February 2019 Sales

[Personamanx]

Yeah, traditional Spinner Racks aren't really going to do much. I say that as a Twenty-Six year old who primarily bought comics through them as a child/teenager. They were basically the only place to get comics if you lived in a small town without a comics shop or bookstore. Comixology makes then obsolete. A 10 year old is more likely to have a device they can read digital comics on than they are to be intrigued by expensive magazines at the corner store.

Strategically placed displays of collected editions might do well, but floppies don't make for a lot of impulse buys.

[capandkirby]

Bringing back the spinner rack, whether in a movie theater or 7-11's or anyplace else is a terrible idea. Spinner racks were already dying in the late '70s/early '80s.

Fans who think that today's kids' eyes will light up at the sight of these antiques are thinking through a haze of nostalgia.

*shrug* I have a kid. She's eleven. As such she's grown up on the internet and social media being thing. But, whenever she brings home a Scholastic catalog from school, she still asks for books, and whenever I take her to my preferred CBS with me, she's always quick to ask for a few things for herself there as well. I started picking up the Miles Morales book because Cap was in it, then ended up liking it so much that I subscribed to it. I had taken my daughter to see Into the Spider-Verse around Christmas. She liked the movie so much that I recently caught her sneaking the Miles comics out of my stash. Get a kid to like a character and the medium division isn't an obstacle so insurmountable.

A lot more people were reading the Harry Potter books after that first movie came out.

My daughter started reading the Descendants books after she liked that first made-for-Disney-channel movie came out. I'm so happy to see her embrace reading as a hobby and not just something she's forced to do for school that, as a parent, I don't much care where the inspiration comes from, just that it's there.

[your_name_here]

I do think having similar marvel books in the cinema (rack or however they’re presented) would generate interest. Even it’s just the kids picking them up, it’s still picking them up.

[capandkirby]

I do think having similar marvel books in the cinema (rack or however they’re presented) would generate interest. Even it’s just the kids picking them up, it’s still picking them up.

I agree with you on this.

[Anthony W]

What do you people think about a stronger focus on one shots instead of writing for the trade? One issue, one full story.

[your_name_here]

What do you people think about a stronger focus on one shots instead of writing for the trade? One issue, one full story.

Same with everything else these days really, some would take off and others wouldn’t. It’d all be dependent on how readers respond.
I think it’s a good way to see which characters get a reaction, though.

[skyvolt2000]

I can't believe that the direct sales and digital sales for a book are this drastically different that the survival of a title is settled by digital sales. I just can't fathom that, for example, Moon Girl sells for 6 000 in direct sales and somehow as much, or more, in digital. As for the trades, again, same thing. I could see sales up because elementary schools libraries order them to stack up on, but to explain the survival of a title by that... I have a hard time understanding it. I'm not saying you're wrong, I just can't wrap my head around the notion.

On Amazon Shuri's kindle numbers had her in the top 50 beating every single DC title that was not named Doomsday Clock or Heroes in Crisis. Her trade was also the second most ordered Marvel trade (of the new releases) for a time.
Don't forget she MIGHT be in a certain movie next month-so Marvel is probably keeping it around for that.

Moon Girl is slated to have a tv show-so that helps and if she hits issue 50-she would be the longest running black female lead book & third longest (or 4th depending on what you think Catwoman is) female of color. You know Marvel is going to MILK that.

I don't disagree. Absolutely everything should be tried. I don't particularly like to see any title fail. There is too much work that goes into producing a comic, too many mouths a single comic feeds. In fact, the industry as a whole can use all the sales it can get. I do find it curious, however, from more of a business stand-point, why it is that Marvel comics cannot seem to draw in any of the MCU crowd. Were I in upper management, I'd be examining ways to bridge the gap.

One thing we have to realize what YOU have in your communities is not universal for everybody.

I will use a local example (at least for me) South Dallas population of 26K.
No movie theaters, no book stores, No Wal-mart, Target or major grocery stores.
How do you get these folks?
You might say they don't matter but what happens if you looked at every community of Texas. Because we got PLENTY like South Dallas.
What if that is 5 million folks in Texas? It could a million in Kansas.

And online is not going to work for everybody.

The only way Marvel could get it to work-the school system and NOT through Scholastic. Because not every school district deals with them.
Which means changing to tone of come books or doing a kid/teen friendly line.

What do you people think about a stronger focus on one shots instead of writing for the trade? One issue, one full story.

That would work better than this writing for trade mess that we are seeing. I would settle for one shots if it allows MORE folks to get one.

I would take a one shot of Silver Surfer, Dazzler, Flint & Shuri versus Carol Danvers volume 12.

[Punjabi_Hitman]

On Amazon Shuri's kindle numbers had her in the top 50 beating every single DC title that was not named Doomsday Clock or Heroes in Crisis. Her trade was also the second most ordered Marvel trade (of the new releases) for a time.
Don't forget she MIGHT be in a certain movie next month-so Marvel is probably keeping it around for that.

Moon Girl is slated to have a tv show-so that helps and if she hits issue 50-she would be the longest running black female lead book & third longest (or 4th depending on what you think Catwoman is) female of color. You know Marvel is going to MILK that.




One thing we have to realize what YOU have in your communities is not universal for everybody.

I will use a local example (at least for me) South Dallas population of 26K.
No movie theaters, no book stores, No Wal-mart, Target or major grocery stores.
How do you get these folks?
You might say they don't matter but what happens if you looked at every community of Texas. Because we got PLENTY like South Dallas.
What if that is 5 million folks in Texas? It could a million in Kansas.

And online is not going to work for everybody.

The only way Marvel could get it to work-the school system and NOT through Scholastic. Because not every school district deals with them.
Which means changing to tone of come books or doing a kid/teen friendly line.




That would work better than this writing for trade mess that we are seeing. I would settle for one shots if it allows MORE folks to get one.

I would take a one shot of Silver Surfer, Dazzler, Flint & Shuri versus Carol Danvers volume 12.

One shots don't sell as much as a 5 issues miniseries followed by a trade. Also the cost would be relatively lower. One issue in a 5 issue miniseries would cost less for Marvel to make than a one shot. Yes the total cost of a 5 issue miniseries would be more overall but because the cost is less per issue, overall it is more profitable for Marvel, I haven't really ever seen one shots sell as much as the entire 5 issue miniseries sales.

[Prof. Warren]

*shrug* I have a kid. She's eleven. As such she's grown up on the internet and social media being thing. But, whenever she brings home a Scholastic catalog from school, she still asks for books, and whenever I take her to my preferred CBS with me, she's always quick to ask for a few things for herself there as well. I started picking up the Miles Morales book because Cap was in it, then ended up liking it so much that I subscribed to it. I had taken my daughter to see Into the Spider-Verse around Christmas. She liked the movie so much that I recently caught her sneaking the Miles comics out of my stash. Get a kid to like a character and the medium division isn't an obstacle so insurmountable.

A lot more people were reading the Harry Potter books after that first movie came out.

My daughter started reading the Descendants books after she liked that first made-for-Disney-channel movie came out. I'm so happy to see her embrace reading as a hobby and not just something she's forced to do for school that, as a parent, I don't much care where the inspiration comes from, just that it's there.

I also have a kid, just a bit older than yours, who also loves book and comics. But spinner racks are not where it's at - especially not in movie theaters. Do parents buy the comics before the movie and invariably those comics get crammed into the seats or dropped on the floor and likely forgotten altogether when it's time to leave? Or do they see them when they're buying their tickets and decide to grab them on the way out but then forget about it after the buzz of the movie and in the rush to hit the bathroom, get to the parking lot and beat the traffic?

If comic companies want to put out promotional items when movies are released, that's one thing - maybe something with a digital code on it - but stocking comics in theaters just isn't a practical way to go.

And, in general, stocking comics any place that isn't a comic store or book store is not ideal. I know DC claims that their Wal-Mart books are doing well and perhaps they are but I feel very skeptical about that. I only saw them once in a Wal-Mart in my area, poorly displayed, and then never again. I wouldn't want to pick up a comic, whether it's for myself or my child, anyplace where I didn't feel confident that they'd be stocking the next issue and the one after that and so on.

[SilverScarlet]

I'm anxious to see June's solicitations this week....I'm betting they will sport a final issue blurb for Mr. & Mrs. X, and maybe one for Unstoppable Wasp.
I was also surprised to see the drop in Captain Marvel from 1 to 2.....will be interesting to see if there's a spike this month, and if there is, how long it will last?

[Killerbee911]

This is what I would do were I in Marvel's position: bring back the spinner rack, insert it in places like Walgreen, CVS, Target, Walmart, etc. Put just the really popular titles on it. Spider-Man, Avengers, F4, X-Men, Thor, Cap, Iron Man. Let them serve as a the "gateway drug". Give exclusives to the CBS, like events, variant covers, etc. Advertise the hell out of the upcoming events in the popular titles sold on the spinner rack. .

A spinner rack what are we in the stone age. Nah do brand deals with popular games like Fortnite or Apex Legends where you get skins for those games by having Marvel app on your phone. Then when a movie comes out offer a free comic and reduce price comics to kids with the app. Put an ads before movies and show what comics you would get. Put a digital code in comic which let you see movie extras scenes after the movie. Make the comic app a hub where people come for Marvel stuff and extras.

[Snoop Dogg]

I'm anxious to see June's solicitations this week....I'm betting they will sport a final issue blurb for Mr. & Mrs. X, and maybe one for Unstoppable Wasp.
I was also surprised to see the drop in Captain Marvel from 1 to 2.....will be interesting to see if there's a spike this month, and if there is, how long it will last?

Wasp is confirmed to be at least going to #10.

[Killerbee911]

I'm anxious to see June's solicitations this week....I'm betting they will sport a final issue blurb for Mr. & Mrs. X, and maybe one for Unstoppable Wasp.
I was also surprised to see the drop in Captain Marvel from 1 to 2.....will be interesting to see if there's a spike this month, and if there is, how long it will last?

They shouldn't be a spike for Captain Marvel because traditionally singles don't jump big from movies. The numbers to keep eye on is her trades. As for her books it floats in the 28,000 to 20,000 range. So 37,000 is actually a little higher than it is normally. Now the cool thing about numbers for her books recently is that they haven't been degrading in numbers quickly.

[Username taken]

Captain Marvel issue 1 is the highest selling comic of 2019 so far (on the back of the re-orders in February). Interesting.

Fantastic Four, Venom and Amazing Spider-man continue to sell very well. No surprises there. Immortal Hulk is well above the sales of the last volumes. Iron Man and Thor are settling back to previous levels (which pretty much kills the argument that Jane Thor and Riri Williams dropped sales on those books).

West Coast Avengers doesn't seem to be long for this world.

[capandkirby]

A spinner rack what are we in the stone age. Nah do brand deals with popular games like Fortnite or Apex Legends where you get skins for those games by having Marvel app on your phone. Then when a movie comes out offer a free comic and reduce price comics to kids with the app. Put an ads before movies and show what comics you would get. Put a digital code in comic which let you see movie extras scenes after the movie. Make the comic app a hub where people come for Marvel stuff and extras.

These are all great ideas, especially using popular games to advertise, but the big problem you'd face with all of this overhead. It costs anywhere between $6,600 to $13,200 (depending on the team) to produce a comic, and that's just for the writer/penciler/inker/colorist/letterer/editorial, it's not including the cover, the printing costs, etc. Jim Zub actually published a break down of how the price of a comic is distributed...

CreatorOwnedPieChart-Print.jpg

So publishing comics to give out for free is costly. And then you'd have to pay the gaming companies, and whomever develops the app. There's an old adage that it takes money to make money and it's very true, but what Marvel would need to figure out is if the cost of doing all of this would pay-off for them in the long run.