The Top 300 Selling Comics for February 2006

Thanks for checking out this column which is a look at sales of Comics where I comment on their sales, if they are any good or whatever other snarky remarks come to mind as I look over the sales figures.

So, what is this list? Every month, Diamond Comics (the company that ships comic books to comic book shops) list the sales figures of the previous month so that they can list actual sales through the entire month, but they list it in the form of “average number of copies sold to each comic shop”. Then, the site ICV2 goes through the numbers they post and attempts to turn it into an approximation of the actual number of books sold.

1 ASTONISHING X-MEN #13 $2.99 MAR 140,655

Showing that you don't need to start over with a new #1 every time the creative team takes a break, this is the best selling comic of the month. With no “Infinite Crisis” issue, it's still interesting to note that it sold about 140K. The comic itself is VERY well done, with Joss Whedon starting a great story, and art that is the best seen on an X-Men comic in a few years. I don't know where this story is going, and it's been a LONG time since I could say that about an X-Men comic. Highly recommended.

2 NEW AVENGERS #16 $2.50 MAR 121,492

Still selling well, and starting on a new story, without a “superstar” artist. Marvel's relaunch of this series has bee the most successful they have ever done. It wouldn't have worked if Bran Michael Bendis wasn't writing stories people want to read, and stories that work better as monthly comics than trade paperbacks. I'm still loving this comic, and it's highly recommended.

3 JUSTICE #4 (Of 12) $3.50 DC 110,488

This comic is selling on the strength of the painting of Alex Ross, but I have trouble buying a bi-monthly mini-series, since it means I don't get a complete story for two years. Therefor, I'm waiting on the collected version.

4 SUPERGIRL #4* $2.99 DC 104,734

Despite the delays, this comic is still selling. While I like the fact that the “classic” Supergirl is back, Jeph Loeb is already repeating the original story in Superman/Batman as we get another “Evil Supergirl” story. Lazy writing.

5 ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #2 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 97,358
6 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #529 $2.50 MAR 90,414

This story, which begins the buildup to “Civil War” is a good one, and shows that JMS can write a good Spider-Man story. Most people are throwing fits about the new costume, and Spider-Man's close ties to Iron Man...but it's so easy to see that both of those things are going away in “Civil War” that it's not even a spoiler to say so. A solid story, and I hope the book continues to get back to good stories, rather than the endless navel-gazing the book has done for the last year and a half.

7 GREEN LANTERN #8* $2.99 DC 89,252
8 GREEN LANTERN #9* $2.99 DC 86,554

I LIKE the new Green Lantern series, but there have been a few too many scenes of gory violence for me to recommend it to everyone. The gore scenes don't fit, and seem like overkill in what is otherwise a great comic. Still, it's a good super-hero book and if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, it's highly recommended.

9 SUPERGIRL #5 $3.99 DC 85,252

Wrapping up the “Evil Supergirl” story with a double sized issue. An exceedingly average comic with art that REALLY sexes up Supergirl.

10 UNCANNY X-MEN #469 $2.50 MAR 79,039
11 X-MEN #182 $2.50 MAR 78,653
12 X-MEN #183 $2.50 MAR 76,454

I don't think I've ever seen the core X-Men comics sell this low for so long. I can see WHY, however, since both have been pretty poorly written for a while. Milligan's run on X-Men has been mostly forgettably, but for his last 5 issues, he's doing an Apocalypse story. Apocalypse has not been a character I have liked in the past, but this story is actually making the character interesting. The plot is bringing together threads from a lot of different X-Books, and feels like Milligan is clearing the decks for the next writer.

13 ULTIMATE EXTINCTION #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 75,869

The Glactus story in the Ultimate Universe. I have no idea why anyone would buy a Marvel mini-series as individual issues, since the trade will be out a month or so after the final issue, and will end up being cheaper.

14 X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS #4 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 74,666

Marvel's press department has been saying that they thought this mini-series would sell better since it is the launch of the new direction on the main X-Men books. I think that Marvel has “Poisoned the well” on X-Men mini-series with all of the tie-ins that just go nowhere, as well as having this one cost $3.50 a pop.

15 JLA #125 $2.50 DC 74,341

The last issue, and the story leading up to it has been one of the worst in this comic's history. I don't know why Bob Harris still is able to get high profile work, since I have yet to read a story by him that didn't read like bad fan-fic at best.

16 ULTIMATE X-MEN #67 $2.50 MAR 72,700
17 WOLVERINE #39 $2.50 MAR 72,248
18 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #90 $2.50 MAR 71,470

Still a great read, this story continues the tradition of this book being the best Spier-Man comic of the month. The art is sharp, the dialog is snappy and fun, and the story keeps the reader's interest. Highly recommended.

19 TEEN TITANS #32 $2.50 DC 69,131

Wrapping up all of the plot threads before going into the “One Year Later” event, it doesn't work as a single issue, and doesn't really do a good job of wrapping things up in a good story. It felt rushed, and is really only for collectors of the series run.

20 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #27 $2.50 MAR 67,922
21 BATMAN #650 $2.50 DC 66,447

It's the end of the “Jason Todd” story, right? Nope, it leads into the Batman Annual. I've liked the whole “Jason Todd” story since it started, and hopefully it will have a solid conclusion. The last issue before Batman is rebooted.

22 RANN THANAGAR WAR INFINITE CRISIS SP $4.99 DC 65,344

Oh, I wanted to like this comic. I love Dave Gibbon's work on most comics, and I like the DC “space” characters, but this was completely unreadable.

23 SUPERMAN #226 $2.50 DC 63,982

Another wrap up issue, this one finishing the story of the Golden Age Superman. Also the last issue of this series (since Adventures of Superman is going to be renamed Superman). All three of the Superman comics tell the story of the Earth 2/Golden Age Superman, and it's a solid story.

24 SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #23 $2.99 MAR 59,051

The new team is doing nothing to get me to buy this book. The art is messy and the story...well, the story is pretty damn bland.

25 X-MEN 198 #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 58,540

This is the kind of X-Men mini-series that has caused people not to care about X-Men mini-series. A messy affair where most of the world's mutants come to the X-Men's headquarters and...well...kind of sit around and show off their powers. Boring.

26 YOUNG AVENGERS #10 (RES) $2.99 MAR 56,347

I SO want to like this comic, but the delays are making it hard to read. There is a LOT going on in this book, and there are revelations that would have been a lot more interesting in the comic didn't have 2 – 3 month delays between each issue. This comic is ending with issue 12, and will be relaunched, hopefully on a much better schedule.

27 GHOST RIDER #6 (Of 6)* $2.99 MAR 55,802
28 JSA #82 $2.50 DC 54,234

Also wrapping up for Infinite Crisis, but doing so in a way that new readers can get an idea of what this book is about, mostly because Paul Levitz is a writer who can keep a big cast interesting while telling a solid story. I have liked this book for a long time, and this issue is a solid example as to why.

29 DAREDEVIL #82* $2.99 MAR 53,058

If I was at all worried about Ed Brubaker taking over this book after an excellent run by Brian Michael Bendis. This is a book that could have fallen flat on its face with the creative team change, but instead, it is still as good, and gives a great place for new readers to give it a try. You have never read a super-hero comic like this before as Matt Murdock slowly takes over a prison. Highly recommended.

30 SON OF M #3 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 52,227

The supposed sequel to “House of M” which features Quicksilver moping a lot and trying to find ways of getting his powers back. This better have some sort of Big Deal conclusion, since the mini-series so far has been a whole lot of nothing going on.

31 ACTION COMICS #836 $2.50 DC 51,722

More of the last Golden Age Superman story, and the fact that the other issues in the SAME STORY sold so much better never fails to confuse me. People must like only getting parts of a story instead of the whole thing.

32 X-FACTOR #3 $2.99 MAR 48,307

Peter David, back working in the Marvel Universe, and doing a good job of it. PAD is a writer who can put out VERY good stories when he doesn't let his bad habits get the better of him, and this series shows it. I'm a bit worried that he's not doing well at spotlighting the entire cast, but hopefully as the series goes on, they'll each get some time in the spotlight. One of the few GOOD books in the “mutant corner” of the Marvel Universe.

33 X-MEN THE END MEN & X-MEN #2 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 47,370

Chris Claremont is review proof. If you like his stuff, here is more of it.

34 WONDER WOMAN #226 $2.50 DC 45,682

Last issue, and there's nothing here that makes it stand out as a “great conclusion” so it's pretty skippable.

35 NEW EXCALIBUR #4 $2.99 MAR 45,071
36 FANTASTIC FOUR #534 $2.99 MAR 44,573

JMS is no starting the “Return of Thor” storyline by having the FF and Dr. Doom find Thor's hammer. And after reading the issues involved, I have yet to find anything worth recommending.

37 CAPTAIN AMERICA #14 $2.99 MAR 44,041
38 CAPTAIN AMERICA #15 $2.99 MAR 43,350

Cap is a book that has benefited from its new creative team. Ed Brubaker is telling amazing stories, and Steve Epting is giving the book the best art of his career. A solid super-hero comic that reads like a good spy novel, and is highly recommended.

39 OUTSIDERS #33 $2.50 DC 43,270

Wrapping up more plot lines, and not doing a very good job of it. This is a comic that needs a complete reboot when “One Year Later” hits, because it hasn't been much good for almost a year now.

40 FANTASTIC FOUR #535 $2.99 MAR 43,124
41 NEW X-MEN #23 $2.99 MAR 41,463

I like the concept of this book, as it's a new version of the 80s title “The New Mutants”, but since the new creative team came on the book, it has been endless tragedy and shock in the place of storytelling. I was giving it the benefit of the doubt as the new creative team set up shop, but we're 4 issues into the new run, and it's just been endless “shocks”.

42 MARVEL ZOMBIES #3 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 41,164

A simple concept (what if the Marvel Heroes became zombies) and played for the kind of sick humor seen in “Return of the Living Dead”. It's be VERY successful for Marvel, and has gone through at least two or three printings per issue. Waiting for the trade.

43 SPIDER-WOMAN ORIGIN #3 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 40,553

This is the kind of comic I normally don't bather with, as it is a mini-series sorting out the mess that is Spider-Woman's origin. However, Bendis is working hard to make this a good story, and the Luna Brothers are GREAT artists. This comic is, believe it or not, highly recommended.

44 JSA CLASSIFIED #8 $2.50 DC 39,656

A spin-off series for the JSA, and it maintains the high quality of that series. The current story is about the villain Vandal Savage, and has made the character interesting for the first time since I've read DC super-hero stories. A great comic that appeals to any super-hero fan.

45 GENERATION M #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 39,450

A comic with an interesting premise (a newspaper reporter covering the massive loss of powers after House of M) has bogged down and become pedestrian and bland. I'm glad I read a few issues before ordering the trade because this just isn't worth the money.

46 SENTRY #5 (Of 8) $2.99 MAR 39,257
47 INCREDIBLE HULK #92 $2.99 MAR 39,224

The “Planet Hulk” story continues here, and so far, it's been a lot better than it has any right to be. The story of the Hulk being transported out into space where he is on a planet of highly powerful aliens and is forced to battle them could have been just a smash-fest, but instead it does a good job of taking the story and building it around characters. Highly recommended.

48 JSA CLASSIFIED #9 $2.50 DC 39,104
49 RED SONJA #5 $2.99 DE 38,798

This is selling about five times what the spinoffs are selling, which shows that there is a kind of power in a “regular series” and that the dealer incentive are working. The series itself is decent enough for a fantasy series, although the spinoffs are actually better. Mildly recommended for fans of heroic fantasy.

50 JLA CLASSIFIED #17 $2.99 DC 38,014
51 SENTRY #6 (Of 8) $2.99 MAR 37,230
52 X-MEN APOCALYPSE DRACULA #1 (Of 4) $2.99 MAR 37,057

Dear X-Men editors and creative teams: There comes a time when it is OK to admit that you don't have any more ideas for spin-off mini-series. Usually it comes before you put out a comic about one of your villains meeting Dracula, especially if they have nothing in common. Thank you.

53 TRANSFORMERS INFILTRATION #2 $2.99 IDW 35,828
54 NIGHTWING #117 $2.50 DC 35,489

This wraps up all of the storylines before the big “One Year Later”, and you would think that with all of the time to build up, the fact that the writer has been on the book for over three years, this would be good. It's not. It's bad. Painfully bad. Ed Wood Jr. Bad. I'm amazed a comic this bad made it through the editorial process. Hopefully the new creative team will be better at this.

55 DETECTIVE COMICS #816 $2.50 DC 35,410

Another placeholder comic, waiting for the new creative team to start next issue.

56 RED SONJA #6 $2.99 DE 35,031

Dropping about four thousand in sales from 5 to 6 makes me think that the book will probably bottom out at a bit less than Conan sales. As I said above, it's a good heroic fantasy comic, and it's a nice change from the super-hero comics. Mildly recommended.

57 PUNISHER #30 (MR) $2.99 MAR 34,293

This is a comic that has pretty much found its audience. Garth Ennis is writing pretty standard action stories, none are any better or worse than the others. I like them, but since they are all six issue story arcs, it's probably best to get it as trade paperbacks.

58 TRANSFORMERS BEAST WARS (IDW) #1 (Of 4)* $2.99 IDW 34,047

I have never much cared about the Transformers. If you do, here you are.

59 SUPREME POWER HYPERION #4 (Of 5) (MR) $2.99 MAR 33,868
60 EXILES #77 $2.99 MAR 32,998

Again, I have to say that if you are a LONG time fan of Marvel Comics, this is a fun book that is a shameless rip-off of “Quantum Leap” with a team of super-heroes going to different alternate universes to fix things. The current story plays with the formula by having them chasing a villain across different realities, and is better than most of the previous stories. Highly recommended for a select audience.

61 STORM #1 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 32,831

This is part of Marvel's build-up to Storm and Black Panther marrying this summer. I don't care about the marriage, the Black Panther comic, and the vast majority of X-Men single character mini-series have been forgettable.

62 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #14 $2.99 DC 32,513

I LOVE this comic. It took a while for the reboot to win me over since this is the third of fourth time in the last 15 years they have restarted this series. Mark Waid and Barry Kitson have taken the idea of the comic (super-hero team in the far future) and made it fresh, interesting and fun. This issue and the next are as self-contained as any comic can be, and set up for bringing Supergirl into the comic next month. Highly recommended.

63 ROBIN #147 $2.50 DC 32,120

Another comic tying up loose ends, and if you haven't been reading it for a while, you'd be pretty much completely lost. Wait for next month to give it a try.

64 CONAN #25 (MR) $2.99 DAR 31,675
65 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #15 $2.99 DC 31,649
66 GREEN ARROW #59 $2.50 DC 31,250

Finishing up a LONG story. I've like Judd Winnik in this book when he doesn't get too deep into mystic stuff (which doesn't fit with this character IMHO). Hopefully, the One Year Later stuff will work well.

67 SUPREME POWER NIGHTHAWK #6 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99 MAR 30,280
68 BIRDS OF PREY #91 $2.50 DC 29,835
69 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #74 $2.50 DC 29,689

Last issue, and one of the worst comics I think I have ever read. This book has been bad for quite a while, but the last few issues were so poorly done, I've read instruction manuals with better plots. Avoid.

70 SEVEN SOLDIERS BULLETEER #3 (Of 4) $2.99 DC 29,336

The entire Seven Soldiers series has been utterly amazing. Each story is great on its own, but when you read them together, there is a sense that Morrison has just created an epic super-hero story. A great, great series and one that is Highly recommended.

71 HELLBOY MAKOMA #1 (Of 2) $2.99 DAR 29,197
72 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #200 $4.99 DC 28,984

This series has been kind of limping along for years. It started as a series where creators could do GREAT Batman stories without having to worry about having to fit into the regular comic. Then it shifted a bit until now where it seems to be a dumping ground for Batman fill-in stories. The series has REALLY lost me with doing THREE Mr. Freeze stories in a row. This “Anniversary” issue is better than most, but still reads like a fill-in by a sub-par creative team.

73 WARLORD #1 $2.99 DC 27,443

Bruce Jones has come back to comics, starting with his run on Hulk (which went about a year too long) and now he's working at DC. His “Warlord” might be good, but the art by Bart Sears is so grotesquely distorted, I find it to be unreadable. Beside, the ONLY Warlord stories I liked at all were by Mike Grell.

74 FURY PEACEMAKER #1 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 27,423
75 SHE-HULK 2 #5 $2.99 MAR 27,183

A gem from Marvel. I didn't care when the book was introduced, but having read the two trade paperbacks of the first series, I was surprised. It's funny, charming and has great character work. Dan Slott has been around comics for years, but this series finally got me to notice his writing. Highly recommended.

76 SENTINEL SQUAD ONE #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 26,971

That's right, a mini-series about the people who are inside the new Sentinels. A mecha series. Wake me up when the the Sentinels go crazy and start killing people, since that seems to be the only plot there is involving them. Kind of like how every Inhumans storyline boils down to someone taking over their kingdom.

77 SPAWN #153 $2.95 IMA 26,884
78 BATGIRL #73 $2.50 DC 26,546

Being canceled with issue #75. A fairly unlikeable character, and rumor is that she is being turned into a villain soon.

79 BATMAN & MONSTER MEN #4 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 26,320
80 BLACK PANTHER #13 $2.99 MAR 26,054
81 Y THE LAST MAN #42 (MR) $2.99 DC 25,775
82 X-MEN UNLIMITED #13 $2.99 MAR 25,257

I don't know why this comic doesn't get the love. Each issue has nice short stories featuring X-Men characters who don't get a lot of the spotlight. It's interesting to me how these stories pack more into 14 pages than the 5 – 6 issue X-Men mini-series do. Highly recommended.

83 HAWKMAN #49 $2.50 DC 25,031

Last issue before the big revamp. And it's been floundering, creatively, since Geoff Johns left with issue #25. Hopefully, the new creative team can make the book interesting.

84 POWERS #16 (MR) $2.95 MAR 24,924

This series is coming out a bit slowly, but it's still a really good read. It has drifted from it's beginning as a police procedural set in a super-hero universe, and now it's just a different kind of super-hero comic. Still good, just a different kind of comic.

85 BATMAN YEAR ONE HUNDRED #1 (Of 4) $5.99 DC 24,446
86 SGT ROCK PROPHECY #2 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 24,333
87 RUNAWAYS #13 $2.99 MAR 24,313
88 PUNISHER BLOODY VALENTINE $3.99 MAR 24,200

Another of the Punisher one-shots, this one isn't by the regular creative team, so it comes off as a pretty bland story. It's one you can take or leave.

89 FABLES #46 (MR) $2.75 DC 24,134
90 NEW THUNDERBOLTS #18 $2.99 MAR 23,735

Back when comics were cheaper, I would have liked this comic well enough, as it's a generic Marvel Super-hero comic that tends to tell soap opera stories that go on and on. The last few issues I've read have been a lot easier to read than the book was when it started, since they've brought down the number of characters, and they do a better job at filling in new readers, but it's still a bland comic that doesn't have the thrills of the original series.

91 JONAH HEX #4 $2.99 DC 23,569
92 CONAN & DEMONS OF KHITAI #4 (Of 4) $2.99 DAR 23,356
93 PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 23,050
94 IRON MAN INEVITABLE #3 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 22,997

I don't think anyone got the message that this was supposed to take the place of the regular Iron Man series while Warren Ellis could only get one issue out every three or four months. As a mini-series from Marvel, it's pretty damn silly to buy it as individual issues though.

95 CABLE DEADPOOL #25 $2.99 MAR 22,918
96 CATWOMAN #52 $2.50 DC 21,954
97 ALL NEW OFF HANDBK MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z #2 $3.99 MAR 21,828
98 STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #2 $2.99 DAR 21,203

The relaunch of the Star Wars titles doesn't seem to have done much for sales. I'll say it again, the vast majority of Star Wars fans want to read about Luke, Leia, and Han Solo, not a bunch of characters from a video game who happen to have light sabers. Until Dark Horse figures that out, these books won't sell.

99 THING #4 $2.99 MAR 21,190

I wasn't expecting to like this comic. It's been a LONG time since anyone other than Mark Waid has written the Thing in an interesting way, and there really wasn't a lot of call for a FF solo series. However, Dan Slott won me over with his great stories and interesting plots. When the trade comes out of the 8 issues of this series, pick it up...it's a great super-hero comic. Highly recommended.

100 FIRESTORM #22 $2.50 DC 21,104
101 MARVEL KNIGHTS 4 #27 $2.99 MAR 20,977
102 BATMAN JOURNEY INTO KNIGHT #7 (Of 12) $2.50 DC 20,698
103 CAPTAIN ATOM ARMAGEDDON #5 (Of 9) $2.99 DC 20,532
104 STAR WARS REPUBLIC #83 $2.99 DAR 20,499
105 MARVEL TEAM-UP #17 $2.99 MAR 19,422

This book should sell better, dammit! One of the cool things about the comic is that it tells a story, and deals with the characters who become involved in it, rather than just being “Here's Spider-Man and someone else.” The first story arc was solid, and this one is another great idea of a villain who travels back in time, kills all of the heroes except for a few that have been forgotten by history. It's better than it has any right to be, and shows again that there are no bad characters, just lazy writers.

106 SAGA OF SQUADRON SUPREME $3.99 MAR 18,977
107 STAR WARS EMPIRE #39 $2.99 DAR 18,811
108 GI JOE AMERICAS ELITE #8 $2.95 DDP 18,745
109 NEIL GAIMANS NEVERWHERE #6 (Of 9) $2.99 DC 18,406
110 GOTHAM CENTRAL #40 $2.50 DC 18,373

Last issue, and it sets up for, of all things, an Infinite Crisis tie-in. This has been a great series, using the idea of a police procedural set in Gotham City. It should have had better sales, and is a comic that people will be snapping up as time goes on. Solidly entertaining, beautifully drawn and highly recommended.

111 GI JOE SNAKE-EYES DECLASSIFIED #6 (Of 6) $2.95 DDP 18,346
112 AQUAMAN #39 $2.50 DC 18,326
113 ARMY OF DARKNESS #4 $2.99 DE 18,273
114 DANGER GIRL BACK I/BLACK #4 (Of 4) $2.99 DC 18,187
115 X-STATIX PRESENTS DEAD GIRL #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 17,369

Not so much an X-Statix comic, but the best Dr. Strange story in 20 years. It has the quirky humor of the X-Statix comic, art that looks right out of the Silver Age by Mike Allred and enough sarcasm for people who don't like super-hero books. Highly recommended.

116 ARES #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 16,884
117 MARVEL ZOMBIES #1 (Of 5)* $2.99 MAR 16,785

These are JUST re-orders. That's right. Re-orders, and it sold about 60K in its original orders. I think Marvel has a huge hit on their hands. For a review, see what I wrote for the new issue above.

118 SPIDER-GIRL #95 $2.99 MAR 16,778

Ending with issue #100, and as I have said since the series started, it reads just like an 80's Marvel super-hero soap opera comic. It's a solid read, never anything GREAT, but if you would have told me that it was a reprint from 1986, I'd believe you.

119 LOVELESS #4 (MR) $2.99 DC 16,765
120 INFINITE CRISIS #4 (Of 7)* $3.99 DC 16,525
121 GIANT SIZE MS MARVEL #1 $4.99 MAR 15,808

A reprint of a batch of old Ms Marvel stories from the 70's. It suffers from the same problem collections like this have: Marvel back then wrote soap-operas, so the stories here don't really come to a decent conclusion. The Chris Claremont stories are above average, and show his strength with writing female characters. If you're interested in the character, this is a great introduction, but you'll be a bit frustrated, since all of the stories end on cliffhangers.

122 BLACK WIDOW 2 #5 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 15,595
123 AMERICAN WAY #1 (Of 8) $2.99 DC 15,216
124 BLACK WIDOW 2 #6 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 15,143
125 INFINITE CRISIS #3 (Of 7)* $3.99 DC 15,030
126 WRAITHBORN #5 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 14,917
127 DMZ #4 (MR) $2.99 DC 14,778
128 WITCHBLADE #95 $2.99 IMA 14,578
129 WILDCATS NEMESIS #6 (Of 9) $2.99 DC 14,572
130 HELLBLAZER #217 (MR) $2.75 DC 14,306

A new creative team has recently come onto the book, the longest running in the Vertigo lineup. They do well, keeping the idea of the character, and setting up a decent story. It'll be interesting to see where they go with it, but if you are wanting to give the character a try, now's the time.

131 100 BULLETS #69 (MR) $2.75 DC 13,708
132 DOC SAMSON #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 13,230
133 ANGEL OLD FRIENDS #3 (Of 5) $3.99 IDW 13,057
134 MANHUNTER #19 $2.50 DC 12,970
135 MARVEL LEGACY 1960S HANDBK $4.99 MAR 12,957
136 TESTAMENT #3 (MR) $2.99 DC 12,831
137 UNDERWORLD #1 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 12,479

Another mini-series from Marvel that doesn't seem to have an audience. The pitch was pretty nondescript, and while I applaud Marvel trying new things, if they want people interested, they have to REALLY push it and have a good hook to get people interested.

138 EXTERMINATORS #2 (MR) $2.99 DC 12,459
139 RISING STARS UNTOUCHABLE #1 (Of 5) $2.99 IMA 12,452
140 INVINCIBLE #28 $2.99 IMA 12,147
141 SOLO #9 $4.99 DC 12,020

Yes, I know it's ending soon, but this is a GREAT series, and I'll miss it. The whole idea of the series is to have an artist supply all of the stories in a single comic, and there has only been one misfire (the European artist I had never seen before). Hopefully they can figure out a way to do this sort of thing on a limited basis instead of the entire idea going away.

142 BOOK OF LOST SOULS #5 $2.99 MAR 11,941
143 GI JOE SP MISSIONS MANHATTAN $4.95 DDP 11,788
144 TEEN TITANS GO #28 $2.25 DC 11,568
145 THUNDERBOLT JAXON #1 (Of 5) $2.99 DC 11,475
146 NEW MANGAVERSE #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 11,462
147 SENTINEL #4 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 11,402
148 VIGILANTE #6 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 11,382
149 BLOOD OF THE DEMON #12 $2.50 DC 11,362

Finishing up. John Byrne has yet to have a comic last past 18 issues in AGES. He blames it on comic shop owners who have conspired against him to make all of his comics sell poorly. I think it has more to do with the fact that his comics end up selling around 10K a month, and he works on super-hero comics.

150 KABUKI #6 (MR)* $2.99 MAR 11,349

This still comes out?

151 GOON #16 $2.99 DAR 11,343
152 GIRLS #10 (MR) $2.99 IMA 11,289

A great horror story by the Luna Brothers, who have impressed me with their art in Spider-Woman and Ultra. The only problem is that because the story is so visual, each each can be reading about 5 minutes, so wait for the trades.

153 MAJESTIC #14 $2.99 DC 10,944
154 SABLE & FORTUNE #2 (Of 4) $2.99 MAR 10,751

Marvel kind of stepped in it on this one. I'm sure that the idea for the pitch was interesting, but I don't anyone anyone has given a damn about Silver Sable or Dominic Fortune for 20 years.

155 SIMPSONS COMICS #115 $2.99 BON 10,718

Highly recommended, and much better than the TV show has been over the last four years.

156 TEAM ZERO #3 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 10,698
157 FRESHMEN #6 (Of 6) $2.99 IMA 10,658
158 LUCIFER #71 (MR) $2.75 DC 10,578

This is another Vertigo series moving toward a conclusion. It will end with #75, which is a great run, but its sales have mostly been in trade paperbacks, with the regular series staying at around 10K for the past few years.

159 NECROMANCER #4 $2.99 IMA 10,505
160 LADY DEATH LOST SOULS #0 (Of 3)* $2.99 AVA 10,499
161 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #18 $2.25 DC 10,206
162 30 DAYS OF NIGHT DEAD SPACE #1 (Of 3) $3.99 IDW 9,921

This series of mini-series is becoming an example of the law of diminishing returns with each mini-series getting further and further from the original idea. The first one was an amazingly original idea that was great fun to read, and now, they just come off as gimmick-y vampire stories.

163 NICK FURY HOWLING COMMANDOS #5 $2.99 MAR 9,914
164 SPIKE OLD WOUNDS ONE SHOT $7.49 IDW 9,754
165 I HEART MARVEL WEB OF ROMANCE $2.99 MAR 9,442

Marvel did another “event” type series of “I Heart” comics, doing love stories with their super-heroes. Most of them were pretty much forgettable, but this one was a must read. Written by the creator of “True Story Swear To God”, it's not only the best Spider-Man story of the month, but also the best Spider-Man story in the main Marvel Universe in YEARS. Highly recommended.

166 FANTASTIC FOUR IRON MAN BIG I/JAPAN #4 (Of 4) $3.50 MAR 9,243
167 FRANKLIN RICHARDS SON OF GENIUS EVERYBODY LOVES FRANKLIN $2.99 MAR 9,176

This book doesn't get a lot of attention, but they have put out a few of these, and each one has been a BLAST. They look like kid's comics, but feel more like Calvin and Hobbes. The stories are very well done, funny and good enough that you'll read it more than once. Highly recommended.

168 HARD TIME SEASON TWO #3 $2.50 DC 8,997

Over with issue #7, and a damn shame. Read the trade paperbacks, as this is the best writing Steve Gerber has done since “Howard The Duck.” Highly recommended.

169 GI JOE SIGMA 6 #3 $2.95 DDP 8,877
170 I HEART MARVEL MY MUTANT HEART $2.99 MAR 8,837
171 FUTURAMA COMICS #23 $2.99 BON 8,665

The only way to get new stories of this TV series, and this issue is just as good a finding an episode you hadn't seen before. If you liked this TV show, the comic is a GREAT version of it. Highly recommended.

172 BATMAN STRIKES #18 $2.25 DC 8,625
173 LADY DEATH ABANDON ALL HOPE #3 (Of 4)* $3.99 AVA 8,552

And with the end of CrossGen a while ago, the character has moved to Avatar, and once again has breasts larger than her head. And since it is Avatar, they are almost bigger than her torso.

174 SWAMP THING #24 (MR) $2.99 DC 8,379

Another book from DC that has sales that can't keep it going for very long. And again, I read the first story arc and wasn't impressed enough to keep buying it.

175 DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES #7 KURTH CVR (Of 8) $2.95 DDP 8,213
176 LOSERS #32 (MR) $2.99 DC 8,193

I don't know if this is the last issue or not, but the series never really got off the ground, sales wise. I read the first story arc, and wasn't impressed enough to buy it.

177 SIMPSONS SUPER SPECTACULAR #2 $2.99 BON 8,160
178 BART SIMPSON COMICS #28 $2.99 BON 8,153

The Bart Simpson comic used to be a pretty bad comic, with stories that read like the old Charlton TV tie ins...which means that the stories had next to nothing to do with the series it was based on. The book has turned around over the last couple of issues, and has become REALLY well done. Add to that the Simpsons special, we're getting tie-in comics from The Simpsons that are better than the TV series has been lately. And has “new stories” more often.

179 I HEART MARVEL MARVEL AI $2.99 MAR 8,133
180 RED SONJA VS THULSA DOOM #1 (Of 4) $3.50 DE 8,033

I wonder why the spin-offs of Red Sonja sell so poorly. It can't just be that the main series has all kinds of retailer incentives like special covers if you order over a certain number of copies. This one is written by Peter David, who has done some great fantasy novels, and story starts off well. Highly recommended for fantasy fans.

181 X-FACTOR #2* $2.99 MAR 7,754
182 SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE #3 $2.99 MAR 7,648
183 I HEART MARVEL OUTLAW LOVE $2.99 MAR 7,588
184 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #159 $2.25 ARC 7,263
185 SAVAGE DRAGON #123 (RES) $2.99 IMA 7,103
186 MARVEL ROMANCE REDUX BUT HE SAID HE LOVED ME #1 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 7,070

This comic should have sold better!! This is a great idea for a comic, where they take old Marvel romance stories and have them rewritten as humor strips. They are a bit hit and miss, with the Frank Tieri story being so horridly unfunny, I assume he bribed the editor. But overall, I got a lot of laughs out of the book, and every one of the issues they've done in this series is well worth the money. Highly recommended.

187 SONIC X #5 $2.25 ARC 6,758
188 MARVEL ADVS SPIDER-MAN #12 $2.50 MAR 6,087
189 MARVEL SPOTLIGHT JOSS WHEDON MICHAEL LARK $2.99 MAR 5,974
190 ABC A-Z TERRA OBSCURA & SPLASH BRANNIGAN $3.99 DC 5,947

Normally, I quickly recommend any of the ABC comics, but since this is pretty much just a character listing and not a story of any kind, I'm not interested.

191 USAGI YOJIMBO #91 $2.99 DAR 5,914
192 CITY OF HEROES #10 $2.99 IMA 5,894
193 PURGATORI (DDP) #4 (MR) $2.95 DDP 5,854
194 METAL GEAR SOLID SONS OF LIBERTY #4 $3.99 IDW 5,774

What is the big difference between this comic series and the video game it's based on? This series has a plot that makes sense.

195 FRANK MILLERS ROBOCOP #9 (MR)* $3.99 AVA 5,668

After starting over two years ago, the final issue is out. Based on Miller's original script for Robocop II, it suffers from horrible art and bad scheduling.

196 PVP #22 $2.99 IMA 5,635
197 MOUSE GUARD #1 $3.50 ARC 5,601

This is getting a lot of GREAT reviews. I might give it one if I could FIND the damn thing.

198 PVP #23 $2.99 IMA 5,489
199 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #111 $4.99 KZR 5,422

I say the same thing every month: This is a great comic, and if you get past the art, it is one of the funniest comics on the stands. And if you are a gamer, it also has a LOT of gaming articles that make this one of the better buys in the comic shop. Highly recommended.

200 SUPERMARKET #1 (Of 4) $3.99 IDW 5,309
201 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #112 $4.99 KZR 5,176
202 PLANETARY BRIGADE #1 $2.99 BOO 5,083

From two thirds of the creative team who did the sit-com version of the Justice League...and I have no idea why that comic was selling around 60,000 to 70,000 and this sells so low other than comics fans are scared of new characters. Too bad, since this looks to be as good (if not better) than the two recent stories they did for DC and Marvel.

203 MARVEL ZOMBIES #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 5,023
204 EXALTED #3 REG ED $3.49 UDO 4,970
205 ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #1 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR 4,957

I'm writing this in early June (oh bite me, it's not like you're paying me for this), and the third issue hasn't come out yet. These are re-orders from people who thought the book would be coming out on time. Fools.

206 PORTENT #1 $2.99 IMA 4,877
207 X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS #3 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 4,837
208 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #22 (RES) (MR) $2.50 IMA 4,837

There were two issues of this book this month, and this one outsold #23. OK, sales dropped from this issue to the next one by about half. Don't look for this comic to go on much longer.

209 INFINITE CRISIS #2 (Of 7) $3.99 DC 4,718
210 MARVEL ADVS FANTASTIC FOUR #9 $2.50 MAR 4,711
211 RED SONJA GOES EAST ONE SHOT $4.99 DE 4,631
212 UNCLE SCROOGE #351 $6.95 GEM 4,585
213 IN THE BLOOD #1 (Of 4) (MR) $3.99 BOO 4,545

A comic that tells you nothing about what it is about, but it has the word “blood” in it. Much like Bloodsport, Bloodpool and everything else with “blood” in the title, I couldn't possibly care less.

214 GUNCANDY #2 (Of 2) (MR) $5.99 IMA 4,512
215 KILLER 7 #1 (MR) $2.95 DDP 4,498
216 SHONEN JUMP MAR 06 #39 $4.99 VIZ 4,472

At it sells about 300,000 outside comic shops, so if it had to depend on comic shops for its sales, it would have been canceled years ago.

217 DONALD DUCK & FRIENDS #337 $2.95 GEM 4,452
218 SCOOBY DOO #105 $2.25 DC 4,326
219 NOBLE CAUSES #17 $3.50 IMA 4,213
220 BOMB QUEEN #1 (Of 4) (MR) $3.50 IMA 4,180

And with sales like these...OH, come on, if you don't know what the joke is going to be, you just aren't paying attention.

221 CONAN #24 (MR)* $2.99 DAR 4,106
222 HACK SLASH LAND OF LOST TOYS #3 (Of 3) (MR)* $3.25 DDP 4,040
223 MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS #286 $2.95 GEM 4,020
224 GIFT #14 $2.99 IMA 3,894
225 PERHAPANAUTS #3 (Of 4) $2.99 DAR 3,834

Finally, a comic about people who explore what goes on in the peripheral vision. The world has been waiting for this.

226 MASTERS OF HORROR #2 (Of 12) $3.99 IDW 3,781
227 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #666 $6.95 GEM 3,754

#666, eh? I'm betting that in this issue, the corpse of Walt Disney is possessed by Satan and attempts to kill Huey, Dewey and Louey. Or not.

228 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #110 (MR) $2.99 DAR 3,728

The last of the manga series printed as a regular comic book series instead of trade paperbacks. To little effect, I must add.

229 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #3 $2.99 ZEN 3,668
230 REVOLUTION ON THE PLANET OF THE APES #2 (Of 6) $3.98 MET 3,601

They probably expected this to do a lot better, but I think the nostalgia interest in Planet of the Apes is pretty limited.

231 BLACK HARVEST #3 (Of 6) $3.25 DDP 3,575
232 INFINITE CRISIS #1 (Of 7) $3.99 DC 3,469
233 STRANGE GIRL #6 $2.99 IMA 3,435
234 ALL STAR SUPERMAN #2 $2.99 DC 3,415
235 UNDERWORLD EVOLUTION $7.49 IDW 3,322

I say it every month, but who is it that buys comic adaptations of movies? This is a $7.50 comic book, and for about $3 more you'll be able to buy it on DVD when it first comes out (or when one of the big rental stores sells off their used copies), and it will be an actual movie. I think the day of the comic adaptation passed a LONG time ago.

236 HI HI PUFFY AMIYUMI #1 (Of 3) (RES) $2.25 DC 3,236

Another of DC's books based on a Cartoon Network show, and I really hope they have a way to sell them outside of comic shops, since they would be losing money on these books when they go to press on them.

237 NEXT WAVE #1 $2.99 MAR 3,170
238 X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS #2 (Of 6) $3.50 MAR 3,076
239 INVINCIBLE SCRIPT BOOK #1 $3.99 IMA 2,990
240 ATOMIKA #6 (Of 12) $2.99 MER 2,977
241 JUSTICE #2 (Of 12)* $3.50 DC 2,917
242 WOLVERINE #38 $2.50 MAR 2,871
243 TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #20 $3.25 MIR 2,851
244 SGT ROCK PROPHECY #1 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 2,764
245 NIGHTWING #116 $2.50 DC 2,738
246 BEOWULF #6 $2.99 SPE 2,718
247 ATHENA VOLTAIRE FLIGHT OF THE FALCON #1 $2.99 SPE 2,718

A comic that is about to suffer through the loss of its company. By the time the first issue hit the shelves, the word was out that the company was going under...the series is restarting in August with a reprint of this issue along with what would have been the second issue, so buy it then.

248 ULTIMATE EXTINCTION #1 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 2,718
249 LOONEY TUNES #135 $2.25 DC 2,631
250 X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS #1 (Of 6)* $3.99 MAR 2,611
251 SIMPSONS CLASSICS #7 $3.99 BON 2,605
252 MARVEL MILESTONES DRAGON LORD SPEEDBALL & MAN IN THE SKY $3.99 MAR 2,605

Most of these reprint books are ones that I pass by, but this one reprints three Steve Ditko stories, all of which are pretty hard to find. The two super-hero stories are decent enough fill-in type stories, and the mystery story at the end is a very typical Ditko twist ending story, but to get all three for $4 is a decent bargain and a good read if you haven't read them before.

253 JEREMIAH HARM #1 $3.99 BOO 2,598
254 SUPER MANGA BLAST #59 (MR) $5.99 DAR 2,591

The final issue, and it's a shame. Dark Horse did a good job with this manga anthology, and had a GREAT lineup of features. However, there just weren't enough people buying it in the comics shops, and they didn't have a way to get it on stands like Shonen Jump so that it could become a mainstream success.

255 INTIMIDATORS #2 (MR) $3.50 IMA 2,552
256 ZOMBIE TALES DEATH VALLEY #2 $6.99 BOO 2,545
257 POISON ELVES LOST TALES #1 $2.95 SIR 2,498
258 KEEP #4 (Of 5) $3.99 IDW 2,412
259 POLLY & PIRATES #4 (Of 6) $2.99 ONI 2,412
260 POISON ELVES DOMINION #3 (MR) $3.50 SIR 2,405
261 LUBAS COMICS & STORIES #7 (MR) $3.50 FAN 2,405

Love and Rockets (and spin-offs like this one) are comics I know I SHOULD like, but I just can't warm up to it. I guess not every “good” comic is one that I like.

262 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #528 $2.50 MAR 2,392
263 NEW AVENGERS #15 $2.50 MAR 2,385
264 ROBIN #146 $2.50 DC 2,352
265 SABRINA VOL 2 #73 $2.25 ARC 2,332
266 BETTY & VERONICA #215 $2.25 ARC 2,299
267 WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK #1 (Of 4) (MR) $2.99 CRE 2,299

I'm looking forward to a month where every comics from #150 down is a zombie comic.

268 INTIMIDATORS #3 (MR) $3.50 IMA 2,272
269 NODWICK #31 $2.99 DOR 2,272
270 BATMAN #649 $2.50 DC 2,266
271 SHOJO BEAT MAR 06 VOL 2 #3 $5.99 VIZ 2,047

An anthology aimed at teenage girls. I'm shocked it does THIS well in comic shops.

272 ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 $2.99 DC 2,033
273 ACTION PHILOSOPHERS WORLD DOMINATION HANDBK $2.95 EVI 1,954
274 JUSTICE #1 3RD PRINTING (Of 12) $2.99 DC 1,927
275 GLOOMCOOKIE #26 (MR) $2.95 SLG 1,927

Again, this is one of my favorite comics, and even with the quarterly schedule and artist changes, every issue is just a joy to read. A mix of goth subculture, horror and fairy tales, this is a series that it hard to classify but easy to recommend.

276 DEAD @ 17 PROTECTORATE #3 (Of 3) (MR) $2.95 VIP 1,920
277 SUPERGIRL #3 $2.99 DC 1,920
278 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #140 $3.59 ARC 1,887
279 JUSTICE #3 (Of 12) $3.50 DC 1,867
280 ARCHIE & FRIENDS #98 $2.25 ARC 1,841
281 RUNES OF RAGNAN #3 (Of 4) $3.50 IMA 1,821
282 FLASH #230 $2.50 DC 1,821

More re-orders of the last issue, and if you see it on the shelf and think, “Well, it can't be that bad,” you'd be wrong. The last 5 issues of The Flash were painfully bad.

283 ROY THOMAS ANTHEM #1 $3.25 HER 1,807

I would have bought this comic if I knew it was coming out. Heroic is doing a horrible job at getting the word out about books, as I am a Roy Thomas fan and a fan of WWII books. I'd be surprised if ANYONE knew this comic was on the way.

284 SUPERGIRL #1 3RD PTG $2.99 DC 1,787
285 STREET FIGHTER II #1 POWER FOIL JO CHEN CVR $12.50 UDO 1,767
286 HOT MOMS #7 (A) $4.95 ERO 1,761
287 CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #18 $2.25 DC 1,728
288 ABIDING PERDITION #5* $3.50 MRK 1,701
289 CAPCOM SUMMER SP $9.99 UDO 1,681
290 CHICANOS #4 $3.99 IDW 1,674
291 OZ MANGA #8 (Of 8) $2.99 ANT 1,674
292 CASEFILES SAM & TWITCH #21 (RES) (MR) $2.50 IMA 1,655

WOW!! This comic has completely fallen off the radar, and unless these are re-orders, this is a HUGE failure. This series did well about 5 years ago when Bendis was writing it, but since then, not many people have picked it up.

293 SPIDER-WOMAN ORIGIN #2 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR 1,641
294 ALL STAR BATMAN & ROBIN #1 $2.99 DC 1,621
295 FLYING FRIAR #1 $4.95 SPE 1,601

A comic series by Rich Johnson, who writes gossip columns about comics, and once said during an e-mail exchange with Joe Quesada that he was a reporter and didn't want to write comics. Hey, Rich, is that still true?

296 ROBOTIKA #2 (MR) $3.95 ARC 1,588
297 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #135 $2.99 ANT 1,588

This series has been around for YEARS, and the few times I've read it, it seems like nicely done stuff that would have been in fanzines 20 or so years ago. The fact that it has lasted so long shows that the creators are pretty committed to it, and even though it's not my cuppa tea, some people really like it.

298 GREEN LANTERN CORPS RECHARGE #4 (Of 6) $2.99 DC 1,588
299 SUPERMAN #224 $2.50 DC 1,581

Both of these are re-orders, showing that DC has a LOT of re-order activity this month.

300 BONE REST #8 (MR) $2.99 IMA 1,562

That's it!

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