Cable to End in June

[Rang10]

Sales are pretty terrible though, I think Cable is currently the lowest selling ongoing X-book.

I think there is a good fight between x-factor and Cable

[Uncanny X-Man]

I trust you, but do you have a source? I can't find a accurate look at comic sales in december or jauary..

There was a thread recently discussing the latest sales charts: https://community.cbr.com/showthread...-on-the-charts

I think Diamond hasn't published anything new in a while due to the pandemic and store closures however it's safe to say titles are usually on a downwards trend except when there's a crossover or if they're particularly acclaimed.

[Jackraow21]

To be fair, those are just direct market, no? And doesn’t account for digital.

[Snoop Dogg]

Young, cool sword Cable is now free to continue his adventures in the pages of Japanese manga. Mr. Yoshida, stand back and stand by.

[Grunty]

To be fair, those are just direct market, no? And doesn’t account for digital.

From what i recall digital sales related to the super hero comcis of the big two (Marvel and DC) are actualy still relative difficult to obtain because they aren't as published as the direct market sales. So it's equal difficult to actualy judge their sales, both in numbers and impact on continuation or cancelation of titles. However the analysis of comic sales which try to include the digital sales and trades often come to the conclusion that the digital market is still relative niche at least for the mentioned two publishers.

A major problem often pointed out is the accessibility problem for a casual audience. Because the digital sales market is relative obscure and difficult to get pointed towards, while the classic super hero comics are often not currated in a way that makes them easy to get into. Especialy with the massive backlog of old comics, many which to casualy interested may feel like necessary readings, will also scaring away those who try, thanks to the price point even at digital. Made worse when there is no flatrate style option for most of them ala a real comic version of Netflix.
Meanwhile the new comics published, what ever digital or physical, are still mainly designed to appeal to the longterm readers and collectors who are relative static in numbers and buying power. It's the later group which is also the one the big two are most depending on, which is the reason the physical sales numbers are still the primary indicators for the financial success of a series.
Meanwhile those of the former who switch to digital do not really bring in an extra market as much as they just split the numbers up.

This is however again about the comics of the big two of course, i can't say as much about the indie market. Though i saw pieces about them doing better on the digital market currently thanks to the continuity independence of their works, which gives them the same advantage as many japanese comic series (an easy to find starting point) when it comes to accessibility, albeit likely not the price.

So in the end, unless i missed some critical informations in the past, while it would be nice to think that a series these days could do better digital than physical and not get canceled when the physical numbers are at a low, the actualy data (as difficult as it is to obtain it) so far points towards the digital market still being relative unimportant to the big two publishers financial gains. Thanks in part to their lacking effort to reform their distribution towards a more digital friendly or beneficial system, improve accessibility to their old and new comics alike for a casual audience and still primarily creating their comics for a physical collectors market, with a constant focus on relaunch, high prices, alternate covers and big events.
An audience which is both aging and relative static in number, while trying to enforce a culture that makes entry for casual readers difficult.

There is the reason why the major fandom for the properties of the big two is concentrated in the movies, cartoons, video games and toys, while the comics from which the properties originate are static or worse declining.
As much as we might wish for more people to enjoy what we enjoy, or the new writers to want to expand their works towards a new audience, the entry is still too difficult and therefor not profiting from a digital market. So when physical sales data indicates a series is doomed, it tends to be doomed unless someone in charge demands continuation at a loss.

[Rang10]

To be fair, those are just direct market, no? And doesn’t account for digital.

Digital is only 10% or even less of the print sales. So mostly comic sales analisis ignore it.

Comics by Perch did a video about Cable cancelation https://youtu.be/f2I6joV1D-g

[Jackraow21]

From what i recall digital sales related to the super hero comcis of the big two (Marvel and DC) are actualy still relative difficult to obtain because they aren't as published as the direct market sales. So it's equal difficult to actualy judge their sales, both in numbers and impact on continuation or cancelation of titles. However the analysis of comic sales which try to include the digital sales and trades often come to the conclusion that the digital market is still relative niche at least for the mentioned two publishers.

A major problem often pointed out is the accessibility problem for a casual audience. Because the digital sales market is relative obscure and difficult to get pointed towards, while the classic super hero comics are often not currated in a way that makes them easy to get into. Especialy with the massive backlog of old comics, many which to casualy interested may feel like necessary readings, will also scaring away those who try, thanks to the price point even at digital. Made worse when there is no flatrate style option for most of them ala a real comic version of Netflix.
Meanwhile the new comics published, what ever digital or physical, are still mainly designed to appeal to the longterm readers and collectors who are relative static in numbers and buying power. It's the later group which is also the one the big two are most depending on, which is the reason the physical sales numbers are still the primary indicators for the financial success of a series.
Meanwhile those of the former who switch to digital do not really bring in an extra market as much as they just split the numbers up.

This is however again about the comics of the big two of course, i can't say as much about the indie market. Though i saw pieces about them doing better on the digital market currently thanks to the continuity independence of their works, which gives them the same advantage as many japanese comic series (an easy to find starting point) when it comes to accessibility, albeit likely not the price.

So in the end, unless i missed some critical informations in the past, while it would be nice to think that a series these days could do better digital than physical and not get canceled when the physical numbers are at a low, the actualy data (as difficult as it is to obtain it) so far points towards the digital market still being relative unimportant to the big two publishers financial gains. Thanks in part to their lacking effort to reform their distribution towards a more digital friendly or beneficial system, improve accessibility to their old and new comics alike for a casual audience and still primarily creating their comics for a physical collectors market, with a constant focus on relaunch, high prices, alternate covers and big events.
An audience which is both aging and relative static in number, while trying to enforce a culture that makes entry for casual readers difficult.

There is the reason why the major fandom for the properties of the big two is concentrated in the movies, cartoons, video games and toys, while the comics from which the properties originate are static or worse declining.
As much as we might wish for more people to enjoy what we enjoy, or the new writers to want to expand their works towards a new audience, the entry is still too difficult and therefor not profiting from a digital market. So when physical sales data indicates a series is doomed, it tends to be doomed unless someone in charge demands continuation at a loss.

No, you’re correct. And now that everything is under Feige, the sales on the comics matter less than ever really. The books themselves have become more of a writer’s lab, to your point, for story ideas to use in other media like film and Disney+. This is why I’m most excited about what comes next for Cable in the books, as I’m hoping a new creative team can come up with a cool hook that would translate well. Brolin is a big star, and even though he’s in his 50s, with a good diet and training regimen plus CGI and costuming (e.g., body armor and other padding to maintain the necessary physique) there’s a lot they could do with him and the character over the next ten years or so.

I really hope he and Zazie Beetz come back in Deadpool 3 as Cable and Domino, only they’re the MCU versions. So I’m picturing Cable much taller (using camera angles, lifts and/or CGI) and more comic accurate (full on silver hair and not the slicked back salt n pepper look Brolin had in DP2, plus a more comic accurate outfit with a little color in it). Zazie could also look a little more like her comic counterpart, though I wouldn’t make her albino or anything like that. Just give her maybe the costume she’s been wearing most recently in the books (the one with some aqua marine color in it), and maybe change her hairstyle up so it’s obvious she’s not the same/in a different universe. By tweaking their appearances and making them a bit more colorful, visually they draw a distinction from the more drab FOX universe. And the fun part would be Deadpool being the only one who remembers having met them before, in the other universe, prior to arriving in the MCU. That could be a lot of fun, and even if neither Cable and Domino are big parts of DP3 it sets them up for an X-Force spinoff.

The X-Force spinoff could be a Dis+ show or film, but I think I’d prefer it as a show. I’m thinking Brolin, Beetz and of course an appearance by Ryan’s Deadpool during the series; but then round out the cast with a few other fun additions. There’s lots to choose from if you go through the rosters of all the different X-Force incarnations. Personally I’d love to see them also bring back Dafne Keene as the MCU version of Laura too. Those three and maybe Sunspot, Psylocke (Kwannon) and Colossus (played in human form by Florian Munteanu). With Forge and Dr. Nemesis as supporting characters. Maybe Dr. Reyes too. Those would be my picks anyway. But I think an X-Force show that is essentially the mutant CIA, once mutants are introduced to the MCU of course, that spins out of DP3 could be great. Even if it’s PG-13, it could be awesome if done right and to me seems like a layup with Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz as its stars.

Anyway, kind of off topic here. But the point is that I hope the new creative team handling adult Cable’s adventures in the comics does him justice and comes up with some cool storylines that they could use in other media. Because that’s the name of the game these days.

[Jackraow21]

Digital is only 10% or even less of the print sales. So mostly comic sales analisis ignore it.

Comics by Perch did a video about Cable cancelation https://youtu.be/f2I6joV1D-g

According to Duggan on Twitter it was always planned to end. The story he was telling had a beginning, middle and end as per the writer. Which explains why it gets cancelled while there are still many other books selling worse than Cable which are not cancelled. They’ll either relaunch it or have adult Cable show up somewhere else (e.g., X-Force). That’s my belief anyway. Bishop66 knows, but he ain’t saying apparently. I keep asking... but crickets. Ha.

[Rang10]

According to Duggan on Twitter it was always planned to end. The story he was telling had a beginning, middle and end as per the writer. Which explains why it gets cancelled while there are still many other books selling worse than Cable which are not cancelled. They’ll either relaunch it or have adult Cable show up somewhere else (e.g., X-Force). That’s my belief anyway. Bishop66 knows, but he ain’t saying apparently. I keep asking... but crickets. Ha.

They probably already expected poor sales, as other cable books were canceled and kid Cable isn't popular. But if sales qere great it would only end the arc, the book would continue;

of course the narrative is that it was meant to be like this, but it is only true because sales were crap.

I think only x-factor is selling worse than Cable, so expect tht book also get canceled sooner than later

Insiders can't say a lot, I surprised how much he tells us.

[Jackraow21]

Yes, but I’m not just talking about X-books. There are lots of other Marvel comics selling worse than X-Factor, Excalibur and Cable.

[Rang10]

That is another matter, Runaways keep going because it is a success on trde format.

[Jackraow21]

Just saying I don’t think Sales was the only driver behind the cancellation. Duggan’s story was done too.

[Rang10]

Of course story is done because sales are awful. Today everything is a narrative war instead of telling a simple truth

[Jackraow21]

Hmm... I think we’re talking past each other here. Anyhoo...

[Purplevit]

Duggan's Guardians were cancelled fast because of sales and he told that it ended because he told story that he wanted and it ended.
Before his Guardians #1 was realeased he was saying that he planned a story for a few years.

I am sure that Cable was planned as 12 issues book from the start because they wasn't expecting big enough sales.
The same is probably for X-Factor or even Hellions(which will be really sad).