Wonder Woman Sales Figures

[Dr. Poison]

When you pair Donna showing back up in a new continuity with a new creative team following a pretty lauded run, that's pretty close to an event.

If DC meant for Donna's return to be an event of sorts, we would have known it was coming months ahead of time. There was absolutely no concrete hints that Donna was returning until the issue dropped.

[brettc1]

Going back to April of 2014 for a sales comparison(all numbers from http://icv2.com/):


Wonder Woman #30 = 31,094
Wonder Woman #31 = 30,655
Wonder Woman #32 = 48,235
Wonder Woman #33 = 37,431
Wonder Woman #34 = 35,774
Wonder Woman #35 = 35,968 (Azz/Chiang's last issue)
Wonder Woman #36 = 58,965(Finchs' first issue)
Wonder Woman #37 = 43,066
Wonder Woman #38 = 39,669
Wonder Woman #39 = 42,634
Wonder Woman #40 = 45,172
Wonder Woman #41 = 45,284
Wonder Woman Annual #1 = 29,189


So with the exceptions of the 3rd issue drop-off and the Annual(which typically sells less due to the price hike) the Finchs' run is selling pretty consistently around the 40K+ range. When was the last time Wonder Woman sold that well for at least 6 issues straight(not counting a relaunch of the book)?

Okay, but here's the thing.

Issue 40 did not finish the Donna Troy story. That was completed in the annual.

Which means that 45K people bought the second last part of the story, but less than 30K paid extra to read the finale.

In other words, 33% of the people who had been reading this story decided it wasn't worth the money for an annual to read the ending.

[Silvanus]

Okay, but here's the thing.

Issue 40 did not finish the Donna Troy story. That was completed in the annual.

Which means that 45K people bought the second last part of the story, but less than 30K paid extra to read the finale.

In other words, 33% of the people who had been reading this story decided it wasn't worth the money for an annual to read the ending.

33% + 1. I, too, decided that it wasn't worth the money, but sadly, only after I had already bought and read it.

[Dr. Poison]

Okay, but here's the thing.

Issue 40 did not finish the Donna Troy story. That was completed in the annual.

Which means that 45K people bought the second last part of the story, but less than 30K paid extra to read the finale.

In other words, 33% of the people who had been reading this story decided it wasn't worth the money for an annual to read the ending.

I'm not sure what you're getting at here? I already discussed the Annual(the finale') in my comments. Most of the time with DC annuals, they sell less than a regular issue from the run due to the price hike.

[brettc1]

I'm not sure what you're getting at here? I already discussed the Annual(the finale') in my comments. Most of the time with DC annuals, they sell less than a regular issue from the run due to the price hike.

I think what I'm getting at is perfectly obvious. The story was not good enough to get 15000 people to bother with the ending, even when a lot of people will pay out extra money for variant covers of an issue they already have.

[numberthirty]

I think what I'm getting at is perfectly obvious. The story was not good enough to get 15000 people to bother with the ending, even when a lot of people will pay out extra money for variant covers of an issue they already have.

While I see what you're getting at, it did end(time-wise) with a long break where casual readers could have lost track of what was going to happen and when and where it was going to happen.

It was enough of a tire fire that it's tough to squarely lay blame.

[Dr. Poison]

Perhaps some folks didn't buy the Annual because David Finch didn't draw both stories in it?

[Tayswift]

Okay, but here's the thing.

Issue 40 did not finish the Donna Troy story. That was completed in the annual.

Which means that 45K people bought the second last part of the story, but less than 30K paid extra to read the finale.

In other words, 33% of the people who had been reading this story decided it wasn't worth the money for an annual to read the ending.

no way to know how many people bought the issues. IDK the diamond system only works with orders.

[Darius]

I'm not sure what you're getting at here? I already discussed the Annual(the finale') in my comments. Most of the time with DC annuals, they sell less than a regular issue from the run due to the price hike.

but it looks like #42 only sold a little more the annual and well below the previous issues ... coming in at 36,668 according to comichron

[Dr. Poison]

but it looks like #42 only sold a little more the annual and well below the previous issues ... coming in at 36,668 according to comichron

If by a little you mean almost 7K more than the annual, then ok. I think the new costume has turned off a chunk of readers plus comic sales overall were down in July.

[Darius]

If by a little you mean almost 7K more than the annual, then ok. I think the new costume has turned off a chunk of readers plus comic sales overall were down in July.

But still 10k lower than issue 41. I think you are probably right about the costume at least I suspect that is a contributing factor, especially given how well Fabok's design seems to be going over in JL

[Gaelforce]

From #41 at 45,284 copies to #56 at 36,668 is one heck of a drop.

The slide of 15 spots on the list counters the 'everything was in a slump' argument as the position wouldn't have changed, just the totals.

Many people will give a new creative team one arc to hook them (6-8 issues) and a loss of this many issues immediately following the wrap-up of the Finch's first arc is pretty telling.

[Silvanus]

But still 10k lower than issue 41.

And not much above Azz's last issue (35,968).It looks like the Finches didn't bring a lasting improvement in sales.

Maybe their sales bump would have lasted a little longer if not for the costume. But at the same time, when a lot of people jump off after (or, in this case, just before) the end of a run's first arc, that probably means they gave it a good chance and weren't sold on it.

[numberthirty]

Could be a fluke. Could be the start of a pattern.

[Darius]

And not much above Azz's last issue (35,968).It looks like the Finches didn't bring a lasting improvement in sales.

Maybe their sales bump would have lasted a little longer if not for the costume. But at the same time, when a lot of people jump off after (or, in this case, just before) the end of a run's first arc, that probably means they gave it a good chance and weren't sold on it.

Very true ... As is Gaelforce's comment regarding sales rank showing a slide more telling than just raw sales.