Top Selling Non-Marvel/DC Books - Aug 05

[Louis Lane]

Two observations:

1. Approximately half of the top ten are liscensed properties.

2. Eric Larsen has a valid point regarding the lack of creator-owned characters.

Note - I deleted DC's "creator participation" titles (e.g., TOM STRONG) - this may not have been entirely fair of me.

LL

70 CONAN #19 (MR) 35,455
86 SOULFIRE DYING O/T LIGHT #1 28,006
87 SPAWN #148 27,548
100 FATHOM #3 23,086
102 GI JOE SNAKE-EYES DECLASSIFIED #1 22,203
106 GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE #2 22,130
109 SW GENERAL GRIEVOUS #4 (OF 4) (C: 3) 21,413
110 NECROMANCER #1* 21,187
111 SERENITY #1 (OF 3)* 21,147
113 GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE #3 21,034
127 RISING STARS VOICES O/T DEAD #3 (OF 6) 17,230
129 BPRD THE BLACK FLAME #1 (OF 6) 16,725
130 WITCHBLADE #88 16,055
132 HUNTER KILLER DOSSIER ONE SHOT 15,955
133 REVELATIONS #1 (OF 6) 15,855
137 MONSTER WAR WITCHBLADE VS FRANKENSTEIN #3 15,225
145 DARKNESS #22 13,678
146 MONSTER WAR DARKNESS VS MR HYDE #4 (OF 4) 13,644
148 ANGEL THE CURSE #3 (OF 5) 13,239
153 DAWN THREE TIERS #6 (OF 6) 12,708
156 FRESHMEN #2 (OF 6) 12,343
157 INVINCIBLE #25 12,031
160 GIRLS #4 (MR) 11,652
165 ANT #1 11,307
166 SIMPSONS COMICS #109 11,267
171 DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES #1 (OF 8) 9,860
173 SAMURAI HEAVEN & EARTH #4 (OF 5) 9,707
176 STRANGERS I/PARADISE #75 9,209
179 CITY O/HEROES #4 8,877
180 MAN W/T SCREAMING BRAIN #4 (OF 4) 8,804
181 SHAUN O/T DEAD #2 (OF 4) 8,771
183 LADY DEATH WICKED #1/2* 8,705
185 BART SIMPSON COMICS #25 8,578
187 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #152 8,426
190 BRIAN PULIDOS MEDIEVAL LADY DEATH #6* 7,941
192 SPIKE OLD TIMES ONE SHOT 7,894
196 EMILY THE STRANGE #1 7,377
198 DEVILS REJECTS #1 7,204
200 METAL GEAR SOLID #12 6,879
203 ATOMIKA #4 6,381
205 FORGOTTEN REALMS DARK ELF HOMELAND CVR A #3 6,314
206 USAGI YOJIMBO #86 6,228
207 JON SABLE FREELANCE BLOODLINE #3 (OF 6) 6,181
211 BATTLE POPE COLOR #2 5,757
213 KNIGHTS O/T DINNER TABLE #105 5,617
214 KNIGHTS O/T DINNER TABLE #106 5,551
215 ROBERT JORDANS NEW SPRING #1 5,511
216 BODY BAGS FATHERS DAY #2 (OF 2) (MR) 5,259
218 IRON GHOST #3 (OF 6) (C: 3) 4,887
219 UNCLE SCROOGE #345 4,794
220 HIP FLASK MYSTERY CITY 4,787
221 SHADOWHAWK #4 4,734
223 QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED VOL 2 #2 (MR) 4,621
224 QUEEN & COUNTRY DECLASSIFIED VOL 3 #3 4,561
225 NOBLE CAUSES #12 4,522
227 DEATH JR #3 (OF 3) 4,435
228 DONALD DUCK & FRIENDS #331 4,395
229 GODLAND #2 4,375
232 BLADE O/T IMMORTAL #104 (MR) 4,150
233 MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS #280 4,077
234 STRANGE GIRL #3 4,030
235 IMAGINARIES #3 (OF 4) 4,004
236 GRIMJACK KILLER INSTINCT #6 (OF 6) 3,937
237 CSI NEW YORK BLOODY MURDER #2 (OF 5) 3,858
238 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #660 3,831
239 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #23 3,658
240 COMMON FOE #2 (OF 4) 3,592
241 SEASON O/T WITCH #0 3,579
242 LEGEND O/ISIS #3 3,546
243 PHANTOM #8 3,499
244 BEOWULF #4 3,486
245 GOLD DIGGER #66 3,426
246 STUPID COMICS #3 3,413
249 HORROR SHOW #1 3,313
250 METAL GEAR SOLID #11 3,313
251 NIGHT MARY #1 (OF 5) 3,293
252 TALES O/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #13 3,207
254 BONE REST #2 (MR) 3,167
255 24 MIDNIGHT SUN ONE SHOT 3,127
256 HERO SQUARED #2 (OF 3) 3,121
257 TALES O/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #14 3,121
258 SIMPSONS CLASSICS #5 3,081
259 GROUNDED #2 (OF 6) 3,067
260 HERO AT LARGE #1 3,028
261 10TH MUSE VOL 2 #4 3,001
262 GRIMOIRE #5 2,994
265 ARCHIE #559 2,888
266 SUPER MANGA BLAST #54 (MR) 2,835
267 FERRO CITY #1 2,835
268 HERO CAMP #4 (OF 4) 2,809
271 BETTY & VERONICA #211 2,689
272 WINGS O/ANANSI ONE SHOT 2,676
274 BEAR #9 2,669
275 OF BITTER SOULS #1 2,669
276 ARTXILLA TASTY TREATS 2005 ONE SHOT 2,662
279 SMALL GODS #10 2,609
278 LITTLE GLOOMYS SUPER SCARY MONSTER SHOW #1 2,609
280 SECOND STAGE TURBINE BLADE #2 (MR) 2,596
281 EXPATRIATE #3 2,550
283 SMOKE #3 (OF 3) 2,516
284 SABRINA VOL 2 #69 2,457
285 KARNEY #4 (OF 4) (MR) 2,430
286 BETTY #149 2,404
287 JUDO GIRL #4 (OF 4) 2,404
288 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #71 2,390
289 PIGTALE #3 2,337
290 NYC MECH BETA LOVE #3 2,304
291 LETHAL INSTINCT #3 (OF 6) 2,291
293 ROCKETO #1 2,251
294 PULSE #10 2,204
295 GIFFENS WHAT WERE THEY THINKING ONE SHOT 2,178
296 KOLCHAK TALES BLACK & WHITE & RED ALL OVER 2,171
297 VERONICA #164 2,151
298 CSI NEW YORK BLOODY MURDER #1 (OF 5) 2,145
299 SHOJO BEAT SEP 05 VOL 1 #3 2,111
300 ZORRO #3 2,098

[Electric Glove]

wow, Conan has really fallen off. I was top 30 or so last time i actually checked. Damn shame, because I think its maybe the best ongoing being put out righ now.

[amlah6]

Originally posted by Electric Glove
wow, Conan has really fallen off. I was top 30 or so last time i actually checked. Damn shame, because I think its maybe the best ongoing being put out righ now.

I agree. Busiek, Nord, and Stewart might just be my favorite current creative team.

While it has lost about 11,000 readers over the last year it had been holding steady around #50 for the last several months. In July it sold 36,323 and was at #56 but then in August it sold 35,455 and dropped all the way to #70.

I think the drop to #70 has a lot to do with the number of books that Marvel and DC are putting out right now. In August not only were there all of the HOM and IC books, but there was also the Batman crossover, the Ultimate Annuals, and a few books that double shipped.

[render man]

Hey thanks for that list, that's something I always wonder about when I see those Marvel/DC lists, how the indys are doing. Can you do this every month?

[JMarsh642]

Wow. It's really fascinating to look at. I was surprised Strangers in Paradise only had 9000 readers, but I'm willing to bet the bulk of it's fanbase purchases trades. I follow it in digests. I can't wait until volume 5 comes out next month. And if he's ending the series in a year and a half, will that provide enough material for a Pocket Volume 6? I for one certainly hope so.

But most indy books don't have a healthy system of getting trades out. And that's a huge shame.

[Godfather]

Its amazing Conan even maintained the sales that it has. Its also one of my favorites out there right now.

[csGuy]

Originally posted by Louis Lane

2. Eric Larsen has a valid point regarding the lack of creator-owned characters.



This leads me to ask, are Vertigo books creator owned, because I certainly was under the impression that they were.

[Godfather]

Originally posted by csGuy
This leads me to ask, are Vertigo books creator owned, because I certainly was under the impression that they were.

No they're not. They may be original work by the creators, but typically its still owned by DC.

Examples, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Lucifer, obviously those aren't creator owned.

Even though Fallen Angel wasn't Vertigo, that was a case where PAD owned it still so he could take it where he wanted.

[Kurt Busiek]

Originally posted by csGuy
This leads me to ask, are Vertigo books creator owned, because I certainly was under the impression that they were.

Some are, some aren't, just as some Wildstorm books are and some aren't.

The Vertigo label's more about the content than the contract.

kdb

[joshtalk43]

I was wondering where you can get those numbers and that list??? Along with lists for how many books marvel and dc sell of each title???

[deffectx]

ROBERT JORDANS NEW SPRING #1 5,511


geez thats low than i thog

[Louis Lane]

>where you can get those numbers and that list???

Diamond publishes an initial list without circulation figures. ICv2.com then uses info from publishers to calculate the estimated figures.

http://www.icv2.com/search/search.html?q=top+300&x=19&y=4

LL

[timbre68]

Where's Walking Dead? I guess it's safe to assume that the book wasn't released this month?

It was nice to see a nod to the independents. I particularly liked Rocketo. My LCS is great because they promote the little guys as well as the big guys. Each week I'll try to pick up something I've never heard of just for a complete change of pace. Last week I got a copy of "Living in Infamy" by Raab and Hughes. It was a great read. Plus a really sweet Cassidy cover.

Thanks

[Metron Prime]

Does Planetary count as a creator owned book ?

[Louis Lane]

I accidently cut Walking Dead #21 out of the list.

It's at #123 with sales of 17,668

Apologies to Robert Kirkman; no slight intended.

LL

[csGuy]

Originally posted by Godfather
Examples, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Lucifer, obviously those aren't creator owned.

heh, yeah. I somehow glossed over the "vertigo universe" books. my bad.

I expect books like The Loser, 100 Bullets, Y, Fables, and most "non vertigo universe" books to be creator owned though.

Obviously there are exceptions.

Don't mean to derail this thread =D

[timbre68]

Originally posted by Louis Lane
I accidently cut Walking Dead #21 out of the list.

It's at #123 with sales of 17,668

Apologies to Robert Kirkman; no slight intended.

LL

Thank You!