If you look at these there's something odd: Almost all of those reboot figures are lower than almost all of the threeboot figures. There's a little bump for The Legion, but by #2 that title is at less than threeboot #46.
It looks from those sales figures like the reboot wasn't actually any more successful than the threeboot even though it went on for a lot longer.
So my question is: what level of sales is actually needed to sustain an ongoing comic? Are the reboot sales figures unusually low for an ongoing, or are the threeboot sales figures unusually high? Was the threeboot killed due to sales? Or because DC doesn't like Jim Shooter? Or simply because Legion of Three Worlds had high sales, and that the threeboot sales figures without Lo3W for comparison would not have led to cancellation by themselves?
Registered: Apr 2010
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posted
I think in the larger scheme of all comic book sales, the late 90's was the very bottom of market for the comic book industry, and in the last decade all comics are doing better regardless of content.
Note I said *think*--I hope someone can confirm...
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
You also have to consider the fact that the reboot Legion, at least for the first five years, was effectively a twice monthly book, which would create somewhat different sales expectation.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
As far as the question, though, I think DC has been unhappy with Legion sales for a very long time. It was the fact that the threebooot didn't signficantly improve sales, plus the fact that they believe a book featuring the retroboot Legion will have better sales (especialy with fan fave Levitz at the helm), that led to its demise.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: I think in the larger scheme of all comic book sales, the late 90's was the very bottom of market for the comic book industry, and in the last decade all comics are doing better regardless of content.
Note I said *think*--I hope someone can confirm...
As someone who working in a CBS though much of the 90s, I can corroborate. We went from a huge speculator market in the early 90s to an equally huge backlash. While 90s LSH sales were on the lower end of the spectrum, there were plenty far lower.
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Yes, sales for the later reboot weren't great, but I remember it was still hovering around the 100 mark for a while. Obviously there was an impact on the book as they axed both titles and relaunched a single title (after the Minis). When that didn't catch on we got the Threeboot, which did marginally better but was also in a better market and had a pretty disastrous downward trend when you look at month-to-month sales date.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
The fact that a name as widely-known and controversial as Jim Shooter (alongside a hot artistic find) could not boost 3Boot sales long-term had to be disappointing.
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: The fact that a name as widely-known and controversial as Jim Shooter (alongside a hot artistic find) could not boost 3Boot sales long-term had to be disappointing.
To be fair 3Boot sales got torpedoed by the Lightning Saga Crossover at about that time.
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: The fact that a name as widely-known and controversial as Jim Shooter (alongside a hot artistic find) could not boost 3Boot sales long-term had to be disappointing.
To be fair 3Boot sales got torpedoed by the Lightning Saga Crossover at about that time.
Exactly. Waid's run was torpedo'ed by DC Editorial. And it's funny to see that LSH #50 (the disgusting Justin Thyme issue) still outsells most of what is considered the mid-list of DC these days (Secret Six, Doom Patrol and REBELS).
From: Brasil | Registered: May 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Kent: did they? did people really give up on 3B, or just get both storylines?
why does the existence of LS automatically come at the expense of 3B?
I gave up on threeboot at that time.
-------------------- Touch the magic...
From: Morganfield, KY | Registered: Jul 2003
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future king
Excuse me but can you please direct me to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles?
posted
quote:Originally posted by MLLASH: The fact that a name as widely-known and controversial as Jim Shooter (alongside a hot artistic find) could not boost 3Boot sales long-term had to be disappointing.
I agree, but Shooter had all but given up on taking the Legion to any sort of new "greatness" once he realized that his proceeding legend could not help his lack of influence in creative control over the book. That was his own "claim" I'm sure, but throw in some disparaging comments about his partners (editor and hot artistic find) and it bummed the book out toward the end. Oh uhhhh, not to take away from the fact that Mr. Shooter's writing was terrible in the threeboot .... I barely recognized his style at all. Quite a disappointment for this fan for sure.
From: ontario | Registered: Feb 2007
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quote: To be fair 3Boot sales got torpedoed by the Lightning Saga Crossover at about that time.
quote:Originally posted by Kent: did they? did people really give up on 3B, or just get both storylines?
why does the existence of LS automatically come at the expense of 3B?
Just an observation based on online message board reaction to the Lightning Saga Crossover and my own reaction at the time to seeing a reasonable facsimile (IMHO) of the pre-crisis Legion.
I agree, the LS Legion was a lot more inspiring, esp at the time. But I'm not sure it really killed 3B.
It does seem likely, though, that the positive reaction to LSL may have helped to solidify DC's stance on whether to ax 3B.
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Dec 2003
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I agree, the LS Legion was a lot more inspiring, esp at the time. But I'm not sure it really killed 3B.
It does seem likely, though, that the positive reaction to LSL may have helped to solidify DC's stance on whether to ax 3B.
If you think positive reaction means: hey, Geoff Johns (our main DCU architect) is writing the original Legion, the one that couldn't be brought back but everybody demanded - you are right. There was simply no way to compete with that.
Likewise, I buy Brightest Day these days more because I feel it might be important for my understanding of the DCU than for being a good comic book, or a comic book I would buy by any chance. That's probably what many readers thought of when Retroboot Legion happened to appear at the PRIMARY DC team book and something called Legion of 3 Worlds was announced.
From: Brasil | Registered: May 2008
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