DC Sales & Estimates

[andersonh1]

We don't need to know numbers to know that DC's sales aren't as healthy as they need to be. The fact that they cancelled so many books and are launching so many new series is proof that sales had dropped. If the overall line was successful, we'd keep getting more of the same series.

[cranger]

In short, Marvel rules and DC is going down the toilets. Yeah we get it.

LOL, except you take away that 1,000,000 issues of Star Wars and the rest of Marvel's line actually went down a big chunk from last year. DC at least kept sales closer. I would say that is a good sign for DC that this post Convergence wave can hopefully build on.

[Shinomune]

We don't need to know numbers to know that DC's sales aren't as healthy as they need to be. The fact that they cancelled so many books and are launching so many new series is proof that sales had dropped. If the overall line was successful, we'd keep getting more of the same series.

How many relaunches we get in Marvel in the last 3 years? LOL

[The Darknight Detective]

We don't need to know numbers to know that DC's sales aren't as healthy as they need to be. The fact that they cancelled so many books and are launching so many new series is proof that sales had dropped. If the overall line was successful, we'd keep getting more of the same series.

At the moment, DC sales this year are matching last year's sales (which were fine and certainly better than they were three years ago).

[andersonh1]

At the moment, DC sales this year are matching last year's sales (which were fine and certainly better than they were three years ago).

All I can say is, you don't mess with success. And DC is making some major changes to their lineup. That doesn't look like success to me, that looks like throwing things up against the wall and hoping they sell.

[The Darknight Detective]

All I can say is, you don't mess with success. And DC is making some major changes to their lineup. That doesn't look like success to me, that looks like throwing things up against the wall and hoping they sell.

Just because they are more successful doesn't mean they are #1, either. On that matter, it was the same case during the DCU, too.

[Bruce Wayne]

All I can say is, you don't mess with success. And DC is making some major changes to their lineup.

But DC and Marvel's entire formula is relaunches and rebranding of existing books to see what works. It's nothing new and certainly not "messing" with anything, it's their entire current formula. It's pretty much imo how Lemire's Green Arrow and Hawkeye both came about.

Just because they are more successful doesn't mean they are #1, either. On that matter, it was the same case during the DCU, too.

This also ignores the simple fact that their bosses probably aren't satisfied with just #1 or #2 in sales from publishing, but rather steady or actually greater growth in sales from tpbs and monthlies as well as digital sales. Modern corporate America is a shark eat shark world.

[The Darknight Detective]

This also ignores the simple fact that their bosses probably aren't satisfied with just #1 or #2 in sales from publishing, but rather steady or actually greater growth in sales from tpbs and monthlies as well as digital sales. Modern corporate America is a shark eat shark world.

No disagreement from me. If you stand still, you just make yourself a greater target to get run over by another company.

[andersonh1]

But DC and Marvel's entire formula is relaunches and rebranding of existing books to see what works. It's nothing new and certainly not "messing" with anything, it's their entire current formula. It's pretty much imo how Lemire's Green Arrow and Hawkeye both came about.

That tells me they're both in trouble in today's market, not that DC's okay because Marvel does the same thing.

If you look at numbers for the individual books, there's always a pattern, and it's always one of declining sales. Very rarely does a book hold steady or actually see sales growth. If you look at the overall number of books sold, then yeah, the numbers don't look too bad. But when you start looking at how many books crash and burn in six months to a year, it looks pretty dismal.

[FlashEarthOne]

That tells me they're both in trouble in today's market, not that DC's okay because Marvel does the same thing.

If you look at numbers for the individual books, there's always a pattern, and it's always one of declining sales. Very rarely does a book hold steady or actually see sales growth. If you look at the overall number of books sold, then yeah, the numbers don't look too bad. But when you start looking at how many books crash and burn in six months to a year, it looks pretty dismal.

That is VERY true. Out of curiosity have you ever seen a time where a title could consistently hold steady or grow over say... a one year period? I personally haven't seen it but I've only looked at sales numbers from the last 14 years.

[Bruce Wayne]

If you look at numbers for the individual books, there's always a pattern, and it's always one of declining sales.

1) You are looking at an incomplete picture of the data regarding sales and without the information to reconstruct the complete dataset, what you are essentially doing is reading tea leaves.

2) Even if trust the data, the decline stretches back decades and goes back to the beginnings of the direct market and applies not only to DC/Marvel, but to indie titles. It's a trend of the market and likely is related to the law of diminishing returns.

[FlashEarthOne]

1) You are looking at an incomplete picture of the data regarding sales and without the information to reconstruct the complete dataset, what you are essentially doing is reading tea leaves.

2) Even if trust the data, the decline stretches back decades and goes back to the beginnings of the direct market and applies not only to DC/Marvel, but to indie titles. It's a trend of the market and likely is related to the law of diminishing returns.

Interesting points as well.

[andersonh1]

Some historical sales figures: http://zak-site.com/Great-American-N...mic_sales.html

[Joe Kalicki]

That tells me they're both in trouble in today's market, not that DC's okay because Marvel does the same thing.

If you look at numbers for the individual books, there's always a pattern, and it's always one of declining sales. Very rarely does a book hold steady or actually see sales growth. If you look at the overall number of books sold, then yeah, the numbers don't look too bad. But when you start looking at how many books crash and burn in six months to a year, it looks pretty dismal.

I don't understand why you would ignore the overall success to focus on the minor failures. If publishing a book for a year and replacing it with another book for a year and so on is the best way to keep on top of the market, what makes it an invalid strategy?

[RLAAMJR.]

Time for DC to do a Harry Potter comic

Or Lord of the Rings.

With a very strong start, and rumored huge sales Darth Vader #1 and Spider-Gwen #1, I'm quite certain Marvel will reach 30 millions units sold by the end of 2015. They may even reach 35 million.

For DC, they have a good start too