Number Crunching: The top 20 comics sales estimates for June 2017

Marvel’s newest Spider-Man comic helps Marvel dominate the charts and sales, even as DC takes away their event crossover crown.

The Top 20

"1(QTY) — 1($) — Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 (Marvel) — 224,620"

Commentary: There are many reasons why Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 topped the charts in June in both unit and dollar share. Most of those reasons involve exclusive variants included in care packages from promotional launch parties Marvel organized with various comic book retailers. For retailers to take part in these launch parties (and earn a discount), their orders for Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 had to exceed their previous orders for Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #23 by 150%.

In addition, the comic was also included in the Marvel Collector Corp box for Spider-Man: Homecoming. By contrast, #2 has no such lucrative promotional campaign behind it. The question then is how much will the drop-off be between issues? #1 did receive mostly positive reviews, and customers may welcome a respite from The Amazing Spider-Man.

"2(QTY) — 2($) — Dark Days: The Forge #1 (DC) — 130,651"

Commentary: This one-shot is the opening salvo for DC’s upcoming line-wide crossover event, Dark Nights. The first major one since the start of DC Rebirth. It also centers around DC’s golden goose known as Batman. This, along with two variants and writer Scott Synder’s initial secrecy about the story, likely bolstered retailer orders. And a bonus was the comic itself wound up being quite good.

"3(QTY) — 4($) — Star Wars: Darth Vader vol. 2 #1 (Marvel) — 118,64412(QTY) — 15($) — Star Wars: Darth Vader vol. 2 #2 (Marvel) — 66.416 (-44.02%)June 2016: 21(QTY) — 19($) — Star Wars: Darth Vader vol. 1 #21 — 79,065June 2016: 23(QTY) — 21($) — Star Wars: Darth Vader vol. 1 #22 — 77,610 (-1.87%)-14.42% after one year."

Commentary: Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larca’s Darth Vader was the best comic from Marvel’s Star Wars adaptation line-up. Marvel likely counted on this with their new Darth Vader #1, despite this comic having a different creative team. However, Darth Vader‘s relaunch follows the same pattern as some of Marvel’s other relaunches. Not only is there a sharp drop-off between #1 and #2, but the orders are also less than what the previous volume used to have.

"4(QTY) — 8($) — Batman vol. 3 #24 (DC) — 116,037 (+16.80%)6(QTY) — 6($) — Batman vol. 3 #25 (DC) — 102,798 (-11.40%)May 2017: 3(QTY) – 3($) – Batman vol. 3 #22 Lenticular Edition (DC) – 114,173 (-12.32% LE)*May 2017: 11(QTY) – 18($) – Batman vol. 3 #22 Regular Edition (DC) – 72,741 (-18.50% RE)May 2017: 7(QTY) – 12($) – Batman vol. 3 #23 (DC) – 96,542 (-15.44% LE) (+24.65% RE)June 2016: 3(QTY) — 7($) — Batman Rebirth #1 (DC) — 199,807June 2016: 2(QTY) — 2($) — Batman vol. 3 #1 (DC) — 280,360 (+28.73%)-63.33% after one year."

Commentary: Once again, two issues of Batman rise above the 100K line. In the case of Batman vol. 3 #24, having Catwoman romantically embraced by the Dark Knight on the cover may have been enough of an attractive purchase. When Batman #24 also revealed Batman asking Catwoman to marry him, it went into multiple printings. Kind of makes the first chapter of “The War of Jokes and Riddles” (Batman vol. 3 #25) pale in comparison. We won’t know until next month just how many more copies of Batman vol. 3 #24 retailers ordered after the proposal.

"5(QTY) — 3($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9 (DC) — 103,319 (-4.23%)November 2015: 1(QTY) — 1($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 (DC) — 440,234December 2015: 2(QTY) — 1($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #2 (DC) — 158,188 (-64.06%)February 2016: 1(QTY) — 1($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #3 (DC) — 146,044 (-7.67%)April 2016: 3(QTY) — 2($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #4 (DC) — 143,055 (-2.04%)June 2016: 6(QTY) — 3($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #5 (DC) — 139,919 (-2.19%)October 2016: 4(QTY) — 2($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #6 (DC) — 133,642 (-4.48%)December 2016: 3(QTY) — 2($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #7 (DC) — 119,114 (10.87%)April 2017: 2(QTY) — 2($) — Dark Knight III: The Master Race #8 (DC) — 107,892 (-9.42%)-76.53% after one year."

Commentary: To be honest, I had no idea Frank Miller’s second sequel to The Dark Knight Returns had still been going on. After all, as you can see in above stats, the first issue of Dark Knight III came out two years ago. However, the supposed final chapter of Miller’s Dark Knight series has finally come to a close, and closed out well — in the sales estimates, anyway.

"7(QTY) — 5($) — Edge of Venomverse #1 (Marvel) — 98,052"

Commentary: A first issue for a prologue series for an upcoming Venom event with a symbiote version of Laura Kinney/Wolverine on the cover? How could retailers pass up on ordering this? We will have to see how well the following issues perform. But, if this is a sign of how Venomverse will do in the coming moths, things look quite promising.

"8(QTY) — 7($) — Secret Empire #4 (Marvel) — 91,621 (+0.01%)9(QTY) — 9($) — Secret Empire #5 (Marvel) — 87,675 (-4.30%)April 2017: 1(QTY) – 1($) – Secret Empire #0 (Marvel) – 162,718May 2017: 1(QTY) – 2($) – Secret Empire #1 (Marvel) – 157,517 (-3.19%)May 2017: 6(QTY) – 4($) – Secret Empire #2 (Marvel) – 100,983 (-35.89%)May 2017: 8(QTY) – 6($) – Secret Empire #3 (Marvel) – 91,611 (-9.28%)"

Commentary: If these were estimates for a regular comic, Secret Empire would be in decent shape. Unfortunately, Secret Empire isn’t a regular comic, it’s the main series of Marvel’s latest major line-wide event. Remember, comic book shop owners readjust their orders based on how well a book sells in their stores. For Secret Empire to fall into the 80K range half way through, readers must be turning against it in droves. If the series continues declining at its current rate, it could solidify Secret Empire as one of Marvel’s biggest creative misfires.

"10(QTY) — 14($) — The Walking Dead #168 (Image) — 82,970 (+10.73%)May 2017: 10(QTY) – 17($) – The Walking Dead #167 (Image) – 74,062 (+7.90%)June 2016: 31(QTY) — 46($) — The Walking Dead #155 (Image) — 71,755+13.51% after one year."

Commentary: Aside from coming out the same time week as Fear the Walking Dead‘s third season premiere, #168 had a variant as part of Image’s LBGTQ Pride Month. It’s also the issue following the death of Andrea and the conclusion of volume 28 of the series. In any case, this series is continuing its track record as the most successful independent, creator-owned comic book of all time.

"11(QTY) — 12($) — Star Wars vol. 2 #32 — 70,184 (-1.01%)May 2017: 14(QTY) – 8($) – Star Wars: Screaming Citadel #1 (Marvel) – 69,019 (-1.64%)May 2017: 12(QTY) – 13($) – Star Wars vol. 2 #31(Marvel) – 70,907 (+2.66%)June 2016: 14(QTY) — 11($) — Star Wars vol. 2 #20 (Marvel) — 96,047-26.92% after one year."

Commentary: Still taking part in “The Screaming Citadel” crossover with Doctor Aphra, Marvel’s Star Wars still holds steady around 70K. Even so, it’s estimates are down by a little more than a quarter than where they were a year ago. Perhaps the series will start seeing an increase in orders the closer we get to the theatrical release of The Last Jedi.

"13(QTY) — 11($) — Defenders vol. 5 #1 (Marvel) — 64,253 35(QTY) — 63($) — Defenders vol. 5 #2 (Marvel) — 46,158 (-28.16%)"

Commentary: 64K for the first issue of a new series is adequate, but let’s keep a few things in mind. This is Marvel’s attempt at capitalizing on the upcoming Netflix series. Not only that, Defenders #1 had no less than eight different covers. In that context, 64K for this first issue, followed by a near 30% drop for #2 within the same month isn’t very encouraging. Perhaps, if Marvel waited until August when the Defenders television series debuts, the Defenders comic might have had better results.

"14(QTY) — 10($) — All-Star Batman #11 (DC) — 62,689 (-5.04%)May 2017: 15(QTY) – 10($) – All-Star Batman #10 (DC) – 66,018 (-2.38%)"

Commentary: I believe All-Star Batman will fall past 60K the closer we get to the series’ final issue. Of course, as the final issue, All-Star Batman #14 will have variant covers. This makes me suspect while #12 and #13 will have sales estimates in the high 50K margins, there will also be a sizable spike with #14.

"15(QTY) — 16($) — Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #29 (Marvel) — 59,464 (+14.35%)26(QTY) — 23($) — Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #28 (Marvel) — 50,925 (-0.94%)May 2017: 27(QTY) – 20($) – Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27 (Marvel) – 51,404 (-17.77%)June 2016: 39(QTY) — 33($) — Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #13 (Marvel) — 65,519June 2016: 38(QTY) — 32($) — Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #14 (Marvel) — 65,646 (+0.19%)-9.41% after one year."

Commentary: Thanks to having a Secret Empire tie-in, Amazing Spider-Man climbs back into the Top 20. However, look where its numbers were trending before #29. These sales estimates are, without question, some of the lowest that Marvel’s flagship title has seen in years. Nevertheless, Marvel Legacy and Amazing Spider-Man returning to its original numbering, could provide a temporary boost out of the title’s doldrums.

"16(QTY) — 17($) — Old Man Logan vol. 2 #25 (Marvel) — 59,216 (+25.40%)May 2017: 30(QTY) — 25($) — Old Man Logan vol. 2 #23 (Marvel) — 46,260May 2017: 34(QTY) — 30($) — Old Man Logan vol. 2 #24 (Marvel) — 44,170 (-4.51%)June 2016: 45(QTY) — 47($) — Old Man Logan vol. 2 #7 (Marvel) — 51,926+12.31% after one year."

Commentary: Why did Old Man Logan‘s estimates jump up by 25%? Well, being the twenty-fifth issue of the series may have something to do with it. Having four different variant covers helps too. Yet Old Man Logan #25 also saw a change in its creative team with a story involving the Maestro, the evil future version of the Hulk. We shall see if this comic will continue remaining within the 50K margin and in the top 20 next month.

"17(QTY) — 18($) — Star Wars: Darth Maul #4 (Marvel) — 58,240 (+5.65%)February 2017: 1(QTY) — 1($) — Star Wars: Darth Maul #1 (Marvel) — 105,177March 2017: 13(QTY) — 11($) — Star Wars: Darth Maul #2 (Marvel) — 60,415 (-42.55%)April 2017: 23(QTY) — 17($) — Star Wars: Darth Maul #3 (Marvel) — 54,949 (-9.04%)"

Commentary: Since the third issue of this miniseries had the same number of variants as issue #4, it seems odd Star Wars: Darth Maul #4 would experience an increase. But there was one thing Star Wars: Darth Maul #4 also had which issue #3 didn’t — a Star Wars “40th Anniversary Variant.” This may not seem like much, but a such a variant would be seen as a potential collector’s item, allowing for an increase in orders.

"18(QTY) — 33($) — Detective Comics #958 (DC) — 56,226 (-0.20%)19(QTY) — 35($) — Detective Comics #959 (DC) — 55,449 (-1.38%)May 2017: 19(QTY) – 32($) – Detective Comics #956 (DC) – 57,178 (-0.85%)May 2017: 20(QTY) – 33($) – Detective Comics #957 (DC) – 56,344 (-1.45%)June 2016: 13(QTY) — 16($) — Detective Comics #934 (DC) — 96,581June 2016: 16(QTY) — 18($) — Detective Comics #935 (DC) — 94,015 (-2.65%)-41.02% after one year."

Commentary: Although down by more than 40% percent from last year, Detective Comics still showing all indications that it’s settling. This will likely change come August once the return of Tim Drake’s story arc begins. Of particular interest is how Detective Comics continues staying within the bottom half of the top 20 regardless of how its estimates have been. It’s a sure sign of how the periodical market overall is under-performing.

"20(QTY) — 20($) — X-Men: Gold vol. 2 #5 (Marvel) — 54,720 (+3.67%)33(QTY) — 27($) — X-Men: Gold vol. 2 #6 (Marvel) — 48,569 (-11.24%)May 2017: 18(QTY) – 16($) – X-Men: Gold vol. 2 #3 (Marvel) – 57,553 (-7.59%)May 2017: 24(QTY) – 19($) – X-Men: Gold vol. 2 #4 (Marvel) – 52,710 (-8.41%)"

Commentary: Even with a “Mary Jane Variant,” and the cover for #5 looking like a homage to New Mutants #87, these are still pretty dismal figures for Marvel’s top-tier X-Men comic. Matter of fact, these are dismal figures for an X-Men comic, period. It’s almost unbelievable considering Marvel’s band of Merry Mutants was once the publisher’s bestselling property. By this time next month, however, I suspect Astonishing X-Men #1 will be in the Top 20 as X-Men: Gold drops out.

Notable Mentions

"25(QTY) — 13($) — Weapons of Mutant Destruction #1 (Marvel) — 52,800"

Commentary: Yes, it’s a crossover between the fledgling Totally Awesome Hulk and Weapon X comics centered around a Hulk/Wolverine hybrid. I guess retailers thought such a gimmicky premise was too tempting to ignore. Thus, making this one-shot the 25th best comic in unit share and 13th place in dollar share.

"32(QTY) — 25($) — Venom #151 (Marvel) — 49,704 (-64.93%)May 2017: 2(QTY) — 1($) — Venom #150 (Marvel) — 141,757"

Commentary: This is quite a sizable drop off for Venom #151, but an understandable one since it didn’t have #150’s hype or variants. At least it’s still pulling in better figures than Venom once did during volume 3.

"50(QTY) — 46($) — All-New Wolverine #21 (Marvel) — 38,500 (+5.00%)May 2017: 55(QTY) — 55($) — All-New Wolverine #20 (Marvel) — 36,573June 2016: 56(QTY) — 60($) — All-New Wolverine #9 (Marvel) — 43,545-11.58% after one year."

Commentary: Here’s another comic which benefited from having a “Mary Jane Variant.” Perhaps retailers also ordered more copies believing Riri Williams / Ironheart was a draw too. Even so, whatever boost Weapon X received from “ResurrXion” has definitely come and gone.

"58(QTY) — 49($) — Doctor Strange vol. 4 #22 (Marvel) — 35,982 (+12.46%)75(QTY) — 43($) — Doctor Strange vol. 4 #20 (Marvel) — 31,497 (-2.00%)May 2017: 73(QTY) — 59($) — Doctor Strange vol. 4 #21 (Marvel) — 32,142June 2016: 50(QTY) — 52($) — Doctor Strange vol. 4 #9 (Marvel) — 46,306-22.39% after one year."

Commentary: Yes, this is the correct data. Marvel published Doctor Strange #21 before #20 during the month of May. Thus, #20 appeared this month along with #22. Either this happened because of art delays, or Marvel felt a Secret Empire tie-in had higher priority over Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo’s last issue on the series.

"78(QTY) — 76($) — Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows vol. 2 #8 (Marvel) — 29,699 (+13.22%)May 2017: 102(QTY) — 97($) — Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows vol. 2 #7 (Marvel) — 25,770"

Commentary: Looks like “VenoMJ” came through for Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows after all. Hopefully, as Gerry Conway apparently bows out from writing duties, the series won’t suffer the worst because of this.

"100(QTY) — 103($) — Black Panther vol. 6 #15 (Marvel) — 25,466 (-6.67%)May 2017: 92(QTY) — 88(QTY) — Black Panther vol. 6 #14 (Marvel) — 27,287June 2016: 27(QTY) — 23($) — Black Panther vol. 6 #3 (Marvel) — 75,037-66.06% after one year."

Commentary: Things are looking dire for Black Panther, especially when you consider this debuted as one of the highest selling comics of last year. With a Black Panther movie on the horizon, Marvel better ante up the King of Wakanda’s profile real fast.

Next: Number Crunching: The top 20 comics sales estimates for May 2017

Based on this data, what are your predictions for Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #2? Will it be higher or lower than Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #30? Do you also expect the estimates for Secret Empire‘s next two issues to fall even further? If so, how do you think this will affect Marvel’s upcoming Generations and Marvel Legacy? Do you also believe the estimates for Dark Days: The Casting #1 will equal those for Dark Days: The Forge #1? Offer some of your thoughts, and what you found surprising about the placement of June’s comics.

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