Thoughts On: Comic Sales June 2009

Here's something I'll try now (and a good way to round out a day of shitty updates), a 'every now and then' feature where I'll give my thoughts on certain things of interest. Comic Sales and solicits to be specific.

The top 300 figures are out for Comic and Graphic Novel sales from June and... I'm disappointed. REALLY disappointed. Wanna know why? Then hit the jump, 'cause this is a doozy!

YEAH! A JUMP! IT MIGHT WORK NOW!

I'll expand on my main gripes first, then just bullet point my way through everything else in an attempt to keep this something resembling short.

DETECTIVE COMICS DIDN'T MAKE THE TOP TEN! In fact, it sold 14,531 LESS copies than Ultimatum, arguably the worst comic in the ENTIRE top 300. This is a travesty. Still, 72,808 issues sold isn't that bad a number so perhaps I'm just being a whiny bitch. On the note of Ultimatum how DOES it sell so much? I mean it's just a bog-standard Loeb template with more cannibalism than the norm... Are cannibalism fetishists suddenly really into the comic scene?

Power Girl's second issue performed poorly, only hitting #53 in the chart. Now, boob-obsessed it may be, Power Girl is one of the best DC titles out there and woe betide anyone who didn't buy that issue. We're not talking consistent low sales either; the first issue was at #25 last month. This is just people ditching on a good story, presumably to read more sub-par stories in Dark and New Avengers, which both continue to outsell the infinitely better Might Avengers, this time by something around the 30,000 issue mark. Do I just like things that aren't popular? Or in the case of Mighty Avengers not popular enough?

Mr. Negative and the Young Avengers also got some weird short end of the stick in June, both ranking (or is that TANKING? AHAHAHAHAHA oh now I'm sad) in the mid-80s. I know that I said you may as well wait for the trade of Young Avengers back in June but don't listen to me! I'm a fool! Buy anything from Paul Cornell as soon as it hits the streets!

*looks at Captain Britain and MI13 #14 down at #124 and the Annual down at #135*

OH GOD DAMN IT YOU SONS OF BITCHES INCLUDING ME!

Oh and to round out my larger issues with this list of issues; WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THIS?! Van Lente's brilliant work on Mr. Negative (already mentioned), All New Savage She-Hulk and Incredible Hercules all somehow manage to be in the lower areas of the top 100! This is... Just unacceptable when you consider some of the SHIT that sells well. (note: yes I'm aware that Hercules came out in the last week so it isn't really reflective of the comic's popularity)

The world of Graphic Novels isn't much better, with All Star Batman & Robin sneaking into the top... 2. Ugh. I just don't like any of the series I've peeked at with the words ALL STAR at the start. None of them have been anything more than average. Still Final Crisis beat it, which seems to make Superman want to sing!

Blame Benjamin Birdie For That One Kids!

Shitty Deadpool/Thunderbolts crossover sneaks into the top ten too, hoping I wouldn't give it my scorn. Well I have news for it... I can't be arsed to. It was so fucking boring I can't even summon the want to do anything about it. Also the crossover raises a question: If Black Widow II is really Black Widow, then why would she do such a 'loving' thing as to reattach Deadpool's head?

Oh and finally Dark Reign: Accept Change. Another one of those shoddy cash-in trades where it features random one-shots and first issues of stuff (in this case Dark Avengers) just to make a bit more off of an event (in this case a status quo) and to find a place to dump some of the harder to place one-shots. If you bought it slap yourself. In fact, film it. Film you slapping yourself and send it to me. Please. I need to know you feel guilty about it.

Now for bullet points!

... Actually I've expelled most of my rage... So NO BULLET POINTS! Just a congratulations.

WELL DONE! To those of you who bought Captain Britain and MI13: Hell Comes To Birmingham (including myself). You managed to pull it together and get the trade to #50. Which is still shit but far, far less shit than it could have been. I salute you all, and implore you to get the final trade (Vampire State) when it comes out. Who knows, you might all be able to get a new Cornell written British hero series going if you spend enough!

Not Likely.

EDIT: Oop, you might want to go to where the stats are:
Top Twenty Five Sales Figures For June 2009(ICv2)
Top Three Hundred Comics Chart For June 2009(ICv2)
Top Three Hundred Graphic Novels Chart For June 2009 (ICv2)