DC's "Aquaman" Outsells Every Marvel Comic!

[The Toyroom]

According to Diamond, "Aquaman" #5 was the number 10 comic last month. No Marvel title cracked the Top 10...

[Toy Talk]

Sadly for those of us that grew up with and still love comics, comic sales are continuously declining. Marvel, DC, and all of the comic companies can re-invent their stables of characters every year if they like, because the reality is that kids would rather watch the movies. Maybe I am off base but then again, apparently so is Marvel.
On the other hand, maybe the decline in sales has something to do with the outrageous cover price of most comics now compared to when we were growing up.

[samurainoir]

ICv2 - Top 300 Comics Actual--December 2011

Back in the top 10 after posting at 14 in Dec. Nice to see a quality product get it's due.

Looks like we've actually got a horse race again, with Marvel edging ahead with the dollar amount and DC with Unit after marvel pulled ahead again last month in both.

DC has Watchmen as their Ringer coming up, although I would have thought Avengers vs X-Men would have been stronger! Next few months should be interesting as we head into the summer of Avengers Vs Batman in the theatres.

Looks like overall sales are down again in print, particularly graphic novels... I'd be fascinated to know what the numbers are for the new digital initiatives in comparison.

[madmarva]

I'd be fascinated to know what the numbers are for the new digital initiatives in comparison.

I think they're too embarrassed to let the digital information out.

I tried to switch to digital but as long as the price point is the same and there is a printed option, that's what I'd rather have.

I've got no clue what talent is paid in the comics industry, but I assume printing costs exceed creative costs. I'm not sure if Diamond pays the freight to its distribution centers or if it is a shared cost with the comics companies or one absorbed by the comics companies in total, but either way, it has to be less expensive to deliver comics digitally than as hard copy. Charging the same amount for both, even for only a month, is an injustice to the readers, imo.

I haven't really cared for video games since about 1982, but why would a kid want to sit around and read about power fantasies when they can play them out with video games or as other suggested watch the movies on TV and in theaters?

Now, obviously, any comic book fan could argue why reading comics is a richer experience, but try to convince a tween or a teen that's the case.

And while it's a noble thought to convert non-comic reading adults to the format, folks have been trying to do that since the 1980s but it's a very hard sale.

Comics had the most sales when they were basically no-thought purchases and a cheap way to keep the kids happy and quiet for a little while.

Comics companies need to find a happy medium between that and the relatively expensive niche market they've become. Again, comics companies have been trying to figure this out since the 70s or 80s, and I really don't have any answers.

But back to Anthony's post, I never would have believed Aquaman would outsell every Marvel title even if it's just for a month. It's crazy. Marvel's probably scratching its collective head like National was whenever Marvel began to move ahead in sales in the 60s or 70s, whenever it happened.

[The Nawd]

One of the biggest problems is that the industry slit its own throat when they went to direct sales only. Now you have to go specifically looking for comics at comic shops and comic book conventions in order to find them. New readers can't just stumble across them anymore. They can't find them in drug stores, department stores, grocery stores, gas stations, and on, and on, and on.

Video games, DVDs & Blu-Ray and high prices are factors in keeping readers away too. I won't deny that. But they NEVER should've went to direct sales only. I say it's only a matter of time before the industry has another huge implosion and kills itself. Unless they can get comics back out to the masses and find a way to lower prices.

[samurainoir]

Arguably they saved themselves by going direct. Newsstand sales were dropping like a rock during the seventies and the trend continued into the eighties. Twenty years of comic shop product has created quite a stockpile of collected editions that has been leveraged into the bookstore market, and now digital content.

Since there is no longer any central distributed fr digital content like their monthly print output, it really doesn't make any sense for them to release their proprietary digital numbers... Unless they wanted to cash in on the publicity if it were doing Harry Potter numbers. Which we can assume they are not since they aren't announcing that Jstice League sold a million online or whatever.

Hopefully whatever small profitability gains they are experiencing via digital can keep pace with the rate that print shrinks. At the end of the day, publishing is worth more to them as R&D for movie, TV and video games than their readership profits for each book which numbers in the thousands vs the millions wb and Disney is interested in for licensing that stuff.

It might not have had sell through, but WB gets upfront $$$ for all that Green Lantern etch... Or even the Watchmen stuff we saw at mainstream retail all over the world. If Rorschach eventually spins off his own movie franchise, they are talking about that long tail that Disney has always exploited with it's evergreen properties. Fantasia wasn't initially a hit? Keep going back to it until it is. Look how many lives the Hulk has had in the past decade alone.

[The Toyroom]

Everyone's missing the point of this thread...it has nothing to do with the state of the industry, digital sales, video games, whatever

The point is "Aquaman", long considered a "lame" character not only has a Top 10 book (when was the last time that ever happened?) but that book sold better than ANY Marvel comic. Better than Spider-Man, better than X-Men, better than any cross-over or event Marvel was pushing for that month.

I think many people (myself included) predicted that "Aquaman" would be one of the best selling of the New 52...but I don't think anyone expected a performance like that, even if it only ends up being for one month.

It's really a testament to the belief that if you have a good writer, a good artist and tell a good story that is accessible to all readers, new and old, that anything is possible. So Aquaman isn't and has never been a "bad" character...he's just been handled badly. Until now. Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis are given people what they want out of the character and hopefully they will be able to continue this momentum.

And hopefully DC can carry this philosophy throughout their line. Even though there is much debate about the Before Watchemen books, at least they have their ducks in a row by having great creative on these titles. Now they have to bring the story. If they do, then controversy aside, these books will generate great revenue for the company.

And seeing Aquaman beat all of their comics, even for one month, has to bug Marvel a bit. Maybe they too will begin to realize that just because you put it out there people won't necessarily buy it. In today's economy that's not gonna fly. Put more effort into great teams with great stories and your books will be great. Sales will take care of themselves.

[madmarva]

I'd like to see Aquaman be a guest on the Craig Ferguson show in the comic. Ferguson dresses up as Aquaman on every know and then to answer made-up. I've always thought a talk show appearance by a super hero would be an interesting device to retell an origin, recap a career like comics have done with anniversary issues or just give out some unknown info about the character. It would kind of play into the Aquaman as a joke theme, Johns is using in the book.

Or heck DC ought to try to get Johns on there as a guest. Could be funny.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTL2aYnSpvQ&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Rlqw1EuK4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZU5uH015kU&feature=related

[boynightwing]

Good for Aquaman! He deserves some love for a change. He's a great character and people always dump all over him. It's good to see that he's been given a good team to create stories for him. I have every issue of the new ones so far and will continue as long as they keep up the quality stories.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I guess all of us old farts grumbling about the new 52 didn't know what we were talking about. People have spoken with their dollars.

I haven't been buying Aquaman, but I've been keeping up with the storyline over at Rob's Aquaman Shrine. It looks like really good stuff. It deserves to be on top.

Chris

[The Bat]

Yeah! It good to see Aquaman finally get his due!

[stevenlore]

I was always a Marvel fan, but Aquaman has been a great read. Good for DC

[kingdom warrior]

[Brue]

Sadly for those of us that grew up with and still love comics, comic sales are continuously declining. Marvel, DC, and all of the comic companies can re-invent their stables of characters every year if they like, because the reality is that kids would rather watch the movies. Maybe I am off base but then again, apparently so is Marvel.
On the other hand, maybe the decline in sales has something to do with the outrageous cover price of most comics now compared to when we were growing up.

I agree that they would rather watch movies - but this is the source material. And even if the comics are sold at a loss or only to a fan base, they are the springboard for the movies. If the movies do well - the licensing companies do well. Though comics are perhaps the least profitable arm of the comic biz, it is an integral part.

I used to get upset with reboots, relauche etc. but as I have read every version of Hans Christian anderson, grimm fairy tale, arthurian legend, and myth countless times I have become aware that our comics are just that. they are no longer merely pop culure. they are folklore. perhaps one day 7th grade classes will be required to read les daniels' history of DC as well as edith hamilton's Mythology when studying mythology.

[Brue]

i am glad aquaman is doing well. he has been so poorly weritten so many times.
i just read an early justice league to my 5 year old. the JLA bannished themselves to clear their names when a fake JLA is commiting crimes which made no sense since now the fake JLA is still committing crimes reinforcing the belief they are evil. on to aquaman 's part -when the JLA came back to clear their name Aquaman stayed in a rocket ship and GL gave him some water every hour. (actually the whole story was stupid on so many levels that i was annoyed the whole read)

i have read JLA comics that have superman helpng Aquaman get across teh ocean. -seriously?!

the series where he first lost his hand was at least well thought out for a while.

the Batman B&B gave hima personality and a reasonable story.

i loved aquaman as a kid becaue I loved swimming and was blued eyed blond hair. even back then i would wonder why Marvin and Wendy contributed more than he did.