DC Sales & Estimates

[Myskin]

People don't want to include Star Wars because it came out of no where and heavily skews the numbers in favor of Marvel. But, like you said, Star Wars is here to stay. You have to count it. Even without it, Marvel still walloped all over DC this year, and for good reason. DC sucked this year.

Still, as the hype train wanes this year, I think Star Wars will start dipping heavily to more reasonable levels, only to spike again as Episode VIII hype begins (we are, what, a year and four months away now?).

Well, Rogue One is just 11 months away. In 2017 we'll have episode VIII. And later, I don't know, trilogies and trilogies and Avengers-related movies and so on.

[GlennSimpson]

I really can't understand how, according to some posters, we shouldn't take Star Wars comic books into account when we are comparing Marvel to DC. I mean, Star Wars comics are published by Marvel, their incomes go to Disney - as well as incomes from Marvel - and they are mainly written by Marvel writers. They are Marvel comics, as far as I am concerned. The fact that they aren't about Marvel superheroes is completely irrelevant.

"But it's the year episode VII came out". So? In the next years we'll see a Star Wars-related movie every year or every couple of years. Basically, it will be the norm. And if we shouldn't take into account comic books which are focused on properties with ties to movies, well, I really can't see why we should take into account DKIII either.

The difference is that Disney, the parent company, bought Star Wars, and pretty much dropped it in the laps of Marvel. Sales of "Star Wars" are not due to any publishing savvy on the part of pretty much anyone at Marvel.

It also has a built-in audience that can hardly be attributed to anything Marvel has ever done (other than MAYBE the first Marvel Star Wars series). At least DC created Batman/Dark Knight.

[Lee Stone]

The difference is that Disney, the parent company, bought Star Wars, and pretty much dropped it in the laps of Marvel. Sales of "Star Wars" are not due to any publishing savvy on the part of pretty much anyone at Marvel.

It also has a built-in audience that can hardly be attributed to anything Marvel has ever done (other than MAYBE the first Marvel Star Wars series). At least DC created Batman/Dark Knight.

Jason Aaron and John Cassaday are no slouches, either.
It's basically Star Wars with an Astonishing X-Men approach.

[Tayswift]

The difference is that Disney, the parent company, bought Star Wars, and pretty much dropped it in the laps of Marvel. Sales of "Star Wars" are not due to any publishing savvy on the part of pretty much anyone at Marvel.

It also has a built-in audience that can hardly be attributed to anything Marvel has ever done (other than MAYBE the first Marvel Star Wars series). At least DC created Batman/Dark Knight.

Marvel editors choose the best writers and artist for star wars comics

[Myskin]

The difference is that Disney, the parent company, bought Star Wars, and pretty much dropped it in the laps of Marvel. Sales of "Star Wars" are not due to any publishing savvy on the part of pretty much anyone at Marvel.

It also has a built-in audience that can hardly be attributed to anything Marvel has ever done (other than MAYBE the first Marvel Star Wars series). At least DC created Batman/Dark Knight.

So? Now it's Marvel. We are speaking about numbers and sales here, not about authorship problems. The fact that Marvel didn't create Darth Vader is irrelevant: right now, Marvel writers are writing his stories.

DC doesn't have anything remotely comparable to Star Wars, but that's their problem. IMHO pulling Star Wars comic books out of the equation is simply a way to make the defeat of DC a bit less embarassing.

[GlennSimpson]

So? Now it's Marvel. We are speaking about numbers and sales here, not about authorship problems. The fact that Marvel didn't create Darth Vader is irrelevant: right now, Marvel writers are writing his stories.

DC doesn't have anything remotely comparable to Star Wars, but that's their problem. IMHO pulling Star Wars comic books out of the equation is simply a way to make the defeat of DC a bit less embarassing.

I think it's more a matter of analyzing the numbers a bit more deeply than "Marvel WINS!"

Nobody is denying that Marvel has higher sales.

[The Darknight Detective]

The bottom line is: if DC had Star Wars dropped in its lap as was the case with Marvel, that would have been a huge thing for DC. It doesn't mean DC would have had the same sales necessarily, of course, but unless they hired me to work on the comic, it still would have sold a ton. Having said that, Marvel still gets the money regardless, so I doubt they really care what we think about any of this.

[Myskin]

I think it's more a matter of analyzing the numbers a bit more deeply than "Marvel WINS!"

Nobody is denying that Marvel has higher sales.

Well, just to be clear, I don't read Marvel, I don't care if it has higher sales and, generally speaking, I would think that in 2015 DC comics have been terrible even if DC had 70% of market. But I still think that putting a whole "authorship question" (for lack of better terms) on the table doesn't make sense. It paves the way for a lot of debatable arguments. I mean, if we say that Star Wars shouldn't be counted because Marvel didn't create those characters, I could add that some of DC's greatest success (i.e.Batman) must be attributed to guys like Chris Nolan and the Rocksteady guys, who doesn't have anything to do with DC proper (and they don't write comic books). Or we could say that, for example, the sales for Sandman overture cannot be counted because it is a Vertigo property. It's all arbitrary. As far as I am concerned, if it's a comic book published by Marvel and it involved Marvel writers, there is no reason not to consider it Marvel. And the same should be said for DC.

[Bruce Wayne]

The bottom line is: if DC had Star Wars dropped in its lap as was the case with Marvel, that would have been a huge thing for DC. It doesn't mean DC would have had the same sales necessarily, of course, but unless they hired me to work on the comic, it still would have sold a ton.

I just disagree. If DC had SW it would have sold like the pre-Marvel Dark Horse SW numbers and not like the current line. The only reason Marvel did so well imo is a combination of Disney (and Marvel). It's not because of SW by itself but of how well they hyped it up. I think you are really underplaying how much both contributed to this.

[The Darknight Detective]

I just disagree. If DC had SW it would have sold like the pre-Marvel Dark Horse SW numbers and not like the current line. The only reason Marvel did so well imo is a combination of Disney (and Marvel). It's not because of SW by itself but of how well they hyped it up.

What numbers do you think DC would have, on average, if they had Star Wars presently?

[Bruce Wayne]

Maybe 30-20K.

Edit: Or closer to the numbers Brian Wood's SW ongoing pulled at DH.

09/2013: The Star Wars #1 - 78,467
10/2013: The Star Wars #2 - 56,165 (-28.4%)
11/2013: The Star Wars #3 - 50,346 (-10.4%)
12/2013: The Star Wars #4 - 47,292 (-6.1%)
12/2013: The Star Wars #0 - 40,531
01/2014: The Star Wars #5 - 42,686 (-9.7%)
02/2014: -
03/2014: The Star Wars #6 - 41,237 (-3.4%)
04/2014: The Star Wars #7 - 40,012 (-3.0%)

[The Darknight Detective]

Maybe 30-20K.

Edit: Or closer to the numbers Brian Wood's SW ongoing pulled at DH.

09/2013: The Star Wars #1 - 78,467
10/2013: The Star Wars #2 - 56,165 (-28.4%)
11/2013: The Star Wars #3 - 50,346 (-10.4%)
12/2013: The Star Wars #4 - 47,292 (-6.1%)
12/2013: The Star Wars #0 - 40,531
01/2014: The Star Wars #5 - 42,686 (-9.7%)
02/2014: -
03/2014: The Star Wars #6 - 41,237 (-3.4%)
04/2014: The Star Wars #7 - 40,012 (-3.0%)

Wow.

Maybe Marvel should get out of the comics industry and just start turning everything they touch to gold Midas-style instead.

[Mister Ferro]

I on the other-hand believe that Star Wars would have sold over 100k if DC had the ability to publish the book.

The first issue would not have "sold" over a million but the issue would still have been the biggest seller for DC.

[The Darknight Detective]

I on the other-hand believe that Star Wars would have sold over 100k if DC had the ability to publish the book.

The first issue would not have "sold" over a million but the issue would still have been the biggest seller for DC.

That's what I believe, also. DC might not have Marvel's magic, but their mojo is still significantly better than Dark Horse's.

[Lee Stone]

I think the main difference is that DC wouldn't put A-list talent on a licensed book over Batman or Justice League.