Dan Slott To Remain Writer of Amazing Spider-Man Post-Empire And Through Legacy

[Dan Slott]

Beside the X-Men, I don't remember any title ahead of Spider-Man in selling numbers, since 2000.

Since 2000?

New X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Astonishing X-Men
Wolverine
New Avengers
Mighty Avengers
Dark Avengers
Ultimates
Ultimates 2
Ultimates 3
Ultimate Spider-Man (sold better than ASM for a while)
Ultimate Fantastic Four
Ultimate X-Men
And there were periods where the JMS era Thor, Loeb Red Hulk ver of Hulk, Brubaker's Captain America, and numerous other titles outsold ASM.

Amazing Spider-Man is not a guaranteed top seller for Marvel regardless of what creative teams are working on it, no matter how much some people would like that to be true.

[dreyga2000]

If only he were on She-Hulk for this long...

[WebLurker]

Amazing Spider-Man is not a guaranteed top seller for Marvel regardless of what creative teams are working on it, no matter how much some people would like that to be true.

On the other hand, it seems like it would be very hard for a Spider-Man enterprise to fall in in the red, either. This is Marvel's top A-list character, one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, and one of the most valuable franchises globally speaking.

Also, considering that the comics market is suffering overall, I'm not sure that being able to say that you're bleeding the least is exactly ideal, in any given event.

(Also, pretty funny that USM was outselling ASM back then at that specific time; Marvel was trying their second proto-OMD with ASM then while a certain character was Spider-Man's girlfriend in the better-selling USM. Probably not the only reason why the latter did so well, but pretty ironic, all the same.)

[Bor]

On the other hand, it seems like it would be very hard for a Spider-Man enterprise to fall in in the red, either. This is Marvel's top A-list character, one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, and one of the most valuable franchises globally speaking.

Also, considering that the comics market is suffering overall, I'm not sure that being able to say that you're bleeding the least is exactly ideal, in any given event.

(Also, pretty funny that USM was outselling ASM back then at that specific time; Marvel was trying their second proto-OMD with ASM then while a certain character was Spider-Man's girlfriend in the better-selling USM. Probably not the only reason why the latter did so well, but pretty ironic, all the same.)

Its not really as simple as books bleeding readers. Since 2000 the market has changed quite a lot when it comes to stuff like collected editions and digital comics. These things existed in the 90s and before but not nearly in the same amount as they do now. You were certainly not sure to get every storyline in a collected edition like you are now. ASM since OMD, and espescially part of Slotts run, have come out in standard hardcover, standard TP, Oversized Hardcover, ultimate/complete collections and several single issues have come out in multiply prints to. While all these other formats rarely sell as well as simgle issues they do add up quite a lot when put together so the seemingly "loss" of single issue readers might not be as big as peopl might think.

[Dan Slott]

Its not really as simple as books bleeding readers. Since 2000 the market has changed quite a lot when it comes to stuff like collected editions and digital comics. These things existed in the 90s and before but not nearly in the same amount as they do now. You were certainly not sure to get every storyline in a collected edition like you are now. ASM since OMD, and espescially part of Slotts run, have come out in standard hardcover, standard TP, Oversized Hardcover, ultimate/complete collections and several single issues have come out in multiply prints to. While all these other formats rarely sell as well as single issues they do add up quite a lot when put together so the seemingly "loss" of single issue readers might not be as big as peopl might think.

Along with different markets that sell the content which are NOT included in the Diamond numbers (digital, online bookstore sales, etc.) there has also been a change to the direct market which often isn't brought up in these conversations:

There are less brick and mortar stores.

There have been boom-and-bust periods in the comic industry where from one age to the next more shops have closed than have opened.

When comparing the sales of (INSERT COMIC HERE) to how it sold in the 90's, most readers are informed enough to know that the speculator boom greatly inflated those numbers. Most readers forego making THAT argument anymore because they know it's a silly one.

However most readers don't seem to be informed enough on two current factors:
The extent of how much new markets that AREN'T included in the Diamond numbers have expanded (digital, amazon, etc) and how many brick and mortar shops we've physically lost (there are actually "dry" states in the U.S. where there are no brick and mortar stores for those fans to buy comics).

It's not just about "bleeding readers". It's about how-and-where comics are-and-aren't sold. It's a completely different landscape in just 10 years than it was before. Titles like MS. MARVEL have a tremendous digital imprint percentage-wise compared to regular titles. Books like SQUIRREL GIRL do really well in trade.

There are so many factors fans just don't see by ONLY looking at the Diamond numbers. And especially when comparing THESE Diamond numbers to Diamond numbers from 2, 5, 10, or 15 years ago.

Comparing the sales of (pulling a book at random) DAREDEVIL now to how DAREDEVIL sold even 6 years ago-- by ONLY using Diamond numbers-- doesn't factor in that those earlier sales are from a world where both BORDERS and HASTINGS were selling comics and trades. We now live in a world where two MAJOR booksellers-- that used to sell comics in their magazine section and trades in their graphic novel section-- are GONE. That's a game changer.

In some ways, the sky ISN'T falling the way readers think it is (because there are MORE robust digital and trade sales of that content) and in some ways the sky IS falling in ways readers DON'T think it is (because of the lack of physical brick and mortar stores-- and major chains-- where readers no longer have access to places where they CAN buy books).

Long story short: It's a different market place.

[Pav]

If all this Ben is capable of becoming is a schizo diet coke post-Lost Days Kaine with a fraction of the ol' Parker responsibility, that's not a Ben I want to get behind.

Too much cynicism and mean-spiritedness in Spider-Man

Maybe let's wait more than two issues before making a determination. My guess is that PAD will be taking this beaten-down Ben and building him back up again. The story is the ride, and the destination is not likely to be the starting point.

-Pav, who enjoys a good bildungsroman...

[WebLurker]

Its not really as simple as books bleeding readers. Since 2000 the market has changed quite a lot when it comes to stuff like collected editions and digital comics. These things existed in the 90s and before but not nearly in the same amount as they do now. You were certainly not sure to get every storyline in a collected edition like you are now. ASM since OMD, and espescially part of Slotts run, have come out in standard hardcover, standard TP, Oversized Hardcover, ultimate/complete collections and several single issues have come out in multiply prints to. While all these other formats rarely sell as well as simgle issues they do add up quite a lot when put together so the seemingly "loss" of single issue readers might not be as big as peopl might think.

I can see how that could work (I buy almost all my comics in trade collections only). Although I think that assumes that the singe issue only looses readers because of the sales tag.

[Mister Mets]

On the other hand, it seems like it would be very hard for a Spider-Man enterprise to fall in in the red, either. This is Marvel's top A-list character, one of the most beloved superheroes of all time, and one of the most valuable franchises globally speaking.

Also, considering that the comics market is suffering overall, I'm not sure that being able to say that you're bleeding the least is exactly ideal, in any given event.

(Also, pretty funny that USM was outselling ASM back then at that specific time; Marvel was trying their second proto-OMD with ASM then while a certain character was Spider-Man's girlfriend in the better-selling USM. Probably not the only reason why the latter did so well, but pretty ironic, all the same.)

Couldn't we say the same about the X-Men? They're not doing too hot right now.

[Mister Mets]

Seven posts have been deleted.

Whether someone's a nice person is not really a topic for discussion here.

[plasticman101]

wow thanks DAN SLOTT for setting us on a more LOGICAL path ! <high five>

if you can answer Dan. is ASM going back to original numbering? if so, would it be around #750?

and one more ! are you going to crossover into PP:SSM ? thanks

[The Whovian]

My reply to the fact that Slott will be the writer on Amazing Spider-Man for the foreseeable future is this:

[plasticman101]

me too! oh yes!

[Miles To Go]

wow thanks DAN SLOTT for setting us on a more LOGICAL path

If only the stories had any logic in them

[poorzero]

ultimately, this is good news for me.
i think slott's run has been fantastic. my only complaint was that i was getting tired of hearing the same 'voice' write peter for so long ... much as i loved it, things like SUPERIOR were so refreshing just due to the novelty of slott writing somebody else.
i really wanted new writers coming on titles like SPECTACULAR or WEB OF.
marvel is actually doing this so ... i say, let slott have the book in perpetuity.

[Magneto]

Superior Spider-Man is the best thing about Slott's run. That says a lot.