X Men Gold and X-Men Blue the #3 and #4 selling comics of April.

[jbmasta]

It's great to see secret empire #0 being the top selling title of April from marvel despite the critics and detractors being convinced that it would be a failure I hope it continues to prove critics wrong it's a really interesting story despite how controversial the storyline is.

With what's been released of Secret Empire at the moment, I'm optimistic about the rest of it.

[RLAAMJR.]

Secret Empire will be #1 every issue.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

Yeah books sell well with their first issues but after that they have to keep the numbers up, I wonder what would happen if Blue sells well but the others don't and how that would affect the book, which actually if Blue just keeps Magneto and the young O5 as regulars along with Jimmy Hudson and maybe Briar and that's about it they could be split off onto their own little book like a new X-Factor and then use everybody else to fill the rosters of Astonishing and Gold and say maybe X-Force as a lighter Weapon X. There are fans of Bunn here but we'll see if enough people that don't frequent here love the book to keep it going...

[Thievery]

Yeah books sell well with their first issues but after that they have to keep the numbers up, I wonder what would happen if Blue sells well but the others don't and how that would affect the book, which actually if Blue just keeps Magneto and the young O5 as regulars along with Jimmy Hudson and maybe Briar and that's about it they could be split off onto their own little book like a new X-Factor and then use everybody else to fill the rosters of Astonishing and Gold and say maybe X-Force as a lighter Weapon X. There are fans of Bunn here but we'll see if enough people that don't frequent here love the book to keep it going...

If Blue sells well and the others don't we will probably get another x book relaunch.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

That's why it's like it might not matter how good Blue is if the others don't sell, then again like I said with the young O5 and Magneto not being integrated into the other X-books they could be spun off into their own alternate universe or whatever and do their own thing and the other books could then do their own thing meaning plenty of opportunities for people's favorite characters to flourish...

[Thievery]

That's why it's like it might not matter how good Blue is if the others don't sell, then again like I said with the young O5 and Magneto not being integrated into the other X-books they could be spun off into their own alternate universe or whatever and do their own thing and the other books could then do their own thing meaning plenty of opportunities for people's favorite characters to flourish...

But if Blue is the top book they aren't likely to be spun off into their own universe, I would think Marvel would view the young O5 as what was working for the line.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

Perhaps, I was just trying to figure out a way for the young O5 to continue without getting in the way of the other books if the other books got rebooted, and the young O5 if they were sent back to an alternate universe they could then have Magneto go with them and be their mentor/antagonist and show younger versions of many different characters...though being the top book might not save Blue if the others don't sell well enough...

[Thievery]

Perhaps, I was just trying to figure out a way for the young O5 to continue without getting in the way of the other books if the other books got rebooted, and the young O5 if they were sent back to an alternate universe they could then have Magneto go with them and be their mentor/antagonist and show younger versions of many different characters...though being the top book might not save Blue if the others don't sell well enough...

Yah I get you. I just don't think Marvel will take that view. They love the O5. And since I love the O5 that makes me happy.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

Well they love the young O5, the older O5...not so much...I just feel now that the young O5 are keeping good characters from having a spot in the books and that they need to go...

[Sardorim]

Interesting that Gold beat Blue.

Guess the O5 are getting a bit stale.

[WheelchairX]

Interesting that Gold beat Blue.

Guess the O5 are getting a bit stale.

I think this only happened due to the controversy surrounding Gold and unless Gold has a spectacular second arc, Blue will overtake them as it has been a really amazing first two issues.

[Heroine Addict]

I think there's been some sort of disconnect here, 'cause... ALL the ResurrXion X-titles, are selling well. And being received well, for the most part, to my knowledge. Is there room for improvement on the latter, sure, but it's not unusual to stumble out of the gate a lil'. Gold's the #1 seller, and will probably remain so. At least until Astonishing arrives in July, that is. Blue will continue to be the dark horse though, garnering accolades, & endearing itself to the audience beyond expectations. Weapon X 1 & 2, OML 21 & 22, & All-New Wolverine 19, all went to 2nd printings, along with XMB #2. Retailers are already trying to get more copies of some of them -- again, SECOND printings -- as well as XMB #4 & Jean Grey #2, BEFORE they even hit shelves!

Most if not all will soon be pulled into Secret Empire & its Mutant domain of New Tian, and while yes, it's yet another pile on from the ever-EXHAUSTING event overkill... AND questionable-cum-controversial to many, it's a hit, with buzz building from the mounting curiosity surrounding it. More importantly, it's apparently well-crafted & compelling, i.e. ... a quality, if still polarizing, extravaganza. THAT, in & of itself, is a novelty - 'cause I think it's been a while since we could say that! And it'll be the last we'll see for a while, supposedly, so it would be nice if it all ends going out on a high note... and not just with a bang, if ya know what I mean.

And I have a feeling Gold just might hit its stride & find its groove more, starting with #4. For reasons not the least of which will be, that we're gonna see... BOTH Gambit & Cecilia Reyes, oh, HAPPY DAYS!!

TBH, Secret Empire & the X-ResurrXion books might've been a few of the bright spots...

ComicBook.com, Controversy Creates Cash: Marvel's Secret Empire #0 Tops April's Sales Charts

... Secret Empire kicked off with Secret Empire #0, and the anticipated issue led Marvel to take the top spot in April with a 34.95% dollar share and a 38.23% unit share. DC wasn't far behind though, coming in second with a 30.49% dollar share and a 34.34% unit share. Image came in third with a 10.54% dollar share and a 9.86% unit share. Dark Horse was in the fourth spot with a 4.46% dollar share and a 3.06% unit share with IDW rounding out the top five with a 3.63% dollar share and a 2.95% unit share.

It wasn't only Secret Empire though that helped Marvel win the month, as all three X-Men relaunches (X-Men Gold, X-Men Blue, and Weapon X) are all in the top 10 books. ...

... in an otherwise, less encouraging showing, in some cases:

Newsarama.com, Unlucky 13%: Comics Book Sales Take a Plunge in April

... But the real takeaway from April is that overall sales versus April 2016 (both four shipping weeks) was down 13.18%. Both publishing categories were down significantly, with comic books dipping 11.28% in dollar sales and graphic novels dipping 17.18%.

Year-to-date, sales are now down 2.53% in comic book dollar sales and 12.41% in graphic novel dollars sales for an overall decline of 5.74%. It remains to be seen in the remaining eight months can reverse the so-far trend, in particular the precipitous dip in graphic novel sales, down 12.41% for the year. ...

[Heroine Addict]

Interesting that Gold beat Blue.

Guess the O5 are getting a bit stale.

Pshaw! Silly, needless subterfuge, we're all on the same team here. I mean, from a serious speculative perspective... who ever really thought, that Gold wasn't gonna be the top seller in the first place?

[Narasinha]

Interesting that Gold beat Blue.

Guess the O5 are getting a bit stale.

You realize that it's pre-order for books that weren't even released? It doesn't reflect actual sales. Just based on the cast roster, Gold should be the main book. Bunn wrote good stuff but his name is not enough just to make shops pre-order large amount of issues. He isn't Bendis.

[rui no onna]

You realize that it's pre-order for books that weren't even released? It doesn't reflect actual sales. Just based on the cast roster, Gold should be the main book. Bunn wrote good stuff but his name is not enough just to make shops pre-order large amount of issues. He isn't Bendis.

Nope. Those are final orders shipped and sold to retailers. Of course, no idea how many went to customers.