Is the inability of DC to create new monikers a sign of stagnation?

[HsssH]

Might be because Duke's was according to comichron the least ordered of the series.

Acoording to that side the orders were like that:
Huntress: 39K
Signal: 23K
Clownhunter: 31K
Miracle Molly: 47K
Peacekeeper-01: 31.8K

I guess retailers drastically over estimated how "hot" the new characters were, or thought they might sell better because their stories were (opposed Duke's) actually connected to what was going in in Batman or TEC.

Btw. I kind of lost track, is his current story in Urban Legends a follow up to the secret files story, or to something else?

Kinda crazy that Miracle Molly was ordered the most.

[Aahz]

Kinda crazy that Miracle Molly was ordered the most.

But it i pretty hard to say how accurate the numbers are.

[HsssH]

Sure, but her numbers are twice as high as Signal's so I doubt that they are THAT unreliable.

[brandnewfan]

DC's problem is marketing the characters they already have. Marvel doesn't have this problem.

[WonderScott]

Not really stagnation to me in that respect - DC’s history lends itself to families of characters and multiversal versions with the same name.

Some characters like the newest Blue Beetle use some of that history, but also forge a new path with it.

[D.Z]

Combinations of don't want to and plus most fans not being interested.

There are lot of older charcters sidelined that they should use instead.

[skyvolt2000]

Sure, but her numbers are twice as high as Signal's so I doubt that they are THAT unreliable.

In Duke's case while it was the least ordered-it was probably the only one that sold the majority of it's copies.

While in Molly's case-she might have sold the same number as Duke but because more copies were ordered-she left behind a larger pile of unsold books that end up in bins.


What good is 100K sold to stores if only 75K are bought in the comic book store?

You got 25K leftover. Which is made worst by second to 7th printings.


It's one thing for Stray Dogs to have 6 printings. Because depending on where you live first to third might be impossible to find (at a decent price).

It's another for Batman to have 7 printings and I see ALL of them on the comic book store shelf.

In DC's (and Marvel) case is what is the END GAME?

Your endgame should NEVER be packing bins.

Combinations of don't want to and plus most fans not being interested. There are lot of older characters sidelined that they should use instead.

Now here is the issue-what metric are you going by?

Lets say those were minis...

Molly got you 45K orders yet sold to a PERSON 25K. Molly got you more orders.
Duke got you 25K orders yet sold to a PERSON 20K. Duke sold 5K less but cost you less in printing.
Someone catches on later-guess what with Duke you HAVE to buy the TRADE. Molly is now optional.

Now if you are DC-who gets another mini?

MOLLY. Because she got you more ORDERS from a store. If sales to stores was the main thing that mattered to you.
Duke. Because while he got lower orders-he cost you less to print and sold more of his copies. If costs and sells to a person was the main thing that mattered.

IF you had to choose ONE. If not-Molly gets a second Mini and Duke gets a one shot and slot in Batman Urban.

So for DC where is the disconnect at?

Why is there a Round Robin? For Kyle, Cyborg, Demon and Wallace instead of Molly, Clown Hunter, Punchline and that group? Make them EARN a spot. Kyle and the rest have.

[The Cool Thatguy]

When comic book movies are becoming more common, why would writers hand over their best ideas to corporations?

[Aahz]

Lets say those were minis...

Molly got you 45K orders yet sold to a PERSON 25K. Molly got you more orders.
Duke got you 25K orders yet sold to a PERSON 20K. Duke sold 5K less but cost you less in printing.
Someone catches on later-guess what with Duke you HAVE to buy the TRADE. Molly is now optional.

Now if you are DC-who gets another mini?

Thing is One shots, and actually also at least the first 3 issues of a series (be it a mini or an ongoing) are not really a good measure of success for a book or character. Retailers have afaik to order 3 month in advance, so orders for these issues are basically guesses (and also often inflated by variant cover schemes, collectors and occasionally over ships) only after that you can truly see if something is a success. Only afterwards retailers can adjust their orders to the actual sales to customers.

The only thing you can really see with so few issues a massive flop.

[Konja7]

Now here is the issue-what metric are you going by?

Lets say those were minis...

Molly got you 45K orders yet sold to a PERSON 25K. Molly got you more orders.
Duke got you 25K orders yet sold to a PERSON 20K. Duke sold 5K less but cost you less in printing.
Someone catches on later-guess what with Duke you HAVE to buy the TRADE. Molly is now optional.

Now if you are DC-who gets another mini?

MOLLY. Because she got you more ORDERS from a store. If sales to stores was the main thing that mattered to you.
Duke. Because while he got lower orders-he cost you less to print and sold more of his copies. If costs and sells to a person was the main thing that mattered.

IF you had to choose ONE. If not-Molly gets a second Mini and Duke gets a one shot and slot in Batman Urban.

So for DC where is the disconnect at?

In the direct market, all the orders are income for DC (since there isn't refund). It doesn't affect if these copies are sell to people.

However, DC still should know if the floppies are selling, because he knows stores won't order otherwise.

Why is there a Round Robin? For Kyle, Cyborg, Demon and Wallace instead of Molly, Clown Hunter, Punchline and that group? Make them EARN a spot. Kyle and the rest have.

The Round Robin isn't really to earn at spot. If they don't have a spot, they wouldn't appear in the Round Robin. After all, the characters need to have some level of recognition at least.

That said, I'm not sure Wallace has really earn a spot.

[OOPS]

In Duke's case while it was the least ordered-it was probably the only one that sold the majority of it's copies.

While in Molly's case-she might have sold the same number as Duke but because more copies were ordered-she left behind a larger pile of unsold books that end up in bins.


What good is 100K sold to stores if only 75K are bought in the comic book store?

You got 25K leftover. Which is made worst by second to 7th printings.


It's one thing for Stray Dogs to have 6 printings. Because depending on where you live first to third might be impossible to find (at a decent price).

It's another for Batman to have 7 printings and I see ALL of them on the comic book store shelf.

In DC's (and Marvel) case is what is the END GAME?

Your endgame should NEVER be packing bins.




Now here is the issue-what metric are you going by?

Lets say those were minis...

Molly got you 45K orders yet sold to a PERSON 25K. Molly got you more orders.
Duke got you 25K orders yet sold to a PERSON 20K. Duke sold 5K less but cost you less in printing.
Someone catches on later-guess what with Duke you HAVE to buy the TRADE. Molly is now optional.

Now if you are DC-who gets another mini?

MOLLY. Because she got you more ORDERS from a store. If sales to stores was the main thing that mattered to you.
Duke. Because while he got lower orders-he cost you less to print and sold more of his copies. If costs and sells to a person was the main thing that mattered.

IF you had to choose ONE. If not-Molly gets a second Mini and Duke gets a one shot and slot in Batman Urban.

So for DC where is the disconnect at?

Why is there a Round Robin? For Kyle, Cyborg, Demon and Wallace instead of Molly, Clown Hunter, Punchline and that group? Make them EARN a spot. Kyle and the rest have.

I'm curious. Where are you getting your numbers that Duke was ordered by shops less, but sold to customers more?

[Digifiend]

The Round Robin isn't really to earn at spot. If they don't have a spot, they wouldn't appear in the Round Robin. After all, the characters need to have some level of recognition at least.

That said, I'm not sure Wallace has really earn a spot.

They've been pushing him for at least six years now, since he became Kid Flash in Rebirth. He was on the Teen Titans (the only one on both of Damian's teams other than Damian himself, and he remained on the team in the Academy run too) and served as a sidekick to both Barry, and currently to Wally - and bear in mind, he was originally supposed to BE Wally before Rebirth brought back the redhead!