posted
The Legion inched up in their share of sales for March but dropped like a rock in position.
For March:
91 29.83 The Legion #31
Now, at my count, there were 20 titles that released a #1 or were part of a limited series above them. Plus a number of normally higher ranked titles released two issues for March (Superman/Batman, Ultimate Spider-Man, and at least 5 others).
I don't think the drop is that bad considering their market share is still up over where they were a year ago (17.14). Maybe with Gail and company we will finally crack the top 50.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Pov: Not with all the X- and Spider-$#!t Marvel's flooding the marketplace with...
Flooding is right. It seems like the fifth week events that were supposed to replace annuals has gotten out of control at the House of Ideas. Every month they have titles with 2 or more releases. Hell, it took me months to catch up from last year's 5-books-in-one-month on the Exiles.
Anyone curious as to what titles placed where in the Top 300 can find the full list here. I was surprised to see that Superman/Batman #8 outsold JLA/Avengers #4.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Lightning Lad: I don't think the drop is that bad considering their market share is still up over where they were a year ago (17.14). Maybe with Gail and company we will finally crack the top 50.
Ummm, sorry to burst your bubble Scott, but that Diamond Index number you reference does not represent "market share." It represents the sales on the book relative to the industry standard title: Batman. The 17.14 means that for every 100 copis of Batman sold, the Legion sold 17.14
Recall, a year ago Batman was in the midst of Lee's run on the title.
Sales of Batman have dropped percipitously since Lee's run ended, thus the rise in the Diamond Index # for the Legion.
posted
I always forget that. It used to be market share didn't it?
Even though, at that rate, the Legion is still selling above 25K in copies. That's based on Batman still doing in the 88K range (an average of its last 3 months of sales).
Someone tell me, please, whose brilliant idea it was to base the index number on a title that was selling extraordinarily high rather than a stable one? There had to be another title that was doing around 100K a month and was in stable sales when Diamond implemented the new rating system. Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Spider-Man are, ususally, consistent in sales between 95K and 100K. That, to me, would have been a better indicator than the middle of a Jim Lee run on Batman.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Lightning Lad: Someone tell me, please, whose brilliant idea it was to base the index number on a title that was selling extraordinarily high rather than a stable one?
IIRC, the "industry standard" used to be Amazing Spider-Man. Again, IIRC, Diamond switched to using Batman sometime around the time of the first Tim Burton movie.
And of course, the initial reason for choosing the title was that it is/was a gernerally high charting title with stable sales.
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Jim Drew, from LegionPics, has always provided a good, IMO, breakdown of the ranking for The Legion. With his approval (which he gave months ago) I've added his post as a new feature to my site. The first one, the sales for March, is added now and I'll add others as time permits. Let me, and Jim know, what you think. Anything posted here I'll post over to LegionPics for Jim to see. I don't think he's ever made his way over here.
From: Utah | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Only Marvel titles below it are X-STATIX (cancelled), CAPTAIN MARVEL (cancelled), SPIDER-MAN/DOC OCTOPUS OUT OF REACH (Of 5) (mini), PUNISHER MOVIE (mini), SPIDER-GIRL, ELEKTRA (cancelled), RUNAWAYS, HAWKEYE (cancelled), INHUMANS (cancelled), NAMOR (cancelled), HULK NIGHTMERICA (mini), HUMAN TORCH (cancelled), HULK UNCHAINED (mini which didn't even get properly solicited). See a pattern? Only two books, both Marvel Age titles, aren't cancelled - Runaways and that perpetual "cancelled - wait, no it's not" title, Spider-Girl.
DC terms, most of the ones below it are Vertigo books, cartoon tie-ins, minis or cancelled too. Taking out the non-DCU titles (including DC Focus books and Mature Readers), we're left with BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, CATWOMAN, SUPERMAN SECRET IDENTITY (mini), AQUAMAN, GOTHAM CENTRAL, PLASTIC MAN, BATMAN: CITY OF LIGHT (mini), BATMAN/POISON IVY CAST SHADOWS (Prestige one-shot), HERO, ROSE & THORN (mini), MONOLITH.
And of them, Catwoman and Aquaman have had recent pushes (as, indeed, Legion did @ #25), and Plastic Man and Monolith are both under the six-issue mark. It's not quite as unhealthy, but it's not where you'd want to stay and stick around.
[Both of these lists discount reordered books that initially charted higher]
I suppose that this cancellation/possible new #1 should have come as no surprise, huh?
[ May 10, 2004, 11:17 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
-------------------- My views are my own and do not reflect those of everyone else... and I wouldn't have it any other way.
posted
Sales going back as far as I can get 'em (Feb 1999) [in sq. brackets is change from previous month where available]:
Key -
Michael Burns Usenet posts (from Google Groups) Carl Henderson's numbers from http://j_carl_henderson.tripod.com icv2's pre-order numbers icv2's actual sales (to retailers) nos
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic | Subscribe To Topic
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
