Yes, the floppy sales were bad. The trade sales were strong. Changing up the book is unlikely to make a big difference for the floppy sales. And it puts at risk the trade sales. Marvel's clear hope is for the book to remain a success in trades. So keeping the things that made the book a success in trades is a good idea.
Here's the thing: WE DON'T KNOW JACK GODDAMN **** ABOUT HOW ANY SERIES SELLS! That 15 000 threshold? Completely meaningless today. Because the Internet. Because trades in bookstores. Because trades in libraries. Because the direct market is only one way people get comics, and the estimates we have are only for the direct market.
But you're so hung up on outdated models that you've apparently decided that not a single goddamn one of those other markets matters. That they're nothing but a lie, that the only thing that matters is ComiChron's direct market estimates, and if a book has low sales there, then Marvel is keeping the book going because they are just that damn terrible at being a business. Or because Disney is forcing them, or whatever the hell nonsense conspiracy theory you prefer. And anyone who's actually directly involved with those books, including the creators and the editors, if they say that a book is doing well outside the direct market, well, they're just
dirty goddamn liars and we shouldn't believe a single word they say. Because that doesn't fit the estimates of Diamond's direct market distribution, as determined by people unaffiliated with the publishers.
Sure, makes perfect sense.
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