The Top 300 Selling Comics Books for September 2002

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

1 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE #6 DRE 119,533

*clutches head* Make the bad mans stop making shitty 80's comics!  

2 ULTIMATES #8 (RES) MAR 103,998

All right, rant time.  First, this comic is late.  Almost as late as my commentaries.  It's the end of September as I got these figures and issue #7 isn't out yet, and that means that even WITH the resolisitation, they are two months behind.  However, this series just strikes me as horribly mean spirited.  The Ultimate Spider-Man comic went back to what made the book so fun when it started out and stripped away all the 40 years of bad stories to start again and was GREAT fun.  The Ultimate X-Men, while not a book I liked, made the characters accessible for the first time in over a decade.  This comic, with Giant Man being a wife beater, Captain America a fascist, Iron Man a bi-curious womanizer and the creators saying that they will have "everything set up" around issue #24 is not something I want to waste my money on.  Sorry if that makes me an old fart, but there are better ways to do this without pissing on everything that came before.

3 NEW X-MEN #132 MAR 99,001

And, to follow up on the paragraph above, this is how to restart a series without pissing on everything that came before.  Grant Morrison continues to show with each issue how to revamp a long running series with jaw-droppingly good stories.  Highly recommended to all super-hero fans and people who watched the movie.

4 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #45 MAR 98,817

This issue actually came out on time!  The second part of a two part story, and the first time one of the older Spider-Man villains have been used in a while.  An entertaining story that used one of the worst ideas in this series (Peter and Mary Jane being separated) in a way that was funny, sad and bittersweet all at once.  Highly Recommended.

5 SPIDER-MAN BLACK CAT EVIL THAT MEN DO #4 (Of 4) MAR 94,749

Kevin Smith putting together a mini-series I'll read when they make it a collected volume.  

6 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #26 MAR 94,104
7 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #27 MAR 94,056

By FAR the best Spider-Man book being published, and that's saying a LOT.  Brian Bendis is able to give the thrills of a super-hero comic along with character work that reminds me why I still like this stuff.  

8 ULTIMATE X-MEN #22 MAR 92,199
9 TRANSFORMERS ARMADA #3 DRE 89,944
10 UNCANNY X-MEN #412 MAR 85,261
11 UNCANNY X-MEN #413 MAR 85,030

Having Chuck Austin take over has REALLY helped this comic.  It's not as good as Grant Morrison's, but what really could be?  This is a solid super-hero book, simply told without all of the endless whining and never ending plotlines that plagued the X-Books for the 90's.  I recommend it to super-hero fans, even if you gave up on the X-Men back when they were the only thing keeping Marvel afloat.  Besides, when is the last time you read a single issue X-Men story that was good?  Exactly.

12 THUNDERCATS #2 (Of 5) DC 76,907
13 WOLVERINE #181 MAR 69,503
14 SPIDER-MAN BLUE #5 (Of 6) MAR 65,710

I say it every month, so I'll say it again.  The work in this comic is great, but there isn't really a point in buying it as a monthly mini-series when it will work much better as a collected story.  By the team of Daredevil: Yellow and the Long Halloween Batman stories.  Just be patient, folks. 

15 X-TREME X-MEN #18 MAR 64,227

There really is no way to express how much I hate the title of this comic.  The comic itself is Claremont X-Men, so you know what you are getting into, overwritten captions, overwrought emotions, strong women who get tortured mentally, then physically and Gambit.  Lord, how I fucking hate Gambit.

16 CAPTAIN AMERICA #6 MAR 63,011

Two months late and counting...can't review what doesn't come out.

17 GI JOE #10 IMA 61,977
18 JLA #72 DC 60,778

The issues that deal with Nightwing's JLA have been incredibly fun, filled with interesting character interaction and Big Screen Thrills with the world in peril and all hope being lost, while the issues that deal with finding Aquaman have been dull, slow and boring.  Maybe it's time for the author to figure out how to transfer the energy from the Nightwing issues to the stories he writes with the MAIN JLA members.

19 BATTLE O/T PLANETS #3 IMA 60,743
20 JLA #71 DC 60,608
21 WEAPON X #1 MAR 58,685
22 SPIDER-MAN PETER PARKER #48 MAR 56,662

This is the wrap up after the big Green Goblin story, and, as always, the issues NOT dealing with big super-hero fights are better when done by this creative team.  In fact, just the scenes of the aftermath make up for how back the Big Story way.  Mildly recommended for most people, but highly recommended for super-hero fans.

23 GREEN ARROW #17 DC 56,645

The new writer on the book has won me over with a story that has me wondering just where he's going with it.  Mildly recommended.

24 FANTASTIC FOUR #61 MAR 55,040

From the number one comic back down to here.  Too bad, really, as this issue was almost as good as the 9 cent issue from last month.  Waid knows that you need a good strong hook for a story, and his work on The Flash shows that he can make characters that seem empty and shallow seem interesting.  Highly recommended for Super-hero fans, and in some ways this is Marvel's most reader-friendly comic.

25 AVENGERS #58 MAR 54,765

I am liking the current story, even if it feels more like a DC comic than a Marvel one.  What do I mean?  Marvel is best known for the super-hero soap-opera stuff, while DC was mostly plot driven, with very little in the way of characterization.  The writer of DC's best comic JSA has brought his "Big Story" outlook to the Avengers, and I am now recommending it again for super-hero fans.

26 CAPTAIN MARVEL #1* MAR 53,248

This is part of the big U-Decide promotion that Marvel is doing, which is a huge mistake.  Why?  If you don't frequent internet chat boards, you have no idea what U-Decide is all about.  For a first issue, this works fairly well, and is a good look at Peter David's Captain Marvel.  Not GREAT, but a solid super-hero story, well-done and entertaining.  Mildly recommended.

27 DAREDEVIL #37 MAR 52,027

This comic has been amazing since Brian Bendis took over.  Much like Frank Miller's run in the early 80's, it started slow and is building momentum and speed as it goes along.  While there is none of the standard super-hero action, each issue is tense and filled with emotional action as Daredevil deals with the fact that a tabloid newspaper has revealed his secret identity.  Well-done, moodily drawn, and a great read even if you hate super-hero books.  Highly Recommended.

28 INCREDIBLE HULK #45 MAR 51,002

Marvel has a solid line-up of comics, and it amazes me that no other company seems to have as many Good Solid Readable comics.  Bruce Jones continues to explore the inner horror of the Hulk in ways that no one has ever touched on, showing me, at least, that anyone who says a character is "played out" just isn't very creative.  Highly recommended.

29 PUNISHER #17 MAR 47,880
30 PUNISHER #16 MAR 47,789

Garth Ennis fills this comic with dark humor, pushing the limit of taste every month.  Recommended for people who can laugh at amazing amounts of violence.

31 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN VOL II #3 (Of 6) DC 47,274

Alan Moore's least reader friendly comic with highly stylized art is his best selling comic.  I have no idea why, since I don't find it nearly as entertaining as Tom Strong or Promethia.  I'm buying this series as a collected trade, but it's nice to see a Moore comic selling well.

32 BATMAN #607 DC 43,603

Next month, Jim Lee takes over the art, and this month, the current team wraps up all of their loose plot threads, and it feels like it.  Ed Brubaker has done a very good and very under-rated job making Batman a dark, moody (but not grim n gritty) comic, and Scott McDaniel keeps improving to the point where he is one of the best artists in comics.  However, if you haven't been reading it, this issue won't really work as it is the end of a story.

33 JSA #40 DC 42,779

Always a solidly entertaining comic, and DC's best super-hero book.  Yes, it has a large cast, and yes it has an even larger backstory, but each issue is highly readable, explains what you need to know and (in a nearly indefinable way) feels like it matters.  Highly recommended for super-hero fans.

34 DETECTIVE COMICS #774 DC 41,637

The final issue by Greg Rucka, clearing up all of his loose ends.  If you've been reading it (and you should have been), this is a wonderfully fulfilling issue that reminds you that a good writer builds their story to an ending rather than just a "stop."  If you haven't been reading it, most of the impact will be lost.

35 WOLVERINE NETSUKE #1 (Of 4) MAR 41,205
36 SPAWN #126 IMA 40,477
37 X-STATIX #3 MAR 39,618

This comic continues to amaze me by first remaining so good, and second by turning the whole idea of super-hero universes on its ear.  Don't just trust me, the New York Times Book Review had good things to say about it.  While the art seems simple, the stories are anything but, with complex characters, multi-layer plots and a subtext about the cost of fame beyond most novels covering the same subject.  Yeah, it's a super-hero comic...but then again, it isn't.  Highly recommended.

38 EXILES #17 MAR 38,833

If you are a long time Marvel Fan (long enough to remember who Spiral and Mojo are...as well as Longshot) this is a fun, well written book.  If you aren't, just walk on by, as you'll be utterly lost.

39 X-MEN UNLIMITED #38 MAR 38,589

This comic is going to become like Twisted Webs is for Spider-Man, a book for other creative teams to do self-contained X-Men stories, and this is the first issue of that new direction.  Is it worth getting?  I don't know.  This was a tolerable issue that played on having a lot of knowledge of the X-Men soap opera of years past, but was OK if you were keyed in to it.  

40 GREEN LANTERN #154 DC 38,523

While getting a lot of play in the media for dealing with "gay bashing" the comic itself went where other books had gone before, showing the limitations of power and the fruitlessness of revenge, just with a different triggering event.  I want to recommend this, but it just wasn't a comic that hooked me.  

41 THOR #54 MAR 37,690
42 SUPERMAN #186 DC 37,198

I hate to say it, but when Superman can't break 40,000 copies with a major crossover event, one of two things is going on.  One, the fans just have given up on the character and it needs an overhaul or Two, the fans have given up on the creative teams and they need to be overhauled.  The writers on Superman have solid credentials, but the stories suffer from having interesting events in dull stories.  I don't think I can even recommend this story when it's collected.

43 IRON MAN #59 MAR 36,134

Mike Grell is drawing as well as writing the current three part story, and while Grell has turned in some VERY lazy art in the past (I have issues of Jon Sable Freelance with stick figures in the backgrounds, no lie), he is turning in work that is solid and well-done (although it looks EXACTLY like his 80's work, showing very little growth as an artist).  The story, though, has hooked me.  He plays off the fact that time travel in the Marvel Universe is almost like a plane trip for the rest of us...and then gives a twist on the last page.  Mildly recommended for super-hero fans and highly recommended for Grell fans, if there are any. 

44 PLANETARY/JLA TERRA OCCULTA DC 35,972

And how long until the next issue of Planetary?  I ask because it's been over a year since the last one.

45 HAWKMAN #7 DC 35,580

A nice one issue story teaming Hawkman with The Atom, and while it's nothing to jump up and down over, it was a solidly entertaining super-hero story.

46 ULTIMATE ADVENTURES #1 MAR 35,170

Another comic in the U-Decide thing, and this one is a silly Batman spoof.  Pass.

47 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #33 DC 35,113
48 BATGIRL #32 DC 34,398
49 SHANG CHI MASTER OF KUNG FU #1 (Of 4) (MR) MAR 33,980

In the 70's, Master of Kung Fu was the most amazing comic being published by Marvel.  Doug Moench fused James Bond, Kung Fu movies, the Illuminanti trilogy, modern shamanism, romance and pure action with art by the best people working in comics at the time (Mike Zeck, Gulacy, Gene Day).  I'll be picking this one up as a trade paperback, but it's a lot like trying to capture lightning in a bottle.  The last 5 issues of MoKF, by Denny O'Neil, were horridly painful, and every other attempt at a revival (including one by Moench in Marvel Comics Presents) has failed. Hopefully, this will avoid that fate. 

50 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #608 DC 33,871
51 ACTION COMICS #795 DC 33,635
52 SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL #130 DC 32,602

The rest of the big crossover event.  I see that Man of Steel is being cancelled, as it is the lowest selling of the Superman books.  Wake me when they figure out how to tell decent Superman stories. 

53 NIGHTWING #73 DC 32,083

Devin Grayson is doing a tolerable job as writer on this comic.  Nothing that makes you jump up and shout "Wow!  This is GREAT!", but it is a solid comic.  The subplot curse continues to plague the comic, as I think the "girl on the force with a crush on Dick Grayson" gets a page an issue and has been going on for far too long, but the comic is pretty much pure action at this point.

54 PARADISE X DEVILS MAR 31,189
55 AGENT X #3 MAR 31,133
56 GEN 13 #1 DC 30,723

I guess the 13 cent #0 issue didn't get a lot of people saying, "Hey!  I want this!"  Like most relaunches lately, it's a crass attempt at squeezing a few more issues out of a dead concept.  I give it 12 issues before it's cancelled. 

57 ELEKTRA #14 MAR 29,576

Another comic by Greg Rucka, one that actually has a story that gets to the heart of the character.  Since Elektra is a hired killer, is she human anymore?  Well done stuff, told in the midst of an action story.  Another Highly Recommended Marvel book.  What's up with that?

58 FLASH #190 DC 29,423

I keep reading this book, and while I don't dislike it, I don't much like it either.  Geoff Johns is very good on his other assignments, but this one just leaves me feeling like there's not enough story here to make it a good book.  

59 SOLDIER X #3 MAR 29,367
60 ALIAS #14 (MR) MAR 28,979

This comic by Brian Bendis is better than the show of the same name, and I love the show Alias.  Another well-done, writerly comic with innovative art and a strong female character.  Highly Recommended for mature readers, not because of the language or implied sex, but because it tells stories that deal with themes in a mature, adult way.

61 CALL OF DUTY BROTHERHOOD #4 (Of 6) MAR 28,512

I see that Marvel is now talking about keeping this going as a series.  While I like that idea of a comic about cops and firemen, I just don't like the supernatural element they have thrown in with ghosts being a major part of the story.  

62 BIRDS OF PREY #47 DC 28,063
63 THUNDERBOLTS #71 MAR 27,897
64 THUNDERBOLTS #72 MAR 27,884

As someone who was hooked on the first 40 issues or so, this comic is totally unreable.  And whoever thought up the idea of splitting the book by having one story in even numbered issues and a different one in odd numbered issues needs to be beaten to death with a sack of hammers.

65 BATMAN LEGENDS O/T DARK KNIGHT #159 DC 27,849
66 STAR WARS EMPIRE #1 DAR 27,732
67 SMALLVILLE THE COMIC DC 27,718

Let's see, a WB series based on a DC character that doesn't even have a comic, and over a year after the series starts, they get a one shot comic out.  Anyone want to know why DC is getting its ass kicked harder than one of Joan Crawford's kids, take a look at brilliantly times missed opportunities like this one.

68 POWERS #25 (MR) IMA 27,500

Each issue, I expect the wonder of this book to wear off.  The premise (cops in a super-hero city solving mysteries) seems limited, but Bendis keeps it going, as well as brings up past elements that the reader might not notice if not paying close attention.  Highly Recommended even if you hate super-heroes.

69 CATWOMAN #11 DC 27,387

A fill-in issue by Stephen Grant.  Normally I really enjoy Steven Grant's stuff, but it just didn't grab me and I have yet to finish it.

70 SPIDER-MAN GET KRAVEN #4 (Of 7) MAR 27,313
71 CALL OF DUTY PRECINCT #3 (Of 5) MAR 26,668
72 SABRETOOTH MARY SHELLEY OVERDRIVE #4 (Of 4) MAR 26,410

And with the last issue, no one has yet to have e-mailed  me to let me know what Sabretooth has to do with either Mary Shelley or Overdrive.  I even offered $5.

73 CALL OF DUTY WAGON #2 (Of 4) MAR 26,288
74 STAR WARS INFINITIES ESB #3 (Of 4) DAR 26,232

Dark Horse does What If stories about the Star Wars movies...interesting in a gimmick-y type way, but I think if they put out an on-going series with the characters from the first 3 movies it would sell better.  I know I woudl buy i9t, and I won't buy this crap.

75 ROBIN #106 DC 25,996
76 SPIDER-MAN TANGLED WEB #18 MAR 25,909

Ted McKeever does a wonderfully story using the very lame villain/hero Typeface, and it actually had me laughing outloud.  If you aren't picking this book up because it's a Spider-man comic and you hate super-heroes, give this issue a try.  Highly recommended.

77 X-MEN ICONS CHAMBER #2 (Of 4) MAR 25,878
78 FILTH #4 (Of 13) (MR) DC 25,752

Grant Morrison's mini-series for Vertigo, and I'll buy it as a collected volume.  This is also Vertigo's highest selling comic, and to be honest, sales like this get you cancelled at Marvel.   

79 MARVILLE FOIL CVR #1* MAR 25,451

The last and least of the U-Decide books, an extended inside joke that make me wonder if Marvel President Bill Jemas believes his own hype a bit too much.  For someone who preaches that comics should be accessible, this is like fan-fiction by a bad comedian.  The On-Line Avengers crap I did for GEnie in the mid 90's was better than this, and that stuff sucked.

80 TOMB RAIDER #24 IMA 25,438
81 LEGION #12 DC 25,355

My last issue, after reading the book since 1982.  It's sad, but I find that I just can't get into the series anymore, since it has lost the fun of "Oh wow, look at that cool stuff and all these fun characters" that drew me in.

82 SPIDER-GIRL #51 MAR 24,932

I have heard that to some readers, this comic is too full of backstory (and it DOES have a lot of backstory from the Spider-Men clone years), but as I read it, it comes across to me as an average Marvel comic from the 80's...yeah, there's backstory, but if you don't know it, enough info is given to the reader so that they can gather what is going on and maybe be interested in finding out what the fuss is all about.  But let's remember that Tom DeFalco is writing this comic for younger readers, and for them it's mildly recommended.

83 WITCHBLADE #59 IMA 24,932
84 KISS #3 (Of 3)* DAR 24,810

In which KISS is shown being cool and having super-powers instead of being money hungry weasels in their late 40's.  So it's a fantasy, and probably Gene Simmons's fantasy.

85 MARVILLE #1 MAR 24,623
86 WONDER WOMAN #185 DC 24,235
87 SOJOURN #15 CRO 24,008

CrossGen's highest selling book, and to be honest, for a company that's a little over two years old and no media tie-ins or super-heroes, this is pretty good for sales.  It also helps that their production is amazing, and Greg Land is a terrific artist.  I buy the CrossGen stuff as collected trades (the Edge and Forge books), and like it...but I wouldn't buy it if it wasn't so cheap in that format. 

88 AVENGERS ICONS VISION #2 MAR 23,881
89 YOUNG JUSTICE #49 DC 23,489
90 TITANS #45 DC 22,176

There are rumors floating that these two books will be combined into one series sometime soon...and that strikes me as pretty silly, as both books are already crowded with too many characters.  I read them and they are mildly entertaining, but I really think both of them could be much better books, as they both have incredible potential.

91 WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #2 (MR) DC 22,124

Remember what I said above about relaunches being a way to squeeze a few more sales out of long-dead comics.  This series is the poster child for that. 

92 SUPERMAN ALIENS II GODWAR #3 (Of 4) DAR 21,863
93 STAR WARS TALES #13* DAR 21,836

This is a very good Star Wars anthology, with Dark Horse trying to bring in big talent to do one-off Star Wars stories.  While it rarely lives up to its potential, this issue, focusing on Sam Jackson's Jedi character, is the kind of stuff Star Wars comics SHOULD be doing, filling in back story and finding interesting ways to use characters fans know and love.  Recommended for people who liked Episode 2's action sequences.

94 MARVEL MANGAVERSE #6 MAR 21,025

Last issue, but Marvel is packaging the six issues as a trade paperback, since the first one sold so well outside the comic market...which says a lot about how comics COULD do better if they weren't in comic shops where store owners want to push the same old thing.

95 STAR WARS REPUBLIC #46 (1 Of 4) DAR 20,860
96 THING FREAKSHOW #4 (Of 4) MAR 20,607
97 RUSE #11 CRO 20,602
98 TOM STRONG #18 DC 20,572

I love this comic!  Tom Strong is Alan Moore's take on both super-heroes and pulp heroes, and each story is filled with incredibly innovative ideas, told in a way that both kids and adults can enjoy it.  Highly Recommended, and one of the few comics I don't care how long it is between issues.

99 GOTHAM GIRLS #2 (Of 5) DC 19,979
100 HARLEY QUINN #24 DC 19,661

Wow, this comic nose-dived FAST.  When Dodson was drawing it, it sold 5 times this many copies, and while the long story of Harley Quinn in Hell didn't help matters (too weird and removed from the milieu that she thrives in), I didn't think sales would fall this far.  Harley works best in stories interacting with the Batman type stuff from the past, Goofy Villains, dopey henchmen and the like.  Hopefully the new creative team will realize that and get the comic back on track.

One Third Done.  Pretty much below here, a Marvel book is due to be cancelled, a DC book isn't doing very well and will be in trouble, but most independent books are OK.

101 STORMWATCH TEAM ACHILLES #3 (MR) DC 19,477
102 JLA DESTINY #4 (Of 4) DC 19,469

So, for a JLA mini-series is this a failure?  Nope, it's $6 a pop, so it generates the same amount of money for DC that a comic selling 44,000 does, so it's a mild success.  Too much for me to spend on a comic I didn't hear ANYTHING about, though.

103 FABLES #5 (MR) DC 19,355

I talk about the various definitions of a hit, and this is a good example.  For Marvel, this is a bomb and would be cancelled immediately.  For DC it's a borderline book and would be moved to a higher price point to make enough money to stay in print, and for Vertigo (which publishes it) this is a big hit.  It IS their best selling series, and the trade paperbacks are being rushed out.  I like the series and the idea behind is entertaining.  But at this point, if you aren't buying it yet, buy the upcoming trade to try it out.

104 CATWOMAN SECRET FILES #1 DC 19,177

Does anyone care about these Secret Files books anymore?  Did anyone care about them in the first place?

105 WAY O/T RAT #5 CRO 19,168
106 BLACK PANTHER #49 MAR 19,028

Marvel is going to try a new direction and a new art team, but while this gets rave reviews from other comics reviewers (Ghods, have I become a comic reviewer?  How low have I fallen...next I'll be a record company executive...) I find it confusing, and frustrating, as there are good bits, but the stories just don't hold together as a whole.  As the art on most of the early issues I read were horrid. 

107 SUPERGIRL #74 DC 18,915
108 PATH #6 CRO 18,906
109 APACHE SKIES #3 (Of 4) (MR) MAR 18,571

Gotta give Marvel credit for trying.  I like these Ostrander Westerns, and think they deserve a lot more attention, but for some reason, the genre is stone-cold dead in all media.  

110 HELLBLAZER #177 (MR) DC 18,557
111 ARKANIUM #1 DRE 18,387

From Dreamworks, the people who do the Transformers books.  For a small, new company this is pretty good, but for a company with the #1 comic of the last 6 months, it's not...it shows that as a company, they are pretty dependent upon that license to keep afloat.

112 LADY DEATH/CROW #1 CHA 18,178

We all know about Chaos going bankrupt, and if you don't, you need to get out more.  The fact that James O'Barr would let his very personally crafted character into a team-up whore (The Crow has previously met the Splatterporn stuff of Avatar and other dubious choices) used to upset me.  Now I just look at stuff like this and am happy I no longer feel compelled to buy Crow comic books.

113 GREEN LANTERN EVILS MIGHT #2 (Of 3) DC 18,143

Another Prestige book that comes out at $6 a pop.  While some of them are good, does DC ever sit down and say, "This is one of the best comics we've gotten in a while, let's make it look nice and put it in a great format" or do they say, "Mini-series don't sell, so let's make them expensive so that they make money even if only a few suckers buy them."  At least Marvel is doing mini-series so they can be collected in book form.  These just seem to be tossed at the market with hopes that they will succeed.

114 WARLANDS AGE OF ICE #9 DRE 18,130
115 B-SIDES #1 (Of 3) MAR 17,956

The fact that this didn't sell very well is a shame.  The comic isn't out as I write this, but I have ALWAYS liked the idea of second string super-heroes who don't get the glory of the ones we read about.  Looks like I'm one of the few who like that idea.

116 21 DOWN #1 DC 17,873
117 HOOD #5 (Of 6) (MR) MAR 17,847

Marvel's MAX books do fairly well, but not in the eyes of Marvel.  At Vertigo (again, to compare) this would be a hit.  At Marvel, it's a bomb and the MAX line is slowly being folded.  And, to beat the point into the ground, I buy mini-series as collected trades.

118 TRANSMETROPOLITAN #60 (MR) DC 17,738

As lost issues go, this was a good one.  In fact, it recaptured the gleeful anger and free-form anarchy that drew me to the comic in the first place.  This is the last survivor of DC's "Helix" line, which was supposed to be "Vertigo SF"...and died a rather quick death.  I remember at the time they made a big deal out of advertising the comics in the SF magazines, but they didn't mention that SF magazines sell worse than comic books.  

119 LIMBO CITY #1 DRE 17,079
120 100 BULLETS #39 (MR) DC 16,962
121 ELEKTRA GLIMPSE & ECHO #3 (Of 4) MAR 16,669

An odd art style, fully watercolored, is keeping most people from picking this book up.  Say it with me, "Cory!! will buy it as a trade paperback."

122 JLA/HAVEN ANATHEMA DC 16,329

Trying to spin the mini-series out of the JLA didn't help this comic at all.  An unknown creative team, a concept that seemed a bit too "big" (a city of aliens comes to rest on the US West Coast and has to integrate into society) and a push for the first issue and then dried up for the second, all contributed to a mini that didn't sell in an amount worth mentioning.  The "end" is actually selling about twice what the previous issue sold, mostly for the JLA I woudl imagine.

123 SPECTRE #21 DC 16,329

Another wonderful issue, even if you do need to know a bit about Green Lantern's history.  I will admit that DeMatties's work isn't for everyone, but his spiritual take on the Spectre is filled with fascinating ideas and actually surprising plot twists.  Recommended, but only for fans of DeMatties's other work.

124 BONE #50 CAR 16,107

Ten issues left?  The shift in tone and pacing since the series came back have finally lost me.  The first set of issues were packed with story and had a wonderful mix of drama and comedy...now it's all ponderous melodrama and a pace rivalling a Swedish drama.

125 BTVS #49 HELLMOUTH TO MOUTH (3 Of 4)* DAR 16,028
126 SCION #28 CRO 15,933
127 BEAUTIFUL KILLER #2 (Of 3) BLA 15,863
128 POWER COMPANY #8 DC 15,758

Kurt Busiek must be looking at the decisions he has made recently and is shaking his head.  From a top 10 book to a book that is hovering at the cancellation line.  He's a very talented writer who can do good work...why is this series so mediocre?

129 DOOM PATROL #12 DC 15,736

DC has said that this book isn't cancelled, but I can't see them keeping it going for too much longer with sales this low.  The art is very good, and the story is mildly entertaining, but its not a comic you read and say, "Wow!  I want more!"

130 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #11 DC 15,632

I remember when DC's "adventures" books were a sure bet.  The Batman Adventures was head and shoulders above the mainstream Batbooks, and Superman Adventures was written by Scott McCloud and Mike Millar.  Now, this book seems to be hacked out by whoever is around the office, looking for work.  It's a shame, since this is a book that kids would be all over like Oprah on a canned ham.

131 BTVS WILLOW & TARA WILDERNESS #2 (Of 2)* DAR 15,209
132 BLACK SUN #1 (RES) (MR) DC 15,191
133 ROUTE 666 #4 CRO 15,091
134 SHIDIMA #7 DRE 15,043
135 RESISTANCE #1 DC 14,999
136 HIGH ROADS #6 (Of 6) DC 14,930
137 AZRAEL AGENT O/T BAT #94 DC 14,555

Cancelled with #100, and prolly would be cancelled a while ago if it weren't by Denny O'Neil.  I quit reading it around #30...looks like most everyone else did too.

138 SIMPSONS COMICS #74 BON 14,515
139 BART SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #8 BON 14,507

Two funny and well done comics.  The Simpson's comic is ALWAYS worth reading, but the Treehouse of Horror special was a big success this year.  The first story is a ghost story that would have been better than a lot of recent episodes of the TV series, Jill Thompson provides painted art for a horror story involving cereal mascots, and Hilary Barta illustrates a series of horror themed limericks that got me to put aside my hatred of poetry for about 15 minutes.  The final story is a poorly drawn dud, but 3 out of 4 is a pretty good ratio.  Both of these are Highly Recommended.

140 FATE O/T BLADE #2 (MR) DRE 14,467
141 LUCIFER #30 (MR) DC 14,223
142 VIOLENT MESSIAHS LAMENTING PAIN #1 (Of 4)* IMA 13,796
143 CRUX #18 CRO 13,687
144 NEGATION #10 CRO 13,534
145 MYSTIC #28 CRO 13,447
146 FIGHT FOR TOMORROW #1 (Of 6) (MR) DC 13,351
147 Y THE LAST MAN #3 (MR) DC 13,308

OK, DC is calling this a huge hit, and has gone back to press on the first two issues, but it sells worse than other DC books that are due to be cancelled.  Vertigo must have a lower overhead.  The first issue didn't grab me, and I actually was a bit offended by how the Palestinians were characterized.   

148 SIGIL #28 CRO 13,186
149 GRENDEL RED WHITE & BLACK #1 (Of 4) (MR) DAR 13,037

I can't be objective about a comic with the Hunter Rose Grendel when I have the Grendel mask on my right bicep.  SO BUY THIS ALREADY, DAMMIT!!

150 FIRST #23 CRO 13,037
151 HELLSPAWN #17 IMA 13,020

Um....hey Todd...no one gives a damn about your character anymore.  Pack it up and draw something, OK?

152 MERIDIAN #27 CRO 12,989
153 HUNTER AGE OF MAGIC #15 (MR) DC 12,601
154 LADY DEATH MOURNING #2 CHA 12,540
155 POINT BLANK #2 (Of 5) (MR) DC 12,401
156 STRANGERS IN PARADISE VOL III #53 ABS 12,348
157 BATMAN GOTHAM ADVENTURES #54 DC 12,318
158 SAVAGE DRAGON #103 IMA 12,204

The only Image book still done by the original creator, and the fact that a comic that routinely sold over 200,000 copies a month when it started is doing this poorly shows me that the "Image style" of the early and mid 90's is now a liability.  

159 AUTOMATIC KAFKA #3 (MR) DC 12,017
160 CODENAME KNOCKOUT #17 (MR) DC 12,000
161 LADY DEATH DARK ALLIANCE #4 (Of 5) CHA 11,960
162 VAMPIRELLA #13 REG ED HAR 10,613
163 VAMPI #23 REG ED HAR 10,604

The original and the manga knockoff sell within 10 copies of each other.  I just keep thinking that they would sell much better if there was a creative team on the comics that people cared about.

164 AMERICAN CENTURY #19 (MR) DC 10,216
165 TAROT WITCH O/T BLACK ROSE #16 BRO 9,785
166 MUTANT EARTH #3* IMA 9,750
167 LAB RATS #6 DC 9,597

Cancelled, and "John Byrne Returns To Superman" wasn't all that big a draw.  Hopefully, Byrne will take this as an indication that he needs to put some effort into his art (instead of making it look like he hacked it out over a weekend), try some new ideas instead of rewarmed NextMen work and try to figure out why we loved his work in the 80's...

168 ESTABLISHMENT #13 DC 9,562
169 POWERPUFF GIRLS #30 DC 9,510
170 MIDNIGHT MASS #6 (Of 8) (MR) DC 9,405
171 STUPID COMICS #1 IMA 8,926

OK, there are WAY too many jokes that could be made about this, but the main one is "Image is putting out Stupid Comics?  Finally they made it official."

172 PARADIGM #1 IMA 8,455
173 100% #4 (Of 5) (MR) DC 8,376
174 FUSED #4 IMA 8,027
175 VERTIGO POP TOKYO #3 (Of 4) (MR) DC 8,027
176 GUARDIAN ANGEL #3 IMA 7,979
177 OH MY GODDESS PART XII #3 LEARNING TO LOVE (Of 3) DAR 7,849
178 CRUSADES #19 (MR) DC 7,849

Last issue, and I will miss this book.  Kelly Jones muddied his art up with way too many gratuitous T & A shots, but the idea of the series (a Knight from the Crusades in modern California) was pulled off in an interesting and innovative way by focusing on the radio personality who rode the story to success instead of making it "The Punisher with a lance".  A comic I wish would have lasted longer, but now it's destined for bargain bins in comic shops all over.  As Joe used to say, "The world needs quarter books, too."

179 BIG DADDY DANGER #2 (Of 9) DC 7,709

A DC mini-series about pro-wrasslin, about 2 years after pro-wrasslin stopped being cool.  DC's next mini-series is going to be about the grunge thing all the kids are talking about.

180 SAVAGE DRAGON COMPANION IMA 7,530
181 QUEEN & COUNTRY #12 (MR) ONI 7,399
182 KNIGHTS O/T DINNER TABLE #71 KZR 7,299

Every month I say this comic is Highly Recommened for gamers, and in a way, it keeps getting better.  If you have ever been a D&D game geek, this book will make you laugh, even if the art is horrid...it tells stories of game sessions that are more than just people recalling old campaigns.  Told with an eye toward humor, and with characters that are instantly recognizable (I used to game with a guy like that...) this is a comic that has re-kindled my geeky love of role playing. 

Not that I'd ever admit to that, you know. 

183 BLADE O/T IMMORTAL #72 BEASTS (7 Of 7) (MR) DAR 6,846
184 STRAY BULLETS #28 (MR) EL 6,820
185 SUPERPATRIOT AMERICAS FIGHTING FORCE #3 (Of 4) IMA 6,706
186 SCOOBY-DOO #64 DC 6,628
187 CEREBUS #282 AAR 6,549

Still going...18 issues left.  This comic was innovative not just for it's story and brilliantly done art and lettering, but for pioneering the idea of reprinting the whole series so that it always stays in print.  I buy it as books, and like most people, prefer the first 150 or so issues, but as an achievement, this is a once in a lifetime comic series.

188 DRAGONBALL Z PART 5 #9 (Of 12) VIZ 6,488
189 BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER PART 1 #1 VIZ 6,192
190 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #115 ARC 5,952

The comic outlasted the consoles the game came from...and in my mind, that's impressive.  Archie does have a good system for putting out kids books, and I wish other companies would learn from them.

191 SUPERMANGA BLAST #25 (MR) DAR 5,690

One of the first Manga anthologies, and it's worth buying JUST for the Where's Michael stories...then add to that the other series in it, and its one of the best bargains in comics, and not a single story is a dud.  It may be hard to pick up in the middle of stories, but a nice recap is in each issue to bring you up to speed.  Highly recommended. 

192 STATIC X VOL 2 #1 CHA 5,572
193 DRAGONBALL PART 5 #4 (Of 7) VIZ 5,511
194 CANNON EXAXXION STAGE TWO PART 1 #9 (MR) (Note Price) DAR 5,354
195 RANMA 1/2 PART 11 #7 (Of 11) VIZ 5,115
196 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BLACK & WHITE #3 (Of 6) KZR 5,006
197 10TH MUSE #2* AVA 4,792

Dear Rena Maro, your lawsuit against WWE was a stupid career move, as was taking this comic from Image to Avalon.  I'm wondering if you'll even be the answer to a trivia question in a year.  Oh, and your comic is painfully bad.  Thanks for listening.

198 KEN LASHLEYS LEGENDS #2 (Of 6) DJE 4,666
199 CARDCAPTOR SAKURA #32 TKP 4,003
200 ALL NEW TENCHI MUYO PART 1 #5 (Of 5) VIZ 3,968

As with comic #100, #200 is a good place to pause and look at the raw numbers.  It's pretty safe to assume that everything below here makes very little money at MOST and is probably losing money unless it is black and white, of an inflated price and from a company with next to no overhead.  Archie is is an exception, as they make their money in grocery store sales, and Viz makes it's money in the collected books, but for the most part, everything below here is losing money.

201 AMERICAN SPLENDOR UNSUNG HERO #2 (Of 3) DAR 3,859

Again, a brilliant book by Harvey Pekar not selling enough to make a profit.  Do yourself a favor, and as long as you read ANYTHING other than super-hero books, pick this comic up and at least give it a try.  Highly Recommended.

202 ENNIS & MCCREAS DICKS 2 #1 (Of 4) (MR) AVA 3,850
203 FORT PROPHET O/T UNEXPLAINED #4 (Of 4) DAR 3,759
204 GOLD DIGGER ANNUAL 2002 ANT 3,658
205 INU YASHA PART 7 #2 (Of 8) VIZ 3,519
206 LOONEY TUNES #94 DC 3,497
207 TUROK EVOLUTION ACC 3,418

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and take a gander at this, a comic who's first issue sold over 250,000 copies not ten years ago, and now is the tie-in to a shitty video game and can't break 3,500.  

208 ARCHIE #528 ARC 3,401
209 TIM VIGILS WEBWITCH #2 (Of 3)* (MR) AVA 3,388
210 CARTOON CARTOONS #13 DC 3,366
211 GUNDAM WING LAST OUTPOST #3 (Of 12) TKP 3,314
212 KODT EVERKNIGHTS #2 KZR 3,296
213 CAVEWOMAN PANGAEAN SEA #5 AMR 3,248
214 BLACK TIDE #2* AVA 3,205
215 INCAL #12 (MR) HUM 3,139
216 ONE PLUS ONE #1 (Of 5) (MR) ONI 3,109
217 BETTY & VERONICA #180 ARC 3,096

Rumors are that there are around 3,000 comic shops in America.  That means that anything below here doesn't even have a single issue in every comic shop, and mostly likely is only in the very large stores or special ordered by customers.  The more you know....

218 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS BODY ORCHARD #3 (Of 6) (MR) AVA 2,982

Rule one:  Warren Ellis is a decent writer most of the time.  Rule two:  Rule one does not apply to anything his name is in the title of.

219 A DISTANT SOIL #35 IMA 2,969
220 BETTY #117 ARC 2,908
221 TOP COW CLASSICS MAGDALENA #1 IMA 2,900
222 POPBOT #3 (MR) IDW 2,895
223 VERONICA #132 ARC 2,791
224 NODWICK #17 DOR 2,764
225 SABRINA VOL 2 #37 ARC 2,738
226 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION PART 7 #5 (Of 6) VIZ 2,734
227 CERES CELESTIAL LEGEND PART 3 #4 (Of 4) VIZ 2,725
228 BASTARD #10 VAMPIRE (2 Of 2) (MR) VIZ 2,686
229 ARCHIE AND FRIENDS #62 ARC 2,677
230 PVP #6 (RES) DOR 2,529

Anyone remember the big hub-bub over the creator of this strip making fun of "alternative" comics, and then saying that "If they were drawn well, they would sell."  2,529, my friend.  Warren Ellis's splatterporno sells better than your comic in comic stores.  Not to make any comparisons, but the kettle is in back background as I type this, screaming, "YOU'RE BLACK!!!"  And remember, you sell 4 more copies than Alice in Sexland.

231 ALICE IN SEXLAND #6 (A) ERO 2,525
232 PROJECT ARMS PART 1 #1 VIZ 2,411
233 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #137 ARC 2,407
234 CALL OF DUTY BROTHERHOOD #1 MIGHTY MARVEL MUST HAVES (Of 6) MAR 2,398

Marvel's single issue reprint series, and I guess there wasn't as much demand as they thought there was.

235 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK 2002 ANT 2,385
236 DARKNESS #1/2 IMA 2,346

Dear Top Cow, Re: Witchblade spinoffs and goofily numbered issues.  "LET IT FUCKING DIE ALREADY!!!!"

237 JUGHEAD #147 ARC 2,324
238 ALIEN ARENA #2 (Of 2)* ATO 2,289
239 HEROBEAR & THE KID CURR PRTG #1 (O/A) AST 2,259
240 BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #133 ARC 2,228
241 ARCHIE DIGEST #193 ARC 2,224
242 ARCHIES WEIRD MYSTERIES #24 ARC 2,224
243 BIG O PART 2 #3 (Of 4) VIZ 2,224
244 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #70 ARC 2,215
245 DF BATTLE O/T PLANETS LTD ED PREVIEW BOOK DYN 2,163
246 JASON & ARGOBOTS #2 (Of 4) ONI 2,150
247 CICI MINI-SERIES #2 (Of 4) (MR) SPI 2,145
248 SKINWALKER #4 (Of 4) (MR) ONI 2,123
249 MARC HEMPELS NAKED BRAIN #2 (Of 3) INS 2,093

The fact that this comic sells so poorly is a crying shame.  Marc Hempel has a twisted sense of humor that makes it so you have no idea what sort of gag he'll pull off next.  And if he makes a t-shirt of his "I Found Jesus" gag, I'll buy 10 of them to wear to work.

250 JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #89 ARC 2,032
251 ENNIS & MCCREAS DICKS 2 #1 OFFENSIVE (Of 4) (MR) AVA 2,014
252 AMELIA RULES #8 REN 1,962
253 SHOT CALLERZ #4 (Of 4) (MR) ONI 1,962
254 TANLINES PINUPS BOOK #1 (MR) AMR 1,945
255 MILK #31 (A) RAD 1,945

I have been informed that this is NOT a furry porn book.  I stand corrected.  It's just a book where the humans are drawn so poorly they LOOK like animals.  

256 HEROBEAR & THE KID #3 (O/A) AST 1,879
257 I DREAM OF JEANNIE #3 AIR 1,871
258 YOUNG WITCHES VOL 5 LEGACY #4 (A) ERO 1,849

Jesus God, do we really need 5 different series of this?  Can't you people find a video store or porn magazine under your dad's bed?

259 HEROBEAR & THE KID #4 (O/A) AST 1,831
260 JUGHEAD W/ARCHIE DIGEST #178 ARC 1,796
261 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION PART 7 COLL ED #5 (Of 6) VIZ 1,722
262 SILENT MOBIUS PART 11 BLOOD #3 (Of 5) VIZ 1,705
263 REAR ENTRY #1 (A) ERO 1,692

Hm...it's from a porn comic company...it's called rear entry....I wonder what it could possibly be about?  Servants having sex?

264 MY MONKEYS NAME IS JENNIFER #4 SLA 1,592

I don't name monkeys.  Just pie and Timbits.  Then I cry when I eat them because I miss them.  I don't get out much.

265 BAD ART COLLECTION (STAR14530) SLA 1,592

Shouldn't this be published by Image?  HIIIIII-YOOOOOOOO!

266 ZENDRA VOL 2 #3 IN BLIND DAYS (Of 6) PEN 1,587
267 FURRLOUGH #117 RAD 1,552
268 VAGABOND #11 (MR) VIZ 1,530
269 DUNGEON #2 NBM 1,404
270 INFINITE KUNG FU #3 GLN 1,387

How they pack INFINITE Kung Fu into 24 pages, I'll never know.  Must be the same way they cram all the Graham into Golden Grahams.  Mmmm....Golden Grahams....

271 FINDER #28 LIG 1,360

The sequel to Loster...OK, what do you expect.  This comic sells worse than DVDs of Mariah Carey movies.

272 ANGRY YOUTH COMIX #4 (MR) FAN 1,299
273 JOHNNY THE HOMICIDAL MANIAC #3 (STAR14248) SLA 1,286
274 TIGRESS TALES #4 AMR 1,273
275 VAMPIRE YUI VOL 5 #1 STU 1,269
276 WARREN ELLIS STRANGE KILLINGS BODY ORCHARD #3 WRPRND CVR AVA 1,260
277 CIVILIAN JUSTICE #1 BEY 1,243
278 WARRIOR NUN AREALA SWIMSUIT SPECIAL #1 ANT 1,225

In a fair and just world, anyone who puts out a swimsuit special would be bludgeoned with old videotapes of Baywatch.  But we live in a world gone mad, where people can put these out without impunity.  It's just not right.

279 ZOIDS #8 VIZ 1,212
280 XXX LIVENUDEGIRLS #2 (MR) PND 1,199
281 LENORE #1 (STAR14435) SLA 1,195
282 DECOY #3 STORM O/T CENTURY (Of 4) PEN 1,151
283 LENORE #2 (STAR14554) SLA 1,142
284 TEENAGERS FROM MARS #3 (Of 8) (MR) TEE 1,138

Aren't they all?  With the saggy pants and the listening to No Doubt and the hip hop and the wacky hair colors and the tattoos and the whining about not having Social Security when they get older...

285 GENOME #1 DEU 1,134
286 RAISIN PIE #1 (MR) FAN 1,125

OK, it's called Raisin Pie and it's for mature readers only.  Didn't "American Pie" already cover the whole "sex with pastry" fad well enough?

287 ROVER #1 MON 1,068

Here boy, here Rover....your sales suck....good boy....

288 WARHAMMER MONTHLY #59 GAM 1,068
289 LADY DEATH MOURNING ALT CVR #2 CHA 1,042
290 SUPERNATURAL LAW #36 (Note Price) EXH 1,042
291 ASTIKA #1 DEU 1,038
292 PPV #2 (Of 3) ANT 1,038

Yes, the history of Pay Per View Cable programming, finally told in comic book form.  OK, maybe it's not about Pay Per Views, but I think that might sell better than whatever this is.

293 HAIRBALL CAL MCDONALD MYSTERY #1 (MR) IDW 1,038
294 POTLATCH 2002 ANTHOLOGY (RES) CBL 1,033
295 MADAME TARANTULA #0 AMR 1,029

All #0 issues not be R. Crumb suck and are a pain in the ass.  And if you e-mail me and tell me I haven't read it, I DON'T NEED TO, IT'S A ZERO ISSUE, GET A NEW GIMMICK.

296 FADE FROM BLUE #3 (Note Price) SEC 1,025
297 APHRODITE IX PREVIEW ED SGN EX (Net) IMA 1,025

OK, the comic ended about a year ago, the last issue was over a year late, and they are getting the Preview out to people.  It makes my brain hurt.

298 ELVIRA #113 CLA 994

Every month, I am amazed this comic is published with sales this low.  At most, the company publishing it makes $1,400 net.  Now if they get it printed for 75 cents a copy (a bit high, but it costs more at low print runs), than means they clear $650 to pay for the creative team, the license, and office expenses.  I make more profit from the change left on movie theater floors.

299 KATMANDU ANNUAL #4 (MR) SHA 994
300 LADY DEATH/CROW PREMIUM ED #1 CHA 990

That's it.  You go now.