The Top 300 Selling Comics for September 2002
This list comes from digging through sales figures, asking too many questions and using Diamond Comics information. The snotty comments in white are mine.
1
FANTASTIC FOUR #60 MAR
705,109
700,000 copies! Wow! Is it a
long lost Stan Lee/Jack Kirby collaboration? Nope, it's a
comic that costs only 9 cents. I thought they would have
higher sales (I was thinking around a million) but this is still
pretty darn good. DC did a 10 cent Batman comic last year
that was the first part of a 6 month storyline, but this goes one
better since it is a self-contained story by a new creative team
that serves as an introduction to the book. I would
recommend that everyone who likes comics give this a try, Mark
Waid and Mike Wieringo are a GREAT team (as seen on their work on
Flash and Impulse) and the FF are one of the greatest creations
in Super-hero comics. Wildly recommended.
2
TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE #5 DRE
122,829
There are allegations that the numbers on
this are being kept artificially high by Diamond by a number of
rumor sites. I think it's just that no one can believe that
such a piece of crap can sell so well.
3
ULTIMATES #8 MAR
112,570
I dropped this book with issue #6, which
featured Ant-Man getting drunk, beating his nude wife and then
having her attacked by ants while Iron Man was making passes at
Captain America. I try very hard not to be an old fogey,
but I don't need to read that in a book that Marvel is pitching
as "For new readers who are younger than the current
readership." I also read where the artist said that it
was a 2 year story that would put the team in place. That's
$54 to get things started...do comics creators realize that we
don't feel like shelling out that much money while they "find
their feet and set things up?" You have one issue to
hook me. Not 24.
4
TRANSFORMERS ARMADA #2 DRE
109,532
5
THUNDERCATS RECLAIMING THUNDERA #1 (Of 5)
DC 101,551
Dear Sweet Heavenly God, people actually
buy this shit? I tried watching a Thundercats cartoon back
in the 80's, and it was poorly animated, didn't make much sense,
and gave me a headache. I can't imagine the comic being
much better.
6 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #44 MAR 100,070
The payoff of all of the work done on
Spider-Man is that the comic is selling well, people like it, and
the stories are generally well done. Art-wise, John Romita
Jr. is taking the stories and making them flow perfectly, and he
may be the best storyteller in comics currently. Highly
Recommended.
7
SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT EVIL THAT MEN DO #3 (Of 4)
MAR 99,110
Kevin Smith's Spider-man mini-series.
I will buy it when it's collected in book form.
8
NEW X-MEN #131 MAR
98,805
9
NEW X-MEN #130 MAR
98,796
Grant Morrison has made this a must read
book after years of it being literally unreadable. The
current storyline delving into Cyclops's personality is a great
example of taking a character that you think is utterly played
out and making them fresh and interesting again. Highly
recommended.
10
THUNDERCATS #0 DC
96,745
I hate all 0 issues, I hate the current
80's retro movement and I hate YOU. OK, maybe I don't hate
you, but I need three things to give the review flow.
11
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #25 MAR
96,382
Bendis gives a shock ending that is a
REAL SHOCK. He has made the current Green Goblin storyline
one where you actually feel concern that things will not turn out
all right, and gives comics something that they have not had in a
while, and genuine sense of adventure and thrill. As good
as the other Spider-Man books are, this one is the one I look
forward to the most. Highly recommended.
Don't read it anymore, so I won't review
it anymore.
13
UNCANNY X-MEN #410 MAR
87,008
14
UNCANNY X-MEN #411 MAR
86,875
Chuck Austin, primarily known as an
artist, has come onto the book and starts with a three part story
that is well constructed, interesting and fun to read, things
that have been missing from this comic for a long time. He
suffers in comparison to Morrison's Big Screen X-Men series, but
this is well worth the time for X-Men fans. Nothing here is
mind-blowing, just a good solid read.
15
BATTLE O/T PLANETS #2 IMA
71,982
16
SPIDER-MAN BLUE #4 (Of 6) MAR
70,293
Another of the mini-series by Loeb and
Sale that explore the early years of a hero's life. Another
mini-series I will be reading in a collected book.
17
WOLVERINE #180 MAR
67,892
On the one hand, I am surprised that the
Wolverine book is selling this low on the charts. On the
other, the book hasn't been worth reading since issue 35, so who
cares?
18
X-TREME X-MEN #17 MAR 64,961
Chris Claremont says that he is wrapping
up the first story in this comic. Now for those who are
saying, "17 issues for one story? That's nuts?"
please remember that this is Chris Claremont, and we should be
grateful that he's actually wrapping up a story. Let's see
if he remembers how to do that.
19
CAPTAIN AMERICA #5 MAR
64,695
I love this book, when it comes out (which
is getting very rarely). It started as a "Let's kill
terrorists," but is now going into how a simplistic approach
doesn't work...even for Super-Heroes. The problem is, for a
high selling book, it only seems to come out once in a blue moon,
which is killing the current story when you have to wait two and
three months between chapters. At this point I have to
recommend that people wait and buy it as a collected book.
20
GI JOE #9 IMA 64,602
21
JLA #69 DC 62,577
The second part of a story to bring back
Aquaman, and I am already confused. There's time travel, a
new JLA, a lot of Atlantean history and I find that I just don't
care. Look for this book to keep slipping down the charts
as people get confused and leave.
22
SPIDER-MAN PETER PARKER #47 MAR
62,157
I normally like this book, but Jenkins
just doesn't seem to have it for the Big Super Villain Fight
stories. His forte is small character stories, and I
suggest people wait for him to do another one before buying this
comic.
23
SPIDER-MAN DAREDEVIL #1 MAR
61,680
A one shot with very dark art and an
utterly forgettable story.
24 JLA #70 DC 61,556
Amazingly, the issues of the big Aquaman
Returns story that don't deal with Aquaman returning have been
very good. Nightwing trying to fill Batman's shoes, heroes
you wouldn't think of as team members trying to do the best they
can and a huge, world-wide disaster make the even numbered issues
of this story interesting. Too bad the stuff in the odd
numbered issues is so confusingly unreadable.
25
GREEN ARROW #16 DC
59,946
The first issue by the new writer, and
it's good. Not as wordy as Kevin Smith's stuff, but a nice
start to a story. Hopefully this is the start of something
good, and is Mildly Recommended.
26
AVENGERS #57 MAR
55,93
Geoff Johns from JSA and Hawkman has
taken over the writing on this book, and he shows that he can do
the Big Stories in the Marvel universe as well. A good
start from a writer who has shown he only gets better over time
on a comic. Recommended for Marvel Super-Hero fans.
27
DAREDEVIL #36 MAR
50,210
The story of Daredevil's secret identity
being revealed in a New York tabloid is one of those great
stories where everything seems utterly logical and yet surprising
at the same time. There hasn't been any of the standard
super-hero daring-do, but instead a fascinating examination of
the character in a way no one else has done before. Highly
recommended to all comics fans, even if you don't much care for
super-heroes.
28
INCREDIBLE HULK #44 MAR
49,184
Bruce Jones has made The Hulk feel like a
fresh book with a new feel, even if the stories are just "The
Hulk is being hunted by the military." Every issue
takes that feel a bit further, and it makes me wonder why this
book goes through periods of sheer tedium when creators can pull
so much creativity out of it. Highly Recommended.
29
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL II #2 (Of 6)
DC 47,203
For those who didn't read the first
series, this is a Victorian Justice League, with the greatest
public domain characters of the time working together...and it
feels like a pulp novel and a work of art at the same time.
I can't recommend buying individual issues, as it only works as a
whole, but the collected version will be highly recommended.
30
PUNISHER #15 MAR
44,501
Garth Ennis as writer is letting his
black humor go completely wild in this book, and the results are
the kind of over-the-top stuff I never thought I would see
outside of a Destroyer novel. Recommended for people who
don't get offended by ultra-violence and like their humor bitter
and nasty.
31
BATMAN #606 DC 44,218
Burning off the issues before Jim Lee
comes on as artist, and it shows. Feels like a fill-in,
which is too bad, as Ed Brubaker has written some good Batman
comics during his tenure.
32
FANTASTIC FOUR #59 MAR
43,378
I know that this issue was widely
regarded as a fill-in placekeeper waiting for Mark Waid to come
on board, but Adam Warren did the impossible during his tenure on
Gen 13...turned in interesting, meaningful stories that advanced
the 1 dimensional characters beyond where they should have been.
His 3 part FF story was a wonderful examination of Ben Grimm
wrapped in an adventure filled story with tons of fight scenes
and alternate realities and comic-book science. Highly
Recommended and I hope that someone gives Adam Warren a regular
assignment as soon as possible.
33
CALL OF DUTY WAGON #1 MAR
43,258
Another of Marvel's "Crying Firemen"
comics. It's supposed to be gritty and real, but it ties in
with the other two series, has a ghost floating around that is
part of the story, and made me decide to drop it right back on
the shelf I picked it up from.
34
JSA #39 DC 43,024
DC's best team book, with a focus on
Power Girl, one of DC's most toss-away characters. By the
end of the issue I wanted more, which means that the team did
their work in making me care about the story and the character.
Highly Recommended.
35
DETECTIVE COMICS #773 DC 42,436
Greg Rucka ends his well-done tenure on
this series with a story that wraps up the last dangling plotline
from the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer" event, what about his
bodyguard who knew he was Batman. The story is low-key and
told like a well done mystery novel, as were most of Rucka's best
works on the series. Highly Recommended.
36
RISING STARS #21 (Of 24) IMA
41,879
37
SPAWN #125 IMA 41,251
I am still waiting to hear from anyone
who gives a damn about this comic anymore. I am betting
that the people who still buy it haven't cracked the cover in
over two years.
38
X-STATIX #2 MAR
41,140
This comic is an utter joy to read.
Inventive, fun and perfectly told. I have heard from older
comics fans that they dislike Allred's "Cartoony" art...which
baffles me, as his stuff looks almost like mid 60's Marvel art.
Warap that around stories dealing with celebrity, grief, and the
constant presence of media in our lives, and you have one of
Marvel's best books, highly recommended, even if you hate super-heroes.
39
CALL OF DUTY BROTHERHOOD #3 (Of 6) MAR
40,176
40
CALL OF DUTY PRECINCT #2 (Of 6) MAR
39,823
41
EXILES #16 MAR 39,133
A comic that shouldn't be a hit, and I
shouldn't like. I hate comics that require you to know a
ton of comic book history, and this one is like a series of
"What If" stories. It's the characters that keep
me interested. Morph is a character that is supposed to be
funny and actually is...a rarity in comics anymore. Highly
Recommended for super-hero fans.
42
WEAPON X WILD CHILD #1 MAR
38,797
43
WEAPON X AGENT ZERO #1 MAR
38,739
44
WEAPON X MARROW #1 MAR
37,966
Um...Mr. Quesada, do you remember when
you said you would be getting rid of the endless parade of
unnecessary X-Men spin-off mini-series? Take a look above
and tell me if any of these characters are worth killing trees
over.
45
GREEN LANTERN #153 DC
37,864
This is the issue before the one
discussed on Phil Donahue's MSNBC show, dealing with gay bashing.
I have been lukewarm to Winnick's writing on this series, since
he has the character stuff nailed, but the super-hero stuff comes
off as poorly done. I'll pick up the next issue to
see if that's changed in the 6 months since I dropped the book.
46
WEAPON X KANE #1 MAR
37,718
47
WEAPON X SAURON #1 MAR
37,669
48
HAWKMAN #6 DC 37,187
A "Times Past" story by James
Robinson (of Starman fame) and inked by Tim Truman, who is the
most under-rated creator in comics, bar none. The story was
a little hard to get into, since I am not a Western fan, but it
ends up being one of the better issues in an already good series.
Highly Recommended, and you don't have to have read any issues
before this one to know what is going on.
49
THOR #52 MAR 36,922
50
THOR #53 MAR 36,701
51
SUPERMAN #185 DC
36,661
The start of a Big
Event running through all of the Superrman books, this one is Lex
Luthor attacking everyone Clark Kent knows, now that he knows
Superman's secret identity. The first two parts have been
OK, and actually better than the Superman Books have been in a
while. Problem is, I dont' see how they can end it without
a gimmick-y "status quo" ending. Maybe they'll
pull a rabbit out of a hat and actually have a story that shakes
things up.
52 IRON MAN #58 MAR 36,051
Mike Grell writes
and draws this issue (and the next two as well) as Iron Man
travel back in time...not a new story by any means, but so far
worth reading. Grell's art is always a plus, and I like how
Iron Man sees the trip as routine, but indications are that it
will be anything but...we'll see if they can pull this off.
53 MICRONAUTS #2 IMA 35,547
The first issue was
in the top ten, and this one is down here. A HUGE drop-off,
and there really isn't a way that retailers would have known the
first issue was a piece of crap, since they order three months
out. I predict this will be down below #100 by issue 10,
and I will have quit reading it 8 issues previously.
54
BATGIRL #31 DC 35,144
55
BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #32 DC
34,565
56
PARADISE X #5 MAR
34,357
57 NIGHTWING #72 DC 33,420
Devin Greyson is
keeping the book well-written, and is one of the few Bat-Book
writers who uses the connections to the DC Universe to enhance
the story. I still don't feel that the book has improved
with a new writer, but it hasn't declined in quality.
58
ACTION COMICS #794 DC
32,651
59 AGENT X #2 MAR 32,531
This used to be
Deadpool. I guess the price hike was only for the first
issue, but I see that the re-branding didn't help sales in any
way.
60
INFINITY ABYSS #5 (Of 6) MAR
32,345
61 INFINITY ABYSS #6 (Of 6) (Note Price) MAR 32,200
Starlin's latest
Cosmic work for Marvel, and ten years ago this sort of thing
topped the charts. It's nice that he still gets to do these
stories, but looking at sales, the comic public has passed him by.
62
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #607 DC
32,098
63 AUTHORITY KEV (MR) DC 31,625
A one shot by Garth
Ennis that brings his over-the-top humor to a story in which a
hitman kills the Authority right as an alien invasion takes over
the world. Not GREAT, but fun, nonetheless.
64
SPIDER-MAN QUALITY OF LIFE #4 (Of 4)
MAR 31,620
65
SPIDER-MAN GET KRAVEN #3 (Of 5) MAR
30,913
66
SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL #129 DC
30,864
DC has just announced that this is the Superman book to be axed to try and "tighten" the line. It has always sold the lowest, even when the comics were connected in the "Triangle" years, and I can't think of a single issue of this series that stood out. I guess it's sad that there won't be a Superman book every week, but I think cutting back to even 2 books a month might help the character get a few more interesting stories.
67
SOLDIER X #2 MAR
30,661
68
GI JOE BATTLE FILES #3 (Of 3) IMA
30,267
69 ELEKTRA #13 MAR 30,236
Greg Rucka
continues to make this comic one of Marvel's better books, as
unlikely as that is. Rucka is actually doing a story that
plays off the fact that she is, at heart, a one dimensional
character. Highly Recommended.
70
X-MEN ICONS CHAMBER #1 MAR
29,794
71 X-FACTOR #4 MAR 29,701
Far better than it
had a right to be, in a lot of ways, this should be the last fo
the "Mutant Prejudice" comics, as it uses the idea
better than anyone has since the late 60's.
72 FLASH #189 DC 29,591
A story between Big
Stories to set up some subplots and move characters along.
A nice issue for people to see if they like the current team on
the book, which I am lukewarm about. It's an odd thing
about being a comic fan. I won't buy a comic if I actively
dislike it, but if I am ambivalent, I'll keep buying it, partly
because it's mildly entertaining and partly out of sheer inertia.
73 ALIAS #13 (MR) MAR 29,546
Bendis continues to
make this series incredibly readable, and wraps up the "Runaway"
story in a way that seems logical and surprising all at the same
time. Highly Recommended.
74
KISS #2 (Of 3)* DAR
28,901
75
SABRETOOTH MARY SHELLEY OVERDRIVE #3 (Of 4)
MAR 28,507
76
THUNDERBOLTS #70 MAR
28,092
77 THUNDERBOLTS #69 MAR 28,070
Here's a book I am
suffering through just to get to the end of a story. I have
read where with the end of this story a new team comes on, and to
be honest, they should have told the current team to wrap it up
NOW instead of putting readers through 10 issues of confusing,
poorly plotted wrap-ups.
78 CATWOMAN #10 DC 27,937
Since one of the
better crime related comics being printed, with sparse art that
makes it seem all the more gritty, if that isn't a dirty word
nowdays. Highly recommended.
79
BATMAN LEGENDS O/T DARK KNIGHT #158 DC
27,933
80 SPIDER-MAN TANGLED WEB #17 MAR 26,991
Pretty fitting that
these two books end up next to each other on the sales charts, as
they have the same premise: Get creative teams who don't
normally work on the character and have them do self-contained
stories. I like both of these books, but Batman suffers
from a lack of "star power" to the creators, and Spider-Man
suffers from the fact that Marvel fans want to know where a story
fits in continuity. Hopefully the publishers will keep
these outlets for self-contained stories going despite the fact
that they sell so far below the regular titles.
81 BIRDS OF PREY #46 DC 26,867
Soon to be a failed
series on the WB. You know a show is bad when TV Guide
actually talks about how the comic book is a lot better...and the
comic is pretty damn mediocre.
82
AVENGERS ICONS VISION #1 MAR
26,823
83 POWERS #24 (MR) IMA 26,544
The current story (by
Bendis...again...) shows that the premise of this comic can carry
a LOT of great stories. Cops in a city of super-heroes...you'd
think that you could get one or two decent stories out of it, but
this is the fourth, and possibly best, story arc so far.
Highly Recommended for super-hero fans and non-super-hero fans.
84 FILTH #3 (Of 13) (MR) DC 26,522
The new Grant
Morrison book, Vertigo's highest selling book in YEARS, and one I
won't read until collected in book form since I'll want to read
it all in one sitting.
85 SPIDER-GIRL #50 (Note Price) MAR 26,420
This is the kind of
comic Marvel did in the 80's, a nice, mild super-hero soap opera.
I can't say it's a GREAT book, and when I am done reading it for
the month, I don't particularly wait for the next issue, but it's
a nice read, professionally done. The only problem I have
with it is that when comics were $1, this would have been great,
but for $2.50 or more per issue, you almost want it to be a Much
Bigger Deal.
86 STAR WARS INFINITIES EMPIRE STRIKES BACK #2 (Of 4) DAR 26,217
Dark Horse does its
second "What If?" type series, selling better than any
Star Wars book they have done in a while. Why? IT'S
FILLED WITH THE CHARACTERS WE WANT TO SEE, BONEHEADS!!!
87 WITCHBLADE #58 IMA 26,151
The show has been
cancelled, not due to bad ratings, but the star's drug problems.
Of course, I'd bet if the ratings were higher, the drug problems
wouldn't be mentioned and she would be quickly ushered off to
rehab behind the scenes. Oh, and the comic is a titty book
with no story.
88 ROBIN #105 DC 26,009
The new writer may
come from Indy books, but his run on Robin has been same old/same
old. Bland, soap opera stuff with some silly bad guys for
the hero to fight. It's there if you have nothing better to
read, I guess, but there is a LOT of stuff that is better to read.
89 LEGION #11 DC 24,988
I'm kind of amazed
that people are praising the creative team on this book, as they
just have yet to engage my interest. Maybe after 20 years,
its time for me to quit reading the Legion. Ghods, I am
SUCH A GEEK!
90
WONDER WOMAN #184 DC
24,842
91 X-MEN EVOLUTION #10 MAR 24,647
Pretty good sales
for a comic who had #9 as its last issue.
92 SOJOURN #14 CRO 24,130
The highest selling
Crossgen book on the list, and this is actually pretty good for a
non-Marvel or DC book. I read where the owner is saying he
will be the #1 comic publisher within 2 years. Good luck
buddy, but I think the first step would be making sure your
comics aren't a bunch of bland fantasy books that seem fairly
interchangeable. Sure, they have some stuff that isn't (Ruse,
Way of the Rat and...um...well...), but for the most part, they
are fairly bland books, drawn well.
93 YOUNG JUSTICE #48 DC 23,674
In the middle of a
4 part story about the death of a character's father, we get a
story that starts with a 3 page inside joke. You want to
know why this comic isn't selling? BECAUSE IT IS FULL OF
POOR STORYTELLING DECISIONS LIKE THIS. Thank you.
94
GOTHAM GIRLS #1 (Of 5) DC
23,183
95 HELLBOY THIRD WISH #2 (Of 2) DAR 23,086
I think this is the
highest selling creator owned series, as well as one of the best.
I remember when it was said that if companies let creators own
their characters, the comics world would be turned upside down.
It didn't happen (and that in and of itself is interesting), but
mostly it is because most creator owned books weren't of a decent
enough quality. This one is, and it's Highly Recommended.
96
HAWKMAN SECRET FILES #1 DC
23,038
97 CAPTAIN MARVEL #35 MAR 23,024
Another Peter David
comic that is utterly impregnable to anyone picking it up for the
first time. Maybe that's why it isn't selling, instead of
"it isn't getting enough hype."
98 MARVEL MANGAVERSE #5 MAR 22,852
I'm kind of amazed
that they called the mini-series that spawned this book a hit,
since it was scheduled before they had sales reports on the mini...but
Marvel is going to keep it going with a bunch of related mini-series,
because the collected trade paperbacks are one of Marvel's best
selling trades in book stores. Proving that if you make
something accessible and the style that kids want to read, they
will buy super-hero books.
99
TITANS #44 DC 22,476
100 WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #1 (MR) DC 22,127
Yow. A first
issue selling this poorly...and a first issue that got a LOT of
hype? I would read from this that no one gives a rat's ass
about the WILDCats, now matter how you reinvent them.
101 MARVEL KNIGHTS VOL 2 #6 MAR 21,702
Last issue.
No one cares. Not even the creators as evidenced by how
crappy the book was.
102 LIBERTY MEADOWS #27 IMA 21,477
The first issue
under Image. The format is slightly changed, and it has a
new publisher, but other than that, it's still a nice reprinting
of the comic strip. Why is this issue selling about double
what the last issue sold? Highly Recommended no matter how
well it sells.
103 STORMWATCH
TEAM ACHILLES #2 (MR) DC 21,463
104 TOMB
RAIDER JOURNEYS #6 (Of 12) (Note Price)
IMA 21,402
105 THING FREAKSHOW #3 (Of 4) MAR 21,340
Geez...with sales
this poor, do you think they will print the Evan Dorkin "Thing"
mini-series? It's too bad, since I LIKE the character of
The Thing, and a good story with Ben Grimm would be worth reading.
Will Marvel put it in a trade paperback if it sells this poorly?
106 JLA DESTINY #3 (Of 4) DC 20,526
107 RUSE
#10 CRO 20,367
108 HARLEY
QUINN #23 DC
20,194
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The first issues sold well, had GREAT art by Terry Dodson (who's now working on a Spider-Man comic at Marvel) and had fun, fluffy stories. Now, after a way too long storyline of Harley Quinn in hell, I find I no longer am very interested in the comic. New creative team coming on in a few months might change that, but I'm wondering if the character is only good in small doses.
109 APACHE
SKIES #2 (MR) MAR 20,088
Marvel's western mini-series doesn't seem to be getting readers, which kind of figures. The first Ostrander Marvel Western mini was well done, but worked a LOT better as a collected edition. That and super-hero fans can't seem to find it in themselves to buy this sort of story. I'll wait for the trade.
110 OUT
THERE #13 DC
20,066
111 STAR
WARS #45 RITE OF PASSAGE (4 Of 4) DAR
19,991
112 LONE
WOLF 2100 #4 (Of 4) DAR
19,717
113 BLADE
#6 (MR) MAR
19,677
Last issue, and proving again that Marvel can't capitalize on its mass media success for some reason. My opinion is that Blade only works as a supporting character in comics. We'll see, since Marvel will try again when Blade 3 comes out.
114 BLACK
PANTHER #48 MAR
19,496
115 GREEN
LANTERN EVILS MIGHT #1 (Of 3) DC
19,421
116 PATH
#5 CRO 19,367
117 TOM
STRONGS TERRIFIC TALES #4 (RES) DC 19,354
Alan Moore is usually called the best writer in comics, and most of the time I tend to agree (unless I've just read a GREAT Grant Morrison story or Neil Gaiman does something new). This book shows why he gets that title. A comic that can be read and enjoyed on one level by kids and another by adults, is new reader friendly, has more ideas popping through the story than most comic series have in YEARS and art by Art Adams, who is far and away one of the best pencillers ever to work in comic books. Highly Recommended, if you can't tell.
118 WAY
O/T RAT #4 CRO
19,195
119 HOOD
#4 (MR) MAR
18,961
120 HELLBLAZER
#175 (RES) (MR) DC
18,956
The last issue by the writer of "100 Bullets", and his stuff, while liked by some people, seemed horribly out of place on this comic. The last story, where ol' JC is assumed to have died in an LA S&M club had nothing to do with Constantine, but was a crime story that had some other character with JC's name. Mike Carey, of Lucifer, is being given the reins next, and we'll see if he can live up to HIS hype.
121 SUPERGIRL
#73 DC
18,925
122 HELLBLAZER
#176 (RES) (MR) DC
18,704
123 JLA
ISLAND OF DR MOREAU DC
18,651
Roy Thomas doing what I never liked when he wrote in the 70's and 80's, taking a public domain story and adapting it with super-heroes. It always seemed lazy to me, and in this case, creates a book I'll pass on.
124 BATMAN/DEATHBLOW
AFTER FIRE #3 (Of 3) (RES) DC 18,518
125 FABLES
#4 (MR) DC
18,479
If you haven't picked this book up yet, DC will collect the first 6 issues into a trade by the end of the year, and I recommend picking it up. It's not a NEW idea (fairy tale character living in the modern world), but it's well done and interesting, with a lot of good concepts in the backgrounds. Mildly recommended.
126 WARLANDS
AGE OF ICE #8 DRE
18,430
127 PROMETHEA
#22 DC
18,050
Another Alan Moore book that is at once a deep meditation on the power of magick, and a new form of comic book storytelling. This series started off as a thinly veiled Wonder Woman ripoff, and now is one of comics most innovative and fascinating series. Highly recommended to people open to new concepts and ideas.
128 FUTURAMA
SIMPSONS SP CROSSOVER CRISIS #1 (Of 2)
BON 17,541
129 FATE
O/T BLADE #1 (MR) DRE 17,448
130 ELEKTRA
GLIMPSE & ECHO #2 MAR
17,413
131 100
BULLETS #38 (RES) DC 16,975
132 100
BULLETS #37 (RES) DC 16,944
133 TRANSMETROPOLITAN
#59 (MR) DC
16,922
Next to last issue, where things finally happen. Was it worth all of the buildup over the past 2 years or so? Not really. I guess I wanted something a lot more...in tune with the feel of the first 2 years of the comic. Not a BAD book, just not a great one like it was when it first started.
134 SPECTRE
#20 DC 16,582
135 DOOM
PATROL #11 DC
16,480
DC is still publishing this, and along with the Spectre, the sales don't seem to warrant it. Why? I'm not sure, but I enjoy both comics and recommend them to people who are looking for something mainstream enough to remind them of being super-hero books, but different enough that you aren't reading rehashes of old plots.
136 BTVS
#48 HELLMOUTH TO MOUTH (2 Of 4)* DAR
16,241
137 JUSTICE
LEAGUE ADVENTURES #10 DC
16,171
138 SCION
#27 CRO 16,162
139 ROUTE
666 #3 CRO
16,007
140 POWER
COMPANY #7 DC
15,852
I like Kurt Busiek's work most of the time, and I wanted to like this series, but it end up being so genericly done that I can't remember what happens from issue to issue.
141 HIGH
ROADS #5 (Of 6) DC
15,826
142 RED
STAR ANNUAL #1 ARS
15,534
143 POINT
BLANK #1 (Of 5) (MR) DC
15,432
144 BASTARD
SAMURAI #3 (Of 3) IMA
15,326
145 ATHENA
INC #3* IMA
14,985
146 AZRAEL
AGENT O/T BAT #93 DC
14,871
7 more issues until it's done. I quit reading it around #30 and quit buying it about 2 years after, hoping it would get interesting again.
147 SHIDIMA
#6 DRE 14,848
148 SUICIDE
SQUAD #12 DC
14,720
Last issue. It's odd that they would bring this series back, when the previous one never did sell very well (and was on the verge of cancellation from about the 12th issue onwards). DC does a horrible job promoting their comics, and after reading it, a little bit of promotion could have gotten a lot more people to at least TRY the book.
149 SIMPSONS
COMICS #73 BON 14,428
I give it a good review every month, and this is no exception. Funny, filled with pop culture gags, and some issues are better than the TV show. Highly Recommended to fans of the show.
150 LUCIFER
#29 (MR) DC
14,397
151 CRUX
#17 CRO 13,960
152 IMPULSE #89 DC 13,730
Last issue. This started as one of
DC's best series, with fun, accessable stories, manga art that
moved those stories along, and a great book for younger readers
that didn't talk down to them, while still being well-done enough
for older fans to read. From writer to writer, it lost its
focus, becoming more and more continuity bound, and less fun with
each issue. I dropped it about two years ago, giving up on
it ever regaining that sense of joy. Now, it's cancelled,
and reading the last issue, it was a mercy cancellation, as they
had lost all sight of why the book was a success in the first
place.
153 NEGATION
#9 CRO 13,694
154 MYSTIC
#27 CRO 13,663
155 LADY
DEATH MOURNING #1 (Of 2) CHA
13,593
I wouldn't be waiting around for this issue as the company has gone belly-up. One report I read was that no Lady Death comic has made a profit for the last year...and this was Chaos's best-selling book. That means that every color comic below here probably isn't selling enough to make money, or is being supported by creators who aren't making a whole lot of money.
156 HELLSPAWN
#16 IMA
13,540
If I remember right (and let's face it, this comic is over a year late) this was the issue that was going to have Miracleman in it. Now that it doesn't, is there a reason for anyone at all to buy it?
157 SIGIL
#27 CRO 13,385
158 FIRST
#22 CRO 13,318
159 MERIDIAN
#26 CRO
13,146
160 AUTOMATIC
KAFKA #2 (MR) DC 12,810
161 LADY
DEATH DARK ALLIANCE #3 CHA
12,664
162 HUNTER
AGE OF MAGIC #14 (MR) DC
12,545
If Chaos couldn't make money on the Lady Death books that outsell this, I can't see this comic making a single penny for DC. I read the first few issues, and found I had lost all interest in Tim Hunter in this relaunch of the Books of Magic series. Sorry.
163 BATMAN
GOTHAM ADVENTURES #53 DC
12,469
164 SAVAGE
DRAGON #102 IMA
12,186
165 CODENAME
KNOCKOUT #16 (MR) DC
12,080
166 BART
SIMPSON COMICS #9 BON
11,974
I LOVE the Simpsons comic, but this series always leaves me cold. Maybe its because they keep putting Bart in the kind of situations that made TV comics from my youth something I avoided. No, I don't want to see Bart as David Letterman or Jay Leno, I don't want goofy aliens and the like. Stick with the kind of stuff they have on the TV show, and we'll all be happy.
167 LUCIFER
NIRVANA (MR) DC 11,930
168 Y
LAST MAN #2 (MR) DC
11,797
DC has made a HUGE deal out of the first 2 issues of this series selling out, and it's being called a monster hit and the rebirth of Vertigo. 12,000 sold. Hype is good any all, but these numbers are nothing to be all worked up about, and as stated above, this is NOT a profitable number of issues. As for the comic itself, I'll pick it up as a trade and see if it lives up to the hype.
169 PURGATORI
RAVENOUS #1 CHA 10,917
170 VAMPIRELLA
#12 REG ED HAR 10,811
171 HOLY
TERROR #1 (Of 4) IMA
10,802
172 VAMPI
#22 REG ED HAR
10,741
173 HAVEN
BROKEN CITY #9 (Of 9) DC
10,727
174 DEADMAN
#9 DC 10,710
Cancelled with this issue and considered a huge flop (and a comic selling 1000 more is a monster hit?). The series was interesting and had incredibly good art by Jose Garcia Lopez, but Deadman is a hard character to get people interested in, and the book seemed to be just dropped on the market with no promotion. If you want a nice read, I'm sure your local comic shop will cut you a deal on the back issues, and DC won't be putting this out as a trade anytime soon.
175 LAB
RATS #5 DC
10,502
Lazy art, half-assed characters and plodding pacing make for a book that people couldn't ignore fast enough. Somehow Byrne will blame it on comic shops, old fans of Brain Bendis when the truth is that it was just a boring, poorly drawn comic with nothing to recommend it.
176 AMERICAN
CENTURY #18 (MR) DC
10,413
177 DEFIANCE
#4 IMA 10,188
178 REX
MUNDI #0 IMA
10,183
179 ESTABLISHMENT
#12 DC
9,909
180 LADY
DEATH CROW PREVIEW BOOK CHA
9,887
181 BIG
DADDY DANGER #1 (Of 9) DC
9,675
Ouch. A DC series set in the world of pro-wrasslin long after interest in pro-wrasslin has died out. I think this comic will be put to sleep before the 9th issue, and I have no clue if it's worth reading or not, since it wasn't even given shelf space at my local.
182 3
LITTLE KITTENS #1 (Of 3) BRO
9,569
183 POWERPUFF
GIRLS #29 DC 9,330
184 MIDNIGHT
MASS #5 (Of 8) (MR) DC
9,286
185 VERTIGO
POP TOKYO #2 (Of 4) (MR) DC 8,892
186 TEENAGE
MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #5 MIR
8,737
The 80's nostalgia boom didn't hit this series in any way, shape or form.
187 100%
#3 (Of 5) (MR) DC 8,410
188 CRUSADES
#18 (MR) DC
7,973
Next to last issue and it's a shame. Kelly Jones is an artist I love, but some people don't like his Wrightson influenced style. The story was simple in composition but wonderfully complicated in how they executed it. A Knight from the Crusades shows up in Modern Day to fight evil, but instead of having a sword-based Punisher rip-off, the series focused on the media reaction to the knight and how politicians and media people use the news to their own advantage. Highly Recommended, and the back issues will be damn cheap to pick up.
189 OH
MY GODDESS! PART XII #2 LEARNING TO LOVE (2 Of 3)
DAR 7,884
190 USAGI
YOJIMBO #60 DAR
7,835
191 TOMB
RAIDER VS DARKNESS SP STANDARD ED (Net) IMA
7,685
192 SUPERPATRIOT
AMERICAS FIGHTING FORCE #2 (Of 4) IMA
7,384
193 KNIGHTS
O/T DINNER TABLE #70 (Note Price) KZR
7,362
Not as much a comic as a gaming magazine now, with over half the book articles on role playing games and other aspects of gaming. If you have ever been a gamer, this is almost a must read comic, though. The comic portion, which details gaming sessions, always brings a smile to my face and makes me miss my gaming days...highly recommended to former and present gamers, and non-gamers will just be confused.
194 QUEEN
& COUNTRY #11 (MR) ONI
7,327
195 INSANE CLOWN POSSE MR JOHNSONS HEAD #1 CHA 7,066
No, you won't be seeing this comic either.
Look at the sales, and that should tell you why Chaos went
bankrupt.
196 BLADE
O/T IMMORTAL #71 BEASTS (6 Of 7) (MR) DAR
6,832
197 SCOOBY-DOO
#63 DC
6,827
198 DORK
#10 SLA 6,774
Ah, yesh, a new Evan Dorkin comic, filled with his manic art and laugh out loud humor of anger and violence. If you haven't read Evan's before, this is a good issue to try, as it is one of the funniest comics since...Evan's last comic. Highly Recommended for people who like their humor bitter and nasty.
199 DRAGONBALL
Z PART 5 #8 (Of 12) VIZ
6,628
200 CEREBUS
#281 AAR
6,513
201 LOVE
& ROCKETS VOL 2 #5 (MR) FAN
6,115
I don't hear the glowing reviews for this comic like the first series got. I didn't like the first series (and I picked up the first 8 graphic collections), and think that I just missed the boat on it. Now, I think that the creators are just going through the motions, and sales seem to bear that out.
202 SONIC
THE HEDGEHOG #114 ARC 5,912
203 SHI
ILLUSTRATED WARRIOR #3 (Of 7) CRU
5,678
204 DRAGONBALL
PART 5 #3 (Of 7) VIZ
5,541
205 ODYSSEY
#1* AVA 5,443
206 DUNGEONS
& DRAGONS BLACK & WHITE #2 (Of 8) KZR
5,178
207 RANMA 1/2 PART 11 #6 (Of 11) VIZ 5,169
Yep, it's
still going. Yes, it's still the same joke
208 TIM
VIGILS WEBWITCH #1 (Of 3) (MR)* AVA
5,147
209 BANZAI
GIRL #1 (Of 4) SIR
5,041
A silly "bad girl" comic make mildly interesting by the fact that the artist is supposedly drawing herself. Does that make it personal exploitation or just exploitation?
210 CHRISTIAN
ZANIERS DARK CITY ANGEL #1 DJE
5,032
211 MYSTIC
FUNNIES #3 (MR) FAN 4,771
A new R. Crumb comic where he draws stories about what a sick bastard he is. I like Crumb's stuff, but I realize it isn't for everyone. If you have liked his stuff in the past, you'll like this. If you haven't read his stuff in the past, you might want to try one of the Complete Crumb volumes instead.
212 ATLAS
#1* AVA 4,581
213 AMERICAN SPLENDOR UNSUNG HERO #1 (Of 3) DAR 4,577
This is a damn shame. American
Splendor is Harvey Pekar's reality based series, and every issue
has been well-written (if a bit trivial at times). This one
is based on a person he knows at the VA hospital he works at, and
is everything a good piece of non-fiction should be, just with
pictures added. Not just Highly Recommended, but I'm
ashamed of comic fans who just ignore this well-done series.
214 GOLD
DIGGER #35 ANT
4,298
215 FORT
PROPHET O/T UNEXPLAINED #3 (Of 4) DAR
4,099
216 CARDCAPTOR
SAKURA #31 TKP 4,095
217 ALL
NEW TENCHI MUYO PART 1 #4 (Of 5) VIZ
3,984
218 RIPLEYS
BELIEVE IT OR NOT GRIM REAPING #2 (Of 4)
DAR 3,878
In the 70's, the Ripley's Believe It Or Not comic was the home of a bunch of lame ghost stories and not very scary at all horror stories. I haven't seen Ripley's on a comics page in ages, and it looks like Dark Horse picked up the license, but didn't get any interest.
219 HOPELESS
SAVAGES GROUND ZERO #3 (Of 4) ONI
3,776
220 GUNDAM
WING LAST OUTPOST #2 (Of 12) TKP
3,732
Just so you know, this is based on the animated series that is currently the #1 anime series in the ratings, beating Dragonball Z, Pokemon and anything else coming out. And it can't even sell 4,000 comics a month.
221 30
DAYS OF NIGHT #2 (Of 3) (MR) IDW
3,679
222 AGE
OF BRONZE #14 IMA
3,679
223 TIMESEEKERS
#1 (Of 12) (MR) POW
3,648
224 DORK
TOWER #20 DOR
3,582
225 NIGHTMARES
& FAIRY TALES #2 SLA
3,568
A new series by Serina Valentino (who writes Gloomcookie and is a wonderful human being), and is much more serious than her other work. Highly recommended for people who are looking for comics that stretch the boundaries of what sort of stories can be told in comic books.
226 KODT
ILLUSTRATED #14 KZR 3,564
Illustrated stories of the adventures of the players from Knights of the Dinner Table. While I like Knights a lot, this series does nothing for me, so it must be for very hard core fans.
227 LOONEY
TUNES #93 DC
3,560
A series that would sell a LOT better if it were in places other than comic stores.
228 INU
YASHA PART 7 #1 (Of 8) VIZ
3,542
229 WORLD
CLASS COMICS #1 IMA
3,520
230 DEXTERS
LABORATORY #31 DC 3,453
231 ARCHIE
#527 ARC 3,374
Did I mention this month that while Archie books sell horribly in comic shops, they are the best selling comics in the US? Yep. They are sold in digest form in grocery stores and because of that distribution deal, they outsell everything by FAR. Maybe it's just me, but if other companies would look into outside distribution and realize you have to spend some money (like Archie does by renting space by grocery registers), they could become a mass medium again.
232 JASON
& THE ARGOBOTS #1 (Of 4) ONI
3,356
233 STRANGE
KILLINGS BODY ORCHARD #2 (Of 6) (MR) AVA
3,131
234 INCAL
#11 (MR) HUM
3,126
235 AP
HOW TO DRAW MANGA #18 ANT
3,100
236 BETTY
& VERONICA #179 ARC 3,011
237 BETTY
#116 ARC 2,971
238 BETTY
& VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #109 ARC
2,848
239 NINJA
HIGH SCHOOL #98 ANT 2,830
240 BASTARD
#9 VAMPIRE (1 Of 2) (MR) VIZ 2,817
241 ARCHIE
& FRIENDS #61 ARC 2,808
242 VERONICA
#131 ARC
2,790
243 NEON
GENESIS EVANGELION PART 7 #4 (Of 7)
VIZ 2,786
244 LURID
#1 (MR) IDW
2,786
245 SABRINA
VOL 2 #36 ARC
2,772
246 CERES
CELESTIAL LEGEND PART 3 #3 (Of 4) VIZ
2,706
247 BETTY
& VERONICA SPECTACULAR #56 ARC
2,693
248 GOLD
DIGGER SWIMSUIT END OF SUMMER SPECIAL 2002
ANT 2,688
ANOTHER Gold Digger and/or Antarctic swimsuit issue. For people who can't seem to find swimsuit magazines with pictures in them or porn.
249 VEROTIK
WORLD #1 (MR) VER 2,578
250 METAL
HURLANT #2 (MR) HUM 2,547
251 ALICE
IN SEXLAND #5 (A) ERO
2,512
252 ARCHIE
DIGEST #192 ARC
2,489
253 GI
JOE #3 (O/A) IMA
2,489
No, the bottom hasn't fallen out of the 80's boom, this is Image offering #3 again since they have a bunch in their warehouse. SO QUIT PAYING INFLATED BACK ISSUE PRICES FOR THEM, OK?
254 BETTY
& VERONICA DIGEST #132 ARC
2,476
255 JUGHEADS
DOUBLE DIGEST #88 ARC
2,428
256 CICI
MINI SERIES #1 (Of 4) (MR) SPI
2,405
257 BIG
O PART 2 #2 (Of 4) VIZ
2,357
258 TOMB
RAIDER CONVENTION EX CVR #17 (Net) IMA
2,290
259 MUTANT
TEXAS TALES OF SHERIFF IDA RED #3 (Of 4)
ONI 2,198
260 LITTLE
GLOOMY #6 (RES) SLA 2,127
A comic that would be great fun at about half the price, but it's hard for me to pay $3 for a comic I can read in 5 minutes.
261 AKIKO
#49 SIR 2,109
262 GI
JOE #4 (O/A) IMA
2,100
263 LAUGH
DIGEST #178 ARC
2,100
264 AP
HOW TO DRAW HENTAI VOL 2 #1 (A) ANT
2,096
OK, anyone who buys a comic on how to draw anime porn is so scary that I keep[ my doors locked at night.
265 SKINWALKER
#3 (Of 4) (MR) ONI
2,096
266 BATTLE
POPE WRATH OF GOD #2 (Of 3) (MR) FUN
2,092
267 SHOT
CALLERZ #3 (Of 4) (MR) ONI
2,078
268 GOON
COLOR SPECIAL #1 ALB
1,972
269 GENUS
#55 (A) (Note Price) RAD
1,954
270 ALIEN
ARENA #1 (Of 2)* ATO 1,928
271 LUFTWAFFE
1946 #1 ANT
1,879
272 ALRAUNE
#5 (A) ERO
1,862
273 NEON
GENESIS EVANGELION PART 7 COLL ED #4 (Of 7)
VIZ 1,857
274 PUNCTURE
#6 CMX 1,831
275 THIEVES
& KINGS #40 (Note Price) IBX
1,809
276 BRUTAL
PLANET #2 NEK
1,791
277 GI
JOE #5 (O/A) IMA
1,725
278 SILENT
MOBIUS PART 11 BLOOD #2 (Of 5) VIZ
1,667
279 ZENDRA
VOL 2 #2 WINDMILLS O/T WORLD (Of 6)
PEN 1,645
280 JACK
STAFF #11 CMX
1,645
281 AMAZING
SPIDER-MAN ACE ED #14 WIZ
1,636
A new special cover on a reprint of the first appearance of the Green Goblin...which you could get in the first Essential Spider-Man with about 20 other comics. Buy it there and just ignore the new shiny cover.
282 SECT
#2 (Of 12) (MR) POW 1,601
283 FURRLOUGH
#116 RAD
1,579
284 PPV
#1 (Of 3) ANT
1,534
285 SEXY
ANGEL #1 AMR
1,526
286 A G
SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #4 (A) ICA
1,512
287 HEAD
#2 (A) ERO
1,446
288 VAGABOND
PART 1 #10 (MR) VIZ
1,442
289 ORIENT
SEXPRESS #3 (A) ERO 1,428
290 MAD
COLOR SP #6 DC
1,397
291 LADY
DEATH CROW PREVIEW BOOK PREMIUM ED CHA
1,371
292 PEANUTBUTTER
& JEREMY NEST & WINDOW EXCHANGE
ALT 1,353
A new comic from Kolchaka, and his stuff reads like a child's story through the filter of adulthood. I read an interview with him where he argued that craft was the enemy...but each of his comics are put together with more care and craft than other comics that LOOK better rendered. Highly recommended, and look past the childishness of the drawings to see that he is telling stories in the way of storytellers always have, simply and effectively.
293 ARSENIC
LULLABIES AUG 2002 #2 ASI
1,353
294 LORI
LOVECRAFT #2 (MR) AVP 1,353
295 WARRIOR
NUN AREALA #10 ANT 1,344
296 EMPTY
ZONE CONVERSATIONS W/DEAD #2 (Of 5)
SIR 1,291
297 OGENKI
CLINIC VOL 9 #5 (A) STU
1,282
298 ZOIDS
#7 VIZ 1,269
299 STRANGE
KILLINGS BODY ORCHARD WRPRND CVR #2 (Of 6) (MR) AVA
1,265
300 FUTURAMA
COMICS #1 (O/A) BON 1,260
That's it. You can go home now.