Keeping track of Post-Rebirth Superman sales

[Dolores - The Worst Poster Ever]

As title of the thread suggests, this thread is to keep track of and comment on the sales of the Superman line after the relaunch. Whatever your feelings about the current direction, good sales are more likely to help the Superman line than hurt it in the good run.

We we won't have the numbers for print sales until a month from now, but we do have some info on digital sales.

Superman Rebirth #1 is the 4th best selling of the day on Comixology, even selling more than Civil War 2 #1. Other new comics of note that it's outselling are All-New, All Different Avengers, Invincible Iron Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Old Man Logan. These comics chart well digitally, placing close to Ms. Marvel when they are released on the same week, so it's fair to say that Superman Rebirth is off to a great start in terms of digital sales.

It's placement in the digital charts, means it sold at least a 1000 copies digitally on its first day.

If some of you are wondering how I got that number when digital numbers aren't released, it's actually quite simple. Comixology has a best sellers list which keeps track of the best selling comics on a daily basis. There are 1004 comics on the list, meaning the the 1004th comic on the list has to sell at least 1 copy to make in onto the list, the 1003rd comic the list has to sell at least 2 copies to be ahead of the 1004th comic, etc. This means the 4th comic on the list, Superman Rebirth #1 has to have sold at least 1000 copies in order to secure it's placement on the list.

As I said, this is a good start for Superman in terms of sales. It's not the first time the Superman books have charted this well digitally, but selling more than Civil War #2, Spider-Man, Avengers, and Iron Man is an achievement.

[SuperCrab]

Disappointing to see it selling well. Let's hope the numbers drop quick or we'll be stuck with SuperDad and SuperJon for a long time. If sales figures do well, Jon might even stick around through reboots and become part of the long-term Superman cast (Barf). But since this was just the first issue, there could be a strong curiosity factor from past readers who drifted away and new readers, both of whom might jump as/when they see whats actually going on.

I disagree with the idea that good sales are good news for everyone who cares about Superman. Its not like if sales plummet, we'll never see a Superman comic again. They'd just be forced to retool or reboot and take a different tact- and probably a better one than this.

[GreenLanternRanger]

Disappointing to see it selling well. Let's hope the numbers drop quick or we'll be stuck with SuperDad and SuperJon for a long time. If sales figures do well, Jon might even stick around through reboots and become part of the long-term Superman cast (Barf). But since this was just the first issue, there could be a strong curiosity factor from past readers who drifted away and new readers, both of whom might jump as/when they see whats actually going on.

I disagree with the idea that good sales are good news for everyone who cares about Superman. Its not like if sales plummet, we'll never see a Superman comic again. They'd just be forced to retool or reboot and take a different tact- and probably a better one than this.

You do realize how childish that is dont you? Hoping for a book to fail because its not going thr direction you personally want it to go. Seriously!?


Well I for one have already told my LCS to add all of the Super-books to my pull list.


Also i'm afraid as a whole more people are looking forward to reading the Superman Rebirth titles then being sad Nuperman is gone.


So just know while you wallow in your anger thousands of others will be supporting these books you despise. ;p

[SuperCrab]

You do realize how childish that is dont you? Hoping for a book to fail because its not going thr direction you personally want it to go. Seriously!?

I don't think it's childish at all. It would be childish if there was a separate book featuring the new52 Superman without a superhero son that I could enjoy, and I was just trying to rain on the parade of others who had their own separate book suiting their preferences. However, since DC Comics has decided that, like Highlander, there can only be one, and who that one is depends partly on sales, I am hoping that the vision I don't like fails so that the vision that I do like, or an all-new vision I might like better than the new status quo, will be given a chance.

Well I for one have already told my LCS to add all of the Super-books to my pull list.


Also i'm afraid as a whole more people are looking forward to reading the Superman Rebirth titles then being sad Nuperman is gone.


So just know while you wallow in your anger thousands of others will be supporting these books you despise. ;p

Now, with all due respect, *that* seemed childish.

Interesting that supporters of a 10-year old superhero are tagging those who don't like him as childish.

[GreenLanternRanger]

I don't think it's childish at all. It would be childish if there was a separate book featuring the new52 Superman without a superhero son that I could enjoy, and I was just trying to rain on the parade of others who had their own separate book suiting their preferences. However, since DC Comics has decided that, like Highlander, there can only be one, and who that one is depends partly on sales, I am hoping that the vision I don't like fails so that the vision that I do like, or an all-new vision I might like better than the new status quo, will be given a chance.



Now, with all due respect, *that* seemed childish.

Interesting that supporters of a 10-year old superhero are tagging those who don't like him as childish.

It is childish, hoping for something to fail because you dont like it is very crude, self-absorbed and childish.

I mean for example, I don't care for The Walking Dead TV show. But do I want it to fail just because I dont like it? No. Thousands of people do like it and me wanting it to die because I dont like it would be silly.

[vasir12]

This thread is going about as well as I expected. Good to see that Rebirth is doing well. Obviously, it'd be high but beating Civil War digitally is an achievement. Hope it continues cause the one shot were already really good. Personally, I thought Green Arrow was the best but #7 is still good.

[Francisco]

It is childish, hoping for something to fail because you dont like it is very crude, self-absorbed and childish.

I mean for example, I don't care for The Walking Dead TV show. But do I want it to fail just because I dont like it? No. Thousands of people do like it and me wanting it to die because I dont like it would be silly.

Actually rather than childish it is logical. Why would I want something that I dislike to succeed?

[manofsteel1979]

I don't think it's childish at all. It would be childish if there was a separate book featuring the new52 Superman without a superhero son that I could enjoy, and I was just trying to rain on the parade of others who had their own separate book suiting their preferences. However, since DC Comics has decided that, like Highlander, there can only be one, and who that one is depends partly on sales, I am hoping that the vision I don't like fails so that the vision that I do like, or an all-new vision I might like better than the new status quo, will be given a chance.



Now, with all due respect, *that* seemed childish.

Interesting that supporters of a 10-year old superhero are tagging those who don't like him as childish.

So someone who doesn't hate Jon Kent with the same white hot hatred you do and perhaps may want to give the concept a fair shake before outright condemning it because any success of this puts getting things your way at risk, is childish.

Good to know.

[Ascended]

Sales were always going to be high for this, and they'll stay high for a while, no matter what the quality is like.

Beating out Civil War is surprising though.

What I will be interested to see are the numbers in about 4-6 months. With double shipping, I guesstimate that we'll start to see where the books level out by then. The numbers right now are going to be inflated, so the average rate of attrition compared to other Rebirth books and the point where the decline stops and levels out is what will actually matter.

[Agniwolf]

just noticed i quoted something from way way back

[SuperCrab]

One caveat about Superman Rebirth #1 outselling the Marvel Civil Wars book is the price point: $2.99 versus $5.99. The Marvel book might have easily sold more digital copies had it not been *double* the price of the Superman book. I mean, I wanted to get the Marvel Civil War 2 series, but took one look at the high price points on some of the issues and said "Nope".

One thing DC Comics is doing right with Rebirth is the $2.99 price point. Lowest in the industry for new issues of ongoing titles. One thing that might help me swallow my pride and give one of the Superman related titles a try issue by issue is the price drop (Hey, they're paying me $1 an issue to put up with Jon! ). It actually is pretty refreshing to see the price of something actually go down when things usually go up.

The high price point on Justice League #50 is one of the reasons I don't have it right now. Seemed like an odd move to raise that price $2 when everything else is going down $1. But I guess it wasn't part of the Rebirth. Still, could have kept it at $3.99 instead of going up to $5.99. I know, more pages printed, collectible, etc., but that doesn't really apply to the digital market.

[manofsteel1979]

Disappointing to see it selling well. Let's hope the numbers drop quick or we'll be stuck with SuperDad and SuperJon for a long time. If sales figures do well, Jon might even stick around through reboots and become part of the long-term Superman cast (Barf). But since this was just the first issue, there could be a strong curiosity factor from past readers who drifted away and new readers, both of whom might jump as/when they see whats actually going on.

I disagree with the idea that good sales are good news for everyone who cares about Superman. Its not like if sales plummet, we'll never see a Superman comic again. They'd just be forced to retool or reboot and take a different tact- and probably a better one than this.

Yeah, sorry I have to agree that is childish. It's just as bad as some of the people who were rooting for Nuperman's failure sales wise 5 years ago because hr wasn't wearing the trunks.if you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that.

Oh and don't be so sure If sales tank DC will still publish Superman comics. I really do think the character and franchise is at the point that if we end up with bad sales for much longer you just might see the Superman line drastically cut down or just canceled outright for a time.

Case in point, Fantastic Four at marvel. It has been one of Marvel's poorest selling of their main franchises and everyone just assumed because of its status as Marvels flagship book that started the modern marvel universe it would always be published regardless of sales. If it can happen there it can happen with Superman.

[Sacred Knight]

#1s will always sell well, that's why Marvel always releases new #1's every chance they get. DC's just now catching on. It would have been something absolutely unheard of if a main Superman title's #1 sold poorly. In any case, I will admit I want all of Rebirth to fail. And its not because its not what I want. Superman isn't, but a lot of other stuff, in fact most other stuff, seem more or less fine for now. But for now is the key word, and leads to the why of my mindset. I don't trust the regime. I think they're bad for these characters. I think they're damaging the brands more than they're helping them. I think they're threatening the very publishing division of DC, to be perfectly honest. People will scream at me "hyperbole" but I really don't think so at this stage. I just want them gone and another failure on their watch could be all that stands in the way of at least one major shakeup, but hopefully more. That's where I come from on the whole success or failure thing. Its not about individual story ideas that I like personally. That will always wax and wane. I just want the characters under competent leadership is all. And whether you're a fan of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, GL, whatever, DC has not had this in a very long time. That's just common knowledge at this point.

[GreenLanternRanger]

Even bad leaders can make good decisions at times. And Rebirth seems to be one of them, sacrificing a whole initiative in hopes people you dont like will get the boot is just as bad.

I for one support good comics, and of Rebirth can continue to give us such I will support the heck out of it .


As for DC stopping Superman books all together, yea never gonna happen. The only reason Marvel stopped Fantastic Four is because they dont have the movie rights to it. Which is ridiculous.


But yea, glad the first issue did well, hope the trend continues.

[Sacred Knight]

Even bad leaders can make good decisions at times. And Rebirth seems to be one of them, sacrificing a whole initiative in hopes people you dont like will get the boot is just as bad.

I for one support good comics, and of Rebirth can continue to give us such I will support the heck out of it .


As for DC stopping Superman books all together, yea never gonna happen. The only reason Marvel stopped Fantastic Four is because they dont have the movie rights to it. Which is ridiculous.


But yea, glad the first issue did well, hope the trend continues.

Their problem has always been follow-thru. So I'll relent that they might have had one good idea if by next year we're not hearing of massive rewrites to the main Rebirth narrative. Some changes, okay, that comes with the territory. Unforeseen circumstances and all that. But Trinity and Forever Evil type rewrites and it'll be the same old story. Not prepared to give them any sort of credit nor be an apologist for them anymore till I see some tangible results in that arena.

With that said I'll never say I hope something fails just because I don't want a fan of said content to be happy. That's not even close to my motivation here and never would be. I've been on both sides of the fence, I know how negativity can be irritating because by its very nature its unpleasant. I myself would MUCH rather be in my usual optimistic, positive role. But hey, first world problems and all that, eh? But if anything I hope people know that criticisms from my end are just therapeutic for me at this point and not meant to rain on the individual personally.