JLA/AVENGERS #1 BREAKS 200K

[MattBrady]

Press Release

Marvel Comics is both proud and encouraged to announce that unprecedented demand has led to the production of over 200,000 copies of JLA/AVENGERS #1 for shipment to the direct market. The George Pérez-Kurt Busiek created mega-event 20 years in the making - which initially went on sale 9/4 – has exceeded all sales expectations for this co-publishing initiative by Marvel and DC Comics. Thanks to the strong support and show of faith by comic book retailers and readers, JLA/AVENGERS #1 has joined the ranks of a small group of modern classics that have captured the imagination of our fans and continue to propel the business forward.

"I knew JLA/AVENGERS was going to do well," said writer Kurt Busiek, "but to have it do THIS well is just amazing. I'm delighted retailers had so much faith in the project, and I'm delighted readers bought 'em all up and sent the retailers back for more. And the reaction we're getting on the series is terrific - it seems like people thought it was well worth the wait, and I'm very glad to have been a part of it."

The Interest in this special once-in-a-lifetime event is also another strong indicator of a growing overall sales phenomenon that began this past spring.

"Since May, from Wolverine #1 to July's Spectacular Spider-Man #1 to August's 1602 & Supreme Power #1, sales of all our big launches have surpassed our already high expectations," said Marvel Marketing Communications Manager Michael Doran. "And that trend continued into September with JLA/AVENGERS #1 and ULTIMATE SIX #1. We're also seeing very positive growth in our other top titles like Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men and New X-Men, and we expect the trend to continue into the fall then straight into the holiday season and into next year. So to the fans and retailers fueling this remarkable run, Marvel would like to say thank you."

"This is great news for everyone in our industry," added Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, "...from readers and creators to retailers and publishers. And the even better news is projects like JLA/AVENGERS won't be just the occasional random spike we've seen on the sales charts over the last few years. Marvel has been working tirelessly to raise the bar for the industry and today we can finally see the seeds of those labors bearing fruit. It seems like almost every month the sales ceiling on top-selling titles is being raised and with ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR and MARC SILVESTRI's return to the X-MEN upcoming, we're sure to see more of the same. I fully expect that in the near future the 300K mark is just around the corner."

AVENGERS/JLA #2 goes on sale October 22nd from DC Comics. JLA/AVENGERS #3 goes on sale from Marvel on 11/26 and retailers are reminded its Final Order Cut-off (FOC) date is 10/30. The four-issue prestige format limited series concludes in December with AVENGERS/JLA #4, published by DC.

Click for a much, much larger version of Perez' cover for issue #3

[WiiGii!]

First post!

Great news for Marvel AND DC and especially the industry!

#wiigii!

[gOgIver]

A new day is dawning!

[Mr Wesley]

WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Steve J.]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Marvel Comics is both proud and encouraged to announce that unprecedented demand has led to the production of over 200,000 copies of JLA/AVENGERS #1 for shipment to the direct market.

"This is great news for everyone in our industry," added Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, "...from readers and creators to retailers and publishers. [SNIP] I fully expect that in the near future the 300K mark is just around the corner."

Strongly resisting the urge to react negatively to Doran and Quesada's hype, all I will say is:

1. This is great for retailers, an excellent way to profit as well as to get readers back who've stopped reading comics over the past twenty years.

2. If Quesada, or anyone else, ever again publishes a comic that sells in the 300K range, I will be very, very pleasantly surprised.

3. I hope JLA/Avengers #2 kicks it up a notch story-wise. Although the art was real nice, I was a bit underimpressed with issue #1 overall.

[saiyanspider]

I really enjoyed issue one for it's gripping thought provo....


AW SCREW IT! Let me give it to you in fan boy terms

OHH MY GAWD IT ROCKED ME TILL I WAS NAKED AND HUNGRY!!! IT WAS THE BEST COMIC EVER MAN WOOOO HOOO

[IcarusX]

A very continuity heavy superhero book with ties to both the DCU and MU, basically a fanboys dream sells 200k. Yet Marvel still say no to superheros, continuity and making comics for the fanboys who live in their mothers basment. But listen to them, it's as if they just invented the superhero. I've never known a company so clueless.
Good news that comic sales are on the up again. I really wish Marvel with their overpriced underpaced pile of soon to be cancelled ego driven movie treatments would stop taking the credit. Ive droped half of my Marvel comics in the last year and doubled up on DC.

[Dan Feeser]

That's damned impressive that JLA/Avengers was able to sell 200,000 copies. Shows the drawing power of classic superhero stories with quality, well-respected creators.

"Since May, from Wolverine #1 to July's Spectacular Spider-Man #1...

Tee-hee.

WOLVERINE #187 62,144
WOLVERINE #188 62,049
WOLVERINE #189 61,282
WOLVERINE #1 158,787
WOLVERINE #2 99,867
WOLVERINE #3 90,717
WOLVERINE #4 68,472

PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #55 47,531
PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #56 50,475
PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #57 48,686
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 118,805
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #2 90,350
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #3 78,080

Those quick fixes are outstanding for Marvel arent' they? Not so much for the retailers who have piles of these new #1s lying around.

[Chris Hunter]

Really great news!!

[victorinox]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Click for a much, much larger version of Perez' cover for issue #3

When can we buy a poster of this cover?

[Razak]

.. who wants to take a stab at naming every character in that picture of the cover to issue #3?

[BoyWonder]

Originally posted by Razak
.. who wants to take a stab at naming every character in that picture of the cover to issue #3?

Is Bat-mite there?

[Barry]

Originally posted by MattBrady
"This is great news for everyone in our industry," added Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, "...from readers and creators to retailers and publishers. And the even better news is projects like JLA/AVENGERS won't be just the occasional random spike we've seen on the sales charts over the last few years. Marvel has been working tirelessly to raise the bar for the industry and today we can finally see the seeds of those labors bearing fruit. It seems like almost every month the sales ceiling on top-selling titles is being raised and with ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR and MARC SILVESTRI's return to the X-MEN upcoming, we're sure to see more of the same. I fully expect that in the near future the 300K mark is just around the corner."

Ok, I'm convinced. The EiC of Marvel thinks that we're all really, really stupid....

Regardless of having my intelligence insulted, this press release is very cool news to read. Interesting that an old-school kind of superhero book has done so well, no small part due to the participation of Mr. Perez and his amazing artwork. And Mr. Busiek has done some nice work as well on the writing end.

Now I'm curious to see how the other 3 issues do. Will retailers follow their usual pattern and reduce orders on any issue that isn't a number one, or get smart and increase their orders? Hopefully the latter...

And, NICE COVER!!

[Scooby2099]

Great cover to #3 (it reminds me of the old DC'S Who's Who and MU Handbook covers). Also, I hate to be the colorist who has to color this cover. Yikes!

[Barry]

Originally posted by Dan Feeser
That's damned impressive that JLA/Avengers was able to sell 200,000 copies. Shows the drawing power of classic superhero stories with quality, well-respected creators.



Tee-hee.

WOLVERINE #187 62,144
WOLVERINE #188 62,049
WOLVERINE #189 61,282
WOLVERINE #1 158,787
WOLVERINE #2 99,867
WOLVERINE #3 90,717
WOLVERINE #4 68,472

PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #55 47,531
PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #56 50,475
PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #57 48,686
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 118,805
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #2 90,350
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #3 78,080

Those quick fixes are outstanding for Marvel arent' they? Not so much for the retailers who have piles of these new #1s lying around.

Wow, those are some significant drops from the first to the 3rd and 4th issues. I for one am most definitely NOT holding my breath for sales of 300k...

[Tom Daylight]

Originally posted by Dan Feeser
WOLVERINE #187 62,144
WOLVERINE #188 62,049
WOLVERINE #189 61,282
WOLVERINE #1 158,787
WOLVERINE #2 99,867
WOLVERINE #3 90,717
WOLVERINE #4 68,472

PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #55 47,531
PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #56 50,475
PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #57 48,686
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 118,805
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #2 90,350
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #3 78,080

Those quick fixes are outstanding for Marvel arent' they? Not so much for the retailers who have piles of these new #1s lying around.

Sales are still BETTER, in both cases. At least the quality of both titles has improved, big time.

Retailers won't have much difficulty getting those #1s off their shelves. Unless of course they've marked it up to an unreasonably high price, that is!

[jclem3]

First off, congratulations to to Marvel AND DC on this project. I'm surprised the sales didn't reach the half a million mark. However, I'm sure the overall sales will eventually reach that and more once a trade is released.

I'd also have to give Joe Q props for letting this once-in-a-lifetime thing push through with DC.

That said, it really riles me a bit that Marvel released this news item as if the readers have them to thank for coming out with such a book. Whether Marvel or DC published #1, it would have gone on to sell the same numbers anyway. I just don't like Marvel
equating the sales of JLA/Avengers as part of their marketing efforts. It's something that readers will buy regardless of publisher.

[thethreehunters]

HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF JUNIPER LOOK AT THAT COVER!!

[mpg]

every 20 years, marvel and dc come together to pump a lil cash in the retialers pockets (lol)

i hope that this wasnt the only book people bought. i hope this book got people back into books

[Mr Wesley]

Originally posted by victorinox
When can we buy a poster of this cover?

You know, I look at that picture and think of the Bryan Hitch Marvel Universe poster, and that MU poster just looks... thin. And I realize what a true, living legen Perez is.

[Dan20]

Congrats to Busiek and Perez, a great job by the both of them.

[heeBGB]

Originally posted by jclem3
I just don't like Marvel equating the sales of JLA/Avengers as part of their marketing efforts. It's something that readers will buy regardless of publisher.

Don't worry, DC will have the opportunity to toot it's own horn when sales figures for issue 2 roll around -- Marvel and DC are alternating as publisher of each individual issue, if you look at the Previews solicitations. I don't expect second issue sales to drop off a whole lot for a short-term, wide general appeal project like this.

Heh, he even put Zan and Jayna (Extreme Justice versions) in there.

Guess he was bored lol

Who's the archer next to Ollie?

Whizzer and Jay Garrick... interesting...

Hmm, Pre-Legacy Kilowog...

Four Iron Men and Three Hawkmen? lol

Wally West, Barry Allen AND Wallace West??

Who is the Bat guy between Hawkman and Vision? He looks like the Just Imagine Stan Lee Batman.

Hmm, Hal Jordan as GL and not as Spectre? Eh...

[Guinnessyde]

...oh, no wait...THE SCARLET SKIER IS THERE!

God my head hurts.

Thank you, George!

[Razak]

Who's the archer next to Ollie?

Looks like Yondu of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Not sure who the Bat dude is.