How to use this Page

Hollywood Reporter did that list independently from us, but using Comichron data for just the first months. The real Top 10 may be different and will be known early in the new year when Diamond releases it.

The Guerra variant cover image and most of the named artists were not solicited in time. Also Jamie McKelvie’s variant is now meant for A-Force #3 (series schedule moved by a month).

I didn’t pick up New Avengers due to the cost for the week piling up; glad to hear some of these titles were hits. I like a jokey Avengers book to a certain extent. Secret Avengers went a little far for me, but Bendis’ Avengers struck the right tone.

Secret Avengers with Kot sort of developed further as it progressed — there were some real dramatic moments peppered in with that really interesting Modok subplot that was just absurd.

Or…readers of each book need to be encouraged to try other books, and a crossover can be a good way of doing that.

@Glenn –

Why do they need to be encouraged to try other books?

Or if we accept that premise, why does the way to encourage them need to be a solo title being roped into a crossover? There are plenty of other ways to promote another book without forcing crossover content into a solo book.

I NEVER NEVER buy crossover comics. I just can’t afford to get into a multi title series. I go for mini series floppies. I like the floppy format, and rarely buy trades.

@Zach – because Marvel is a business that needs to make money. One of the ways to do that is to get your current customers to buy more of your product.

And there are plenty of ways to do it. But including the character in a crossover is probably a very effective way.

@Glenn –
That’s a want, not a need. And the efficacy is questionable. Who knows how many readers you pick up vs how many you drive away?

The fact that sales reports show that sales go up on crossover issues, meaning you picked up more than you gained, at least for that issue.

I read Batgirl and Ms Marvel from Marvel and DC. To be honest, I didn’t understand a lot of what you wrote. I’m buying A-Force right now to keep up with Ms Marvel and it’s ok? I don’t understand a thing that’s going on with the wider series, but an all female Avengers is cool. It would be more fun if it was set in the normal universe.

@Glenn – But there’s no telling the sell through on those issues. Could be that the retailers that are programmed to think they need to up their orders and are now stuck sitting on unsold copies of those books, right? Just seems like a good way to make some readers feel obligated to buy a book, as opposed to being genuinely interested in a book. And if I were a new reader and thought that it was common for me to have to buy comics I wasn’t interested in to fill out a story that I AM interested in, then I might just say “F that noise” and not attempt to get into the comics that sound interesting.

No, retailers have a business to run, and they aren’t going to buy a bunch of books that won’t sell. It might happen sometimes, it’s not perfect, but it’s also not chaos. And it doesn’t matter WHY the consumer buys the book – obligated or otherwise – as long as they buy it.

As for your last example, sure that probably happens. But that doesn’t mean they also don’t have a bunch of readers who discover something new from the crossover either. There’s a reason they’ve been doing them for decades.

They aren’t paying these people are they? That seems like a terrible idea that would open a huge can of worms for Marvel. Such a bad idea.

Sarah Jean Maefs and Kevin Spooner look a lot alike in the pictures above.

Considering that the whole “Disney Princess” merchandise juggernaut began when a Disney exec saw girls in their homemade costumes and realized there was money to be made, how long before these people get slapped with C&Ds and Disney starts its own Marvel costume line?

This reminds me of how much I used to love the old Sandman Mystery Theatre covers from the 90’s. Or that old Ray ad from back in the day that looked like a bad FOX pilot waiting to happen.

Great idea.

Ms Marvel and Spider-Gwen FTW

I like that not every one of these is perfect, showing you don’t have to have a fortune or body builder body to have fun cosplaying. Cosplayers make cons a lot better with their presence and this feels like a nice celebration of that.

Amazing that it took them this long to pursue this idea. On the other hand, I’ve seen better costumes. I wonder how they came to select these particular photos.

A fun idea, though some of the costumes *do* look a bit on the droopy side. And as for a couple of the poses, would someone please get Doc Strange those two drinks he’s ordering.

Now Captain Marvel on the other hand — she wears her uniform with the right attitude!

Seriously? 5 issues and already getting a volume 2? I swear, Marvel. Honestly, what comic book companies should do today is do yearly seasons. Number a comic something like Spider-Gwen 2015.1 and 2015.2 and 2015.3 and so on. At 2015.12 that volume ends, and the next volume is 2016.1 in January. This way people can somehow attempt to keep up with all these volumes (because it seriously gets ridiculously hard to figure out what you’re looking for, etc.) And these companies get a brand new #1 for their books every year!

Each year we are getting closer and closer to Marvel comics getting 12 volumes in one year.

Boy, it’s going to be REAL tough for people to figure out what to buy…Spider-Gwen Vol 1 or….

Don’t assume buyers are so stupid. There is ONE VOLUME of Spider-Gwen that is going to be released, followed by a new #1 for them to then attach themselves to. This makes complete sense.

“This makes complete sense.”

No it doesn’t. Why bother to number the things at all?

Mike

And is there anyone who does not see this ending badly? Not Spider-Gwen, which may be a wonderful book, but this brand expansion that started with the Avengers and is now taking over Spider-Man. Is there any reason to think this won’t end exactly like it did for X-Men with the brand ultimately devalued?

Mike

When I question why I’m sometimes cynical about comics, stunts like this make remember why…

[…] Make it a success so that the Big Two take heed to the call of their audience more often. By the way, it’s a worthwhile first issue so says Lindsey. Read her full review HERE. […]

Please tell me they’re be committee debates in Mon Mothma.

“So the ladies are still lagging.”
200,000 copies… Okay, I realize this is a result of overlap with successful franchises, but that’s still impressive, and probably buries the stereotype that guys won’t read comics with female characters.

(And then there’s Harley Quinn, which is not lagging, outselling almost every other Bat title on the list.)

So… what are the bestselling female-focused issues of the past 20 years?

‘200,000 copies… Okay, I realize this is a result of overlap with successful franchises, but that’s still impressive, and probably buries the stereotype that guys won’t read comics with female characters.’

Oh course we do if they’re half naked and fit.

So is Leia not in Star Wars #1 at all, then? When people talk about the amount of/sales of lady-led titles, anything which doesn’t have exclusively female leads always seems to be counted as male.

Honestly, it seems silly to say anything slightly un-positive about those Spider-Gwen numbers. Those are insane, awesome! (One of those copies is for me.)

By the way, do we have any idea how high the sales for Gwen’s Spider-Verse issue ended up after all the reprinting?

Thanks for posting. Could you put a link back to my Newsarama story which broke the news?

Chris, were you the only blogger in the room? ‘Cuz if not, you really can’t claim the story just because you posted it a few minutes faster. If you had it exclusively, then maybe, but this was at a retailer meeting, the Beat could have any number of sources for the same story.

Since NetFlix Daredevil’s hair was changed from the comic book red, to “a more marketable, and acceptable brown”, and since the TV show Flash’s hair was also changed from blond/red to brown, shouldn’t Gwen Stacey’s hair be brown or black -Bigotry and consumerism are the only things that matter in the former-USA, so since most tech jobs are out-sourced to India, and China shouldn’t Gwen be from India now>>>?

Also, since cooperation, tolerance, training/learning from others is considered taboo now in the former-USA, I sure hope they have Gwen say things like “that guy is creepy, lets go” about people who do not dress like they shop at Indian/Chinese goods outlets (Target and Wallmart), or for not being able to emulate advertisements disguised as entertainment (Television)? She can say things like “People who live in the city are part of the populist vote, so we gotta decimate if not hinder city life since they are all a bunch of liberals… Lets open more remote office parks so people in the city have long grueling commutes, and people from the country will not.” -thats how all of us former-USA consumers (that pretend to be American) think.

what in god’s holy name are you blathering about??

Robbie Rodriguez is doing this book as well as FBP for Vertigo? Two books at the same time? I read somewhere he found working on just one book (FBP) was involving enough. I hope him doing this book doesn’t hurt FBP (which is a fantastic, ideas-filled read).

Rich H- Alberto Ponticello (Unknown Soldier and Dial H) has been announced as taking over FBD.