The Top 300 Selling Comic Books For December 2004

The Top 300 Selling Comic Books For December 2004

This list comes from digging through sales figures, asking too many questions and using Diamond Comics information. The snotty comments in white are from deep in Cory's sick twisted little brain.

1 NEW AVENGERS #1* $2.25 MAR 240,724

WOW!!! This is the highest selling comic in quite some time (almost at the Jim Lee three cover Batman levels) and it comes without any cover gimmicks, special prices and the like. Just a first issue by a hot creative team. How is it? I liked it. It's not an "earth shattering great comic", but a solidly entertaining super-hero book that hits all the right notes. Mildly recommended.

2 ULTIMATES 2 #1* $2.99 MAR 146,271

Ultimates is the Ultimate version of the Avengers, has a lot more "trendy, cool" buzz and gets a lot more attention, but sold about the same level as it did before the re-launch. Personally, I don't care for it. Too dark, too cruel, and too pessimistic. I like Ultimate Spider-Man because it's Spider-Man stripped down to its core and rebuilt. This is just a dark, gritty version of the Avengers, 15 years after dark and gritty were trendy.

3 IDENTITY CRISIS #7 (Of 7) $3.95 DC 139,572

The final issue, and DC has done well at getting people interested in their books again with this comic. The story kind of fell apart for me, as I guessed the killer back in issue #2 because I have read so many mysteries, but the flaw with the issue was to have the revelation So Early in the final issue that the rest of the comic felt like they were dragging it out, while not resolving some of the more interesting plot threads. In the end, I'm sure fanboys will love it, but I stand by my assessment of a well done story that isn't any good.

4 ASTONISHING X-MEN #7 $2.99 MAR 134,103

Great, great comic. Excellent art, strong storytelling, and character work that is just as interesting as any fight scene, this is the X-Men that I have wanted to read for a long time. Highly recommended.

5 SUPERMAN BATMAN #15 (RES) $2.95 DC 119,926
6 SUPERMAN BATMAN #16 $2.95 DC 115,657

DC has done well at keeping this comic feeling special, and having events that make it seem like a Big Deal, but the current story isn't working for me. Creating a series of alternate realities for Superman and Batman to jump into is a lot like the Marvel Knights "Captain America" series where if you do it too much, why bother reading it? Still, it's better than the solo books at this point.

7 GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH #3 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 106,523

Bringing back Hal Jordan as Green Lantern is something fans have been wanting since they shoved through the "Hal Jordan goes mad" story in the early 90's. Problem is, this is a continuity wallow, and has little for non-fans to be interested in.

8 SUPERMAN #212 $2.50 DC 100,244

Jim Lee on Superman doesn't seem to be enough to get people excited about the character, as seen by sales. Don't get me wrong, being in the top ten is a big deal, and 100,000 in the current market is a success, but it's Jim Lee and it's not higher on the sales charts? I gave up on it about three issues in, since the story wasn't all that great, and Lee's art does little for me. Looks like I'm not the only one.

9 UNCANNY X-MEN #453 $2.25 MAR 89,952

OK, I've been reviewing Chris Claremont comics for a while, and pretty much saying that if you like his work, you'll like them. This issue is a perfect example of that, so, to further explain: Claremont's plotting presupposes that you've been reading his work for a LONG time since references are made to comics over 15 years old, the writing is pretty purple at times and the story has a fell of a soap opera that has gone on so long that they've run out of interesting pairings to do, so they are just throwing couples together. Claremont's style froze in about 1979, and if you read comics back then and still want to read books like it, you'll enjoy this. For most readers, however, it's overwritten and more ofthe same.

10 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #70 $2.25 MAR 88,960

The books is doing a series of lighthearted crossovers to take a step back from the VERY intense "Carnage" arc, which is probably a good idea. In a way, this is the comic that best captures the feel of the early Marvel's without being a slavish recreation of the plots, with a light touch, interesting characters and unbelievably solid art by Mark Bagley. Highly recommended.

11 X-MEN #165 $2.25 MAR 86,633

Is this the last Chuck Austin issue? Because his issues are all pretty much unreadable, and Claremont is doing a fill-in before the new team...and I'm not buying it until the new team comes on.

12 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #515 $2.25 MAR 82,840

The end of the Gawdawful "Gwen Stacy's Kids" story that has given us yet another Green Goblin connected villain. JMS usually does much better on this comic, so I'm hoping this is just a horrid misstep, but DAMN if "Sins Past" wasn't the worst Spider-Man story since the Clone Saga.

13 WOLVERINE #23 $2.25 MAR 80,678

Normally, I'm not a big Mark Millar fan. He is one of those writers who generates more light than heat, but his run on Wolverine has just been a big action romp through the Marvel Universe, and is pure fun to read. Highly recommended for super-hero fans, but non-fans will just wonder what the hell is going on.

14 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #14 $2.25 MAR 77,931
15 ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE #4 (Of 5) $2.25 MAR 76,658
16 X-MEN FANTASTIC FOUR #1 $3.50 MAR 74,515

By the "Dream Whatever They Are Called Now That Their Company Went Under Because They Did Too Many Damn Transformers Comics" guys, and it's another case of me not buying a mini-series because I know it will be a trade paperback, and $2.50 is too much to spend on a 32 page comic book, no matter how manga the art.

17 X-MEN THE END BOOK 1 DREAMERS & DEMONS #6 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 66,220

Funny that X-Men: The End ended before Wolverine: The End, when Wolverine started months before. Chris Claremont tells how he would end the comic in the first of three mini-series that are destined to be put in trade paperbacks and sold until the end of time. Anyone who buys this AS individual comics just doesn't like trade paperbacks.

18 JLA CLASSIFIED #2 $2.95 DC 66,147

There is no way to be objective about the comic for me, so I'll gush. An incredibly fast paced comic that rewards the careful reader, and makes super-hero comics not just fun, but intelligent. The middle part of three part story, and this story of the Justice League hopping to an alternate Earth, and who keeps things safe while they are gone is a blast to read, and is highly recommended.

19 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #9 $2.99 MAR 64,461
20 JLA #109 $2.25 DC 63,791

Kurt Busiek is doing a fine job on what should be DC's mainline book, but it won't win over new readers.

21 TEEN TITANS #19 $2.50 DC 62,585

On JSA, Geoff Johns is one of my favorite super-hero writers, and while this comic is a bit below that one in quality, he is doing a better job at making the book interesting, and the characters ones that the reader gets involved with. I have been saying this is an average super-hero team comic, but it's starting to gather up a bit of steam, and I'm interested in where he's going with it. Mildly recommended.

22 BATMAN #635 $2.25 DC 60,898

The first "post War Games" story arc is underway, and it's too early to make any sort of judgment, but it seems to me that the mainline Batman book is going to trend down to a pretty standard super-hero book.

23 SUPREME POWER #14 (MR) $2.99 MAR 57,975
24 IRON MAN #2 (Note Price) $2.99 MAR 53,292

With the second issue, this comic has effectively lost my interest. Congratulations, Iron Man, it only took you 48 pages to bore me!

25 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #1 $2.95 DC 50,691

A new restart to this series, and they did it without a Big Continuity reason for it, which I appreciate. They have stripped down the concept to its essentials, a bunch of teenage super-heroes 1000 years in the future, and are building it from there. No silly origin story, not long explanations, just diving in and telling a solid story. Barry Kitson's art is always worth seeing, and Waid can do some very good work. I liked this issue and it's mildly recommended, even if you have never read the Legion before.

26 DAREDEVIL #68 $2.99 MAR 50,491

Another solid issue that melds crime noir action with super-heroics, although the comic could easily lose the super-hero aspects and no one would notice. Bendis has brought this comic to a creative high it has rarely met, and the entire run has been Highly recommended.

27 FANTASTIC FOUR #521 $2.99 MAR 47,634

Another great issue from the Waid/Weiringo team. I don't know how the JMS issues are going to be, but the only other person who has been this good on this book was Lee and Kirby. A classic run and highly recommended.

28 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #22 $2.25 MAR 47,513

Just utter crap, spinning out of the utter crap storyline about Gwen Stacy's kids. Crap crap crap. Craptacularly crapishly crap. I'd rather be hit with a stell post than read this crap comic. How's that for a review?

29 JSA #68 $2.50 DC 45,198

This comic, on the other hand, is one of the best Super-hero team books being published, and is starting a time travel story that does a good job of remembering that most readers don't know a lot about the 50's version of the JSA. While some have called this a continuity wallow, I feel that Geoff Johns does a good job of giving readers enough info to know who is who, what is what and how high the stakes are. Highly recommended.

30 NEW X-MEN #7 $2.99 MAR 43,024

The most successful “non-core” X-Men book, and the only one that uses the concept of the X-Men as a “school”. The name change and re-start have actually helped this comic's sales. It's not a GREAT comic, but with the other X-Books being so poorly done, it's becoming the best of the X-Men comics. Mildly recommended for super-hero fans.

31 DETECTIVE COMICS #801 $2.95 DC 42,775

The start of a new storyline, and it's another one that will take a YEAR to be done, so it's like commenting on the first chapter of a novel. I'll be reading it in 3 – 6 issue chunks.

32 EXCALIBUR #8 $2.99 MAR 42,440

And here we see Chris Claremont at his most unreadable. The original Excalibur series was a light hearted romp, that was a fun comic. This is a leaden continuity mess with endless Claremont purple prose and over-writing. I doubt half the people who buy this comic actually read it.

33 CONAN #11 $2.99 DAR 41,149

Buying it as trades. That's a big trend with me.

34 STRANGE #3 $3.50 MAR 41,015

After leafing through the past issues, this is pretty much a re-telling of an origin that was good enough on its own. I'm sure there are people who like this, but I'm not one of them.

35 ULTIMATE ELEKTRA #5 (Of 5) $2.25 MAR 40,856

Read this one as a trade, which they rushed out for the movie (shudder). Not as horrible as the movie, but still, buy the Frank Miller issues and ignore this.

36 OUTSIDERS #18 $2.50 DC 40,601

A perfectly average super-hero book, although this one is a “social issue” story with John Walsh of America's Most Wanted as a character. Still, if you like super-hero team books, here's nother one that doesn't suck.

37 THE PUNISHER #15 (MR) $2.99 MAR 40,357

Garth Ennis is one of the few writers who can write a stright action story that works in a comic book context without all kinds of super-hero crap. His Punisher run has been well-done, and the current story arc is more of the same, in a good way. Mildly recommended.

38 NIGHTWING #100 (Note Price) $2.95 DC 40,022

The Big Finale where all of the plot threads of the past couple of years get tied up. In 1985, this would have been a decent enough super-hero comic, but now it just strikes me as too long to set up too little of a payoff. I felt as if the whole story could have been told in three issues, rather than 24 (or more).

39 ACTION COMICS #822 $2.50 DC 38,110
40 NEW AVENGERS #1 DIRECTORS CUT $3.99 MAR 38,073

A reprint of the first issue with two pages of sketches and some pages from the script. I would like it if Marvel did more for a “Director's cut” than shove in some stuff left over at the copy machine for the $1 extra. But then, why should they listen to me when it sells this well.

41 X-FORCE #5 $2.99 MAR 38,006

Rob Liefeld! The goggles! They do nothing!

42 WHAT IF MAGNETO HAD FORMED X-MEN WITH PROFESSOR X $2.99 MAR 37,897

The “What If's” in this “event” didn't work for me. They spent too much time setting things up, and the resolution for this issue was...uninteresting. It shows why the “What If” series usually end up being canceled due to lack of interest.

43 AVENGERS EARTHS MIGHTIEST HEROES #3 (Of 8) $3.50 MAR 36,667

A retelling of the early years of the Avengers, and it doesn't add a whole lot to the original stories. For hard-core fanboys only.

44 GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH #2* $2.95 DC 35,948

These are re-orders. That's right. It sold over 100K last issue and another 36k for a second cover. DC has a hit here, and the story is pretty much a “we're going to undo all the shitty stories of the last 10 years” mini-series.

44 GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH #2* $2.95 DC 35,948

45 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #60 $2.50 DC 35,893
46 AVENGERS EARTHS MIGHTIEST HEROES #4 (Of 8) $3.50 MAR 35,625

More retellings of early stories from the 60’s. It’s getting good reviews, but at this point, it’s kind of silly for anyone to buy a Marvel mini-series, since they collect them a couple of weeks after the last issue is printed.

47 ROBIN #133 $2.25 DC 35,406

The new direction of Robin has been a lot better than the book has been in a while, but it’s got a VERY unstable art team, so you have to check between issues to see if the art is readable. I would see this comic as becoming almost an automatic buy once they get a regular artist. As of now, it’s mildly recommended.

48 DOCTOR SPECTRUM #4 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99 MAR 34,852
49 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #635 $2.50 DC 34,438

I like Greg Rucka’s stuff on other comics, but he just doesn’t seem to have grasped what works with Superman. He has been on the book for a year, and while I haven’t Disliked any of the stories, I don’t Remember any of them either.

50 EXILES #55 $2.99 MAR 33,744
51 EXILES #56 $2.99 MAR 33,396

This is the tie-in to the messy “Age of Apocolypse”, and while that mini-series made no sense at all, this tie-in was a decent enough story. Mildly recommended for hard-core Marvel fans only.

52 CATWOMAN WHEN I/ROME #3 (Of 6) $3.50 DC 33,390
53 EXILES #57 $2.99 MAR 33,183

Three issues in a month? I don’t know how well the Marvel “Publish them as they get done” idea works for sales, but I know it was nice to get an entire story arc done in a month.

54 JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE #6 (Of 12) $2.50 DC 33,141
55 RISING STARS #23 (Of 24) $2.99 IMA 32,909

Only 5 years late…and I have to admit, I gave up on this book so long ago, I barely remember what it was about.

56 NEW THUNDERBOLTS #3 $2.99 MAR 32,720

The re-launch of this comic has been pretty unexciting, and the creative team hasn’t done anything to make me think that this is anything more than more of the same from the last 20 or so issues before the “new direction” of the last 6 issues of the comic.

57 MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #13 $2.99 MAR 32,623
58 BATMAN DANGER GIRL $4.95 DC 32,422

I think that if creator J. Scott Campbell would have worked on this comic, it would have been a hit, but with him not working on it, and there hasn’t been a Danger Girl comic out in ages, it would be hard to see if people cared. The story itself was pretty bland, and the two “worlds” don’t mesh well, since Batman is more pulp based, and Danger Girl is a female James Bond kind fo world…not worth the money.

59 WHAT IF KAREN PAGE HAD LIVED $2.99 MAR 32,312
60 WHAT IF AUNT MAY HAD DIED INSTEAD OF UNCLE BEN $2.99 MAR 31,783

Marvel’s return of “What If?” as an event was a good idea. I loved this series during the first run, and even the second run had a lot of fun stories for hard-core Marvel fans. The problem with most of these was that they were trying to cram too much of a story into a decompressed style, and they should have just done double sized issues, or continued the stories into a couple of other comics. As is, they feel more like they were “tossed off” and might make a decent trade, but nothing worth seeking out.

61 NIGHTCRAWLER #3 $2.99 MAR 31,436

All of the “solo X-Men” books have suffered from anemic sales, and in the case of Nightcrawler, it’s a shame, as I think this is, by far, the best of the bunch. I’m not a fan of the current “mopey and whiney” version, but this series has been well-written, has an interesting plot, doesn’t feel like it is dragging and has excellent art. It’s too bad it’s selling at this low level, and I highly recommend it.

62 SPACE GHOST #2 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 31,429
63 BATGIRL #59 $2.50 DC 31,028
64 HULK & THING HARD KNOCKS #4 (Of 4) $3.50 MAR 31,003

And Bruce Jones’s run on the Hulk ends. It’s too bad that it all fell apart as it went, as it was one of the strongest starts to a run on a long-term character in years. His horror approach to The Hulk was refreshing, interesting, but by issue #50, it had run it’s course, and it was as if he had run out of ways to continue it. Now, Peter David is coming back, and hopefully he brings his writing up a notch as a did on “Fallen Angel”. This story, however, is not recommended, and is grossly overpriced.

65 GREEN ARROW #45 $2.50 DC 30,997
66 WHAT IF DR DOOM HAD BECOME THING $2.99 MAR 30,930
67 WHAT IF JESSICA JONES HAD JOINED AVENGERS $2.99 MAR 30,839

This story could have been a “Mary Sue” type piece of fan-fiction, but instead, it was a decent little story, and a good introduction to the character. Mildly recommended

68 POWERS #7 (MR) $2.95 MAR 30,687
69 BIRDS OF PREY #77 $2.50 DC 30,303
70 X-MEN UNLIMITED #6 $2.99 MAR 30,138

Marvel has this book and Spider-Man Unlimited to showcase either new talent, or talent that hasn’t been seen in Marvel books before (or far a while in the case of the recent Sam Keith story). I have ALWAYS liked these kind of comics, partly because of the short story aspect of them, and partly because it’s good to see people do something other than long form soap opera type stuff. Mildly recommended.

71 PUNISHER RED XMAS $3.99 MAR 29,852
72 WHAT IF GENERAL ROSS HAD BECOME HULK $2.99 MAR 29,785
73 GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH #1* $2.95 DC 29,718

Believe it or not, these are reorders. That’s right, RE-ORDERS. The story is a bit steeped in Continuity, and can be confusing to people who know nothing about Green Lantern, but if you do, it’s amazingly well done, with excellent art by Ethan Van Scriber and solid storytelling. Highly recommended.

74 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION 1 VOL 3 #10 $2.95 DRE 29,682
75 SPAWN #141 (RES) $2.50 IMA 29,469
76 NIGHTCRAWLER #4 $2.99 MAR 29,292
77 MARVEL TEAM-UP #3 $2.25 MAR 29,085

The team up aspect of this comic has been pretty fun, with the story continuing through issues, but the heroes may be different from issue to issue. Robert Kirkman, the writer behind the Excellent “Walking Dead” series is working on this comic, and it’s VERY accessible to non-comics readers. I’m having fun reading it, and it’s highly recommended.

78 ROGUE #5 $2.99 MAR 28,835
79 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #186 $2.50 DC 27,812

This comic seems like a wasted opportunity most of the time, as it feels more like “leftover inventory stories” than the Best Creators doing a Batman story. This is one of the inventory stories.

80 CABLE DEADPOOL #10 $2.99 MAR 26,911
81 ROGUE #6 $2.99 MAR 26,905
82 Y THE LAST MAN #29 (MR) $2.95 DC 26,765
83 GAMBIT #5 $2.99 MAR 25,413
84 CATWOMAN #38 $2.50 DC 25,108

Paul Guacy’s run seems to be ending, with him only doing sporatic issues here and there, and the book is due for a complete creative team change, so they are in “wrap up” mode on these issues. It’s readable, but has little impact if you haven’t been reading for a while, so it’s prolly better to just wait for the new team.

85 FABLES #32 (MR) $2.50 DC 24,889
86 WONDER WOMAN #211 $2.25 DC 24,828
87 SPIDER-MAN INDIA #2 $2.99 MAR 24,779

I still have yet to figure out why this comic was done. It’s not very good, and it’s confusing for long-time Marvel fanboys who feel that everything needs to fit into continuity. I’m not one of them, but dropping another version of Spider-Man on the market strikes me as silly and unneeded. I wouldn’t mind it if the story was any good, but since it isn’t…

88 EMMA FROST #18 $2.99 MAR 24,518
89 BLACK WIDOW #4 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 24,371
90 GI JOE VS TRANSFORMERS VOL 2 #4* $2.95 DEV 24,262
91 SHE HULK #10 $2.99 MAR 23,848
92 DISTRICT X #8 $2.99 MAR 23,683

One of the “lost treasures” of Marvel right now. I have never like Bishop as a character, but this series, placing him as a cop in a lower class town filled with Mutants has been not only a good super-hero story, but a good police procedural comic. It’s a shame that people aren’t finding this, because it is highly recommended.

93 FATHOM DAWN OF WAR #3 $2.99 ASP 23,452
94 SABRETOOTH #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 23,293
95 STREET FIGHTER #12* $2.95 DEV 23,251
96 CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #10 $2.99 MAR 23,233
97 EX MACHINA #7 (MR) $2.95 DC 23,172

Climbing up the charts slowly, and one of the better comics on the market. This is the start of a new story arc, and seems to be grabbing one of the bigger issues in politics (gay marriage). I hope that it doesn’t become a moralizing platform (for either side) but shows how the decisions in politics are made. It is one of best fusions of super-hero stuff as well as political stuff without being too much of either. With newspaper photo style art, this is one of the best comics being published and is highly recommended.

98 GI JOE #37 $2.95 DEV 23,086

Sales are dropping on this (and the Transformers comics) pretty fast. My belief is that nostalgia sells short term, and can grab readers, but without something to keep them, they quickly remember why they eventually didn’t care. This is a good example of that.

99 BULLSEYE GREATEST HITS #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 22,952
100 TRANSFORMERS WAR WITHIN VOL 3 #3 $2.95 DRE 22,928
101 MYSTIQUE #22 $2.99 MAR 22,557
102 MADROX #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 22,551

Peter David’s mini-series, using characters from his X-Force run. Sadly, I missed a pair of issues, so I’ll be buying it as a book, but I liked the first issue a lot.

103 AUTHORITY REVOLUTION #3 (Of 12) (MR) $2.95 DC 22,027
104 JSA STRANGE ADVENTURES #5 (Of 6) $3.50 DC 21,832

I dislike these mini-series that are regular sized comics at $3.50 because they have an extra stiff cover. Covers add nothing to a comic, and if you want to charge more, just give us more pages. And, I’m waiting for the trade paperback, which will probably be cheaper in aggregate.

105 ADAM STRANGE #4 (Of 8) $2.95 DC 21,509

A well done mini-series using a minor DC character I have never cared much for. This mini-series is well done, and a lot of fun to read, capturing the feel of a fast paced movie serial without being a pastiche. Highly recommended.

106 DEADSHOT #1 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 21,448
107 GI JOE #38 $2.95 DEV 21,412
108 HAWKMAN #35 $2.50 DC 21,357
109 AQUAMAN #25 $2.50 DC 21,107
110 FIRESTORM #8 $2.50 DC 21,077

Minor DC heroes tend to land down in this part of the sales chart. I also haven’t been impressed with any of these books enough to keep reading them. I know that they’ve done some drastic things with them: sinking San Diego in Aquaman, killing the previous Firestorm, and…OK, I have no clue with Hawkman. It doesn’t matter if the stories aren’t interesting, the big events don’t matter.

111 NEW INVADERS #5 $2.99 MAR 20,791

They’ve already announced that this comic is cancelled. And it’s a good thing, since the story that kicked this series off in The Avengers wasn’t any good, and this story arc was unreadable.

112 INTIMATES #2 $2.95 DC 20,443
113 SPIDER-GIRL #81 $2.99 MAR 20,419

Still around, and I hear that the only reason it is still going is because the trade paperbacks are selling well, which is a shame. This is a decent little series that tells old school super-hero stories in the style of comics in the 80’s. Tom DeFalco is not a GREAT writer, but he does do solid, dependable super-hero soap opera stories that are a nice little 15 minutes of escapism. Mildly recommended.

114 STAR WARS REPUBLIC #71 $2.99 DAR 19,822
115 SOLO #2 $4.95 DC 19,390

I love the idea of this comic: A single artist does a series of short stories for a book. No matter who the artist is, you are getting them doing their best work to show of their artistic chops. Highly recommended.

116 DOOM PATROL #7 $2.50 DC 19,335

More proof that John Byrne can complain all he wants that he’s just misunderstood, but he still can’t sell comics.

117 ALPHA FLIGHT #10 $2.99 MAR 19,055
118 STAR WARS REPUBLIC #72 $2.99 DAR 18,988
119 OCEAN #3 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 18,659
120 STAR WARS OBSESSION #2 $2.99 DAR 18,653
121 ELEKTRA THE HAND #5 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 18,556

A mini-series to help promote the horrid Elektra movie. Or, to tie in. It didn’t help either one.

122 STAR WARS EMPIRE #28 $2.99 DAR 18,215
123 STAR WARS EMPIRE #27 $2.99 DAR 18,111
124 SPIDER-MAN DOCTOR OCTOPUS YEAR 1 #5 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 18,032

Finishing up about a year late to tie in to the Spider-Man movie.

125 IDENTITY CRISIS #2 (Of 7)* $3.95 DC 17,849

Final printing, with new colors on the cover. I’m actually kind of amazed that DC’s big mini-series are going through so many printings.

126 TOMB OF DRACULA #3 $2.99 MAR 17,794
127 GI JOE RELOADED #10 $2.95 DEV 17,727
128 TOMB RAIDER #48* $2.99 IMA 17,490
129 OFFICIAL HANDBOOK MARVEL UNIVERSE GOLDEN AGE MARVEL 2004 $3.99 MAR 17,356
130 GOTHAM CENTRAL #26 $2.50 DC 17,094

Another of the series I think should sell better. The creators are trying to bring up sales by putting in more of the classic Batman villains, but it doesn’t seem to be drawing readers. This series about ordinary police officers in Gotham City is one that I have loved since the first issue, and it is doing the “police in a super-hero world” idea better than “Powers” at this point. If you haven’t read this comic, you should. Highly recommended.

131 QUESTION #2 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 16,948
132 THOR SON OF ASGARD #11 $2.99 MAR 16,930
133 WITCHBLADE #81 $2.99 IMA 16,911
134 TRANSFORMERS ENERGON #30 $2.95 DRE 16,777
135 GI JOE RELOADED #11 $2.95 DEV 16,753
136 BPRD THE DEAD #2 (Of 5) $2.99 DAR 16,576
137 DARKNESS VOL 2 #17 $2.99 IMA 15,992
138 SWAMP THING #10 (MR) $2.95 DC 15,846
139 100 BULLETS #56 (MR) $2.50 DC 15,590
140 MANHUNTER #5 $2.50 DC 15,352
141 HELLBLAZER #203 (MR) $2.75 DC 15,304

It has been a long time since I really liked this book. It’s been a decent read, but most of the time, I forget the story soon after I’ve read it. If you’re interested, it’s being written in the “make stories for trade paperbacks” for a long time, so buy it that way.

142 TEEN TITANS GO #14 $2.25 DC 14,963
143 TOE TAGS FEAT GEORGE ROMERO #3 (MR) $2.95 DC 14,932

I love George Romero, but this comic is having a lot of trouble when it comes to making sense. I don’t know if it is because the artist is a poor storyteller, or if Romero has trouble writing for comics, but this series is becoming a big mess. It’s too bad, since there are a lot of good ideas floating around in the confusion.

144 WALKING DEAD #14 (MR) $2.95 IMA 14,713

Still going up the charts, and a highly recommended comics. The story is one that I’m king of pre-disposed to like (set after zombies have overrun society) but it’s more than just a horror comic…it’s a comic that deals with interesting characters in a setting that will “push” them. Great art, solid story, and one of the best mainstream comics being printed.

145 YOUNG GUNS 2004 SKETCH BOOK $3.99 MAR 14,701
146 BOOKS OF MAGICK LIFE DURING WARTIME #6 (MR) $2.50 DC 14,494
147 TRIGGER #1 (MR) $2.95 DC 14,019

For a first issue, these are horrible numbers. I doubt it will last much beyond the first contract.

148 KABUKI #3 (MR) $2.99 MAR 13,885

Not much better than the numbers at Image. I wish I could recommend this comic, but it’s just told in a way that I can’t follow easily. I’ll try again in a few months, since SO MANY people tell me how great the book is.

149 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #4 $2.25 DC 13,787
150 BATMAN STRIKES #4 $2.25 DC 13,257
151 TOM STRONG #30 $2.95 DC 13,069

So, a comic written by Michael Moorcock only sells this well? You people make me sick. This series has been fun, incredibly interesting, and this Michael Moorcock two parter is just as good as any of the Alan Moore scripted issues. It’s amazing that this pulp flavored series doesn’t sell better, and it is highly recommended.

152 JUBILEE #4 $2.99 MAR 13,026
153 TALES OF SUSPENSE CAPTAIN AMERICA & IRON MAN COMM ED #1 $3.99 MAR 12,673

A cool idea, putting the two characters who were in the old “Tales of Suspense” comic of the 60’s in a nice package that publishes their recent first issues. The Captain America issue is the better of the two, and reads much better, but the Iron Man issue is a more radical departure from the previous series. However, most people already have these issues if they were going to get them, so this is more of a “collector’s item” type thing.

154 SIMPSONS COMICS #101 $2.99 BON 12,624

Every issue of this series has been at LEAST as good as the show, and in the past few years, better. It is the perfect way to do a TV tie-in, telling stories that feel like missing episodes, and keeps the same sense of humor. Highly recommended.

155 DOC FRANKENSTEIN #1 $3.50 BUR 12,575
156 LUCIFER #57 (MR) $2.50 DC 12,441
157 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #13* $2.25 MAR 12,180

No, it’s not selling poorly, these are re-orders.

158 SAMURAI HEAVEN & EARTH #1 $2.99 DAR 11,936
159 THE INCREDIBLES #2 $2.99 DAR 11,912

This is another movie adaptation, spread over four issues. I’d be interested if it was a story either before or after the movie, but adaptations are a waste of time, since I will be able to buy the DVD everywhere for less than it would cost to buy all four issues of this comic.

160 ELEKTRA THE MOVIE $5.99 MAR 11,869

Almost as bad as the movie. Why isn’t it AS bad as the movie? Because nothing could be. OK, maybe the Dolph Lundgren Punisher movie…but I think it’s more of a tossup at this point.

161 STOKERS DRACULA #2 (Of 4) $3.99 MAR 11,692

More reprints of the 70’s adaptation that Roy Thomas and Dick Giordano did for the Marvel Black and White mags. It reads like the typical comics of the time, filled with purple prose, but I like it. I’m surprised Marvel is publishing it as a comic before collecting it in a book for the mainstream book trade, but the sales show that there is a small, but solid market for this kind of thing. I like it, but it’s an acquired taste. Mildly recommended.

162 30 DAYS OF BLOODSUCKERS TALES #3 $3.99 IDW 11,668
163 MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN #17 $2.25 MAR 11,644
164 SHAOLIN COWBOY #1 $3.50 BUR 11,595

This (and Doc Frankenstein) are new comics by the Matrix guys, but I think the price point, and the fact that the concepts are a bit strange are keeping most people from trying it. I was going to give both of the books a “flip test” and look through them before buying them, but I have yet to find a shop that stocked them on the shelf.

165 CONCRETE HUMAN DILEMMA #1 (MR) $3.50 DAR 11,534

It’s been way too long since we got a new Concrete mini-series…but $3.50 for a black and white book, and I have to buy 6 issues for the whole story? That’s $21 for the whole story, which is the cost of a lower tier hardcover book. I’ll wait for the trade paperback so that I can get the story cheaper, and without ads.

166 WARLOCK #4 $2.99 MAR 11,449
167 MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN #18 $2.25 MAR 11,412
168 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL 3 #8 $2.95 IMA 11,266
169 SLEEPER SEASON TWO #7 (Of 12) (MR) $2.95 DC 11,023

With the writing having signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, I’m guessing there won’t be a “Season Three”. Too bad. This comic never got the sales it should have, but I know that they are going to publish the whole thing as four trade paperbacks. It may have super-heroes in it, but they are just a backdrop for a solid premice and interesting characters, all drawn in shades of gray. Highly recommended.

170 METAL GEAR SOLID #4 $3.99 IDW 11,004
171 RICHARD DRAGON #8 $2.50 DC 10,919

This has to be a huge failure for DC, and it shows that while a creative team may be able to sell a book with a popular character, it’s doesn’t mean the creative team is what sold the book. The writer/artist combo on this book did Nightwing for around 50 issues, and sold quite well, but on the VERY obscure “Richard Dragon” character, it’s a huge sales failure. I tried the first few issues, and it was pretty clear that Chuck Dixon was just going through the motions.

172 WITCHING #7 (MR) $2.95 DC 10,401
173 MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN TEAM UP #4 $1.75 MAR 10,340
174 ELRIC MAKING OF A SORCERER #2 (Of 4) (RES) (MR) $5.95 DC 10,207
175 FALLEN ANGEL #18 (MR) $2.95 DC 10,200

I have really liked this series (which is ending with issue #20), and it has shown that Peter David can do excellent writing when he doesn’t let his tendency to shove too much humor into a story take hold. It’s got a fascinating main character, strong plots, and mysteries that interest the reader rather than seeming like the writer just hasn’t thought of an answer yet. Grab the back issues, and read this series if you like solid storytelling. Highly recommended.

176 GOON DH ED #10 $2.99 DAR 9,975
177 PLASTIC MAN #13 $2.95 DC 9,975

I don’t see how this comic can still be profitable enough to keep going, but I’m glad it is. It’s bi-monthly now, but you still get some of Kyle Baker’s best work ona clasasic character, and it shows that you don’t have to go “dark” to reinvent a character and make it entertaining. Highly recommended.

178 GHOSTBUSTERS LEGION #3 (Of 4) (RES)* $2.95 EIG 9,920
179 RETURN OF SHADOWHAWK ONE SHOT #1 $2.99 IMA 9,847

And Jim Valentino comes back to writing and drawing comics. I never cared for Shadowhawk, as it just seemed like a more violent version of Batman with a silly costume. Leafing through it, Valentino’s art comes off as less polished than it used to be, and the lettering actually makes it seem like it was meant to be in a smaller book, or it’s written in Large Print. Either way, there’s nothing here to recommend.

180 HUMANKIND #4 (Of 5) $2.99 IMA 9,756
181 LOSERS #19 (MR) $2.95 DC 9,665
182 BART SIMPSON COMICS #21 $2.99 BON 9,652

I finally quit getting this comic, after hoping against hope it would drop the “let’s put Bart in situations that don’t fit the character”. It never did and has felt like one of those horrid Dell comics of the 70’s, where it was clear that the creative team had never watched the TV show their comic was based on, and were just recyling old stories.

183 INVINCIBLE #18 $2.95 IMA 9,439
184 AFTERMATH INFANTRY #1* $2.95 DEV 8,897
185 VOLTRON VOL 2 #11 $2.95 DEV 8,897
186 MARVEL AGE HULK #4 $1.75 MAR 8,806
187 MONOLITH #10 $2.95 DC 8,788
188 WILD GIRL #2 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 8,751
189 SAVAGE DRAGON #119 $2.95 IMA 8,672

This and Spawn are the only two comics from the beginning of Image that are still going, and this is the only one that still has one of the original Image creators working on it. I never cared for Erik Larson’s work and felt his art was too stylized for me. Still, I admire the fact that he is taking this comic seriously and hasn’t pawned it off on other people, or relaunched it 17 and a half times. I don’t care for it, though.

190 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #143 $2.19 ARC 8,459
191 GARTH ENNIS 303 #2 (MR) $3.99 AVA 8,416
192 RAZORS EDGE WARBLADE #3 (MR) $2.95 DC 8,398
193 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #144 $2.19 ARC 8,337

Still going strong, even though the character isn’t really a big video game draw anymore. Archie is doing something right with this comic, and I’m glad that there’s a comic out there for kids so that they can get into comic books. And I have never beaten a Sonic game. So there.

194 HUMAN TARGET #17 (MR) $2.95 DC 8,215
195 ANGELTOWN #2 (OF 5) (MR) $2.95 DC 8,154
196 MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR #9 $2.25 MAR 8,118
197 MEGACITY 909 #4* $2.95 DEV 8,008
198 LADY DEATH 10TH ANNIV ED #1* $3.99 AVA 7,996

And what will she get for her 10th Anniversary? Traditionally, it’s supposed to be Tin. I’m thinking it’s Silicon.

199 HARD TIME #11 $2.50 DC 7,996

I LOVE this comic. This is the next to last issue of this run, and I think the whole series was really hurt by how DC launched their “Focus” line. However, Gerber has announced that he will be doing a “second season” and it will be taken from that failed brand and moved under the main DC banner. The trade paperbacks are coming, and this comic is highly recommended.

200 MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR #10 $2.25 MAR 7,953
201 MONOLITH #11 $2.95 DC 7,947
202 ULTRA #5 (Of 8) $2.95 IMA 7,740
203 BATTLE OF THE PLANETS PRINCESS #3 (Of 6) $2.99 IMA 7,594
204 PVP #12 $2.95 IMA 6,979
205 BLOODHOUND #6 $2.95 DC 6,528
206 ENGINEHEAD #6 (Of 8) $2.50 DC 6,437
207 OJO #4 (MR) $2.99 ONI 6,096
208 AFTERMATH BREAKDOWN #2 $2.95 DEV 6,023
209 BRIAN PULIDOS BELLADONNA #2 (Of 5)* $3.99 AVA 5,980
210 COSMIC GUARD #5 $2.99 DYN 5,968
211 MU #2* $2.95 DEV 5,931
212 NOBLE CAUSES #4* $3.50 IMA 5,864
213 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #98 $3.99 KEN 5,785

Still a great, funny comic about gamers. It’s 100 pages for $4, and the comics section is over 50 pages, so it’s also a good value. Highly recommended.

214 BLADE OF KUMORI #2 $2.95 DEV 5,731
215 WILDGUARD FIRE POWER #1* $3.50 IMA 5,603
216 NOBLE CAUSES #5 $3.50 IMA 5,597
217 AFTERMATH DEFEX #3 $2.95 DEV 5,566
218 GIRL GENIUS #13 $3.95 STU 5,523

I love Phil Foglio, but I bought too many series by him that he lost interest in, had massive deadline issues and the like for me to buy this as a comic. Especially since it's taken him 7 years to get 13 issues out, so I buy it as trade paperbacks.

219 POWERPUFF GIRLS #57 $2.25 DC 5,463
220 QUEEN & COUNTRY #28 (MR) $2.99 ONI 5,420
221 MISPLACED AT 17 #1* $4.95 DEV 5,396
222 IDENTITY CRISIS #6 (Of 7) $3.95 DC 5,341
223 WARREN ELLIS QUIT CITY #1 (MR) $3.50 AVA 5,335

I have yet to read a Warren Ellis comic through Avalon that wasn't poorly drawn, and seemed like a late 80's splatter movie that went direct to video. It's too bad that when given so much freedom, he delivers so much crap.

224 STARGATE SG1 FALL OF ROME #3 (Of 3)* $3.99 AVA 5,329
225 CSI DOMINOS #4 (MR) $3.99 IDW 5,304

Both of these books would probably sell a bit better if they weren't $4 for part of a story when you can buy a novel about the properties for $7. That, and if they were for sale outside of comic shops, they might sell better as well.

226 IDENTITY CRISIS #1 (Of 7)* $3.95 DC 5,225
227 UNCLE SCROOGE #337 $6.95 GEM 5,207
228 SCOOBY DOO #91 $2.25 DC 5,201
229 ARMY OF DARKNESS ASHES TO ASHES DIRECTORS CUT #1 $4.99 DYN 5,152

Why are there "Director's Cut" comic books? Do comics have directors? Were there scenes removed to get an R ratings? Or, is it just a lame way to getting people to buy a comic again, by adding a couple pages of script and some concept sketches? I'd say, "You decide", but I looked at it and I'm deciding that it's just a way to get you to pay an extra buck to buy the comic again.

230 DESPERADOES BANNERS OF GOLD #1 $3.99 IDW 4,988
231 JINGLE BELLE #2 $2.99 DAR 4,914

This is a fun idea that never seems to work well as a comic. Paul Dini (who worked on the Batman Animated series and current is a writer on the show "Lost") is a very talented guy, and the idea of Santa Claus's bratty daughter is a fun one, but most of the stories have fallen a bit short of being worth the time and price point.

232 DONALD DUCK & FRIENDS #323 $2.95 GEM 4,854
233 IDENTITY CRISIS #5 (Of 7) $3.95 DC 4,854
234 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #96 (MR) $2.99 DAR 4,847
235 FLASH #216 $2.25 DC 4,683
236 DEMO #12 (Of 12) $2.95 AIT 4,628
237 METAL HURLANT #14 (MR) $3.95 DC 4,567

An excellent anthology that won't sell because it is an anthology. But I'll buy it. I'm funny like that. And the stories in it are usually by some of the best artists in Europe and the US, doing very art focused stories to show off their skills. Highly Recommended.

238 LOVE & ROCKETS VOL 2 #12 (MR) $4.50 FAN 4,494
239 SUPERMAN BATMAN #14 (RES) $2.95 DC 4,482
240 MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS #272 $2.95 GEM 4,482

Does Mickey Mouse still have any friends? Donald Duck hangs out with his "nephews", Goofy has gotten a job in the White House giving out press credentials to gay hookers, and Minnie has shacked up with Pluto in a very sick arrangement. I think Mickey just sits at home, alone, on his couch in his underwear with a bottle of cheap vodka watching re-runs of old Beach Party movies. And that can't be good comics.

241 SECRET SKULL #4 (MR) $3.99 IDW 4,464
242 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #19 $2.95 MIR 4,452
243 THE INCREDIBLES #1 NEW PRTG (OF 4) $2.99 DAR 4,427
244 KARAS $2.99 DAR 4,427
245 BLACK HOLE #12 (OF 12) (MR) $5.95 FAN 4,324

It took ten years for this series to be completed, so enough of you Savage Dragon and Spawn fans whining about how long you have to wait for issues. Burns's work is hard to read, as it deals with horror on a near subconscious level, and he works in repellent imagery. If you can get past that, this is one of the better horror comics to ever see print, and all of the issues are available from Fantagraphics, but it is definitely not for everyone.

246 IDENTITY CRISIS #3 (Of 7) $3.95 DC 4,324
247 IDENTITY CRISIS #4 (Of 7) $3.95 DC 4,257
248 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #652 $6.95 GEM 4,214
249 LURKERS #3 $3.99 IDW 4,159
250 RADIOACTIVE MAN #197 $2.50 BON 3,989

A super-hero parody by the Simpsons comics people that normally sells much better than this. It's one of the few humor comics that is actually funny, and the jokes are good enough that even non-comic book fans can laugh at them. Highly recommended.

251 WORLDWATCH #3 (MR) $2.95 WIL 3,800
252 SUPREME POWER #13 (MR) $2.99 MAR 3,788
253 ULTIMATE ELEKTRA #4 (Of 5) $2.25 MAR 3,776
254 DEAD AT 17 REVOLUTION #2 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95 VIP 3,697
255 GOLD DIGGER #58 $2.99 ANT 3,617
256 TEEN TITANS #18 $2.50 DC 3,605
257 SUPER MANGA BLAST #47 (MR) $5.99 DAR 3,459

The only manga anthology I buy, and a great way to start reading the format. The "What's Michael" strips are some of the funniest comics being printed, and most of the other strips in the comic are worth reading. I know that anthologies don't do well in the American market, but this is prolly the best bet for a casual reader to see what the best manga available in the US are.

258 SPACE GHOST #1 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 3,441
259 SPAWN #140 (RES) $2.50 IMA 3,422
260 FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER #7* $2.95 IMA 3,234

Even with sales this low, it's been optioned as a movie, mostly because it is a GREAT high concept title. The comic is going to come out as a trade soon, so I'll see if it is any good then.

261 LOONEY TUNES #121 $2.25 DC 3,088
262 BEAR #7 $2.95 SLG 3,033
263 ARCHIE #553 $2.19 ARC 2,820
264 CVO COVERT VAMPIRIC OPERATIONS ROGUE STATE #2 (MR) $3.99 IDW 2,801

This is one of the silliest titles I have seen. I'm pretty much sick of vampire stories, and military stories, so I don't think I'll want to read military vampire stories.

265 HARDY BOYS #2 $2.95 NBM 2,716
266 MARVEL MUST HAVES WOLVERINE #20-22 $3.99 MAR 2,704

Reprinting the first three issues of the current Wolverine story, which I REALLY liked. Not anything brilliant, but an all out action story of Wolverine against a whole bunch of Marvel heroes. A LOT of fun to read, but if you aren't already a super-hero fan, you won't get much out of it.

267 SABRINA VOL 2 #63 $2.19 ARC 2,649
268 SUPERMAN #211 $2.50 DC 2,625
269 SECRET WAR BOOK 1 (OF 5) 3RD PRINTING $3.50 MAR 2,606
270 EZRA #3 $2.95 ARC 2,600
271 FIERCE #4 (Of 4) $3.99 DAR 2,576
272 G-MAN ONE SHOT $5.95 IMA 2,570

Does ANYONE call FBI agents G-Men anymore? And if they do, do they carry Tommy Guns? Do they still make Tommy Guns?

273 BRIAN PULIDOS WAR ANGEL BOOK OF DEATH VAR CVR* $2.99 AVA 2,570
274 SECRET WAR BOOK 2 (OF 5) 2ND PRINTING $3.50 MAR 2,539
275 JLA #108 $2.25 DC 2,527
276 GLOOMCOOKIE #22 (MR) $2.95 SLG 2,521
277 NIGHTMARES & FAIRY TALES #11 (MR) $2.95 SLG 2,515

Two of my favorite comics, both written by Serina Valentino. Gloomcookie is in the middle of a long story that is interspersed with small character-based short stories set in a world of monsters, evil circuses and the like. It is probably the best fantasy comic on the stands, while Nightmares is a series of horror stories based on fairy tales, and both are a great read. Highly recommended.

278 BETTY & VERONICA #205 $2.19 ARC 2,503
279 STREET FIGHTER CVR C POWER FOIL #11 (Net) $7.50 DEV 2,448
280 MAD MAGAZINE #449 $3.50 DC 2,442

So, MAD Magazine is listed in the comics instead of the MAGAZINES. I wonder why that is? I'm actually kind of amazed that MAD does this well in comic shops, since it is pretty much a mainstream magazine. MAD is one of those things that everyone thinks will always be around, but for all the talk about how the glory days of the magazine was in the 50's, it's highest sales were in the 70's. Still, it's aimed at a young audience (pre-teen and early teen), and most of the "classic" artists no longer work on the mag. I've outgrown it, but I do check in once in a while to see if any of the different "revampings" have worked.

281 OLYMPUS HEIGHTS #5 $3.99 IDW 2,405
282 CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #4 $2.25 DC 2,393
283 BETTY #143 $2.19 ARC 2,357
284 VERONICA #157 $2.19 ARC 2,308
285 PS238 #9 $2.99 DOR 2,247
286 BRIAN PULIDOS WAR ANGEL BOOK OF DEATH REG CVR $2.50 AVA 2,174
287 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE ILLUSTRATED #41 $2.99 KEN 2,131
288 JOE LANSDALES BY BIZARRE HANDS #6 (Of 6) (MR)* $3.50 AVA 2,077
289 ADAM STRANGE #3 (Of 8) $2.95 DC 1,991
290 SERENITY ROSE #5 $2.95 SLG 1,973
291 DARKSTALKERS #1* $2.95 DEV 1,967
292 HEROES ANONYMOUS #6 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99 BON 1,906

I bought the first couple of issues of this, and while it was a decent idea, the execution just fell flat. One of the few mini-series where I just said, "Nah, I don't need to read any more of this."

293 CAPTAIN GRAVITY & POWER OF VRIL #1 CURR PRTG $2.95 PEN 1,888

Thank goodness it's the most current printing, and not the older printings that are cluttering up...wait, I've never heard of this comic. Does anyone know why they did a second printing of this? AND WHAT THE HELL ARE VRIL?!?!

294 CITY OF HEROES #8 $2.95 BLU 1,888
295 BATGIRL #58 $2.50 DC 1,876
296 HOT MOMS #4 (A) $4.95 ERO 1,845
297 STREET ANGEL #4 $2.95 SLG 1,833
298 JUGHEAD #162 $2.19 ARC 1,827
299 GENUS #68 (A) $3.50 RAD 1,821
300 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #157 $3.59 ARC 1,821

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