Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Image Comics Month-to Month Sales: June 2017 - Winnebago Warrior

The Walking Dead #168
Greetings, sales charts fans! It's time once again to look at Image Comics's sales figures.

Please refer to the July 2015 column for a preamble and explanation as to why sales standards for Image books are likely to be different than those for DC or Marvel.

June saw 54 comics ship from Image, compared to 60 in a five-Wednesday May. They shipped 55 comics in June 2016.

Warning: The commentary below may contain reasoned analysis, speculation (unfounded and otherwise), opinion, and/or snark. Those looking for a more straightforward analysis are directed to John Jackson Miller's excellent Comichron analysis, posted in June over at Comichron!

Please consider the fine print at the end of the column. Thanks to Milton Griepp and ICv2.com for the permission to use their figures. An overview of ICv2.com's estimates can be found here.

(Note that the percentage comparisons are done with total orders including reorder activity, as opposed to initial orders.)

---
10 - THE WALKING DEAD ($2.99)
06/2007: The Walking Dead #38  --  22,180
06/2012: The Walking Dead #99  --  55,710  [62,182]
06/2013: The Walking Dead #111 --  74,857 
06/2014: The Walking Dead #128 --  74,326  [74,291]
06/2015: The Walking Dead #142 --  68,221  [69,079]
06/2015: The Walking Dead #143 --  67,989  [69,325]
-----------------------------------------
06/2016: The Walking Dead #155 --  71,755 (+  4.1%) 
07/2016: The Walking Dead #156 --  76,355 (+  6.4%) 
08/2016: The Walking Dead #157 --  97,689 (+ 37.0%) [104,596]
09/2016: The Walking Dead #158 --  94,316 (-  9.8%) 
10/2016: The Walking Dead #159 --  91,291 (-  3.2%) 
11/2016: The Walking Dead #160 --  88,367 (-  3.2%) 
12/2016: The Walking Dead #161 --  85,459 (-  3.3%) 
01/2017: The Walking Dead #162 --  85,395 (-  0.1%) 
02/2017: The Walking Dead #163 -- 750,000 (+778.3%) **
02/2017: The Walking Dead #164 --  83,999 (- 88.8%) 
03/2017: The Walking Dead #165 --  70,422 (- 16.2%) 
04/2017: The Walking Dead #166 --  68,205 (-  3.1%) 
05/2017: The Walking Dead #167 --  74,062 (+  8.6%) 
06/2017: The Walking Dead #168 --  82,970 (+ 12.0%) 
-----------------
6 months: -  2.9%
1 year  : + 15.6%
2 years : + 21.8%
5 years : + 33.4%
10 years: +274.1%
Featuring a Pride Month variant cover, which is likely the reason for most (if not all) of the 12% rise in sales this month.
---
40 - SAGA ($2.99)
06/2012: Saga #4  -- 41,143
06/2013: -- 
06/2014: Saga #20 -- 56,497  [56,636]
06/2015: Saga #29 -- 55,131  [55,752] 
---------------------------
06/2016: -- 
07/2016: -- 
08/2016: Saga #37 -- 50,016 (+  2.2%) 
09/2016: Saga #38 -- 48,106 (-  3.8%) 
10/2016: Saga #39 -- 46,749 (-  2.8%) 
11/2016: Saga #40 -- 44,944 (-  3.9%) 
12/2016: Saga #41 -- 43,628 (-  2.5%) [43,837]
01/2017: Saga #42 -- 42,567 (-  2.9%) 
02/2017: -- 
03/2017: -- 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: Saga #43 -- ??????  
06/2017: Saga #44 -- 43,028  
-----------------
6 months: -  1.8%
1 year  :    n.a.
2 years : - 22.8%
5 years : +  4.6%
Comes off of its 25¢ issue more for less on par where it was selling at at the end of its last arc.

I'm not worried about Saga at all; despite being down from its peak, it still sells very well both in single issues and in collections. There should be no concern that Vaughan & Staples won't be able to tell their complete story and end things on their own terms. Still though, it would be nice to see it stabilize over this arc.
---
80 - REBORN ($5.99)
10/2016: Reborn #1  -- 74,967 
11/2016: Reborn #2  -- 41,484 (- 44.7%) 
12/2016: Reborn #3  -- 36,718 (- 11.5%) 
01/2017: Reborn #4  -- 31,102 (- 15.3%) 
02/2017: --
03/2017: Reborn #5  -- 30,721 (-  1.2%) 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: -- 
06/2017: Reborn #6  -- 29,554 (-  3.8%) 
-----------------
6 months: - 19.5%
Over-sized and -priced final issue. Presumably there will be more in the future (as the collection is labeled 'Book One'), but with Capullo back doing work for DC on Metal it may be a while.

No surprise to see a delay in the final issue of a Millarworld comic; it's kind of the company trademark. I'm sure though that will be solved in the future as the company follows the Netflix model and simply releases every issue of a series on the same day.
---
91 - PAPER GIRLS ($2.99)
06/2016: Paper Girls #6  -- 36,385 (-  2.2%) 
07/2016: Paper Girls #7  -- 35,392 (-  2.7%) 
08/2016: Paper Girls #8  -- 33,731 (-  4.7%) 
09/2016: Paper Girls #9  -- 32,320 (-  4.2%) 
10/2016: Paper Girls #10 -- 32,119 (-  0.6%) 
11/2016: -- 
12/2016: -- 
01/2017: -- 
02/2017: Paper Girls #11 -- 30,562 (-  4.8%) 
03/2017: Paper Girls #12 -- 29,047 (-  5.0%) 
04/2017: Paper Girls #13 -- 27,993 (-  3.6%) 
05/2017: Paper Girls #14 -- 27,362 (-  2.3%) 
06/2017: Paper Girls #15 -- 26,654 (-  2.6%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 26.7%
Not quite the level of hit as Saga, but still no need to worry here, as sales of issues and collections are strong.
---
124 - REDNECK ($3.99)
04/2017: Redneck #1  -- 22,317           [29,576]
05/2017: Redneck #2  -- 19,957 (- 32.5%) 
06/2017: Redneck #3  -- 22,048 (+ 10.5%) 
There was a Pride Month variant cover, which no doubt helped with sales here. A second printing of the second issue came out, though it wasn't enough to make the Top 300 chart, and a second printing of the third issue was released in July. The theme variant muddies the analytical waters somewhat, but even so it appears that Redneck is bucking the typical sales trend and is on its way to being a modest hit.
---
128 - CROSSWIND ($3.99)
06/2017: Crosswind #1  -- 22,317 
New series from Gail Simone & Cat Staggs. Sales likely propped up a bit by the Pride Month variant cover, but even so that's a decent enough debut.
---
148, 133 - SPAWN ($2.99)
06/2007: Spawn #168      -- 24,137 
06/2012: Spawn #220      -- 30,136 
06/2013: Spawn #232      -- 16,007  
06/2014: Spawn #244      -- 11,837 
06/2015: Spawn #253      -- 15,993 
----------------------------------
06/2016: -- 
07/2016: Spawn #264      -- 17,157 (+  6.5%) 
08/2016: Spawn #265      -- 15,927 (-  7.2%) 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: Spawn #266      -- 22,304 (+ 40.0%) 
11/2016: Spawn #267      -- 16,976 (- 23.9%) 
12/2016: Spawn #268      -- 16,652 (-  1.9%) 
01/2017: Spawn #269      -- 16,257 (-  2.4%) 
02/2017: Spawn #270      -- 15,778 (-  2.9%) 
03/2017: Spawn #271      -- 15,517 (-  1.7%) 
04/2017: Spawn #272      -- 15,400 (-  0.8%) 
05/2017: Spawn #273      -- 16,886 (+  9.6%) 
06/2017: Spawn #274      -- 15,927 (-  5.7%) 
06/2017: Spawn #275      -- 19,251 (+ 20.9%) 
-----------------
6 months: +  5.6%
1 year  :    n.a.
2 years : + 10.0%
5 years : - 41.6%
10 years: - 27.1%
Two issues this month. Issue #275 sees a rise, because???
---
134 - SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER ($3.99)
06/2017: Shirtless B-F #1 of 5 -- 18,794 
New comic from Sebastian Gimer, Jody LeHeup, & Michael Spicer. Multiple covers, and a second printing arrived in July.
---
138 - I HATE FAIRYLAND ($3.99)
06/2016: I Hate Fairyland #6  -- 26,095 (+  5.3%) 
07/2016: I Hate Fairyland #7  -- 23,742 (-  9.0%) 
08/2016: I Hate Fairyland #8  -- 22,562 (-  5.0%) 
09/2016: I Hate Fairyland #9  -- 21,265 (-  5.7%) 
10/2016: I Hate Fairyland #10 -- 20,534 (-  3.4%) 
11/2016: --
12/2016: --
01/2017: --
02/2017: --
03/2017: I Hate Fairyland #11 -- 18,606 (-  9.4%) 
04/2017: I Hate Fairyland #12 -- 19,664 (+  5.7%) 
05/2017: --
06/2017: I Hate Fairyland #13 -- 17,630 (- 10.3%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 32.4%
Back to regular sales levels after the previous issue's theme variant. And no doubt sales will bump up again for issue #14's theme variant. Because such is the way of things at Image these days.
---
142 - OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA ($2.99)
06/2015: -- 
------------------------------
06/2016: -- 
07/2016: Outcast #19 -- 22,167 (+  4.3%) 
08/2016: Outcast #20 -- 21,919 (-  1.1%) 
09/2016: Outcast #21 -- 20,886 (-  4.7%) 
10/2016: Outcast #22 -- 20,347 (-  2.6%) 
11/2016: Outcast #23 -- 19,556 (-  3.9%) 
12/2016: --
01/2017: Outcast #24 -- 18,520 (-  5.3%) 
02/2017: Outcast #25 -- ?????? 
03/2017: Outcast #26 -- 17,820 
04/2017: --
05/2017: Outcast #27 -- 17,371 (-  2.5%) 
06/2017: Outcast #28 -- 17,031 (-  2.0%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  :    n.a.
2 years :    n.a.
Greetings from the land of standard attrition.
---
147 - THE DIVIDED STATES OF HYSTERIA ($3.99)
06/2017: Divided States #1  -- 16,021 
Orders no doubt placed before all of the controversy hit, so we'll have to wait a month or two to see if that has any affect on sales.
---
151 - BITCH PLANET TRIPLE FEATURE ($3.99)
06/2015: --
----------------------------------- 
06/2016: Bitch Planet #8   -- 18,158 (+  2.5%)
07/2016: -- 
08/2016: -- 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: -- 
11/2016: Bitch Planet #9   -- 15,340 (- 15.7%)
12/2016: --
01/2017: --
02/2017: --
03/2017: -- 
04/2017: Bitch Planet #10  -- 13,922 (-  9.0%)
05/2017: -- 
06/2017: Triple Feature #1 -- 15,528 (+ 11.5%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 14.5%
2 years :    n.a.
Anthology series to hold down the fort until the regular series gets back on track. Includes a Pride Month variant cover.
---
156 - GOD COUNTRY ($3.99)
01/2017: God Country #1 of 6 -- 14,322           [19,357]
02/2017: God Country #2 of 6 -- 17,701 (-  8.6%)
03/2017: God Country #3 of 6 -- 15,321 (- 13.4%)
04/2017: God Country #4 of 6 -- 16,174 (+  5.8%)
05/2017: God Country #5 of 6 -- 20,706 (+ 28.0%)
06/2017: God Country #6 of 6 -- 15,389 (- 25.7%)
No theme variant = back to normal sales level for the final issue.
---
162 - THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS ($4.99)
08/2016: Black Monday Murders #1  -- 26,696 
09/2016: Black Monday Murders #2  -- 19,749 (- 26.0%) 
10/2016: Black Monday Murders #3  -- 18,371 (-  7.0%) 
11/2016: Black Monday Murders #4  -- 17,718 (-  3.6%) 
12/2016: --
01/2017: --
02/2017: --
03/2017: -- 
04/2017: Black Monday Murders #5  -- 15,655 (- 11.6%) 
05/2017: -- 
06/2017: Black Monday Murders #6  -- 14,458 (-  7.6%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
Before the break BMM was settling into standard attrition. But after the break and with a slipped issue, sales are dropping more than they should.
---
171 - BLACK MAGICK ($3.99)
02/2015: Black Magick #5 -- 14,024 
----------------------------------
06/2015: --
---------------------------------- 
06/2016: --
07/2016: --
08/2016: --
09/2016: --
10/2016: --
11/2016: --
12/2016: --
01/2017: --
02/2017: --
03/2017: --
04/2017: --
05/2017: --
06/2017: Black Magick #6 -- 13,243 (-  5.6%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  :    n.a.
2 years :    n.a.
Rucka & Scott took time off to work on Wonder Woman together, so all things considered this isn't a bad drop after being away from the series for over two years.
---
182 - KILL THE MINOTAUR ($3.99)
06/2017: Kill the Minotaur #1  -- 12,117 
New series from Chris Pasetto & Lukas Ketner. There was a second printing in July.
---
190 - INVINCIBLE ($2.99)
06/2007: Invincible #42  -- 15,945
06/2007: Invincible #43  -- 13,858
06/2012: Invincible #92  -- 14,553
06/2013: Invincible #103 -- 15,072 
06/2014: Invincible #112 -- 14,413
06/2015: -- 
----------------------------------
06/2016: Invincible #129 -- 12,510 (+  4.4%) 
07/2016: --
08/2016: Invincible #130 -- 11,921 (-  4.7%) 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: -- 
11/2016: Invincible #131 -- 11,579 (-  2.9%) 
12/2016: -- 
01/2017: -- 
02/2017: Invincible #132 -- 11,505 (-  0.6%) 
02/2017: Invincible #133 -- ?????? 
03/2017: Invincible #134 -- 11,605  
04/2017: Invincible #135 -- 13,658 (+ 17.7%)  
05/2017: Invincible #136 -- 12,058 (- 11.7%)  
06/2017: Invincible #137 -- 11,856 (-  1.7%)  
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : -  5.2%
2 years :    n.a.
5 years : - 18.5%
10 years: - 20.4%
Ending with issue #144.
---
193 - WINNEBAGO GRAVEYARD ($3.99)
06/2017: Winnebago Graveyard #1 of 4 -- 11,600 
New mini-series from Steve Niles & Alison Sampson. There was a second printing in July.
---
200 - ROSE ($3.99)
04/2017: Rose #1  -- 20,499 
05/2017: Rose #2  -- 13,436 (- 34.5%) 
06/2017: Rose #3  -- 10,789 (- 19.7%) 
---
201 - INJECTION ($2.99)
06/2015: Injection #2  -- 23,484
-------------------------------- 
06/2016: Injection #10 -- 11,771 (+  3.0%) 
07/2016: -- 
08/2016: -- 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: -- 
11/2016: -- 
12/2016: -- 
01/2017: -- 
02/2017: --
03/2017: Injection #11 --  9,052 (- 23.1%)
04/2017: Injection #12 --  8,615 (-  4.8%)
05/2017: --
06/2017: Injection #13 -- 10,723 (+ 24.5%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : -  8.9%
2 years : - 54.3%
Spawn month variant cover (delayed from May).
---
203 - ROYAL CITY ($3.99)
03/2017: Royal City #1  -- 24,597 
04/2017: Royal City #2  -- 13,721 (- 44.2%) 
05/2017: Royal City #3  -- 11,708 (- 14.7%) 
06/2017: Royal City #4  -- 10,544 (-  9.9%) 
A typical third issue drop.
---
209 - YOUNGBLOOD ($3.99)
06/2012: --
06/2013: --
--------------------------------- 
05/2017: Youngblood #1  -- 24,661 
06/2017: Youngblood #2  -- 10,315 (- 58.2%) 
-----------------
5 years :    n.a.
A large drop for the second issue, but there were only three different covers this time. A second printing of the first issue came out this month (but didn't chart) and a second print of the second issue came along in July.
---
211 - EXTREMITY ($3.99)
03/2017: Extremity #1  -- 17,917 
04/2017: Extremity #2  -- 11,973 (- 33.2%) 
05/2017: Extremity #3  -- 10,481 (- 12.5%) 
06/2017: Extremity #4  -- 10,063 (-  4.0%) 
Almost the model for the standard sales pattern.
---
217 - REGRESSION ($3.99)
05/2017: Regression #1  -- 19,654
06/2017: Regression #2  --  9,701
Large drop likely due to the first issue having a Spawn Month variant.
---
223 - MANIFEST DESTINY ($2.99)
06/2014: Manifest Destiny #7  -- 21,500
06/2015: Manifest Destiny #15 -- 11,389
---------------------------------------
06/2016: Manifest Destiny #20 --  9,399 (-  5.1%) 
07/2016: Manifest Destiny #21 --  8,763 (-  6.8%) 
08/2016: Manifest Destiny #22 --  8,526 (-  2.7%) 
09/2016: Manifest Destiny #23 --  8,039 (-  5.7%) 
10/2016: Manifest Destiny #24 --  7,815 (-  2.8%) 
11/2016: --
12/2016: --
01/2017: Manifest Destiny #25 --  7,403 (-  5.3%) 
02/2017: Manifest Destiny #26 --  9,007 (+ 21.7%) 
03/2017: Manifest Destiny #27 --  7,028 (- 22.0%) 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: Manifest Destiny #28 --  6,904 (-  1.8%) 
06/2017: Manifest Destiny #29 --  9,413 (+ 36.3%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : +  0.1%
2 years : - 17.4%
A late Spawn Month variant is worth an extra 2500 in sales.
---
224 - PLASTIC ($3.99)
04/2017: Plastic #1  -- 18,980 
05/2017: Plastic #2  -- 12,753 (- 32.8%) 
06/2017: Plastic #3  -- 12,753 (- 26.8%) 
---
238 - GRRL SCOUTS: MAGIC SOCKS ($3.99)
05/2017: Magic Socks #1 of 6 -- 11,939
06/2017: Magic Socks #2 of 6 --  7,966 (- 33.3%)
A typical second issue drop.
---
252 - BLACK CLOUD ($3.99)
04/2017: Black Cloud #1  -- 19,583 
05/2017: Black Cloud #2  -- 12,412 (- 36.5%) 
06/2017: Black Cloud #3  --  7,092 (- 42.9%) 
Lose a Spawn Month variant, lose a good chunk of sales.
---
257 - GREEN VALLEY ($2.99)
10/2016: Green Valley #1 of 9 -- 16,091 
11/2016: Green Valley #2 of 9 --  9,713 (- 39.6%) 
12/2016: Green Valley #3 of 9 --  8,219 (- 15.4%) 
01/2017: Green Valley #4 of 9 --  7,553 (-  8.1%) 
02/2017: Green Valley #5 of 9 --  7,187 (-  4.8%) 
03/2017: Green Valley #6 of 9 --  7,204 (+  0.2%) 
04/2017: Green Valley #7 of 9 --  6,842 (-  5.0%) 
05/2017: Green Valley #8 of 9 --  6,683 (-  2.3%) 
06/2017: Green Valley #9 of 9 --  6,790 (+  1.6%) 
-----------------
6 months: - 31.2%
A surprise rise for the final issue.
---
258 - BIRTHRIGHT ($2.99)
06/2015: Birthright #8  -- 12,058
---------------------------------
06/2016: Birthright #16 --  9,015 (-  3.5%) 
07/2016: Birthright #17 --  8,264 (-  8.3%) 
08/2016: Birthright #18 --  8,146 (-  1.4%) 
09/2016: Birthright #19 --  7,832 (-  3.9%) 
10/2016: Birthright #20 --  7,567 (-  3.4%) 
11/2016: --
12/2016: --
01/2017: Birthright #21 --  7,147 (-  5.6%) 
02/2017: Birthright #22 --  7,025 (-  1.7%) 
03/2017: Birthright #23 --  6,756 (-  3.8%) 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: Birthright #24 --  6,611 (-  2.1%) 
06/2017: Birthright #25 --  6,759 (+  2.2%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 25.0%
2 years : - 43.9%
---
261 - HEAD LOPPER ($5.99)
06/2016: Head Lopper #4 of 4 --  7,928 (+  5.9%) 
07/2016: -- 
08/2016: -- 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: -- 
11/2016: -- 
12/2016: -- 
01/2017: -- 
02/2017: --
03/2017: Head Lopper #5      --  6,736 (- 15.1%) 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: --
06/2017: Head Lopper #6      --  6,626 (-  1.6%) 
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 16.4%
Back to a quarterly schedule?
---
262 - ETERNAL EMPIRE ($3.99)
05/2017: Eternal Empire #1  -- 12,614
06/2017: Eternal Empire #2  --  6,563 (- 48.0%)
Nope, I was wrong; it's an even larger drop than normal.
---
267 - SEPTEMBER MOURNING ($4.99)
06/2017: Sept. Mourning #1  -- 6,359 
Listed as Vol. 1, but no further issues have been solicited yet. So who knows what the schedule is meant to be?
---
Clocking in at the #268 place on the chart is a Foil edition of the Spawn 25th Anniversary Encore edition with 6,343 copies sold. If the 90s are coming back, maybe my 90s BMI can also make a comeback?
---
291 - COPPERHEAD ($3.99)
06/2015: Copperhead #8  --  9,504
---------------------------------
06/2016: -- 
07/2016: -- 
08/2016: -- 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: -- 
11/2016: -- 
12/2016: -- 
01/2017: -- 
02/2017: --
03/2017: Copperhead #11 --  6,369 (- 26.5%)
04/2017: Copperhead #12 --  5,517 (- 13.4%)
05/2017: Copperhead #13 --  5,254 (-  4.8%)
06/2017: Copperhead #13 --  5,013 (-  4.6%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  :    n.a.
2 years : - 47.3%
---
292 - RENATO JONES: SEASON TWO ($3.99)
06/2016: One Percent #2  -- 10,565 (- 28.9%) 
07/2016: One Percent #3  --  9,027 (- 14.6%) 
08/2016: One Percent #4  --  7,418 (- 17.8%) 
09/2016: -- 
10/2016: One Percent #5  --  6,671 (- 10.1%) 
11/2016: -- 
12/2016: -- 
01/2017: -- 
02/2017: -- 
03/2017: -- 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: Season Two #1   --  8,966 (+ 34.4%)
06/2017: Season Two #2   --  4,995 (- 44.3%)
-----------------
6 months:    n.a.
1 year  : - 52.7%
Last month had a Spawn Month variant, leading to a rather large second issue drop this month.
---
296 - PAKLIS ($5.99)
05/2017: Paklis #1  -- 8,946
06/2017: Paklis #2  -- 4,882 (- 45.4%)
---
297 - CANNIBAL ($3.99)
10/2016: Cannibal #1  -- 17,172 
11/2016: Cannibal #2  --  9,582 (- 44.2%) 
12/2016: Cannibal #3  --  7,340 (- 23.4%) 
01/2017: Cannibal #4  --  6,223 (- 15.2%) 
02/2017: -- 
03/2017: -- 
04/2017: -- 
05/2017: Cannibal #5  --  ????? (< 5,254) 
06/2017: Cannibal #6  --  4,831  
-----------------
6 months: - 34.2%
The floor dropped enough to let Cannibal back onto the Top 300.
---
Image titles shipping but not making the Top 300 in June (cutoff at 4,739) include: Drifter, Eclipse, Elephantmen, The Few, Horizon, Magdalena, Planetoid Praxis, Rock Candy Mountain, Shutter, Snowfall, Sons of the Devil, Stray Bullets, Throwaways, Underwinter, Wayward.

Note that this doesn't necessarily mean that any of them are in danger of being cancelled; there are many reasons that the creators of these books may desire to keep them going.
---
The Fine Print (Disclaimers, et cetera) The numbers above are estimates for comic-book sales in the North American direct market, as calculated by ICv2.com according to the chart and index information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors.

ICv2.com's estimates are somewhat lower than the actual numbers, but they are consistent from month to month, so the trends they show are fairly accurate. Since it's a "month-to-month" column, the comments, unless otherwise noted, are on the most recent month.

Bear in mind that the figures measure sales of physical comics to retailers, not customers. Also, these numbers do not include sales to bookstores, newsstands, other mass-market retail chains or the United Kingdom. Re-orders are included, so long as they either reached stores in a book's initial calendar month of release or were strong enough to make the chart again in a subsequent month. Keep in mind that sales for some titles may include incentives to acquire variants and not every unit sold is necessarily even intended to be sold to a customer.

If additional copies of an issue did appear on the chart after a book's initial calendar month of release, you can see the total number of copies sold in brackets behind those issues (e.g. "[36,599]"). Should more than one issue have shipped in a month which is relevant for one of the long-term comparisons, the average between them will be used.

Titles which are returnable have their numbers artificially adjusted down by Diamond. To make up for that this column increases the reported numbers for those titles by 10%. Which is likely also wrong, but it's a different and likely less wrong kind of wrong, and experience has shown that this leads to sales figures which are more consistent.

Image is not a normal comics publisher, and the typical metrics for sales success may not apply. For many titles, collection sales tend to be a significant factor, so the numbers for those books should be taken with a grain of salt as well.

Please keep in mind that raw sales numbers do not tell us about how profitable a book is for a publisher or for the creators.

Above all, do not allow sales numbers to dictate your purchasing and enjoyment of a particular comic. If you enjoy reading a comic series then go right on buying and reading that comic, no matter what the sales figures say.

** Two asterisks after a given month in the average charts mean that one or more periodical release did not make the Top 300 chart in that month. In those cases, it's assumed that said releases sold as many units as the No. 300 comic on the chart for that month for the purposes of the chart, although its actual sales are likely to be less than that.

Opinions expressed in this column are mine alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer, Heidi MacDonald or anyone at The Comics Beat, The International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions, or my former neighbor's dog Miles.

The author of this column does weekly snapshots of Amazon comic sales charts at http://yetanothercomicsblog.blogspot.com/ and tweets about comics and related subjects on Twitter at @davereadscomics (PM me there if you need to contact me).

As always, we welcome your comments and corrections below. Please try to keep things civilized.

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