Green Lantern Sales Numbers

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

The Green Lantern titles have actually been holding their sales together better than I thought they would. I figured they would have been in the 30,000s by now.

You think so? Remember, it's only BEEN six months. Not 12, like the quantity of issues would normally be. That's like going from 114k to 43k by issue #6. Next month both books will be in the 30s, at least by the end of the month (IMO of course).

[EmeraldGladiator Manhunter Repairman Find all posts View Profile Close EmeraldGladiator]

I am starting to fear that Vendetti's original nu52 run on GL did more damage than I thought. The GL franchise seems to have lost a good chunk of readers, the Rebirth spike can be attributed to LCBS's and returnability. GL was part of the zeitgeist and was one of those must read titles during the John's era but Vendetti's dry slow Nu52 run drove the casual fan off and now that GL isn't the water cooler title, it has fallen off. To Vendetti's credit his Rebirth HJ&tGLC is much better written (and illustrated) but it will take some time and considerable buzz to get the momentum in the right direction again. Rebirth got everyone to take a look at Superman and the idea of the 'earth one' Superman being in the new universe has made Clark relevant again, and Flash (maybe due to movie and tv roles) or just a writer connecting has held on to readers that took a bite during Rebirth. I am loving the HJ book and like the Lanterns book hopefully they can keep pumping out good stories and eventually the market will catch on. That is the better approach than some stunt casting or storyline/plot twist just designed to generate buzz.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

The Green Lantern titles have actually been holding their sales together better than I thought they would. I figured they would have been in the 30,000s by now. Still, when compared to other DC titles like Wonder Woman, Superman, and The Flash, it's pretty clear that something isn't quite right with the GL books.

Some things I would do (not that DC cares)...

Stop all emotional spectrum driven stories, and stop focusing on Emotional Spectrum characters. By now, it should be pretty clear that concept, in and of itself, isn't a particular draw. I attribute the success of those initial Emotional Spectrum stories to Geoff Johns, and not so much that particular concept, because it doesn't seem to excite a lot of readers when Johns isn't there to write about it.

I never would have printed Green Lanterns, and I don't see much worth in the Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz characters. Furthermore, I don't think the book has much to offer in terms of quality or originality. I would get rid of that entire book as well as those characters. Green Lantern does not need more protagonists. It needs less. It needs to focus on the characters that were already there, and actually do something interesting with them as characters instead of just putting them through emotional spectrum battles.

Personally, I believe one of the biggest detriments to Green Lantern right now is Geoff Johns. I think he is using his (rather massive) influence to cement and secure his concepts as much as possible, and, I'm sorry, but Green Lantern desperately needs to move on from his concepts and find something else to do.

Also, nothing personal against Venditti, but I'd get another writer. I think you will get only okay Green Lantern stories at best from him. I'm really surprised he has lasted as long as he has. Perhaps he's in good with the editors, or something.

But DC should really reevaluate this franchise and what to do with it. Won't happen, though, because I don't think Johns will allow any of his stuff to be junked/moved on from, especially when there's the possibility of another film on the horizon, and ESPECIALLY not when he's the one in charge of the direction of the films.

I agree with about all of that, but I don't know that Geoff is pulling strings on GL. Maybe people are just deferring to him.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Well, Johns' run had dipped a lot before he left so I think people were getting tired of it even when he was on it.

Unfortunately, TBTB probably don't think like that. They probably assume the emotional spectrum is a given and will take the sales as a sign to cut down to one book.


I don't think he even has to. When Venditti, who was not a fan, started on GL he mentioned doing his research and he only ever talked about reading the Johns stuff. It seems like everyone now assumes that's where GL starts.


I'd be cool with a creative change soon. I haven't hated everything Venditti has done, but he hasn't made himself indispensible to GL imho.

I agree. People forget that GL was on the downside when Geoff left, not just in terms of sales but also creatively. He had pretty much strip-mined the titles by that point, but probably not intentionally. He wrote himself into a corner and then quit.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Wow, putting Hal's name on a comic didn't make it fly off the shelves. Geoff has to be stunned.

This is the problem with having a "flagship title," or one that sounds like it's the flagship. People think that's the one they're supposed to buy. You should be trying to make people buy all of them.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

So, the final sales of the year were posted.

December Comic Sales

1 1 Justice League Suicide Squad 1 $3.99 DC 179,643
2 3 IVX 1 $5.99 Marvel 167,703
3 2 Dark Knight III Master Race 7 $5.99 DC 119,114
4 7 Batman 12 $2.99 DC 111,391
5 9 Batman 13 $2.99 DC 108,407
6 4 Civil War II 8 $4.99 Marvel 105,658
7 10 Star Wars 26 $3.99 Marvel 104,563
8 5 Star Wars Doctor Aphra 1 $4.99 Marvel 99,067
9 11 Hulk 1 $3.99 Marvel 89,810
10 6 All Star Batman 5 $4.99 DC 87,422
11 12 Walking Dead 161 $2.99 Image 85,459
12 8 Justice League Suicide Squad 2 $3.99 DC 82,485
13 16 Invincible Iron Man 2 $3.99 Marvel 81,271
14 18 Justice League 10 $2.99 DC 73,652
15 19 Justice League 11 $2.99 DC 71,527
16 48 Hawkeye 1 $3.99 Marvel 70,884
17 22 Detective Comics 946 $2.99 DC 66,374
18 23 Detective Comics 947 $2.99 DC 65,090
19 38 Gamora 1 $3.99 Marvel 65,032
20 24 Flash 12 $2.99 DC 64,476
21 30 Avengers 2 $3.99 Marvel 64,289
22 13 Amazing Spider-Man 22 $3.99 Marvel 63,359
23 64 Guardians of the Galaxy 15 $3.99 Marvel 63,338
24 26 Flash 13 $2.99 DC 62,800
25 14 Star Wars Doctor Aphra 2 $3.99 Marvel 61,417
26 27 Superman 12 $2.99 DC 60,992
27 28 Suicide Squad 8 $2.99 DC 59,967
28 29 Superman 13 $2.99 DC 59,393
29 75 Rocket Raccoon 1 $3.99 Marvel 59,305
30 81 Nova 1 $3.99 Marvel 58,393
31 17 Clone Conspiracy 3 $3.99 Marvel 56,117
32 34 Wonder Woman 12 $2.99 DC 55,639
33 36 Wonder Woman 13 $2.99 DC 54,589
34 69 Mighty Captain Marvel 0 $3.99 Marvel 53,263
35 74 Star-Lord 1 $3.99 Marvel 52,925
36 21 Unworthy Thor 2 $3.99 Marvel 50,584
37 49 Trinity 4 $2.99 DC 50,270
38 47 Harley Quinn 9 $2.99 DC 49,871
39 52 Nightwing 10 $2.99 DC 49,436
40 55 Titans 6 $2.99 DC 48,612
41 54 Harley Quinn 10 $2.99 DC 48,380
42 56 Nightwing 11 $2.99 DC 47,781
43 40 Champions 3 $3.99 Marvel 47,481
44 58 Action Comics 969 $2.99 DC 46,573
45 61 Action Comics 970 $2.99 DC 45,856
46 94 Black Panther World of Wakanda 2 $3.99 Marvel 45,009
47 66 Teen Titans 3 $2.99 DC 44,116
48 31 Spider-Man Deadpool 12 $3.99 Marvel 43,937
49 67 Saga 41 $2.99 Image 43,628
50 32 Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows 2 $3.99 Marvel 43,128
51 72 Green Lanterns 12 $2.99 DC 42,241
52 33 Old Man Logan 15 $3.99 Marvel 42,216
53 20 Harleys Little Black Book 5 $4.99 DC 41,785
54 76 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 10 $2.99 DC 41,234
55 77 Green Lanterns 13 $2.99 DC 41,090
56 62 Infamous Iron Man 3 $3.99 Marvel 40,546
57 82 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 11 $2.99 DC 40,111
58 39 Spider-Man 10 $3.99 Marvel 40,006
59 41 Doctor Strange 15 $3.99 Marvel 39,549
60 42 Deadpool 23 $3.99 Marvel 39,183
61 44 Black Panther 9 $3.99 Marvel 39,123
62 45 Star Wars Poe Dameron 9 $3.99 Marvel 38,839
63 46 Captain America Steve Rogers 8 $3.99 Marvel 38,610
64 63 Jessica Jones 3 $3.99 Marvel 38,601
65 25 Batman TMNT Adventures 2* $3.99 IDW 38,524
66 86 Green Arrow 12 $2.99 DC 38,515
67 35 Venom 2 $3.99 Marvel 38,043
68 89 Avengers 2.1 $3.99 Marvel 37,746
69 50 Mighty Thor 14 $3.99 Marvel 37,624
70 87 Green Arrow 13 $2.99 DC 37,365
71 53 Uncanny X-Men 16 $3.99 Marvel 37,234
72 110 Ghost Rider 2 $3.99 Marvel 37,221
73 43 Deadpool Back In Black 5 $3.99 Marvel 36,893
74 51 Reborn 3 $3.99 Image 36,718
75 57 Spider-Man 11 $3.99 Marvel 35,865
76 90 Aquaman 12 $2.99 DC 35,571
77 59 Extraordinary X-Men 17 $3.99 Marvel 35,276
78 60 Thanos 2 $3.99 Marvel 35,187
79 93 Aquaman 13 $2.99 DC 34,619
80 65 Punisher 7 $3.99 Marvel 33,589
81 80 Gwenpool Holiday Special Merry Mix Up 0 $5.99 Marvel 33,240
82 133 Slapstick 1 $3.99 Marvel 33,088
83 125 Occupy Avengers 2 $3.99 Marvel 32,974
84 97 Batman Beyond 3 $2.99 DC 32,916
85 98 Red Hood and the Outlaws 5 $2.99 DC 32,860
86 99 Deathstroke 8 $2.99 DC 32,530
87 73 All New Wolverine 15 $3.99 Marvel 31,796
88 176 Mosaic 3 $3.99 Marvel 31,671
89 102 Deathstroke 9 $2.99 DC 31,519
90 37 Doctor Strange Punisher Magic Bullets 1 $4.99 Marvel 31,307
91 104 Batgirl 6 $2.99 DC 31,294
92 106 Supergirl 4 $2.99 DC 31,040
93 78 Uncanny Avengers 17 $3.99 Marvel 31,025
94 79 Daredevil 14 $3.99 Marvel 30,781
95 83 Uncanny Avengers 18 $3.99 Marvel 30,062
96 84 All New X-Men 16 $3.99 Marvel 29,701
97 70 Wonder Woman 77 Bionic Woman 1 $3.99 Dynamite 29,276
98 85 Moon Knight 9 $3.99 Marvel 29,205
99 111 Batgirl and the Birds of Prey 5 $2.99 DC 28,846
100 88 Spider-Gwen 15 $3.99 Marvel 27,898
...
106 15 DC Rebirth Holiday Special 1 $9.99 DC 23,601
116 95 Star Trek Green Lantern Vol. 2 1* $3.99 IDW 20,853
134 162 Injustice Ground Zero 1 $2.99 DC 17,513
152 187 Earth 2 Society 19 $2.99 DC 14,366
158 197 Injustice Ground Zero 2 $2.99 DC 13,406

[W.West Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close W.West]

Those seem pretty good. At least in terms of ranking. No, they aren't top 10 or 20 even, but if you look around them or better yet what's above them, its the usual suspects. They aren't selling less than some garbage book that shouldn't be in the same class as them, they're losing to the same old same old.

[Trey Strain Guardian of the Universe Find all posts View Profile Close Trey Strain]

Those seem pretty good. At least in terms of ranking. No, they aren't top 10 or 20 even, but if you look around them or better yet what's above them, its the usual suspects. They aren't selling less than some garbage book that shouldn't be in the same class as them, they're losing to the same old same old.

DC's numbers in general look very good.

[Space Cop The Dandy Find all posts View Profile Close Space Cop]

Those seem pretty good. At least in terms of ranking. No, they aren't top 10 or 20 even, but if you look around them or better yet what's above them, its the usual suspects. They aren't selling less than some garbage book that shouldn't be in the same class as them, they're losing to the same old same old.

Yeah, that's why I started listing the top 100. The sales units alone didn't convey how GL was doing in regards to the competition.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

10 HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS REBIRTH #1[*] 113,965
11 HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1[*] 108,708
28 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 2* $2.99 DC 77,972
42 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 3* $2.99 DC 64,737
41 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 4* $2.99 DC 54,815
46 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 5* $2.99 DC 50,935
49 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 6 $2.99 DC 49,988
53 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 7 $2.99 DC 48,064
51 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 8 $2.99 DC 45,194
55 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 9 $2.99 DC 43,485
54 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 10 $2.99 DC 41,234
57 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 11 $2.99 DC 40,111
60 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 12 $2.99 DC 39,148
63 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 13 $2.99 DC 38,053
52 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 14 $2.99 DC 37,504
57 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 15 $2.99 DC 36,331








-----------------------------------------------

12 Green Lanterns Rebirth 1* $2.99 DC 99,504
18 Green Lanterns 1* $2.99 DC 84,910
28 GREEN LANTERNS #2[*] 82,062
29 GREEN LANTERNS #3[*] 78,708
37 Green Lanterns 4* $2.99 DC 71,140
44 Green Lanterns 5* $2.99 DC 64,252
36 Green Lanterns 6 $2.99 DC 58,346
38 Green Lanterns 7 $2.99 DC 55,367
47 Green Lanterns 8 $2.99 DC 52,025
50 Green Lanterns 9 $2.99 DC 49,434
50 Green Lanterns 10 $2.99 DC 46,306
53 Green Lanterns 11 $2.99 DC 44,703
51 Green Lanterns 12 $2.99 DC 42,241
55 Green Lanterns 13 $2.99 DC 41,090
59 Green Lanterns 14 $2.99 DC 39,854
62 Green Lanterns 15 $2.99 DC 38,571
50 Green Lanterns 16 $2.99 DC 37,845
54 Green Lanterns 17 $2.99 DC 36,626

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

The descent of sales on both titles is finally slowing down. They should both settle into the 30ks and stay there. I thought they would this month, but I was wrong on that one.

[JohnMc Senior Corps Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnMc]

Does this mean we should start the countdown to the next big reboot?

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

Does this mean we should start the countdown to the next big reboot?

That'll happen before or around the time the books get down to the 20ks. For example, this was the # for the last issue of the previous volume, being volume 5:

54 Green Lantern 52 $3.99 DC 32,936

[JohnMc Senior Corps Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnMc]

That'll happen before or around the time the books get down to the 20ks. For example, this was the # for the last issue of the previous volume, being volume 5:

54 Green Lantern 52 $3.99 DC 32,936

Thanks Dave. So what's your estimate for a reboot? 1 year? 2? That's my time frame at the moment. With DC its a matter of when not if they'll reboot any more.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker Moisture Farmer Find all posts View Profile Close Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

They wont do a reboot like they did with Rebirth, launching new titles over the corpses of the old ones. That needs to be saved for when the entire line needs a shot in the arm and DC's nowhere near close to that.

You'll see something less drastic like direction change, creative team shakeups, and replacing one of the titles with a new one while overhauling the other.