Comic Book Resources

could it just be where this shop is located?

my LCS has been selling out of all printings of the new DCU books while stacks of the new X-Men titles just sit on the shelf.

Same here, Batman.

I think that the reality will be this.

The reboot, redesigns, re-numberings, all that stuff is meaningless.

What matters is that they gave their books a proper advertisement push…

…for one month.

Screw the rest of it. What DC and Marvel both need to do is to actually advertise their books through mass media…. ALL THE TIME.

Every month. You have to spend money to make money. That is how advertisement works. Keep pushing the books on TV. Keep running ads before movies. Start running ads on social websites and on youtube and the like.

I am always shocked that independent web-comics have a better handle on internet ads than Marvel and DC.

Instead of sticking to their guns, and sinking with the ship, they need to look at how EVERY OTHER FORM OF MEDIA manages to maintain sales and success.

Ads are expensive.

Marvel/DC may not sell enough comics for that to pay off all the time.

/Captain Obvious

I’ve been saying that for a while. At some of the stores I have been too DC hasn’t out sold Marvel or even matched them. Fact is we won’t know the true success of the reboot till a year afterwards.

I read about half of these new 52 books. I’m reading the Batman books, Superman, Teen Titans, JL, JL Dark, etc.

And I think most of them are simply not good…not good enough to justify a complete reboot (minus Bats and GL). Even Action Comics, with Morrison…the art is just awful, Clark Kent’s face looks like its made of clay. Not what I expected from one of DC’s flagship books.

At the end of the day changing continuity is not gonna improve DC’s sales, like they assume. Green Lantern and Batman have been best-sellers because they have great creative teams. Rebooting Superman and making him younger and edgier is not gonna win a lot of new fans…I don’t think so. Especially because I think kids always thought of Superman as being a 30 something guy, like Bruce Wayne. I don’t think age matters…Tony Stark is a favorite of a lot of kids these days and he’s pushing 40.

And I personally think that what they did to some characters is nothing short of a crime. Teen Titans, Wally West, Ted Kord, Amanda Waller, Secret Six…it’s just awful, they have complete disregard for past writers and artists.

Now I understand better the way the Siegel family is treated by Warner.

This confirms what my LCS owner told me a few week ago when I asked him how the new DC titles were holding up. He said “they’re dropping like a rock.” And I agree with the poster above who said that the comics industry needs to advertize in mass media on a consistent basis. It would also help if mainstream publications like Entertainment Weekly would review comics on a regular basis just as they do movies and TV. That’s something that the comics industry isn’t able to control but until comics are regarded as being on par with other forms of entertainment, they’ll remain in their own niche.

As for sales, I think people are complaining a lot and always seeing the glass half-empty. Comics these days compete with a lot of other things…it’s like television. TV’s ratings are not what they used to be in the 90′s and 80′s and they will never be again because times have changed. Blame it on Internet, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

At least comics are now culturally more relevant than ever. Films and tv series are being made and superheroes have never been so popular. I think it’s a great time for comics as a medium, even if sales are underwhelming.

The problem is really that these books aren’t very good. The problems that DC purported to “fix” with this relaunch — complicated character histories, high issue numbers scaring away mythological would-be readers, characters being perceived as “too old” — weren’t really problems with the books in the first place. The problems were (and are) stories that are dull and too drawn-out. Readers still cannot get a full story in a single issue or two. The stories that take 10 issues to tell aren’t interesting. There’s nothing really at stake for the characters involved. Writers and artists just tread water creatively; only a handful is doing anything innovative. After reading issue #1 for many of these titles, I wouldn’t be surprised by these mythological new fans declaring “So THAT’S why I never bothered reading these comics.” DC should have hired brand new writers and artists rather than relaunching characters with the same old writers doing largely the same old thing.

My guess is sales dropping like a rock has to do w the speculators leaving after the first issue and the rest of the new fans realizing paying $3-$4 for a piece of a story that reads in 10 minutes, isn’t really worth it…

Agree with Josh 100%.

So… another reboot, anyone?

So….despite all the evidence to the contrary….
More DC bashing.

And btw, what has Marvel done for us lately?

Personally, at my LCS in Bethesda, MD, DC titles didn’t sell out past the first month (where at least 3/4 absolutely did), but then again, I don’t know what the order number for the store was (if they ordered too many or how it compared to their usual numbers, etc.) so that’s all I can say.

The only Marvel title I saw sell out was the new Spider-Man by Loeb, but I don’t expect #2 to do that.

I really wish the accurate sales numbers were available just to see.

And yet, at my shop, DC numbers are still twice what they were mere months ago, and they were already higher than Marvel. Each store is different, and DC is crushing Marvel.

I buy all the Batman Titles, All-Star Western Justice League and Men of War

I dont’ like the new Superman , I will finish the first ark of JL maybe drop it. disappointed in the new Sgt. Rock

of Course I am 62 yrs old and these Comics arn’t written for Me anymore. But I continue to give DC my Money

Marvel lost Me a long time ago.

If the real sales weren’t there, we wouldn’t be seeing 51 of the New 52 #1s showing back up as reorders. No store in their right mind would be ordering more copies of a book that’s already sitting on their shelves. Yeah, that level of interest probably isn’t sustainable, but one retailer trying to say his store is indicative of the entire relaunch isn’t supported by the numbers.

I say:

“Lie lie lie lie liar you lie lie lie lie
Tell me why tell me why
Why d’you have to lie
Should’ve realised that
Should’ve told the truth
Should’ve realised
You know what I’ll do

You’re in suspension
You’re a LIAR”

People, if reality is going to sit in, next time, don’t give in to hype–if you really want to see improvements to the comic book industry, read this:

http://www.comicvine.com/forums/off-topic/5/the-sorry-state-of-the-superhero-comic-book-today/640527/

Snikt snakt,

I would LOVE a DC comic book that takes 10 minutes to read! Most of DC’s books read in a minute and a half. I’m a public school teacher and I can read a Geoff Johns comic on my 30-minute lunch break and still have time to grade a set of quizzes, make the copies I need, and skim a few stories on the front page of NY Times.

Heck, I’d like a comic book that takes even 5 minutes to read.

Hi all, proud Rochesterian and comic fan here.

Comics Etc? I didn’t even know that place was still around. If I remember correctly, Scott Snyder went there when he was in town over the summer and when he got the cold shoulder he hopped over to Park Ave Comics and Games, where people who actually enjoy superhero comics go. Get a quote from Park Ave or Empire and I’ll be inclined to pay attention.

Comics Etc is not your cream of the crop comic book shop and frankly the weakest of the local retailers, so take this guy’s statements with a grain of salt.

@Lackshmana
i dont think advertisement will do much.
Look at Walking Dead,with this big of push,it should at least put it on top 20,but its not even top 70

@Jason Green
well,those are reorder for #1,while the topic is about #2 issue.
we should see next month if reorder frenzy still big

Could it be that a majority of customers at that store prefer Marvel? My LCS is still selling out.

I’m across the country now, but Comics Etc. was my LCS growing up. My older brother and I used to ride bikes there and rummage through the $.25 bins, because it’s all we could afford.

Big — and happy! — surprise to see the store is still going. I wonder if Empire Comics is still around?

The problem is not anything except this: They line was too big and quality isn’t consistent. There are a lot of titles trying to SHOCK to keep their audiences. It won’t work – it’s a path of diminishing returns.

26 titles of star quality would have been the right move.