It is time to check out the August 2023 single-issue comic book sales rankings. Things are getting murkier in terms of actual unit numbers. So, we will have to settle with going to ICv2 for their Top 200 sales rankings. It is not as good as actual unit numbers, but we have to work with what we get.
Keep in mind, that the Top 200 single-issue comic sales charts are based on orders tracked by the ComicHub system at local comic book shops selling American comics. This includes over 3,000 stores selling American comics worldwide. As always, it is important to remember that these rankings are also not actual sales. These rankings only represent the number of units ordered by local comic shops.
ICv2 has respectfully asked that we not publish their sales rankings here on our website. So, you can check out the Top 50 for August 2023 for free or opt for a pro membership and get the Top 200 for August 2023 over on ICv2 and then come back here for a detailed analysis of the August 2023 sales rankings!
August 2023 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
Marvel Comics annihilated everyone as they placed eight comics in the Top 10. Marvel Comics took four of the Top 5. Month-over-month sales were up over the seven comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 10 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as Marvel Comics had seven comics in the Top 10 in August 2022.
Amazing Spider-Man scored two of the Top 4 spots including the number 1 spot overall. The unstoppable power of Peter Parker. Amazing indeed. The rest of the six Marvel Comics issues in the Top 10 were all debut issues. We will examine them later on in the Debut Issue section.
DC Comics and IDW Publishing tied for second place with one comic apiece. Naturally, the one DC Comic in the Top 10 was a Batman title starring Bruce Wayne. Month-over-month sales were down as DC Comics had three comics in the Top 10 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down as DC Comics had three comics in the Top 10 in August 2022.
What an embarrassing showing for DC Comics. And it is further salt rubbed in the wound as this pathetic showing in the Top 10 happened during the second month of DC Comics’s Knight Terrors sales stunt big event.
To no surprise, DC Comics’ only issue in the Top 10 was Knight Terrors: Batman #2 which took the number 2 spot. Despite the Dawn of DC, DC Comics is still only finding success in the Top 10 if the comic stars Bruce Wayne.
IDW Publishing’s Top 10 issue was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Last Ronin Lost Years #5 which took the number 10 spot. Turtle Power!
The Battle for the Top 25
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 11-25 range typically sell in the 65,000 to 50,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics crushed all the competition by placing eighteen comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were up over the sixteen comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had eighteen comics in the Top 25 in August 2022.
Daredevil #14 fell in the sales rankings for the second straight month as it dropped from the number 11 spot to the number 17 spot. To be fair, August 2023 did deliver six #1 issues that finished above Daredevil #14 and that certainly contributed to it falling down the rankings. There is a good chance that Daredevil will rebound in September 2023.
Moon Knight #26 plummeted from the number 6 spot down to the number 22 spot. I have a feeling this is a temporary hiccup due to the large number of debut issues that hit the market in August 2023.
DC Comics placed an embarrassing four comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were down sharply from the eight comics DC Comics had in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down by a wide margin from the seven comics that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in August 2022.
Two of DC Comics’ four comics in the Top 25 were Batman titles starring Bruce Wayne. The other two titles were Knight Terrors #3 and Knight Terrors #4. This is horrendous. DC Comics is back to the position where they only are able to place Batman titles starring Bruce Wayne in the Top 25. There is no hope for the other franchises despite the big Dawn of DC initiative over the past year.
Knight Terrors has been a sales failure. DC Comics absolutely expects its big events to do better than this in the rankings. Has this further doomed DC Comics’ flailing Dawn of DC initiative that was already facing an uphill battle? We will find out over the course of the next few months.
IDW Publishing, Titan Comics, and Image Comics had one comic book apiece in the Top 25. What an impressive showing for Titan Comics as Conan the Barbarian scored the number 11 spot. I have always liked Conan so it is cool to see him having some success. Having said that, I expect this title to quickly fall in the sales rankings as we go forward. This is what normally happens to the publishers outside of the Big Two.
Void Rivals #3 bounced up from the number 26 spot to the number 23 spot. This is an impressive showing. Do not underestimate the power of The Transformers. So many Transformers fans were desperate for anyone other than IDW Publishing to have the license to this franchise so that we might actually get some good stories. It is going to be fascinating to watch how this title and other Transformer titles perform over the next year.
The Battle for the Top 50
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 26-50 range typically sell in the 49,000 to 30,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics placed an impressive thirty-four comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were up over the thirty-one comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the thirty-two comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Fantastic Four #10 came in at the number 30 spot. It is great to see this excellent title remaining a consistent Top 50 title
Ghost Rider #17 grabbed the number 36 spot. As a long-time Ghost Rider fan it puts a smile on my face to see Ghost Rider remaining solidly in the Top 50 seventeen issues into this volume.
Doctor Strange #6 fell for the second straight month as it dropped from the number 44 spot to the number 49 spot. Again, August 2023 was loaded with #1 issues so I think the good Doctor can rebound in September 2023.
DC Comics put thirteen comics in the Top 50. Seven of DC Comics’ thirteen comics came from the Batman franchise. Month-over-month sales were down from the fifteen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the fifteen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in August 2022.
This should be alarming to DC Comics. Despite the Dawn of DC initiative and despite Knight Terrors, DC Comics is now performing worse than they were a year ago. This is no surprise. Nothing will change for the better for DC Comics until they clean house in the editorial staff and change up the writers that are hired. Rolling out “new” initiatives and big events will just remain lipstick on a pig.
IDW Publishing, Titan Comics, and Image Comics had one comic book apiece in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were down for Image Comics as they had two comics in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down for Image Comics as they had three comics in the Top 50 in August 2022.
The Battle for the Top 75
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 51-75 range typically sell in the 29,000 to 25,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics had forty-four comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were up over the thirty-eight comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the forty-three comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in August 2022.
Moon Knight City of the Dead #2 dropped like a dead duck as it fell from the number 12 spot all the way out of the Top 50 and down to the number 65 spot. Evidently, not all things related to Moon Knight sell well. David Pepose is not finding the same success that Jed MacKay has on the main Moon Knight title.
Guardians of the Galaxy #5 bounced back up from the number 76 spot to the number 66 spot.
DC Comics placed twenty-four comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were up from the twenty-five comics that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in July 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had twenty-four comics in the Top 75 in August 2022. This has to be demoralizing for DC Comics.
Image Comics had four comics in the Top 75. Two of Image’s four comics were from the Spawn franchise. Month-over-month sales were down from the six comics that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the six comics that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in August 2022.
Spawn #344 dropped a bit from the number 53 spot to the number 58 spot. This title remains a pretty consistent seller.
IDW Publishing, Titan Comics, BOOM! Studios all had one comic apiece in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were down for IDW Publishing as they had three comics in the Top 75 in July 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up from their zero comics in the Top 75 in August 2022.
Month-over-month numbers were down for BOOM! Studios as they had two comics in the Top 75 in July 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up from the one comic that BOOM! Studios had in August 2022.
BOOM! Studios’ sole issue in the Top 75 was Something is Killing the Children #32 which took the number 52 spot.
The Battle for the Top 100
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 76-100 range typically sell in the 24,000 to 18,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics destroyed all competitors by placing fifty-six comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were up from the fifty-four comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in July 2023. On the other hand, year-over-year numbers were down from the fifty-eight comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in August 2022. This was the first bit of bad news for Marvel Comics in the sales rankings.
DC Comics put thirty-one comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were down from the thirty-two comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the thirty-two comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in August 2022.
This is an ugly and damning indictment of both Dawn of DC and Knight Terrors. DC Comics finds itself in a position where it is actually doing worse in the Top 100 than it was a year ago.
Image Comics had six comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were down from the eight comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the seven comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in August 2022.
BOOM! Studios had three comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up from the two comics that BOOM! Studios put in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up from the two comics that BOOM! Studios placed in the Top 100 in August 2022.
IDW Publishing, Titan Comics, Dynamite Ent., and DSTLRY all had one comic a piece in the Top 100.
The Tom Taylor Award For The Writer With The Most Titles In The Top 50
A handful of writers managed to score two issues in the Top 50 in August 2023.
Cullen Bunn had two issues in Death of the Venomverse #1 at the number 9 spot and Death of the Venomverse #2 at the number 13 spot.
Steve Orlando had two issues in Astonishing Iceman #1 at the number 28 spot and Scarlet Witch #7 at the number 46 spot.
Benjamin Percy had two issues in Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 at the number 8 spot and Ghost Rider #17 at the number 36 spot.
Chip Zdarsky had two issues in Daredevil #14 at the number 17 spot and Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 at the number 32 spot.
Gerry Duggan had two issues in X-Men #25 at the number 3 spot and Uncanny Avengers #1 at the number 5 spot.
There were also a few writers who did even better and placed three issues in the Top 50.
Zeb Wells had three issues in the Top 50. All of them were from the Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Amazing Spider-Man #31 at the number 1 spot. Amazing Spider-Man #32 at the number 4 spot. Amazing Spider-Man #30 at the number 33 spot.
Jed MacKay had three issues in the Top 50 with Avengers #4 at the number 18 spot, Moon Knight #26 at the number 22 spot, and Doctor Strange #6 at the number 49 spot.
Jonathon Hickman had three issues in the Top 5 with Ultimate Invasion #3 at the number 39 spot, Scarlet Witch #7 at the number 46 spot, and Doctor Strange #6 at the number 49 spot.
There was one writer who did even better and managed to place an impressive four issues in the Top 50. Al Ewing had Immortal Thor #1 at the number 6 spot, Venom #23 at the number 29 spot, X-Men Red #14 at the number 43 spot, and Venom #24 at the number 48 spot.
However, what is really stunning is that Ewing with four issues in the top 50 was not enough to win the Tom Taylor Award for August 2023! That is because Joshua Williamson came out of nowhere like Randy Orton with an RKO and placed SIX issues in the Top 50! Holy crap!
Williamson had Knight Terrors: Batman #2 at the number 2 spot, Knight Terrors #3 at the number 15 spot, Knight Terrors #4 at the number 21 spot, Knight Terrors: Superman #2 at the number 35 spot, Superman 2023 Annual #1 at the number 38 spot, and Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 at the number 40 spot.
Remember, the main rule of the award for the most issues in the Top 50 is that it is named after the writer who manages to set the record for the most issues in the Top 50. We named this award the Tom Taylor Award since he had placed the most issues in the Top 50 in a single month once we started this award. However, since Williamson has beaten Taylor’s record this means we have to change the name of this award to the Joshua Williamson Award!
Therefore, the winner of the Joshua Williamson Award for August 2023 is Joshua Williamson!
Battle of the Franchises
The Spider-Man franchise took first place with three titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50.
The Batman franchise took second place with one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. While the Batman franchise is able to hang with the Spider-Man franchise in the Top 50, the disparity between these two franchises in the Top 10 and Top 25 is stunning.
The X-Men franchise took third place with four titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50.
The Avengers franchise took fourth place with two issues in the Top 10, three issues in the Top 25, and four issues in the Top 50.
The Superman franchise took fifth place with zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics Debut Issues
5 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
6 Immortal Thor #1 (Gods) (Marvel Comics)
7 Dark X-Men #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
8 Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 (Marvel Comics)
9 Death of the Venomverse #1 (Marvel Comics)
14 Star Wars: Dark Droids #1 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
26 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
28 Astonishing Iceman #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
32 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
37 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics)
40 Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
41 Alpha Flight #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
47 X-Men Hellfire Gala #1 (2023) (Marvel Comics)
50 Children of the Vault #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
56 Magneto #1 (Marvel Comics)
57 What If…? Dark Venom #1 (Marvel Comics)
63 What If…? Dark Moon Knight #1 (Marvel Comics)
72 Penguin #1 (DC Comics)
77 Strange Academy Miles Morales #1 (Marvel Comics)
81 Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
82 Realm of X #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
94 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Max Rebo #1 (Marvel Comics)
112 Captain America Finale #1 (Marvel Comics)
118 Gnort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
129 Action Comics #1056.1 Knight Terrors #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
143 Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics)
159 Marvel Unleashed #1 (Marvel Comics)
163 Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
169 Sandman Universe Special Thessaly #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
As usual, we will deal with these various issues in their franchise sections below.
Big Events
Knight Terrors
2 Knight Terrors: Batman #2 (Of 2)
15 Knight Terrors #3 (Of 4)
21 Knight Terrors #4 (Of 4)
31 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #2 (Of 2)
34 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 (Of 2)
35 Knight Terrors: Superman #2 (Of 2)
40 Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 (One-Shot)
44 Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 (Of 2)
45 Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)
59 Knight Terrors: The Flash #2 (Of 2)
64 Knight Terrors: Action Comics #2 (Of 2)
67 Knight Terrors: Titans #2 (Of 2)
70 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 (Of 2)
73 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #2 (Of 2)
75 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #2 (Of 2)
79 Knight Terrors: Shazam #2 (Of 2)
80 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #2 (Of 2)
84 Knight Terrors Robin #2 (Of 2)
92 Knight Terrors #2 (Of 4) (Resolicitation)
95 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
103 Batman The Brave And The Bold #4 (Knight Terrors)
107 Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 (Of 2)
114 Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 (Of 2)
115 Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 (Of 2)
129 Action Comics #1056.1 Knight Terrors #1 (Of 2)
132 Knight Terrors: Titans #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
136 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #2 (Of 2)
140 Knight Terrors: Batman #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
142 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
153 Knight Terrors #1 (Of 4) (Resolicitation)
156 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
177 Knight Terrors: Superman #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
Knight Terrors has ended up being a disappointment for DC Comics. There is no way this big event was worth interrupting every single DC Comics title and the little momentum that they were building with the Dawn of DC.
Knight Terrors only produced one Top 10 comic, two Top 15 comics, and three Top 25 comics. That is far weaker than DC Comics had to be anticipating for this big event’s Top 25 sales performance.
Luckily, through sheer insane volume, Knight Terrors was able to place nine issues in the Top 50.
Gotham War
32 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One-Shot)
Yes, this issue was released in the final week of August, but DC Comics had to be anticipating a Top 10 finish and at least a Top 35 performance from the new big event storyline from their marquee franchise.
I am not bullish on the sales success of Gotham War going forward based on this terrible issue that completely lacked any internal logic and was a rather dumb read. But, you can’t count anything out that stars Bruce Wayne and has Batman plastered on the cover. So, we shall see how Gotham War performs over the course of the oncoming months!
Ultimate Invasion
39 Ultimate Invasion #3
93 Ultimate Invasion #2 (Resolicitation)
Ultimate Invasion has turned out to be a sales failure. Marvel Comics was absolutely betting on Jonathan Hickman’s name to propel this big event to a Top 10 finish with each issue. That has hardly been the case. It is only fair to point out that Ultimate Invasion #3 did get released in the final week of August. So, we shall see if the final issue of this big event can sneak back into the Top 25.
Fall of the X-Men
3 X-Men #25 (Fall of the X-Men)
5 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
7 Dark X-Men #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
20 Immortal X-Men #14 (Fall of the X-Men)
26 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
28 Astonishing Iceman #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
41 Alpha Flight #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
43 X-Men Red #14 (Fall of the X-Men)
50 Children of the Vault #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
51 Wolverine #36 (Fall of the X-Men)
76 Invincible Iron Man #9 (Fall of the X-Men)
78 X-Force #43 (Fall of the X-Men)
82 Realm of X #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
Fall of X-Men had three Top 10 comics, four Top 25 comics, and nine Top 50 issues. Marvel Comics has to be pleased with the sales performance of this big event. If Wolverine #36 had not shipped in the final week of August then Fall of X-Men would have had ten Top 50 issues.
However, it should be pointed out that Fall of X-Men had its sales success artificially inflated by the debut of six #1 issues! I think that five of those six debut issues will drop out of the Top 50 next month.
Who Are The G.O.D.S.?
4 Amazing Spider-Man #32 (Gods)
6 Immortal Thor #1 (Gods)
22 Moon Knight #26 (Gods)
30 Fantastic Four #10 (Gods)
46 Scarlet Witch #7 (Gods)
48 Venom #24 (Gods)
49 Doctor Strange #6 (Gods)
66 Guardians of the Galaxy #5 (Gods)
Who Are The G.O.D.S. had two Top 10 issues, three Top 25 issues, and seven Top 50 issues. I would imagine that Marvel Comics is happy with the sales performance of G.O.D.S. However, it should be noted that the only G.O.D.S. tie-in issues that made the Top 10 would have made the Top 10 regardless of the G.O.D.S. event.
Contest of Chaos
25 Spider-Man Annual #1 (Chaos)
91 Fantastic Four Annual #1 (Chaos)
100 Iron Man Annual #1 (Chaos)
110 Moon Knight Annual #1 (Chaos)
There is not much success to be found in the Chaos tie-in issues. Mr. Emma Frost is lucky that Moon Knight Annual #1 came out in the final week of August otherwise Iron Man Annual #1 would have been the worst-selling Chaos tie-in issue.
Star Wars Franchise
14 Star Wars: Dark Droids #1 (Dark Droids)
54 Star Wars #37 (Dark Droids)
55 Star Wars: Darth Vader #37 (Dark Droids)
68 Star Wars Yoda #10
94 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Max Rebo #1
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #35 (Dark Droids)
121 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #3
125 Star Wars Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #4 (Resolicitation)
137 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #37 (Dark Droids)
173 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #2 (Resolicitation)
The Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50. This was worse than July 2023 when the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were also down as the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Star Wars: Dark Droids #1 just snuck into the Top 15 by debuting at the number 14 spot. Charles Soule is a good writer and Dark Droids is set in the timeline of the original trilogy which is by far the most popular Star Wars time period. So, I would not be surprised if Dark Droids remains a Top 50 title for the duration of this five-issue mini-series.
Star Wars #37 dropped for the second straight month as it fell from the number 36 spot all the way out of the Top 50 and down to the number 54 spot. September 2023 is going to be important for this title to see if Star Wars to stabilize itself in the rankings and possibly climb back up.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #37 dropped from the number 39 spot and out of the Top 50 and down to the number 55 spot. There is no doubt that August 2023 was a tough month for the Star Wars franchise.
Star Wars Yoda #10 eerily scored the exact same ranking that they had in July 2023 as it stayed right at the number 68 spot. Score points for consistency.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Max Rebo #1 is a one-shot issue that just made the Top 100 by taking the number 94 spot.
Star Wars Doctor Aphra #35 dropped back out of the Top 100 falling from the number 90 spot down to the number 101 spot.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #3 bounced up from the number 148 spot to the number 121 spot. However, it was not enough to save Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 from being the worst-selling Star Wars title for the second straight month. Disney really killed interest in the Mandalorian with the terrible Season 3 of this TV show.
Again, all of the Star Wars franchise’s sales success is powered completely by the original trilogy. All five Star Wars titles are in the Top 100 feature characters from the original trilogy and are set in that timeline. Much to Disney’s chagrin, the two worst-selling Star Wars titles are starring characters not from the original trilogy.
Spider-Man Franchise
1 Amazing Spider-Man #31
4 Amazing Spider-Man #32 (Gods)
9 Death of the Venomverse #1
12 Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (2023)
13 Death of the Venomverse #2
16 Spider-Man #11
19 Amazing Spider-Man #300 Facsimile Edition
25 Spider-Man Annual #1 (Chaos)
27 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #9
29 Venom #23
33 Amazing Spider-Man #30 (Resolicitation)
48 Venom #24 (Gods)
77 Strange Academy Miles Morales #1
85 Death of the Venomverse #3
106 Amazing Spider-Man #29 (Resolicitation)
133 What If…? Dark Spider-Gwen #1 (Resolicitation)
138 Red Goblin #7
147 Silk #4
Unranked: Cult of Carnage: Misery #4
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #3
The Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50. This was worse than July 2023 when the Spider-Man franchise had two titles in the Top 10, seven titles in the Top 25, and ten titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were down in the Top 25 but up in the Top 50 as the Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Peter Parker remains the most popular character in comic books and it is not even remotely close. Amazing Spider-Man #31 took the number 1 spot and Amazing Spider-Man #32 grabbed the number 4 spot. Peter grabbed two of the Top 4 spots in August 2023! That is insane!
Throw on top of that the fact that Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 snagged the number 12 spot. That means Peter had three issues in the Top 12! This is flat-out incredible. Oh yeah, Amazing Spider-Man #300 Facsimile Edition took the number 19 spot. I can’t remember the last time a single character had four issues in the Top 19 comics.
Let’s not forget that the resolicitation of Amazing Spider-Man #30 came in at the number 33 spot. That is a ridiculously high ranking for a comic book from a month ago.
Spider-Man #11 came in at the number 16 spot. Spider-Man Annual #1 took the number 25 spot. That is an unusually high ranking for an annual since annuals usually underperform in the rankings.
Combining Amazing Spider-Man with Spider-Man and Peter Parker had six issues in the Top 25 which is just bonkers.
Death of the Venomverse #1 had an excellent debut at the number 9 spot. Death of the Venomverse #2 stood strong and only dropped slightly to the number 13 spot. This is impressive considering titles with two issues in a single month rarely perform this well. Cullen Bunn is definitely feeling good over the performance of this title.
However, Death of the Venomverse #3 plummeted all the way down to the number 85 spot. To be fair, this was the third issue of the same title in the same month and it shipped in the final week of August 2023. I would expect this five-issue mini-series to bounce back up in the ratings and conclude in the Top 50.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #9 fell from the number 16 spot down to the number 27 spot. It will be interesting to see if it was the sheer number of #1 issues that hit the market in August that pushed MIles’ title down the rankings or if this title is beginning to cool off.
Strange Academy Miles Morales #1 had a bad debut failing to even crack the Top 75 as it came in at the number 77 spt. It looks like this three-issue mini-series from Carlos Hernandez is going to conclude outside of the Top 100.
The resolicitation of Venom #23 took the number 29 spot. That is incredibly impressive for an issue from a month ago that also scored the number 7 spot in July 2023.
Venom #24 plummeted from the number 7 spot to the number 48 spot. That is a massive drop for this Who Are the Gods tie-in issue that definitely failed to attract readers.
Red Goblin #7 dropped for the second straight month as it fell from the number 82 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 138 spot. That is brutal.
Silk #4 continues to fall as it dropped from the number 140 spot to the number 147 spot. This mini-series has been a total sales bust.
Cult of Carnage: Misery #4 continues its freefall in the sales rankings as it fell from the number 181 spot and completely out of the Top 200 and is unranked. Erica Schultz’s story has been a total swing and a miss with the consumer.
Spider-Man: India #3 went unranked for the second straight month. This is no surprise as this is one of the most uncreative mantle swap titles out there. Not even the popular Spider-Verse is a lock to crank out sales hits.
X-Men Franchise
3 X-Men #25 (Fall of the X-Men)
5 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
7 Dark X-Men #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
8 Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1
20 Immortal X-Men #14 (Fall of the X-Men)
26 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
28 Astonishing Iceman #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
37 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1
41 Alpha Flight #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
43 X-Men Red #14 (Fall of the X-Men)
47 X-Men Hellfire Gala #1 (2023) (Resolicitation)
50 Children of the Vault #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
51 Wolverine #36 (Fall of the X-Men)
56 Magneto #1
78 X-Force #43 (Fall of the X-Men)
82 Realm of X #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
90 X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #2
99 Deadpool #10
119 Wolverine #35 (Resolicitation)
135 Deadpool: Badder Blood #3
143 Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1
170 Storm #4
184 Giant-Size X-Men #1 Facsimile Edition (2023 Printing)
187 Deadpool #9 (Resolicitation)
The X-Men franchise had four titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. This was better in the Top 10 and Top 25, but flat in the Top 50 than in July 2023 when the X-Men franchise had two titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up in the Top 10 and in the Top 25 but down in the Top 50 as the X-Men franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
X-Men #25 climbed up from the number 5 spot to the number 3 spot. There is no doubt that this title is hot and shows no signs of fading anytime soon.
Immortal X-Men #14 dropped slightly from the number 17 spot to the number 20 spot. This title remains a nice consistent strong seller for Marvel Comics. Kieron Gillen is clearly cranking out a story that is captivating the audience.
X-Men Red #14 bounced back up from the number 52 spot to the number 43 spot. This is about where we expect to see this title in the rankings.
Uncanny Avengers #1 had an impressive debut coming in at the number 5 spot. Evidently, the mashup of the X-Men and the Avengers remains incredibly irresistible to many consumers. Gerry Duggan appears to have another hit on his hands. I have to admit that the lineup of Captain America, Rogue, Deadpool, Quicksilver, Psylocke, and Monet is rather intriguing.
Dark X-Men #1 also had a wonderful debut taking the number 7 spot. I got this issue just because Madelyne Pryor is in it. If an issue has the Goblin Queen then I’m gonna be there.
Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 was yet another fantastic debut as it came in at the number 8 spot. Benjamin Percy definitely had fun writing this issue. This four-issue mini-series has a good chance of finishing high in the rankings.
Jean Grey #1 had an average debut just missing the Top 25 and coming in at the number 26 spot. This issue is from old-school writer Louise Simonson. Personally, I liked Jean Grey more when she was dead so this title had limited appeal for me. It will be interesting to see if this title can remain in the Top 50 with the second issue.
Astonishing Iceman #1 also had an average debut coming in at the number 28 spot. Steve Orlando is very streaky and is capable of delivering cringe stories just as often as he delivers a quality story. I have a feeling that Iceman will drop out of the Top 50 with the second issue.
Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 also had a rather average debut coming in at the number 37 spot. This did get released in the last week of August so it will be interesting to see if this title can remain in the Top 50 with the second issue. Sabir Prizada is a TV scriptwriter who is dabbling in comic books. This usually does not work out well in terms of sales success. But, we shall see if Prizada can buck the trend!
Alpha Flight #1 is another new title that had a mid-debut coming in at the number 41 spot. I was hoping this title would do better. I have always loved Alpha FLight so I eagerly hopped aboard this story from Ed Brisson.
Children of the Vault #1 had an unimpressive debut coming in at the number 50 spot. This title does star popular characters in Cable and Bishop. But, it looks like Debiz Camp’s story did not attract much interest from the consumer. Based on this debut, it is going to be tough for Children of the Vault to stay in the Top 75 with its second issue.
Magneto #1 had a poor debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 56 spot. I was hoping this issue would do better since I am such a fan of J.M. DeMatteis.
Realm of X #1 bombed right out of the gate as it failed to even make the Top 75 as it came in at the number 82 spot. It looks like Torunn Grønbekk’s title is doomed to be a dead title walking with just the second issue.
X-Force #43 dropped from the number 57 spot down to the number 78 spot. This title continues to bob up and down in the 55-80 range.
Wolverine #36 bounced back up from the number 72 spot up to the number 51 spot. And that is despite the fact that this title shipped in the final week of August.
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #2 crashed and burned in the rankings as it fell from the number 26 spot all the way down to the number 90 spot. Marc Guggenheim was not able to convince many of the readers to stick around for the second issue.
Deadpool #10 bounced up from the number 116 spot to the number 99 spot. Alyssa Wong continues to have no sales success with this popular character. This title seems doomed to bounce in and out of the Top 100 each month.
Deadpool: Badder Blood #3 dropped from the number 87 spot all the way out of the Top 125 and down to the number 135 spot. This title did ship in the final week of August, but I just do not see this title cracking back into the Top 100 next month. Clearly, Marvel Comics overestimated Rob Liefeld’s appeal to current readers.
Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1 had an awful debut coming in at the number 143 spot. This is to be expected as these types of one-shots usually sell poorly.
Storm #4 dropped again from the number 163 spot down to the number 170 spot. I predicted that this title would conclude outside of the Top 100, but I was not expecting it to sell this awfully. This mini-series is a real disappointment for Marvel Comics.
Avengers Franchise
5 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
6 Immortal Thor #1 (Gods)
18 Avengers #4
46 Scarlet Witch #7 (Gods)
53 Incredible Hulk #3
76 Invincible Iron Man #9 (Fall of the X-Men)
96 Incredible Hulk #2 (Resolicitation)
100 Iron Man Annual #1 (Chaos)
112 Captain America Finale #1
117 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #2
122 Loki #3
123 Avengers #3 (Resolicitation)
144 Black Panther #3
164 She-Hulk #15 (Resolicitation)
175 Incredible Hulk #1 (Resolicitation)
178 Invincible Iron Man #8 (Resolicitation)
183 Incredible Hulk #181 Facsimile Edition (2023 Printing)
The Avengers franchise had two issues in the Top 10, three issues in the Top 25, and four issues in the Top 50. This was better in the Top 10 and Top 25, but worse in the Top 50 than in June 2023 when the Avengers franchise had one title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Avengers franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Avengers #4 shot up from the number 54 spot all the way to the number 18 spot. What an impressive bounce-back month for this title!
Immortal Thor #1 had a fantastic debut coming in at the number 6 spot. It looks like rebooting Thor’s title and switching writers from Grønbekk to Al Ewing was a smart move by Marvel Comics. Thor looks to be back after fading in the sales rankings under Grønbekk’s guidance. I am sure Marvel Comics wants Thor to return to its prior form as a consistent Top 25.
Scarlet Witch #7 ticked up slightly from the number 48 spot to the number 46 spot. This title has definitely cooled off from its white-hot start, but it appears that it might find its happy spot somewhere at the bottom of the Top 50.
Incredible Hulk #3 dropped for the second straight month as it fell from the number 34 spot down to the number 53 spot. Now, this issue did ship in the final month of August, but it is alarming to see a title that debuted at the number 5 spot. There is a good chance that this title rebounds next month and gets back into the Top 50. Regardless, it appears that interest in Hulk has cooled under Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s guidance.
Invincible Iron Man #9 bounced back up from the number 81 spot to the number 76 spot. It appears that Mr. Emma Frost is going to continue to struggle to try and climb back into the Top 75.
Captain America Finale #1 had a terrible debut failing to even make the Top 100 as it came in at the number 112 spot. Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s run on Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty has been a total sales failure.
Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #2 suffered from the trademark Carol slump as it plummetted in spectacular fashion from the number 38 spot all the way out of the Top 100 and down to the number 117 spot. It looks like this five-issue mini-series is going to struggle to even remain in the Top 150 until its conclusion. This is no real surprise as Carol usually suffers big drops in sales numbers after a debut issue. Marvel Comics has always liked Carol far more than the consumer. Having said that, this drop was bigger than I was expecting.
Loki #3 dropped for the second straight month as it fell from the number 102 spot down to the number 122 spot. It appears that the consumer had little interest in Dan Watters’ story. It is going to be tough for this mini-series to finish in the Top 150.
Black Panther #3 continues its stunning freefall in the sales ranking as it dropped from the number 99 spot all the way down to the number 144 spot. This is a shocking crash and burn for a title that debuted at the number 11 spot!
I absolutely nailed it with my prediction for this title. Nobody other than the clueless Marvel Comics editors would have ever thought that a sociology professor would be a good hire to write a mainstream superhero comic book. This was an idiotic hire and the Marvel Comics editors are being embarrassed and exposed as this Black Panther title races toward the bottom of the Top 200. It is utterly inexcusable for a character as iconic and illustrious as Black Panther to be selling this poorly by just the third issue. This classic Jakc Kirbny character deserves so much better than this and Marvel Comics needs to make a writer change ASAP.
Batman Franchise
2 Knight Terrors: Batman #2 (Of 2)
24 Batman Superman World’s Finest #18
31 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #2 (Of 2)
32 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One-Shot)
34 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 (Of 2)
42 Knight Terrors: Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #2 (Of 2)
45 Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)
72 Penguin #1
73 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #2 (Of 2)
75 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #2 (Of 2)
84 Knight Terrors Robin #2 (Of 2)
88 Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #4 (Of 6)
95 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
103 Batman The Brave And The Bold #4 (Knight Terrors)
107 Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 (Of 2)
140 Knight Terrors: Batman #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
142 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
149 Riddler Year One #6 (Of 6) L
156 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
157 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #2
163 Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One-Shot)
176 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1 (Resolicitation)
179 Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #6 (Of 6)
191 Batman The Brave And The Bold #3 (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Batman Incorporated #11
Unranked: The Penguin #0
Unranked: Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #7
Unranked: The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #11
The Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. This flat in the Top 10 and Top 50 and down in the Top 25 than July 2023 when the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were down by a wide margin as the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and twelve titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Knight Terrors: Batman #2 dropped from the number 1 spot to the number 2 spot. I am sure DC Comics is fine with this! No matter how grim it might get for DC Comics, it can always count on Bruce Wayne to pop a monster sales number.
Batman Superman World’s Finest #18 bounced back up from the number 47 spot to the number 24 spot. This is awesome to see. Everyone should give this title a try. It is pure classic mainstream superhero fun.
Knight Terrors: Nightwing #2 dropped from the number 21 spot to the. number 31 spot. That is not that bad for this two-part mini-series. Dick Grayson continues to be the only Batman family character not named Bruce Wayne that can post good sales rankings.
Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 had an unimpressive debut failing to make the Top 25 and coming in at the number 32 spot. This issue did ship in the last week of August, but still, I would expect more from a Batman big event issue.
Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 bounced up from the number 46 spot to the number 34 spot. This is certain to make DC Comics happy! You have to love it when you can gain readers between the first and second issues.
Knight Terrors Robin #2 fell from the number 51 spot down to the number 84 spot. This is a rather disappointing finish for this title.
Batman The Brave And The Bold #4 rose up from the number 115 spot to the number 103 spot. This title is going to continue to struggle to get back into the Top 100.
Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #2 fell from the number 123 spot down to the number 157 spot. This does not surprise me. I love Terry McGinnis, but this title is written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly and that is never a good sign. This writing duo continues to struggle to find sales success.
How about the Batman villains? Knight Terrors: Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #2 fell from the number 24 spot down to the number 42 spot. Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #4 fell from the number 78 spot to the number 88 spot. It was not that great of a month for the Clown Prince of Crime.
Penguin #1 had a terrible debut coming in at the number 72 spot. Once again, Tom King’s name alone does not translate into sales success.
Riddler Year One #6 concluded this six-issue mini-series at the number 149 spot. This mini-series was another disappointment for DC Comics.
How about the ladies of the Batman franchise? Poison Ivy continues to lead the pack. Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #2 suffered a big drop falling from the number 18 spot down to the number 45 spot.
Knight Terrors: Catwoman #2 fell from the number 59 spot to the number 73 spot.
Catwoman Uncovered #1 had a hideous debut coming in at the number 163 spot. This is no surprise as DC Comics thought letting an editor with no experience as a comic book writer write this issue. That rarely leads to success.
Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #2 climbed up slightly from the number 79 spot to the number 75 spot. That is not a great sales ranking, but it is remarkably consistent.
Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #6 fell from the number 136 spot down to the number 179 spot. With this issue, this mini-series has concluded. This was another sales failure for DC comics as Harley Quinn continues to be far removed from the hot seller she used to be years ago.
Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 fell like a dead duck from the number 63 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 107 spot. This is no surprise as Danny Lore has never had any sales success. This was also a really weird story as it read more like Lore complaining about her critics rather than an actual interesting mainstream superhero story featuring a cool character with lots of potential.
Superman Franchise
24 Batman Superman World’s Finest #18
35 Knight Terrors: Superman #2 (Of 2)
38 Superman 2023 Annual #1 (One-Shot)
64 Knight Terrors: Action Comics #2 (Of 2)
71 Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)
81 Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One-Shot)
129 Action Comics #1056.1 Knight Terrors #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
171 Steelworks #3 (Of 6)
177 Knight Terrors: Superman #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
189 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
The Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was slightly better than July 2023 when the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in August 2022.
It is never a good sign for the Superman franchise when its best-selling title is Batman Superman World’s Finest with Brue Wayne carrying Superman’s carcass across the finish line.
Knight Terrors: Superman #2 dropped from the number 25 spot down to the number 35 spot. This ensured that the Superman franchise would have zero Top 25 titles only a few months into the big Dawn of DC initiative designed to reinvigorate the Superman franchise. What a mess.
Knight Terrors: Action Comics #2 dipped slightly from the number 62 spot to the number 64 spot.
Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #6 dropped again from the number 62 spot to the number 71 spot. Jon Kent’s title had mediocre sales success much like his last title. The silver lining is that at least this mini-series managed to conclude just inside of the Top 75.
Steelworks #3 dropped from the number 147 spot down to the number 171 spot. What a complete disaster this title has been. It is going to be tough for this six-issue mini-series to finish ranked in the Top 200. Again, nobody other than a DC Comics editor would be surprised by this. This is another example of hiring a person who is not a mainstream superhero comic book writer and expecting them to have success. Hiring an actor to write this title was doomed from the start. This is unfortunate. John Irons deserves so much better than this.
Justice League Franchise
40 Knight Terrors: Night’s End #1 (One-Shot)
44 Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 (Of 2)
59 Knight Terrors: The Flash #2 (Of 2)
60 Dark Knights of Steel #12 (Of 12)
62 Justice Society of America #5 (Of 12)
70 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 (Of 2)
80 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #2 (Of 2)
139 Hawkgirl #2 (Of 6)
Unranked: DC/RWBY #7
The Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was worse than July 2023 when the Justice League franchise had one title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #2 fell from the number 30 spot down to the number 44 spot. This made Hal Jordan one of the better-selling Knight Terrors titles.
Knight Terrors: The Flash #2 dropped from the number 41 spot to the number 59 spot.
Dark Knights of Steel #12 concluded this twelve-issue limited series on a decidedly down note failing to make the Top 50 and ending at the number 60 spot. This is far lower than I expected given the prior months’ sales rankings for this limited series.
Justice Society of America #5 came in at the number 62 spot. The inconsistent shipping schedule is not doing this title any favors at all.
Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 fell from the number 56 spot down to the number 70 spot.
Knight Terrors: Zatanna #2 suffered a large drop from the number 31 spot all the way to the number 80 spot. I am an old-school Zatanna fan and even I was not impressed with this story.
Hawkgirl #2 crashed and burned in a dramatic fashion as it plummeted from the number 77 spot down to the number 139 spot. Such an awful debut number meant this title was doomed to fall out of the Top 100 with just the second issue. This was no surprise to me at all. Hawkgirl read like bad Tumblr fanfiction.
There is no reason why Jadzia Axelrod should have been hired by DC Comics to write a mainstream superhero comic book. It was akin to hiring a complete rando off the street to write this title. There is nothing about Axelrod’s resume that would indicate to anyone with half a brain that Axelrod is qualified to write a mainstream superhero title for one of the Big Two. It is decisions like this that make DC Comics’ editorial staff look completely incompetent. DC Comics is never going to turn the tide in the sales rankings until they open up the wallet and pay for real editors who actually know what they are doing.
DC/RWBY #7 was unranked. This title has been out of the Top 200 and unranked for months. There is nothing that Marguerite Bennett has done to get anyone excited about this title.
Mantle Swap Titles
27 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #9 (Marvel Comics)
37 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics)
71 Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
77 Strange Academy Miles Morales #1 (Marvel Comics)
117 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #2 (Marvel Comics)
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #3 (Marvel Comics)
There were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was better than July 2023 when there were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Legacy Character Titles
31 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
59 Knight Terrors: The Flash #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
67 Knight Terrors: Titans #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
69 World’s Finest Teen Titans #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
84 Knight Terrors Robin #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
105 Tales of the Titans #2 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
107 Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
114 Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
132 Knight Terrors: Titans #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
138 Red Goblin #7 (Marvel Comics)
147 Silk #4 (Marvel Comics)
156 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
157 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #2 (DC Comics)
171 Steelworks #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
176 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
189 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
Unranked: Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 (Marvel Comics)
There were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50. This was worse than July 2023 when there were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50.
Knight Terrors: Titans #2 remained eerily steady by taking the number 67 spot which is exactly what this title did in July 2023.
World’s Finest Teen Titans #2 suffered a huge drop falling from the number 19 spot down to the number 69 spot. Yikes! I loved this title so it sucks to see that many readers felt differently.
Tales of the Titans #2 had a big drop falling from the number 60 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 105 spot. Keep in mind that each issue stars a different Titan and is written by a different writer. So, either Raven is far less popular than Starfire or readers have learned to avoid issues written by Tini Howard.
Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 had a large drop falling from the number 69 spot all the way down to the number 114. Damn. I am a fan of Rose, but this title was not her best.
Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked. Ouch! This one stings. I like the old-school in Howard Mackie and the 1990s Ghost Rider always makes me smile. But, I am definitely in the minority as consumers have given this title a huge thumbs down.
Female Lead Titles
26 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
37 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics)
46 Scarlet Witch #7 (Gods) (Marvel Comics)
70 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
73 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
75 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
80 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #35 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
107 Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
114 Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
117 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #2 (Marvel Comics)
133 What If…? Dark Spider-Gwen #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
134 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
136 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
137 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #37 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
139 Hawkgirl #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
142 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
147 Silk #4 (Marvel Comics)
163 Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
164 She-Hulk #15 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
170 Storm #4 (Marvel Comics)
179 Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
Unranked: Cult of Carnage: Misery #4 (Marvel Comics)
There were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was worse than July 2023 when there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were down as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Marvel placed zero female lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2022.
DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25 in August 2022.
Marvel placed three female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 50 in August 2022.
DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Marvel placed three female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 75 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2022.
DC Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had seven female lead titles in the Top 75 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2022.
Marvel placed three female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had six female lead titles in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2022.
DC Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had nine female lead titles in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had six female lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2022.
DC Comics beat Marvel Comics by a score of 4-3 in the Top 100. Both publishers are doing an awful job in this category. DC Comics did not win. They just sucked less than Marvel Comics. What is alarming is how the year-over-year numbers are down for both publishers. The approach the Big Two are taking with these titles is not working and needs to be fixed.
Minority Lead Titles
27 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #9 (Marvel Comics)
37 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics)
77 Strange Academy Miles Morales #1 (Marvel Comics)
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #35 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
116 Blade #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
124 Blade #2 (Marvel Comics)
139 Hawkgirl #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
144 Black Panther #3 (Marvel Comics)
147 Silk #4 (Marvel Comics)
151 Daredevil & Echo #4 (Marvel Comics)
170 Storm #4 (Marvel Comics)
171 Steelworks #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
195 Spirit World #4 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #3 (Marvel Comics)
Unranked: The Vigil #4 (DC Comics)
Unranked: City Boy #3 (DC Comics)
There were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was worse than July 2023 when there was one minority lead title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Marvel placed zero minority lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2022.
Marvel placed two minority lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 50 in August 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Marvel placed two minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 75 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had four minority lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2022.
Marvel placed three minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had four minority lead titles in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had six minority lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 100 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 100 in August 2022.
Marvel Comics beat DC Comics by a score of 3-0 in the Top 100. Again, both publishers are doing an awful job in this category. Marvel Comics is just doing a slightly less of a worse job than DC Comics. Both publishers should be embarrassed. Both publishers must completely rethink their approaches to these titles.
Blade #2 totally crashed and burned as it fell from the number 9 spot to the number 124 spot. That is brutal. Yeah, this issue came out in the last week of August, but so what? That type of drop shows how many readers this title hemorrhaged after the first issue.
Blade is popular and is an awesome character. But, it seems that consumers were not impressed with Bryan Edward Hill’s story. Hill is a screenwriter and corporate consultant who has been dabbling in a few comics over the past couple of years. I wish that Marvel Comics had hired a writer who had more experience and a proven track record to helm a new Blade comic.
Daredevil & Echo #4 fell from the number 143 spot to the number 151 spot. Again, the writer is a musician and not an actual professional comic book writer. So, here we are.
Spirit World #4 took another big drop falling from the number 175 spot down to the number 195 spot. I predicted that Alyssa Wong’s title was going to be a miss with the consumer. It looks like this mini-series has a good chance of concluding outside of the Top 200 and unranked.
The Vigil #4 was unranked for the second straight month. I had a feeling that this title was going to be a sales failure, too.
City Boy #3 was also unranked. Despite my intrigue with such a unique concept, I felt that many readers would find this title uninteresting.
Dead Titles Walking
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, titles outside of the Top 100 are usually selling under the 18,000 unit sales mark. These are the Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles that are dead titles walking.
Marvel Comics
100-200
100 Iron Man Annual #1 (Chaos)
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #35 (Dark Droids)
108 Alien #5
110 Moon Knight Annual #1 (Chaos)
112 Captain America Finale #1
113 Marvel Age #1000
117 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #2
121 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #3
122 Loki #3
124 Blade #2 L
135 Deadpool: Badder Blood #3
137 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #37 (Dark Droids)
138 Red Goblin #7
143 Marvel’s Voices: X-Men #1
144 Black Panther #3
147 Silk #4
151 Daredevil & Echo #4
159 Marvel Unleashed #1
170 Storm #4
172 Werewolf by Night #33 Facsimile Edition
180 Warlock Rebirth #5
Unranked: Groot #4
Unranked: Cult of Carnage: Misery #4
Unranked: Danny Ketch: Ghost Rider #4
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #3
Planet of the Apes #5
Marvel Comics had 26 dead titles walking out of their 76 new titles in August 2023. This means that 34% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in August 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was the same as the 26 dead titles walking that Marvel Comics had in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had 32 dead titles walking in August 2022. However, the percentage of titles that were dead titles walking was almost flat as 35% of Marvel Comics’ titles were dead titles walking in August 2022.
DC Comics
100-200
103 Batman The Brave And The Bold #4 (Knight Terrors)
105 Tales of the Titans #2 (Of 4)
107 Knight Terrors: Punchline #2 (Of 2)
111 Danger Street #8 (Of 12)
114 Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 (Of 2)
115 Knight Terrors: Black Adam #2 (Of 2)
118 Gnort’s Illustrated Swimsuit Edition #1 (One-Shot)
127 Peacemaker Tries Hard #4 (Of 6)
134 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #2 (Of 6)
136 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #2 (Of 2)
139 Hawkgirl #2 (Of 6)
141Unstoppable Doom Patrol #5 (Of 7)
149 Riddler Year One #6 (Of 6) L
157 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #2
163 Catwoman Uncovered #1 (One-Shot)
166 Wildcats #10
169 Sandman Universe Special Thessaly #1 (One-Shot)
171 Steelworks #3 (Of 6)
179 Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #6 (Of 6)
189 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #5 (Of 6)
195 Spirit World #4
Unranked: The Vigil #4
Unranked: City Boy #3
Unranked: Batman Incorporated #11
Unranked: The Penguin #0
Unranked: DC/RWBY #7
Unranked: The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House #4
Unranked: Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #7
Unranked: The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #11
Unranked: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #123
DC Comics had 30 dead titles walking out of DC Comics’ 59 new titles in August 2023. This means that 51% of the new DC Comics titles in August 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was up from the 21 dead titles walking that DC Comics had in July 2023 which comprised 41% of DC Comics’ new titles. Year-over-year numbers were slightly down as DC Comics had 31 dead titles walking in August 2022. However, the percentage of dead titles walking was up compared to the 49% of DC Comics’ titles that were dead walking titles in August 2022.
The Tini Howard Award For The Writer With The Most Dead Titles Walking
There were several writers with more than one Dead Title Walking in August 2023. James Tynion IV had two Dead Titles Walking in Sandman Universe Special Thessaly #1 at the number 169 spot and The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country – The Glass House #4 which was unranked.
Ed Brisson had two Dead Titles Walking in Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 at the number 114 spot and Batman Incorporated #11 which was unranked.
Kyle Starks had two Dead Titles Walking in Peacemaker Tries Hard #4 at the number 127 spot and Marvel Unleashed #1 at the number 159 spot.
The writing duo of Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly had two Dead TItles Walking in Captain America Finale #1 at the number 112 spot and Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #2 at the number 157 spot.
Ann Nocenti had two Dead Titles Walking in Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #2 at the number 117 spot and Storm #4 at the number 170 spot.
Alyssa Wong had two Dead Titles Walking in Star Wars Doctor Aphra #35 at the number 101 spot and Spirit World #4 at the number 195 spot.
The first tie-breaker is the writer with the most ongoing monthly titles wins. I believe that Batman Incorporated was originally unveiled as an ongoing monthly that was converted into a twelve-issue limited series. However, I am not 100% sure of this fact. But, let’s go with it originally being an ongoing title. Therefore, all of these writers have a one-shot or mini-series combined with a single monthly title. So, none of the writers get eliminated with this first tie-breaker.
The second tie-breaker is the writer with a title with Marvel Comics and DC Comics wins. This eliminates Ed Brisson and Ann Nocenti.
We have Kyle Starks, Alyssa Wong, and the team of Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly remaining as we head to the third tie-breaker which is where we take the average ranking of the two issues.
Lanzing and Kelly’s two issues have an average ranking of 135. Kyle Starks’s two issues have an average ranking of 143. Alyssa Wong’s two issues have an average ranking of 148.
Therefore the winner of the Tini Howard Award for August 2023 is Alyssa Wong! Wong has been the Susan Lucci of the TIni Howard Award as Wong has been in the running for this award every month since March 2023 when we started doing this award. However, this is the first time that Wong finally brought home the gold.
All right, that is it for August 2023 Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in September 2023? We will find out. Until then, everyone stay safe and be good!
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