with #2s/3s. (Which I don't think will be the case for most titles personally.) It may still pan out that way, but you're entirely too eager to jump on the "FAIL" wagon with only the first month's worth of data. DC sales are way up. Interest/discussion/conversation is way up. New faces at comic shops are way up. If any of that sticks has yet to be seen, but in terms of Month 1 it's a resounding success across the board for DC and shops.

Also..just as a point of reference. Flash #1 from April of 2010 sold 100,903 copies. Flash #1 in August 2011 sold 129,260 copies, and went to second printings that are unaccounted for. That's a 30% increase.

Or even just last year with Batwoman #0 debuting with 43,891 copies. #1 almost doubled that number with 72,228 copies.

So, just for the sake of argument, your crystal ball is right, things are the same no increase in sales. They sell the same amount as before. If only money matters, the what is the difference? Why is that a failure? They make the same amount of money they used to, all the fans who say they are out aren't really leaving, they will just tantrum and buy the first couple trades from DCBS on the titles they want...

So now they make the same $$$ and for 2 months people were more aware. maybe their kid talks about batman and they have a conversation about batman's son being robin and that conversatIon encourages the kid to buy a comic...and that leads to another.

I think a complete dismissal of the effect of increased awareness and the assessment of a slight increase" in sales as a failure is wrong.

But that is just my opinion

But beyond the direct market also means worldwide sales, not just newsstand sales.

And six books selling more than 100,000 is around six more than most months have had over the last two years.

I'm a DCnu naysayer myself, but it is a success, and while it's too early to say whether it'll be a sustained success, by no measure is this a failure. Just beating Marvel for the first time, despite the slim margin, and with 8 of the top 10 books is a success. The only Marvel books that eked into the top 10 were the big crossover and the new Ultimate Spidey. There are readers who hadn't read a DC book in ages jumping on, and that's really all they could ask for, since it'll be up to the creative teams to drive it from here.

And if their day-and-date digital initiative changes the landscape in that area, even better (well, not for the comic shops...).

I talked to my comic shop today after i posted about going digital at some point. They said DC has said that ideally they will make digital codes available for people to subscribe to through their LCBS...if i end up goiing digital, i hope this works out and isn't a giant pain, because i'd like to continue to support the place.

Interesting, although really just a stopgap measure. No point in going to a physical store to get a download code unless you happen to be there already or it's very close to where you work and/or live.

Yeah, I don't really get the point of comic shops selling digital copies.

It's like going to the mall to buy mp3s.

Is it too early to proclaim kgrogers1979 the Doom-N-Gloomer of the month?

I'm a new reader, and I stopped at my local comic shop today (on the way home from work). I asked about starting a pull list. He said that they had several open boxes recently, but after the new 52 started, all of the boxes were filled and there was now a wait list. I bought all of the first month, but I'm cutting way back now. I would have bought more with the discount of having a pull list this month though. Just anecdotal, but I thought I'd share.