The Top 300 Selling Comics For October 2003

This list comes from digging through sales figures, asking too many questions and using Diamond Comics information. The snotty comments in white By Cory!!

1 AVENGERS/JLA #2 $5.95 DC 176,734

Let's calculate how much money this issue brought it, just from the first shipment. 45% of $5.95 is $2.68. Then, times the number of issue shipped brings in...nearly $500,000. That doesn't count re-orders, the inevitable hardcovers and trade paperbacks...I think this is one that both DC and Marvel are going to be happy about.

Now, the fans? I would say that if you are a super-hero comics fan, this is what you have been wanting since you first saw two heroes fight. Perez is probably the best super-hero penciller ever (Kirby was a better storyteller and designer, but Perez just draws better) and Busiek knows how to push the fanboy buttons. You can't help but like the damn thing, and it makes all the other intercompany crossovers look like they were tosses off by indifferent hacks. Why would I even bother to recommend this? If you buy superhero comics, you either have it or are waiting for the collected version.

2 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #500 (#59) $3.50 MAR 162,176

Marvel kicked it into high gear, and it's good to see Spider-Man back at the old numbering, as well as selling so well. The story itself is a rather standard "memory lane" issue, with flashbacks to the good stories of the past in a way that isn't TOO horrible. It caps off with a nice sequence by John Romita Senior. A nice anniversary and mildly recommended.

3 MARVEL 1602 #3 (Of 8) $3.50 MAR 140,972

Neil Gaiman continues to hit the sales charts hard, and I would be shocked if Marvel doesn't do whatever they have to to get him to do more work for them. I'm waiting for the trade. I'm such a stinker.

4 ULTIMATE SIX #2 (Of 6) $2.25 MAR 130,575
5 ULTIMATE SIX #3 (Of 6) $2.25 MAR 119,499

You got it. Waiting for the trade.

6 ULTIMATE X-MEN #38 $2.25 MAR 117,729

Brian Michael Bendis is one of the few writers in comics who can write a bunch of series and still have them be good. In the past, there are a lot of writers who have been the "flavor of the moment" and have 4 or 5 books a month coming out, but Bendis is able to do it without a drop in quality or having to revert to formula plots. This issue continues that tradition, and while it writes out Spider-Man, keeps the suspense high and is highly recommended (especially with the X-Men movie just coming out on DVD).

7 BATMAN #620 $2.25 DC 117,213

No, it's not Jim Lee. Yes, the art is different, and not as flashy. But, the story is better than "Hush" (especially since all the Big Changes from Hush were wiped away in the last issue), and I like the art more, which puts me in the minority. Highly recommended.

8 NEW X-MEN #147 $2.25 MAR 115,045

Grant Morrison continues to show that you can do standard super-hero stuff and still have it be innovative and incredible. This issue, focusing on Wolverine and Jean with a look at the horror that had been unleashed by Magneto on Earth feels like a big deal. Even if all of the changes this story brings are washed away, the story itself shows just how good a long running super-hero comic can be. Highly recommended.

9 SUPERMAN/BATMAN #3 $2.95 DC 112,782

A solid super-hero comic with decent art. Not much more than that, tho. Mildly recommended for super-hero fans.

10 NEW X-MEN #148 $2.25 MAR 112,173

I can't see ANYONE who read the previous issue not buying this one, yet orders dropped by 3000. That makes no sense to me. Oh, and this issue is even better than 147.

11 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #47 $2.25 MAR 108,528
12 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #48 $2.25 MAR 107,531

Two great issues (again). It's amazing that I am able to give good reviews to the top selling comics, since just 5 years ago, I thought that the top selling comics were unreadable crap. Of course, sales were dropping fast and people were giving up on comics at that time. Wonder if the two were connected.

13 UNCANNY X-MEN #432 $2.25 MAR 100,698

All good reviews come to an end, and right here is where the top selling comics love-fest finally ends. With this storyline, I have decided that Chuck Austin should not be allowed to write any series for more than 5 issues. His first batch of issues on this book were good, and showed promise, but this current story has gone 5 issues and shows no sign of having a resolution that will be anything but annoying. Austin is juggling three plots, none of which are anything I want to see...and his "revelation" that Nightcrawler's rather was the Marvel Universe version of Satan pretty much destroys anything interesting about the character.

How could they screw up Nightcrawler so much in the past few years? When he was created, he looked like a demon, but had the personality of Errol Flynn in stark contrast the typical Marvel bellyaching that passed for characterization. (Oh, I am so hideous, the world hates me, bitch bitch bitch). Now, they have pissed that all away, gone with something obvious and made a previously fun character an angst ridden waste of ink. My review? Ick!

14 WOLVERINE #6 $2.25 MAR 89,375

A fitting conclusion to a powerful story, after Wolverine loses control, he has a beer with a friend and talks about the reprocussions of his actions. Highly recommended.

15 SUPREME POWER #3 (MR) $2.99 MAR 83,983
16 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #5 $2.25 MAR 78,040

No sir, I don't like it. And it's too bad, since I have liked work by this creative team in the past, but the Venom story just doesn't work for me.

17 BATMAN #619* $2.25 DC 77,736

This is re-orders from the previous month, which means Batman 619 has sold over 300,000 copies. Wow. Good for DC.

18 HULK GRAY #1 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 76,083

It's too bad that Marvel let the creative team behind this (and Spider-Man: Blue and Daredevil: Yellow) get away, since they have been doing excellent work in creating stories that fill in the gaps in Marvel's old work without invalidating them. It's a great way to re-introduce the classic stories to current readers without seeming like "history." Recommended in book form.

19 TEEN TITANS #4 $2.50 DC 75,227

The reshuffling of the characters from Titans and Young Justice seems to have shook up sales for the better. Both this and Outsiders are very standard super-hero team books. There's nothing here to set the world on fire, but they are both solid books for super-hero fans.

20 X-TREME X-MEN #32 $2.99 MAR 69,109
21 HULK GRAY #2 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 68,992
22 THANOS #1 $2.99 MAR 68,722

Jim Starlin tends to come to Marvel every ten years, retell his Warlock/Thanos story with a couple of new twists and then fade away. I don't mind, as I like Starlin, bbut his "cosmic" sense of storytelling is VERY dated along side such books as Morrison's X-Men and his dialogue feels very stiff compared to the standards that Brian Bendis is setting. For nostaliga buffs and fans in their 30s and up who grew up reading his stuff, it's highly recommended, for other fans it's pretty much like his other work.

23 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE VOL 2 #6* $2.95 DRE 68,546

And it continues to drop again. I wonder how long they will let it fall before they start Vol. 3? Anyone think it will be more than 6 issues?

24 X-TREME X-MEN #33 $2.99 MAR 68,312
25 TRANSFORMERS WAR WITHIN VOL 2 #1* $2.95 DRE 68,112

Wow...a Transformers #1 that DOESN'T hit the top 10? Am I the only one who thinks that time could be up for this stuff? Probably. Oh well.

26 JLA #88 $2.25 DC 64,737

This (and the other issue below) were the last by the current creative team. When the new team takes over with issue 90 (or is it 91) I'll try again.

27 TRANSFORMERS/GI JOE #2 (OF 6) $2.95 DRE 64,397
28 JLA #89 $2.25 DC 64,256
29 AVENGERS #70 $2.25 MAR 64,116

Ah yes, the one that got everyone so upset. Ant Man and Wasp in their nothings in bed, with some really kinky stuff going on. I wasn't upset about the sex so much as how BAD the story was. Geoff Johns can do very good work, but this was not it. A very clumsy attempt at a story, and not very passable art (which, if anything, made the sequence everyone was so up in arms about worse) make for a "must pass" issue.

30 DAREDEVIL #53 $2.99 MAR 63,834

David Mack's story and art are about the last thing you would expect in a mainsteam Marvel Comic with a character who had a $100M grossing movie out, which is why it is so refreshing. Mack takes a bold chance, combining story and art in a wy most comic fans haven't seen. It doesn't matter that there isn't a lot of action, since the entire story in internal. Highly recommended, but people who aren't open to innovation should just walk on by.

31 AVENGERS #72 $2.25 MAR 63,635
32 AVENGERS #71 $2.25 MAR 62,451

Three issues of the Avengers in one month? I would say that was great if not for the fact that the art was pretty bland in all of them. The "search for She-Hulk" story is ok, but not really worth going out of your way for. Too bad, since Geoff Johns is such a good writer on JSA and Hawkman.

33 GI JOE/TRANSFORMERS #4 (Of 6)* $2.95 IMA 60,974
34 INCREDIBLE HULK #62 $2.25 MAR 60,470

Continuing the "horror" run of the book...but they have brought back Betty Banner, which just struck me as very unnecessary and pointless. Hopefully the story will make up for it.

35 NYX #1 $2.99 MAR 59,626

A very typical first issue with a very annoying cover. It shows a young girl, blissed out about to take off her bikini top. Hey, Marvel, if we want to see young women taking their clothes off, we've got the internet. The issue itself was a VERY standard "mmutant origin" story, so I don't see why this comic was so hyped. Painfully average.

36 FANTASTIC FOUR #505 (#76) $2.25 MAR 57,552

Waid and Wieringo are doing a great job on this comic, as it moves into a story where Reed Richards is making sure that D0oom will not be able to use his weapons if and when he comes back. It also delves into the psychological toll the story leading to issue #500 took on the characters, showing that Waid wants to do more than just tell a fight scene comic. Highly recommended for superhero fans.

37 OUTSIDERS #5 $2.50 DC 53,250

Another very average DC team book, suffering from trying to do too much all at once.

38 SILVER SURFER #2 $2.25 MAR 51,480

Only 3 months late. Three months late? IS IT FROM TODD MCFARLANE?

39 SPIDER-MAN & DR OCTOPUS NEGATIVE EXPOSURE #1 $2.99 MAR 49,112

The first of quite a few Dr. Octopus mini-series in anticpation of the Spider-Man II movie. And...ok, you guessed it, I'm buying it as a trade.

40 JSA #53 $2.50 DC 47,600

STILL DC's best team book, and possibly the best super-hero team book on the stands. The stories continue to both surprise and entertain. JSA is about the best book DC has, and is highly recommended.

41 VENOM #5 $2.25 MAR 46,334
42 CAPTAIN AMERICA #19 $2.99 MAR 46,123

Dave Gibbons' run on this book have been an odd counterpoint to the "Ice" storyline, which tried to insert a story into the past of the character, and failed because it stretched the credibility of the character too far, and ended up feeling meaningless. This one does a very similar type of story, but succeeds because the story is just so good. You CAN drop things into a character's past, if you have the talent to pull it off. Highly recommended.

43 PUNISHER #33 $2.99 MAR 45,877

A fun arc that serves to close off the "dark humor" run of this comic. It will resurface as a straight adventure series, which is a shame, since Ennis was a master at black humor. Highly recommended JUST for how the Punisher gets away from Wolverine, Spider-Man and Daredevil.

44 VENOM #6 $2.25 MAR 45,807
45 FORMERLY KNOWN A/T JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 45,772

LOVE THIS BOOK! It did so well, they will be doing another mini-series, which is very good news. The late 80's version of the Justice League was the perfect antidote to the Grim and Gritty movement of the time, and now it works just as well against the "big screen" disaster movie version of super-heroes we are going through. Let's face it, super-heroes are silly. This comic lets us laugh at that. Highly recommended.

46 EMMA FROST #4 $2.50 MAR 45,420
47 PUNISHER #34 $2.99 MAR 45,127
48 NEW MUTANTS #5 $2.50 MAR 44,975
49 SUPERMAN BIRTHRIGHT #4 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 44,928

Mark Waid's retelling of the Superman early years, which DC needs to update every 20 years or so. Oh, look, it's a mini-series. *starts waiting*

50 EXILES #35 $2.99 MAR 44,353

With Judd Winnick re-signing with DC for another couple of years, I would imagine that his built-up scripts on this series are done, which means the series goes to Chuck Austin. Who hasn't been doing TOO bad on the book, but as Uncanny X-Men has shown us, we need to give him time to start sucking.

51 NEW MUTANTS #6 $2.50 MAR 44,260
52 EXILES #36 $2.99 MAR 44,213
53 VENOM #7 $2.25 MAR 44,189
54 MYSTIQUE #7 $2.99 MAR 43,228
55 GREEN ARROW #31 $2.50 DC 43,041

Still dropping, although the series has leveled off, quality-wise, to be a mid-line super-hero book with a decent sense of humor. I don't much care about Green Arrow, except when Mike Grell is writing it, but this current run is at least readable.

56 SPAWN #129 $2.50 IMA 41,611

I have yet to get a single e-mail in my "E-mail me if you still read Spawn" challenge. I am firmly convinced that the people who buy it put it in a box and never look at the interiors. Lord known Todd McFarlane doesn't anymore.

57 DETECTIVE COMICS #787 $2.75 DC 41,247

The new creative team has yet to impress me enough that I( can even remember what the current storyline is. But the backup (featuring The Joker's Dog) has been hilarious, and I hope it gets collected in a nice little format sometime.

58 SUPERMAN/BATMAN SECRET FILES 2003 $4.95 DC 41,224
59 TEEN TITANS/OUTSIDERS SECRET FILES 2003 $5.95 DC 41,118

The "Secret Files" started as a new version of the "Who's Who" sort of book, but has now quickly because where they put stories that fill in gaps in the original stories. They aren't BAD, just kind of extra fluff you don't really need to bother with.

60 GI JOE #22 $2.95 IMA 39,923

And this one is dropping like a rock as well. Methinks the 80's boom was created by speculators, and now that they are gone, the few readers they have will bottom out in the 25K range.

61 THOR VIKINGS #4 (Of 5) (MR) $3.50 MAR 38,856
62 FLASH #203 $2.25 DC 38,622

A decent twist on the old "hero doesn't remember he's the hero" story. Oddly, as I read it, I can't help thinking that if the same story were being told in the 60's, it would be a 12 pager, but in the modern era, it goes for 6 issues. Still, Geoff Johns has a solid grasp on the character and is adding a bit more depth to The Flash. Mildly recommended.

63 HAWKEYE #1 $2.99 MAR 38,399

And Fabian trots out his re-write of Lone Wolf and Cub with a different super-hero. Well, Hawkeye doesn't have a child hanging around with him yet, but I would imagine it's coming. Pass.

64 PLANETARY #17 $2.95 DC 38,047

No, I don't buy this as it comes out. I know that it's fairly well done (except that I get the joke now, and it doesn't seem so much innovative as an over-done homage), but I can't wait 2 years between issues. I'll wait for the next book to ship and read it then, collected.

65 MICHAEL TURNER PRESENTS ASPEN #1 (Of 3) $2.99 ASP 37,743

Titties and water, titties and water, Michael Turner likes drawing titties and water!

66 IRON MAN #73 $2.99 MAR 37,168

Starting in this story, Iron Man is nominated to be Secretary of Defense. Hell, ANYONE would be better than Donald Rumsfeld.

67 SUPERMAN #198 $2.25 DC 36,676

You know things are bad when DC can't sell 37,000 copies of Superman, and while they say they are going to do a big revamp in 2004, why does it take so long for it? They were talking about the revamp back in late 2002, and we went through a whole year of falling sales, bland stories and poorly done art so that they could get a new team ready? WHY NOT JUST GET GOOD PEOPLE ONCE YOU REALIZE A TEAM ISN'T WORKING OUT?!?!?

68 THOR #69 $2.99 MAR 35,926
69 JSA ALL STARS #6 (Of 8) $2.50 DC 35,598
70 GREEN LANTERN #170 $2.25 DC 35,586

I read a bunch of the stories leading up to this one, and they all just feel like time fillers. Wasting space while waiting for something to happen. At $2 and a quarter a pop, that's a bad way to win customers.

71 ASTRO CITY LOCAL HEROES #4 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 35,469

Waiting for the trade.

72 THOR #70 $2.99 MAR 35,211
73 X-STATIX #13 $2.99 MAR 35,047
74 X-STATIX #14 $2.99 MAR 34,214

The infamous Princess Di story, changed ever so slightly to make her a dead pop star coming back to life with super-powers. I still read it as Princess Di, and it works as a strange, post-modern meditation on fame, the odd lives of pop culture icons and the dynamic of fame in a super-hero type setting. Yeah, that's pretty pretentious, but X-Statix is trying to do a lot more than just tell stories about fight scenes. Highly recommended.

75 ACTION COMICS #808 $2.25 DC 33,734
76 BATMAN DEATH & MAIDENS #3 (Of 9) $2.95 DC 33,371
77 BIRDS O/PREY #60 $2.50 DC 33,230
78 STREET FIGHTER #2* $2.95 IMA 32,761

These are actually good sales for a comic based on a game no one has given a damn about for 5 years. Or longer.

79 TRANSFORMERS ARMADA #16 $2.95 DRE 32,609
80 NIGHTWING #86 $2.25 DC 32,210

This is the issue that I lost all interest in this comic. The "Nightwing/Batgirl" romance wasn't a GREAT idea, but the way the creative team had them break up was cheap, stupid and made me think that the creators had no idea how to do a story in which human emotion was involved. There ARE ways to do a break-up story, this is not one of them.

81 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #46 $2.75 DC 31,812
82 WONDER WOMAN #197 $2.25 DC 31,519
83 BATMAN CITY O/LIGHT #1 (Of 8) $2.95 DC 30,757
84 ALIAS #27 (MR) $2.99 MAR 30,698

Love this comic too, as we see the main character, who has been down in the gutter as long as we've known her, start to show HOW she will rise about her character flaws to be a hero. It's really fascinating to me, since this comic was put upon by people before it came out as cheap exploitation, but is instead a nice re-imaging of the Stan Lee style of story telling in an adult manner. Highly recommended, and if you haven't read it yet, hunt down the whole series.

85 BATGIRL #45 $2.50 DC 30,522
86 HAWKMAN #20 $2.50 DC 30,499
87 LEGION #25 $3.95 DC 30,440

Superboy joins the Legion! *yawns* The story isn't that horrible, and I am a long time Legion fan, so it's been nice the past 6 months or so to be able to read stories about the characters without feeling like I was trying to decypher some strange code. Still, the rumor mill is saying that a new creative team is coming on board, which is a good thing. If you want to try the Legion, wait a few months for the new team.

88 ADVS O/SUPERMAN #621 $2.25 DC 30,323
89 WEAPON X #14 $2.99 MAR 30,124
90 THUNDERCATS HAMMERHANDS REVENGE #1 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 29,924

Dear Wildstorm, Re: Thundercats: Each #1 sells worse than the #5 of the previous miniseries. That means no one cares. Thanks.

91 AUTHORITY VOL 2 #6 (MR) $2.95 DC 29,854

Still dropping, due to people giving up on it even being as good as the previous series was. It's time to let the series go, as it is currently being kept alive through a feeding tube.

92 Y THE LAST MAN #15 (MR) $2.95 DC 29,749
93 THUNDERCATS DOGS O/WAR #5 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 29,725
94 WEAPON X #13 $2.99 MAR 29,374
95 PARADISE X X $2.99 MAR 28,893

The end of the "Earth X" stuff, created by Alex Ross, back when Marvel and Dc would fall all over themselves to publish anything he did. The 3 mini-series were all fairly well done, but if you haven't been reading Marvel for the past 30 years, good luck, as there is NO way to tell who is who, what is going on, or why any of it matters without way too much Marvel history in your brain.

96 KINGPIN #5 $2.50 MAR 28,893
97 TROUBLE #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 28,705
98 FABLES #18 (MR) $2.50 DC 28,694
99 POWERS #34 (MR) $2.95 IMA 28,623

As this series heads toward a conclusion (it's going to start over when this story arc is done) we get the history of the main character, and it's a LONG one. As with every other issue, this comic is thoughtfully written, expertly drawn and Highly Recommended.

100 CAPTAIN MARVEL #15 $2.99 MAR 28,354

And this is about where Captain Marvel was BEFORE all the U-Decide hub-bub, sales-wise. This series has now gone for over 20 issues with the "hero" being himself. Hey, PAD, I think that is why readers bail on you. They don't know if you will ever end a subplot, and when you do, it's been going on so long, we think that was the main thrust of the comic. Thanks.

101 ARKHAM ASYLUM LIVING HELL #6 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 28,073
102 SUPERMAN & BATMAN GENERATIONS III #10 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 27,979
103 BATMAN LEGENDS O/T DARK KNIGHT #172 $2.50 DC 27,826

What used to be a comic that had new creative teams coming in to do their best Batman story has long ago become "Batman Inventory Story Dumping ground". Dear editor, either get to work lining up top talent or cancel the darn thing. Thanks.

104 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS EYE OF GD #7 $5.25 DRE 27,182
105 AQUAMAN #11 $2.50 DC 27,135
106 BATMAN/JOKER SWITCH $6.95 DC 26,889
107 AGENT X #15 $2.99 MAR 26,584

I can never tell which one this used to be, Cable, Deadpool or whatever. But it's prolly gone now, so it doesn't matter to anyone else either.

108 NAMOR #7 (Note Price) $2.99 MAR 26,560
109 GI JOE FRONTLINE #15 $2.95 IMA 26,279
110 ELEKTRA #28 $2.99 MAR 25,892

Marvel's got a mild success here, as this comic has gone through 4 creative teams, is now with a couple of unknowns, and it hasn't lost any quality. It is a very brutal and violent comic that can't really be thought of as a super-hero comic, more like an "adventure novel" style of comic. The last issue, involving an African dictator was very well done, and the current story still has my interest. Mildly recommended.

111 SOJOURN #28 $2.95 CRO 25,670
112 NAMOR #8 (Note Price) $2.99 MAR 25,341

Also coming to an end with issue #12. Never read it, prolly never will. Don't much care for "underwater" heroes.

113 CATWOMAN #24 $2.50 DC 25,224

Last issue by Cameron Stewart before Paul Gulacy takes over. This is a good crime comic that can go off the rails from time to time, but is still one of DC's better books. A comic with a woman as the main character that most women won't toss to the ground and stomp on. Mildly recommended.

114 DARK DAYS #4 30 DAYS O/NIGHT SEQUEL (Of 6) (MR) $3.99 IDW 24,580
115 SPIDER-GIRL #65 $2.99 MAR 24,568

This is prolly the best 80's nostalgia comic on the stands, because it reads just like an 80's Marvel comic. Lots of action, soap opera sub-plots and superhero silliness. This isn't the best comic out there, but I do like reading it, if only because it reads like a lost Marvel comic from the late 80's.

116 ROBIN #119 $2.25 DC 24,099

On the other hand, this comic keeps getting worse. The current plot? A message from the future has warned Robin that someone who works with Batman will turn evil in the future and cause the death of millions. Blah-blah, blah-blah, blah. Bill Willingham can't take over as writer soon enough for me.

117 RUNAWAYS #7 $2.50 MAR 23,654

Highly recommended. Unlike most "teen superhero" books, this comic is filler with characters who seem like real teenagers. With all the immaturity, struggles with identity and the like, pun into a story about kids who find out their parents are super-villians. This is another comic that deserves more attention and is Highly Recommended.

118 GHOST I/T SHELL 2 MAN/MACHINE INTERFACE #8 (Of 11) $3.50 DAR 23,607
119 DOCTOR FATE #3 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 23,583
120 MAGDALENA VOL 2 #3 $2.99 IMA 23,560

This really surprises me, as I thought this comic was a huge hit from how people talk about it, and how it sold out everywhere. I wonder what it is about and...wait, it's a Top Cow book, so it's probably about a large breasted woman and demons who look like Aliens. Aren't they all?

121 WITCHBLADE #70 $2.99 IMA 23,126
122 INHUMANS #6 $2.50 MAR 23,091
123 STAR WARS EMPIRE #12 DARKLIGHTER (3 Of 4) $2.99 DAR 23,032
124 SMAX #3 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 22,212
125 SENTINEL #7 $2.50 MAR 21,977
126 STAR WARS TALES #17* $5.99 DAR 21,919

The only comic actually featuring characters we give a damn about, but other than a couple of Garth Ennis short stories, most of the "tales" have been by untested new talent who are just learning how to put stories together. But, with it's high price tag (and extra page count) it should be around for a while. If you need a Star Wars fix, this is the book to get.

127 TOMB RAIDER #34 $2.99 IMA 21,790
128 SENTINEL #8 $2.50 MAR 21,145

Canceled with issue #12. It got good reviews and was liked by its fans, but I found it to be a near carbon copy of "Iron Giant", after reading the first two issues and passed. But, at least I tried it, which is more than I can say for YOU!

129 EL CAZADOR #2 $2.95 CRO 21,087
130 HELLBOY WEIRD TALES #5 $2.99 DAR 21,040
131 LIBERTY MEADOWS #34 $2.95 IMA 20,208

A newspaper humor strip that was just too racy for newspapers. It's too bad, since most newspaper strip are so bland that you forget if you have read them or not about a half hour after you've finished the paper. This one features great art and funny gags. No, it's not going to be considered great literature, but it's a solid, funny, entertaining comic. Highly recommended.

132 TOM STRONG #22 $2.95 DC 20,102

Not by Alan Moore this issue, but still highly recommended.

133 BRIAN PULIDO LADY DEATH #8 $2.95 CRO 19,539
134 MOTU HE-MAN RISE O/T SNAKE MEN #1 $2.95 MVC 19,246
135 GOTHAM CENTRAL #12 $2.50 DC 19,117

LOVE THIS BOOK. It's a police procedural set in Gotham City, written by a novelist, and this story actually features the Joker. Try this comic, it's amazingly good and Highly recommended.

136 TMNT ANIMATED #5 $2.95 DRE 19,071

Canceled with issue #7. I guess the 80's nostalgia craze isn't going as well as all the people who tried to shove that crop down our throats hoped.

137 ROBOTECH LOVE & WAR #5 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 19,012
138 100 BULLETS #47 (MR) $2.50 DC 18,848

Apparently, this comic is soon to get its own video game. That's right, they have given up on ever having a GOOD Superman or Batman video game and are now going into the Vertigo stable for video game ideas. Am I the only one waiting for a Sandman video game where you stand around a mope enemies to death?

139 BRIAN PULIDO LADY DEATH #9 $2.95 CRO 18,742
140 FRANK MILLERS ROBOCOP #2 (Of 9) (MR)* $3.50 AVA 18,637
141 VOLTRON DEFENDER O/T UNIVERSE #5 $2.95 IMA 18,625
142 DRAWING ON YOUR NIGHTMARES HALLOWEEN 2003 SP $2.99 DAR 18,496
143 CAPER #1 (Of 12) (MR) $2.95 DC 18,473

The new Judd Winnick mini-series, but the cover (showing a bloodstain becoming a Star of David) seemed pretty odd. I thought it was a crime comic, but with that cover, it doesn't really let you know what to expect when you open it up.

144 HERO #9 $2.50 DC 18,449
145 TOM STRONGS TERRIFIC TALES #8 $2.95 DC 18,367

I LOVE this comic. Why is it selling so poorly? It's Alan Moore and art by Art Adams. Do people hate anthologies so much they won't even buy one with those guys working together? Highly recommended.

146 TWO STEP #1 (Of 3) (MR) $2.95 DC 17,652
147 ETERNAL #5 (MR) $2.99 MAR 17,465
148 RUSE #23 $2.95 CRO 17,371
149 HELLBLAZER #189 (MR) $2.75 DC 17,312
150 TERRA OBSCURA #5 (Of 6) $2.95 DC 17,125
151 DEMON DRIVEN OUT #2 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 17,078
152 RUSE #24 $2.95 CRO 16,656
153 FALLEN ANGEL #4 $2.50 DC 16,433

As I read this more, I find I like it a lot more than Peter David's other comics, and that's probably because it's completely self-contained. It also reads like his early 90's work (like the Epic mini he did with George Perez). Mildly recommended as long as he keep all the "in-jokes" out of it.

154 CURSED #1 (Of 4) $2.99 IMA 16,164
155 HARLEY QUINN #37 $2.50 DC 15,882

Last issue? I think so, either this one or the last one. This is a classic case of a comic that started with a strong creative team, and when they left, no one knew what to do with the series. Really makes a case for limited run series, doesn't it?

156 WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #15 (MR) $2.95 DC 15,730
157 BTVS #62 STAKE TO HEART (3 Of 4)* $2.99 DAR 15,730
158 LOSERS #5 (MR) $2.95 DC 15,718
159 SOLUS #7 $2.95 CRO 15,695

Now, 100% George Perez free!

160 SUPERMAN METROPOLIS #9 (Of 12) $2.95 DC 15,671
161 SIMPSONS COMICS #87 (Note Price) $2.99 BON 15,566

Still great, and still highly recommended.

162 RED STAR VOL 2 #3 $2.99 ARC 15,402

I remember when this was a hot book. Folks, just a reminder that this is what happens to you when you don't put your comic out on a decent schedule. People quit buying it.

163 BART SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE O/HORROR #9 $4.99 BON 15,378
164 SAM AND TWITCH #25 $2.50 IMA 15,331

Bwa-ha-ha! Only TWO YEARS LATE and comes during the month of the 4th issue of the replacement series. For those of you who were waiting for this issue to give you the end of the story, let me know if it was worth it, OK?

165 BONE #52 $2.95 CAR 15,285
166 WAY O/T RAT #17 $2.95 CRO 15,238
167 TEEN TITANS #2 2ND PRT $2.50 DC 15,214

People still buy second printings? Cool. Of course, how would you like to be working on a comic that sold LESS that a second printing of a second issue of a comic that sold 70,000 in the first printing?

168 BATMAN ADVS #7 $2.25 DC 15,015
169 LUCIFER #43 (MR) $2.50 DC 14,839
170 GEN 13 #14 $2.95 DC 14,792
171 CREW #6 $2.99 MAR 14,699

Last issue, and I guess it spun out of the mini-series "The Truth". I say I guess because they didn't even mention that until the third issue, and by then, it had been written off by comic shops. I don't read Christopher Priest comics anymore, although I know he has a huge internet following. I dislike the fact that he can't seem to write a single comic that stands on its own, but is instead part of a huge tapestry of his work where you have to have read everything he's ever done AND his internet posts to know what the plot is. Bugger that. If you can't tell a story in 22 pages, you don't belong in comics.

172 WAY O/T RAT #18 $2.95 CRO 14,652
173 HUMAN TARGET #3 (MR) $2.95 DC 14,534
174 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVS #24 $2.25 DC 14,464

A decent enough comic based on the animated series, but it's beginning to suffer from the "hey, is anyone here in the office who can write me an issue" syndrome.

175 BRATH #8 $2.95 CRO 14,347
176 BOTP MANGA #1 (Of 3) $2.99 IMA 14,159
177 SCION #40 $2.95 CRO 14,077
178 LONE WOLF 2100 #10 $2.99 DAR 14,030

Is it over yet? Are they done taking the greatest Manga and "updating" it? Can anyone, and the Rose means ANYONE tell me why this series is even remotely considered a good idea?

179 PATH #19 $2.95 CRO 13,409
180 KAMIKAZE #1 (Of 5) $2.95 DC 13,397
181 TOKYO STORM WARNING #3 (Of 3) $2.95 DC 13,269
182 MEGAMAN #2 $2.95 DRE 13,022
183 NEGATION #22 $2.95 CRO 12,975
184 STORMWATCH TEAM ACHILLES #16 (MR) $2.95 DC 12,823
185 CSI BAD RAP #2 (Of 5) (MR) $3.99 IDW 12,800

The CSI comics have all be well written and poorly drawn, which is odd, seeing as how comics that would appeal to a non-comic reading audience should have the most realistic art possible, instead of the dark scratchy stuff that IDW tends to put in their comics. Still, as collected trades, they work well, and Max Allen Collins is one of the few comic writers who can write a comic that doesn't take 3 minutes to read, but instead must be paid attention to, as he is telling a novel length story in five issues. Mildly recommended for CSI fans.

186 BART SIMPSON COMICS #14 $2.99 BON 12,776
187 NEGATION #23 $2.95 CRO 12,577

As for this and all the other CrossGen books that are below it, whenever anyone asks WHY CrossGen is failing, you can simply point to these numbers. I liked their marketing ideas, and how they would repackage their books, but the made a number of fatal flows, including: Too many books on the market at once, hiring great artists and bland writers who don't sell, aiming comics at people who don't shop at comic shops and making the books confusingly interconnected.

188 MYSTIC #40 $2.95 CRO 12,296
189 REIGN O/T ZODIAC #3 $2.75 DC 12,260
190 ARIA USES O/ENCHANTMENT #4 (Of 4) $2.95 IMA 12,225
191 RUSE ARCHARDS AGENTS PUGILISTIC PETE $2.95 CRO 12,214
192 CRUX #29 $2.95 CRO 12,214
193 ALAN MOORES YUGGOTH CULTURES #1 (Of 3) (MR)* $3.95 AVA 12,143
194 MYSTIC #41 $2.95 CRO 12,061
195 MERIDIAN #39 $2.95 CRO 12,049
196 SIGIL #40 $2.95 CRO 11,909
197 FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER #0* $2.95 IMA 11,885
198 MICRONAUTS #11 $2.95 IMA 11,862

Another huge fall from popularity, going from a top 10 book to 12,000 copies in less than 11 issues. That means that a LOT of people wanted to read a Micronauts comic, picked up this series and said, "There is no way I am going to bother trying to read THAT."

199 CRUX #30 $2.95 CRO 11,674
200 ROUTE 666 #16 $2.95 CRO 11,545
201 SIGIL #41 $2.95 CRO 11,487
202 FIRST #35 $2.95 CRO 11,463
203 SAVAGE DRAGON #111 (RES) $2.95 IMA 11,334
204 FUTURAMA COMICS #15 (Note Price) $2.99 BON 11,147

And now, this is all we have. The Futurama comic is much like the main Simpsons one, just as good as the series, and telling stories that could have been done on the show. Now that it is canceled by Faux, I hope that the creative teams keep the quality high, as Futurama was a series I really enjoied. Highly recommended.

205 VICTORY #2* $2.95 IMA 10,959
206 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #4 (MR) $2.50 IMA 10,948

Wow, now this is an IMPRESSIVE crash and burn. The first issue was cover featured on "Previews", it was in the top 100, and by the 4th issue, it's selling less than 11,000 copies. Hey Todd, remember when you fired Bendis from this book, back during the first series? Maybe that wasn't one of your better ideas.

207 ICANDY #2 $2.50 DC 10,338
208 SLEEPER #9 (MR) $2.95 DC 10,022

Both ending, but Sleeper is going to get a second run, which is good, since it's a very good crime comic. Icandy just seems like another half baked idea that is meant to pitch to a movie studio somewhere.

209 DARKMINDS MACROPOLIS VOL 2 #2 $2.95 DRE 9,998
210 GOON #3 DH ED $2.99 DAR 9,963
211 EXTINCTION EVENT #4 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 9,951

Showing that Wildstorm is so inept at sales they can't sell a comic about people with great big guns fighting dinosaurs.

212 SLEEPER #10 (MR) $2.95 DC 9,881

A comic I like, but it never really sold well, mostly because it wasn't promoted well. Wiildstorm seems to be the master of throwing stuff on the market and hoping someone might find it, maybe. Yeah, it's better than when they flooded the market with X-Men clones back when they were with Image, but you have to get people interested in a comic. This will be collected in a pair of trades, so if you are a crime comic fan, you should pick it up.

213 SPACE ACE DEFENDER O/T UNIVERSE #1 (Of 6) $2.95 MVC 9,834
214 HUMAN DEFENSE CORPS #6 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 9,647
215 TALES O/T REALM #1 (Of 6) $2.95 MVC 9,600
216 VAMPI VICIOUS #2* $2.99 HAR 9,412

They still publish Vampi? Really? Does anyone read it. No, I know almost 10,000 people BUY it, but does anyone read it or do they just look at it while holding it with one hand?

217 CROSSOVERS #8 $2.95 CRO 9,260
218 SWORD O/DRACULA #1 $2.95 IMA 9,225
219 PVP #4 $2.95 IMA 9,131
220 BAD GIRLS #3 (Of 6) $2.50 DC 9,061

DC has retroactively turned this into a 5 issue mini-series due to bad sales. And after seeing the covers and flipping through, I can see why. It's a mature readwers comic drawn in a style that is usually aimed at younger readers. A failed experiment.

221 WILDGUARD CASTING CALL #2 (Of 6)* $2.95 IMA 8,850
222 DRAGONS LAIR SINGES REVENGE #2 (Of 6) $2.95 MVC 8,838
223 STRANGERS IN PARADISE SOURCEBOOK $2.95 ABS 8,791

Is there anyone buying this who isn't either female or may as well be female? This is the worst of all "romance" fan literature wrapped up in one silly package, with twee poems, an endless romantic triangle and plots that go nowhere.

224 SUPERMAN/BATMAN #2 $2.95 DC 8,721
225 SHONEN JUMP VOL 1 #11 NOV 2003 $4.95 VIZ 8,369

Just for information's sake, this is the issue that sold over a half million copies on newsstands. For those of you who weren't paying attention to that, that means it outsold Batman #619 and Avengers/JLA# 2 COMBINED. THIS is the future of comics, folks, and manga anthologies will squeeze out traditional super-hero books in America if American publishers don't find a way to tap into the market that clearly hungry for comics. I don't read the book, because, quite simply, it isn't aimed at me.

226 RA SALVATORE DEMON WARS VOL 2 #5 EYE FOR AN EYE (Of 5) $2.95 CRO 8,310
227 POWERPUFF GIRLS #43 $2.25 DC 8,299
228 DRAGONS LAIR SINGES REVENGE #3 (Of 6) $2.95 MVC 8,006
229 ULTRAMAN TIGA #2 (Of 10) $3.99 DAR 7,982
230 CSI MIAMI SMOKING GUN $6.99 IDW 7,959

I SO wanted to like this book. I have liked IDW's other CSI comics, as they were written by Max Allen Collins, but the art has been to "indy" for the subject matter. However, the art in this issue is just horrid. The shots that aren't directly lifted from publicity stills are terribly drawn and show no sense of what a human being looks like. Further, while CSI is a dark TV series (since it is about the night shift) SCI Miami is a VERY bright series, and most of the design of the show is about the overabundance of light, which this comic is so heavily overinked it looks as black as night. Avoid this one if you are a CSI fan.

231 DONALD DUCK & FRIENDS #309 $2.95 GEM 7,935
232 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #129 $2.19 ARC 7,912
233 WALKING DEAD #1 $2.95 IMA 7,912

I was SURE this book would sell better, since there seems to be a pent-up demand for zombie stories. The art is serviceable, but the story doesn't do anything new with the genre. I might buy it as a collected trade, just because I like zombie stories, but there's not much here to get excited over.

234 USAGI YOJIMBO #69 $2.99 DAR 7,888
235 SPACE ACE DEFENDER O/T UNIVERSE #2 (Of 6) $2.95 MVC 7,713
236 MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS #258 $2.95 GEM 7,560

This is the "regular sized" comic for Disney, and sadly, it doesn't sell much better than the $7 ones, which means that the people who buy these don't much care about the price. I know a lot of people say that comics would sell better if they were priced lower, but all the different "lower priced" books of the past 10 years have shown that that just isn't so.

237 QUEEN & COUNTRY #18 (MR) $2.99 ONI 7,502
238 NOBLE CAUSES DISTANT RELATIVES #2 (OF 4) $2.95 IMA 7,490
239 CINNAMON EL CICLO #3 (Of 5) $2.50 DC 7,455

I am liking this comic, but I like post-modern westerns. I am amazed that DC gave it a try, since westerns never sell (even as paperbacks, they have pretty much died off). Still, if you like westerns, this is prolly the only one your going to get for a while, so it's good that it is well done.

240 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #128 $2.19 ARC 7,420
241 QUEEN & COUNTRY #19 (MR) $2.99 ONI 7,267
242 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #12 $2.95 MIR 7,232
243 UNCLE SCROOGE #323 $6.95 GEM 7,127
244 KNIGHTS O/T DINNER TABLE #84 $3.99 KZR 7,127

Love this comic! Stories of role playing gamers, really bad art and REALLY FUNNY stories, as well as 100 pages for your $4. Sure, there are reviews and lots of gaming articles, but think of it this way, you're getting over 60 pages of comics for $4, which is still a better deal than most comics. Highly recommended.

245 NOBLE CAUSES DISTANT RELATIVES #3 (Of 4) $2.95 IMA 7,080
246 REX MUNDI #6 $2.95 IMA 6,998
247 GIRL GENIUS #10 $3.95 STF 6,916

10 issues in five years. Hey Phil Foglio, I think your stuff would sell better if it came out more than TWICE A YEAR. I remember when this series first started, the owner of my local tried to get me to buy this, and I said I wouldn't, because it would be a decade before a story got done. My local has gone through 3 owners since the first issue of this comic.

248 OH MY GODDESS #102 DR MOREAU (3 Of 5) $2.99 DAR 6,904
249 CAPES #1 (Of 3) $3.50 IMA 6,716
250 CEREBUS #295 $2.25 AAR 6,716

5 issues left. I buy it as trades, but I WILL buy the last issue off the stands. How cool would it be if the last issue sold over 100,000? It will never happen, but still...

251 LONE #2 $2.99 DAR 6,634
252 CRUSH #1 $2.99 DAR 6,611

Yow...it looks like the Dark Horse "Rocket" line has arrived to a BIG lack of interest. I read the press releases and the like and never could quite figure out what was different between "Rocket" and a bunch of other small press comics, so I didn't order it. When you start a new line, you NEED to start slow. One of the reasons Marvel's "Ultimates" line is doing so well is that they don't just have good books, but they didn't flood the market with spinoffs and tie-ins.

253 BLADE O/T IMMORTAL PATH O/SHADOWS ONE-SHOT #83 $2.99 DAR 6,564
254 SCOOBY DOO #77 $2.25 DC 6,552
255 HAMMER O/T GODS HAMMER HITS CHINA #3 (Of 3) $2.95 IMA 6,494
256 MYTHSTALKERS #5 $2.95 IMA 6,447
257 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #638 $6.95 GEM 6,353

At one point, this comic sold over 5 million copies a month. Now, it is barely kept alive as a vanity press project. This is what the collapse of comics distribution has wrought.

258 KORE #5 $2.95 IMA 6,341
259 ROTOGIN JUNKBOTZ #3 (Of 8) $2.95 IMA 6,013
260 FEATHER #2 (Of 6) $2.95 IMA 5,990
261 STUPID COMICS #2 (MR) $2.95 IMA 5,966

Image publishes "Stupid Comics." Do I really need to make a joke here? I didn't think so.

262 SYN #2 $2.99 DAR 5,720
263 GALACTIC #2 $2.99 DAR 5,556
264 HELL #3 $2.99 DAR 5,521
265 EL CAZADOR #1* $2.95 CRO 5,146

Reorders for CrossGen's pirate comic. Yes, that's right, there is a pirate comic and CrossGen is actually getting reorders on something they are doing. I guess that means that the moon has turned to blood and the dead will rise to stalk the living because EVERYTHING GONE CRAZY!

266 SERENITY ROSE #1 $2.95 SLA 5,122
267 SHI SEMPO #2 (Of 2) (MR)* $3.50 AVA 4,864

And now Shi has gone to Dark Horse, since I guess making it a soft-core porn comic didn't bring back all the readers it had in the mid-90's.

268 SUPER MANGA BLAST #35 $5.99 DAR 4,817

I wish this comic sold better, but it IS an anthology, and American readers tend to shun anthologies. At least in comic shops. This comic is highly recommended to both Manga fans and people who want to know what all the fuss is about with manga comics.

269 GO BOY 7 HUMAN ACTION MACHINE #3 $2.99 DAR 4,817
270 CEREBUS #294 $2.25 AAR 4,794
271 CANNON GOD EXAXXION #18 (MR) $2.99 DAR 4,747
272 HEAVENS DEVILS #1 (Of 4) $2.95 IMA 4,595
273 CVO ARTIFACT #1 (Of 3) $3.99 IDW 4,431
274 GALACTIC #3 $2.99 DAR 4,431

Dear Dark Horse, you know that "Rocket" line you were all excited about during the summer? I don't think you were able to get anyone else excited about it. Better luck with your next failed line of comics.

275 GOLD DIGGER #45 $2.99 ANT 4,384
276 LOONEY TUNES BACK I/ACTION MOVIE $3.95 DC 4,208

That's ok, the movie bombed too.

277 GOLD DIGGER #46 $2.99 ANT 4,149
278 GENE POOL #1 (MR) $6.99 IDW 3,950
279 LOONEY TUNES #107 $2.25 DC 3,915
280 STREET FIGHTER #1* $2.95 IMA 3,903
281 HEROES ANONYMOUS #2 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99 BON 3,774

And the reason for the drop-off is that while it is a good IDEA for a comic series (super-heroes in therapy), it's just not very well done.

282 HELLHOUNDS #3 $2.95 IMA 3,739
283 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS WHERE SHADOWS FALL #2 (Of 5) $3.50 KZR 3,716
284 AGENTS #6 (Of 6) $2.95 IMA 3,680
285 TOO MUCH HOPELESS SAVAGES #2 (Of 4) $2.99 ONI 3,610
286 AGE O/BRONZE #18 $3.50 IMA 3,610
287 POSSESSED #4 (Of 6) (MR) $2.95 DC 3,376

OK, I take it back when I said that Big Daddy Danger was DC's worst selling comic ever. I am AMAZED that DC is publishing a comic that sells this low.

288 ARCHIE #541 $2.19 ARC 3,305
289 DISTANT SOIL #36 $4.50 IMA 3,294

I don't mean to be a jerk, but I didn't know this was still coming out. I dropped it about a year ago, but that was issue #32, so I guess it's not coming out very often. I just couldn't follow it anymore, even though Colleen Doran's art is GREAT.

290 PARADIGM #11 $3.95 IMA 3,235
291 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS STRONG MEDICINE #3 (Of 3) $3.50 AVA 3,188
292 BONEYARD #12 $2.95 NBM 3,188
293 BETTY & VERONICA #193 $2.19 ARC 3,094
294 KODT ILLUSTRATED #27 $2.99 KZR 3,048
295 BETTY & VERONICA #194 $2.19 ARC 3,048
296 DOGWITCH #7 (MR) $2.95 SIR 2,977

One of my friends loves this comic, but most of the stuff she likes is very fetish driven. Take that for what you will.

297 SABRINA VOL 2 #51 $2.19 ARC 2,954
298 ARTESIA AFIRE #4 (Of 6) (MR) $3.95 ARC 2,954
299 CARTOON CARTOONS #23 $2.25 DC 2,942
300 REALM O/T CLAW #0 FOIL CVR $5.95 IMA 2,942

Another good month, seeing as how the top 300 cut off a little below 3000, when a few months ago we were getting sales on the #300 book at around 900. It means that overall sales are up.

And now you're done. You can go now.

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