It is that time of the month when we get to check out the latest 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, the Top 200 single-issue comic book sales rankings 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.
December 2021 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
- Batman #118 (DC Comics)
- Devils Reign #1 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
- Venom #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Inferno #3 (Of 4) (Marvel Comics)
- BRZRKR #6 (BOOM! Studios)
- Hulk #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #80 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #81 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Avengers #50 (Marvel Comics)
- Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics)
The Battle for the Top 10
If you are a DC Comics fan like me then you had better avert your eyes. The December 2021 Top 10 single-issue ranking was absolutely brutal. Marvel Comics decimated DC Comics with ruthless intent. Marvel Comics snapped up a stunning eight titles in the Top 10.
What is impressive about Marvel’s success is the diversity of the titles in the Top 10. Marvel’s comics pull from the Daredevil franchise, Spider-Man franchise, X-Men franchise, Hulk franchise, and the Avengers franchise. That is incredible. DC Comics wishes they had this type of diversity in their line of comic books.
Marvel clearly benefitted from the restarting of the Hulk’s solo title. What is amazing is that Hulk #1 was published in November and it still posted a Top 10 finish in the December sales rankings. That is extremely rare. Talk about a smashing success. Also impressive is that Hulk #2 managed to take the number 6 spot which is not that much of a drop from Hulk #1’s number 3 spot in the November 2021 sales rankings.
Speaking of DC Comics? Well, they had one title only. And, of course, it is Batman. This is horrifying.
Boom continued their streak of success with BRZRKR with another Top 10 finish for that title. I swear BRZRKR is the hottest title on the market that nobody in the comic book universe is talking about.
The Battle for the Top 25
- X-Men Trial of Magneto #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Crimson Reign #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Batman 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #80.1 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Fear State Omega #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Venom #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Knights of Steel #2 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Batgirls #1 (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #82 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Darth Vader #18 War of the Bounty Hunters (Marvel Comics)
- Moon Knight #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Daredevil #36 (Marvel Comics)
- Timeless #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman One Dark Knight #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
- Batman 89 #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
It does not get any prettier when you expand the lens to the Top 25 sales rankings. Marvel continued its utter domination by placing seventeen titles in the Top 25. Again, Marvel pulls from an astonishingly wide range of franchises including Daredevil, Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Avengers, Moon Knight, and Star Wars.
DC Comics meekly placed just seven titles in the Top 25. Unlike Marvel which has great diversity in its Top 25 titles, DC Comics continues to cling to the Batman franchise like a shipwreck survivor holding onto a life preserver. All of DC Comics’ seven titles were from the Batman franchise. Even worse, six of those seven titles were Batman himself. This is troubling as it shows that it really is not Batman’s family of characters that are powering sales. It is literally just Bruce Wayne himself.
The Battle for the Top 50
- Avengers Forever #1 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men Trial of Magneto #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Joker #10 (DC Comics)
- Devils Reign #2 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
- Nightwing 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Star Wars #19 War of the Bounty Hunters (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men #5 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Catwoman #9 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Gunslinger Spawn #3 (Image Comics)
- King Spawn #5 (Image Comics)
- Star Wars High Republic #12 (Marvel Comics)
- Nightwing #87 (DC Comics)
- Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Joker 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Wonder Woman Historia The Amazons #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
- Spawn #324 (Image Comics)
- Robin & Batman #2 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #83 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Captain America Iron Man #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- House of Slaughter #3 (BOOM! Studios)
- Marauders #26 (Marvel Comics)
- Department of Truth #14 (Mature) (Image Comics)
- Justice League Incarnate #1 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
- Demon Days Rising Storm #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Hellions #18 (Marvel Comics)
With the number 40-50 spot, we historically begin to see titles selling in the 40K unit range.
Marvel continued its unchallenged reign over the December 2021 sales rankings by placing twenty-eight titles in the Top 50. Marvel also continued its trend of pulling from across all of their franchises.
Having said that, Marvel had to be extremely disappointed that Avengers Forever #1 written by Jason Aaron only managed to debut at the number 26 spot. The Avengers is Marvel’s premier super team. With Hickman now gone from the X-Men, Aaron is the last big-name writer left at Marvel Comics. I am sure Marvel was hoping for a much higher debut number for this title.
DC placed sixteen titles in the Top 50. Fourteen of the sixteen titles were from the Batman franchise. Nine of those 14 Batman franchise titles were Bruce Wayne titles. This is simply unsustainable. At some point, DC has to get someone outside of Bruce Wayne hot and selling good numbers.
Joker and Nightwing are the two best-selling Batman family characters outside of Bruce Wayne. It is interesting to note that the titles where Robin is paired with Batman and Catwoman is paired with Batman do far better than RObin’s solo title and Catwoman’s solo title.
There were only two DC Comics titles that were non-Batman franchise titles. And those two titles actually forecast bad news for DC Comics. Wonder Woman Historia The Amazons #1 debuted at the number 40 spot. That is an awful showing for a brand-new title from one of DC’s big franchises.
Justice League Incarnate #1 debuted at the number 48 spot. That is an awful showing for a brand-new title starring DC’s premier super team. This also does not signal much strength or interest in the Justice League franchise as we head into the Death of the Justice League.
Image Comics finally shows up in the December 2021 sales rankings by placing four titles in the Top 50. Three of the four titles were from the Spawn franchise. Now, these Spawn titles were all selling in the Top 10 a few months ago and have dropped down the rankings in a quick fashion. It will be interesting to see where the Spawn titles end up hitting their equilibrium.
Boom! Studios ended up placing two titles in the Top 50.
The Battle for the Top 75
- Batman The Detective #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Wolverine #19 (Marvel Comics)
- Strange Academy #14 (Marvel Comics)
- Black Panther #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant #1 (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #79 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Venom #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Human Target #2 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Fantastic Four #38 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Darth Vader #19 (Marvel Comics)
- Crossover #10 (Image Comics)
- Hawkeye Kate Bishop #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- X-Force #26 (Marvel Comics)
- Miles Morales Spider-Man #33 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman the Imposter #3 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
- X-Men Legends #9 (Marvel Comics)
- Death of Doctor Strange Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
- New Mutants #23 (Marvel Comics)
- Giant-Size Black Cat Infinity Score #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Bounty Hunters #18 War of the Bounty Hunters (Marvel Comics)
- Robin 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Avengers #51 (Marvel Comics)
- Thor #19 (Marvel Comics)
- Wonder Girl #5 (DC Comics)
- Black Panther #1 (Marvel Comics)
Historically, this is the part of the Sales Rankings where comics generally sell in the low 40,000 to the high to mid 30,000 unit range.
Marvel just kept on dominating the sales rankings by placing forty-six titles in the Top 75. It is just shocking how Marvel is annihilating DC Comics even as we drop into the lower selling titles.
What is interesting to note is that the Death of Dr. Strange has proven to be so unpopular that not even Spider-Man can save it.
DC placed only twenty-two titles in the Top 75. As we come to expect, eighteen of DC Comics’ twenty-two titles were Batman franchise titles. Eleven of those eighteen Batman franchise titles were Bruce Wayne titles. There were only four non-Batman titles in the Top 75.
Even more frightening is that DC placed nothing from the Superman franchise, Flash Franchise, or Green Lantern franchise in the Top 75. This is inexcusable. DC Comics is a complete mess.
Image placed five titles in the Top 75 while Boom held steady at two titles.
The Battle for the Top 100
- Death of Doctor Strange #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Fantasy #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- King of Spies #1 (Of 4) (Image Comics)
- Wastelanders Wolverine #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Robins #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Death of Doctor Strange White Fox #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Action Comics #1037 (DC Comics)
- Captain Marvel #34 (Marvel Comics)
- Stray Dogs Dog Days #1 (Of 2) (Image Comics)
- Me You Love In The Dark #5 (Of 5) (Image Comics)
- Superman Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Gunslinger Spawn #2 (Image Comics)
- Justice League Incarnate #2 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
- Eternals #8 (Marvel Comics)
- Excalibur #26 (Marvel Comics)
- Wonder Girl #6 (DC Comics)
- Detective Comics #1046 (DC Comics)
- Primordial #4 (Of 6) (Image Comics)
- DC Vs Vampires #3 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Darkhold Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Defenders #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Death of Doctor Strange Blade #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman #117 (DC Comics)
- What’s The Furthest Place From Here #2 (Image Comics)
Historically, these are titles that usually are selling in the low 30,000 unit range into the high 20,000 unit range.
Marvel placed fifty-six titles in the Top 100. We finally see Captain Marvel make an appearance. Marvel keeps trying to make Captain Marvel a thing and Marvel keeps failing.
In the world of the X-Men, we see that Excalibur is officially the weakest of all of the X-titles. I am surprised that Marvel is still bothering to publish this title.
We also see that Marvel’s Death of Dr. Strange big event has been a massive failure. Absolutely nobody is interested in seeing the pointless death of Dr. Strange and then waiting for the inevitable comeback of Dr. Strange.
DC had thirty-one titles in the Top 100. The titles in the 76-100 range account for nearly 1/3 of DC’s titles in the Top 100. That is an awful sign. Twenty-two of DC Comics’ thirty-once titles were from the Batman franchise. DC Comics only placed a pathetic nine non-Batman franchise titles in the Top 100. That is beyond embarrassing.
What is also shameful, is that we close out the Top 100 without any appearance of a title from either the Green Lantern franchise or the Flash franchise. DC Comics has completely ruined those two franchises.
We finally see a couple of Superman franchise titles for the first time. That is unacceptable and highlights how unpopular DC’s handling of the Superman franchise has been with readers.
Image Comics ended up placing eleven titles in the Top 100. Boom held steady at two titles.
Debut Issues
2. Devils Reign #1 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
10. Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics)
12. Star Wars Crimson Reign #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
13. Batman 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
15. Batman Fear State Omega #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
18. Batgirls #1 (DC Comics)
23. Timeless #1 (Marvel Comics)
24. Batman One Dark Knight #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
26. Avengers Forever #1 (Marvel Comics)
40. Wonder Woman Historia The Amazons #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
44. Captain America Iron Man #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
48. Justice League Incarnate #1 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
49. Demon Days Rising Storm #1 (Marvel Comics)
67. Death of Doctor Strange Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
79. Wastelanders Wolverine #1 (Marvel Comics)
81. Death of Doctor Strange White Fox #1 (Marvel Comics)
95. Darkhold Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
98. Death of Doctor Strange Blade #1 (Marvel Comics)
104. Ms. Marvel Beyond Limit #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
108. King Conan #1 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
110. Swamp Thing Green Hell #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
121. Wastelanders Hawkeye #1 (Marvel Comics)
124. Darkhold Black Bolt #1 (Marvel Comics)
134. Marvels Voices Community #1 (Marvel Comics)
157. One-Star Squadron #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
There were several successful debut issues in December 2021. In general, a highly successful debut issue is one that hits the Top 10 rankings. A solid debut is one that makes the Top 25. Any debut issue outside of the Top 25 usually gives cause for concern.
Avengers Forever #1 at the number 26 spot is disappointing given the power of the Avengers franchise as well as Jason Aaron being involved in the title.
Captain American Iron Man #1 poor showing at the number 44 spot just highlights the continuing problem that Marvel Comics has had with both the Captain American and Iron Man franchises. Marvel has truly run these two franchises into the ground with their mishandling of both over the past several years.
Justice League Incarnate #1 was disappointing coming in at the 48 spot. DC Comics has to be concerned by this debut number given their plans for the Justice League going forward.
Demon Days Rising Storm #1 only hitting the number 49 spot shows the first chink in the armor of the Demon Days titles. As usual, Marvel burns out a gimmick by overexposing it and overproducing it.
Both Wastelander titles had poor debut numbers with the 79 and 121 spots. I have no idea what Marvel Comics was thinking with the Wastelander titles. I do not think anyone was clamoring for this.
Ms. Marvel Beyond Limit #1 had a disastrous debut number coming in at the number. Marvel so desperately wants Ms. Marvel to be a thing and it just is not happening at all. Ms. Marvel Beyond Limit will be selling in the 10,000-unit range by the second issue. No doubt about it. If Marvel Comics wants Ms. Marvel to become a popular character then they need to take a hard look at the writers they keep selecting for Ms. Marvel’s titles and the manner in which her character is packaged and delivered. Because, up to this point, Ms. Marvel has been a complete failure with the readers.
Marvel Voices Community #1 had a poor showing coming in at the 134 spot. I know Marvel Comics loves to break their arm patting themselves on the back with the Marvel Voices comics. Marvel also likes to run a gimmick into the ground, too. But, it appears we are getting to the point of diminishing returns with the Marvel Voices comics. It looks like readers are over it.
One Star Squadron #1 had a pathetic debut at the number 157 spot. This title is certainly only selling in the high 10,000 unit range. This title is horrendous and is getting the poor reception from readers that it deserves.
Big Events
2. Devils Reign #1 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
4. Inferno #3 (Of 4) (Marvel Comics)
11. X-Men Trial of Magneto #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
27. X-Men Trial of Magneto #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
29. Devils Reign #2 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
76. Death of Doctor Strange #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
Devils Reign #1 had an excellent debut number. However, Devils Reign dropped off a cliff and plummeted all the way down to the 29 spot with Devils Reign #2. That should worry Marvel Comics. That is a large drop and forecasts that readers are not impressed with what Marvel Comics is offering in Devils Reign.
Death of Doctor Strange #4 slipped down to the 76 spot. This is awful. Marvel Comics clearly misfired on how much readers would be interested in yet another lame “shock” death of an established character.
Star Wars Franchise
12. Star Wars Crimson Reign #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
20. Star Wars Darth Vader #18 War of the Bounty Hunters (Marvel Comics)
31. Star Wars #19 War of the Bounty Hunters (Marvel Comics)
36. Star Wars High Republic #12 (Marvel Comics)
60. Star Wars Darth Vader #19 (Marvel Comics)
70. Star Wars Bounty Hunters #18 War of the Bounty Hunters (Marvel Comics)
138. Star Wars High Republic Trail Shadows #3 (Marvel Comics)
148. Star Wars High Republic Adventures #11 (IDW Publishing)
169. Star Wars High Republic Adventure Annual 2021 #1 (IDW Publishing)
178. Star Wars Bounty Hunters #19 (Marvel Comics)
Star Wars continues to be a solid seller for Marvel Comics. War of the Bounty Hunters continues to be popular with readers. However, the High Republic titles appear to be rather unpopular at this point. You have three High Republic titles at the 138, 148, and 169 spots. Those are poor-selling titles. I am not surprised that Disney took the Star Wars license from IDW Publishing.
Spider-Man Franchise
3. Venom #2
7. Amazing Spider-Man #80 Beyond
8. Amazing Spider-Man #81 Beyond
14. Amazing Spider-Man #80.1 Beyond
16. Venom #3
19. Amazing Spider-Man #82 Beyond
43. Amazing Spider-Man #83 Beyond
56. Amazing Spider-Man #79 Beyond
57. Venom #1
64. Miles Morales Spider-Man #33
67. Death of Doctor Strange Spider-Man #1
95. Darkhold Spider-Man #1
Amazing Spider-Man and Venom continue to be strong sellers for Marvel. Amazing Spider-Man appears to be unstoppable as it constantly cracks the Top 10. Venom #2 did have a great debut ranking, however, it is a bit concerning that Venom #3 dropped all the way down to the number 16 spot. I would imagine that Venom manages to stabilize its position in the rankings. There is no reason for Venom to be selling outside of the Top 25.
Outside of Amazing Spider-Man and Venom, there really is no other good news for the Spider-Man franchise. Miles Morales Spider-Man #33 got a 64 spot ranking which is around that title’s normal 30,000 unit range sales numbers.
The other two titles show that not even Spider-Man can get readers interested in anything related to the Death of Doctor Strange or Darkhold.
X-Men Franchise
4. Inferno #3 (Of 4)
11. X-Men Trial of Magneto #4 (Of 5)
27. X-Men Trial of Magneto #5 (Of 5)
32. X-Men #5
46. Marauders #26
49. Demon Days Rising Storm #1
50. Hellions #18
52. Wolverine #19
63. X-Force #26
66. X-Men Legends #9
68. New Mutants #23
79. Wastelanders Wolverine #1
90. Excalibur #26
102. X-Force Killshot Anniversary Special #1
109. S.W.O.R.D. #11
147. Phoenix Song Echo #2 (Of 5)
187. Phoenix Song Echo #3 (Of 5)
There are troubling signs ahead for Marvel when it comes to the X-Men franchise. Hickman’s Inferno #3 had an excellent showing in December 2021. X-Men Trial of Magneto continues to slide down but still is posting good sales rankings.
However, past those two X-Men big events, there is not much good news for Marvel Comics. X-Men #5 at the 32 spot is solid but far under what Marvel Comics was getting under Hickman’s direction.
Marauders, Hellions, X-Force, and New Mutants continue to languish in that mid-tier level between the low 40’s and the low 60’s. This is usually where titles sell in the low 40,000 to the 30,000 unit range. None of these titles are doing anything to impress anyone.
Then you have Excalibur and Sword languishing down at the numbers 90 and 109 spots. Those are titles that are certainly in the 20,000-unit range.
All in all, these sales rankings should concern Marvel Comics with Hickman’s departure from the X-Men franchise. I have little faith in the collection of writers that Marvel has assembled to take over for Hickman. It shall be interesting to watch the X-Men franchise over the next several months.
Avengers Franchise
6. Hulk #2
9. Avengers #50
10. Hulk #1
26. Avengers Forever #1
44. Captain America Iron Man #1 (Of 5)
54. Black Panther #2
72. Avengers #51
83. Captain Marvel #34
107. Hawkeye Kate Bishop #2 (Of 5)
115. Iron Man #15
128. Savage Avengers #27
The Hulk has been a smashing success for Marvel Comics. It is phenomenal that Hulk #1 still managed to crack the Top 10 for a second consecutive month! It is also impressive that Hulk #2 retained a Top 10 spot.
The special issue of Avengers #50 with its $10 price tag had a great sales ranking! I am impressed that such an expensive issue did so well. I am sure Marvel is excited about this, too.
However, after the Hulk and Avengers #50, it is nothing but bad news for the Avengers franchise. Black Panther #2 plummeted down to the 54 spot. That is pretty low for just the second issue of a new title. This title is probably going to slide out of the Top 100 in a quick fashion.
Hawkeye Kate Bishop #1 took the number 59 spot in November. Hawkeye Kate Bishop #2 suffered a massive drop down to the 107 spot in December 2021. Again, I know Marvel Comics desperately wants Kate Bishop to be popular with readers. However, reality is coming into conflict with Marvel Comics’ wishes.
Captain Marvel #34 took the number 83 spot. This is normal territory for Captain Marvel. This title is forever bobbing around the high-to-low 20,000-unit range. Carol Danvers has proven to be a sales failure no matter how many different restarts to her title. But, I have to give Marvel Comics credit. They will never let DC Comics get that much-coveted Captain Marvel trademark back!
Iron Man #15 got an awful 115 sales ranking. It is stunning how Marvel Comics has ruined the Iron Man franchise. Marvel Comics needs to take a critical eye on how they have handled the Iron Man franchise over the past five years and make some necessary changes.
Savage Avengers #27 continues to be an extremely niche title. I am surprised that Marvel Comics even bothers to continue to publish this title.
Batman Franchise
1. Batman #118
13. Batman 2021 Annual #1
15. Batman Fear State Omega #1
17. Dark Knights of Steel #2 (Of 12)
18. Batgirls #1
24. Batman One Dark Knight #1 (Of 3)
25. Batman 89 #4 (Of 6)
28. Joker #10
30. Nightwing 2021 Annual #1
33. Batman Catwoman #9 (Of 12)
37. Nightwing #87
38. Detective Comics 2021 Annual #1
39. Joker 2021 Annual #1
42. Robin & Batman #2 (Of 3)
51. Batman The Detective #6 (Of 6)
55. Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant #1
65. Batman the Imposter #3 (Of 3)
71. Robin 2021 Annual #1
80. Robins #2 (Of 6)
92. Detective Comics #1046
97. Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour #4 (Of 6)
118. Catwoman Lonely City #2 (Of 4)
119. Batman Urban Legends #10
122. Future State Gotham #8
123. I am Batman #4
127. Robin #9
151. Catwoman #38
154. Batman The Adventure Continues Season II #7 (Of 7)
155. Arkham City The Order of the World #3 (Of 6)
165. Harley Quinn #10
169. Task Force Z #3
193. Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf in Gotham #4 (Of 6)
Bruce Wayne. That is what single-handedly powers the Batman franchise sales success. Anyone who tells you otherwise is being purposefully obtuse. The Bruce Wayne titles dominate the sales rankings for the Batman franchise. It will be interesting to see how these titles do once DC Comics kills Bruce Wayne in the Death of Justice League story.
Batgirls #1 had a solid debut at the number 18 spot. Batgirls #1 is the highest-selling non-Bruce Wayne title. Batgirls #1 is also the only non-Bruce Wayne title out of the seven top Batman franchise titles.
Joker and Nightwing continue to be the only non-Bruce Wayne titles that constantly sell solid numbers by taking the 28, 30, and 37 spots.
Outside of Bruce Wayne, Nightwing, and Joker, there just are not consistently strong-selling Batman franchise titles. What is really shocking is how poorly Robin, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn are selling. Remember how Catwoman and Harley Quinn used to dominate the sales charts? In particular Harley Quinn. DC Comics needs to reevaluate how they have been handling Harley Quinn and try and see where they have stumbled.
Superman
82. Action Comics #1037
86. Superman Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
145. Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #6 (Of 8)
197. Superman 78 #5 (Of 6)
The Superman franchise continues to be a dumpster fire. Action Comics #1037 was the highest-ranking Superman franchise title at just the number 82 spot. That is awful. Superman Son of Kal-El dropped like a rock from its November 2021 ranking. As I predicted, DC Comics got the customary sales bump with Superman Son of Kal-El #5 which hit the number 6 ranking in November 2021. That was up considerably from Superman Son of Kal-El #4 which was in the number 44 spot in October 2021.
However, in the December 2021 sales rankings Superman Son of Kal-El plummeted down to the number 86 spot. That is a full 80 spots from that title’s number 6 ranking in November 2021. Having said that, Superman Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1 is an annual and sometimes annuals do not sell as well as a regular issue. Still, you will absolutely see Superman Son of Kal-El regular issues back to the mid-40 ranking or lower in a couple of months.
Supergirl continues to be a title that nobody wants to read. I also continue to wonder why a character named SuperGIRL has the tagline WOMAN of Tomorrow. Shouldn’t the tagline be the Girl of Tomorrow? It makes no sense.
Wonder Woman
40. Wonder Woman Historia The Amazons #1 (Of 3)
74. Wonder Girl #5
91. Wonder Girl #6
132. Wonder Woman 2021 Annual #1
149. Wonder Woman #782
The Wonder Woman franchise is a total mess. Wonder Girl just keeps dropping like a rock in the sales rankings. We already know that this title is getting canceled. It is a stinging defeat for DC Comics to be canceling a title so early.
Wonder Woman’s title continues to get terrible sales rankings. At this point, maybe killing off Wonder Woman with the Death of Justice League is the best route to take. This will allow DC Comics to regroup and try and figure out how to properly rebuild Diana’s character and franchise. What we do know is that the direction of the Wonder Woman franchise spinning out of Death Metal has been a massive failure.
Justice League Franchise
48. Justice League Incarnate #1 (Of 5)
88. Justice League Incarnate #2 (Of 5)
106. Green Lantern #9
137. Justice League Dark 2021 Annual #1
141. Justice League #70
182. The Flash #777
It just gets uglier for DC Comics. The Justice League franchise was white-hot under the guidance of Scott Snyder. Then Snyder handed the keys to the Lamborghini and Brian Bendis promptly ran it off a cliff. Justice League #70 got an atrocious 141 sales ranking. DC Comics’ premier super team should always be a Top 25 seller and certainly no lower than a Top 50 title. DC Comics’ handling of the Justice League shows complete incompetence.
Equally alarming is how poorly Justice League Incarnate has started. The debut issue got an unimpressive sales ranking of 48. Then Justice League Incarnate tumbled all the way down to the number 8 spot with the second issue. This title will absolutely be out of the Top 100 by the third issue. Again, the readers clearly have no faith in DC Comics’ plans or direction for the Justice League.
Things get even worse with the Green Lantern franchise. Green Lantern #9 was out of the Top 100 and nabbed a weak 106 spot. That is terrible. Remember when Hal Jordan was helming the Green Lantern franchise and Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi were cranking out Green Lantern titles that were selling big numbers? Yeah, it feels like a lifetime ago.
It is almost like DC Comics has purposely tried to kill the Green Lantern franchise. It is obvious that there is little fan interest in the direction that DC Comics has taken the Green Lantern franchise. Loading this title up with characters like Teen Lantern and Jo Mullein has proven to be disastrous. DC Comics should be moving to bring back Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner as quickly as possible.
Then we get to the Flash. Wow. What a mess. Flash #777 all the way down at the number 182 spot is stunning and unacceptable. The Flash has had sales success before, but it appears that DC Comics has no clue what readers want from this franchise.
The Top Female Lead Titles
18. Batgirls #1 (DC Comics)
40. Wonder Woman Historia The Amazons #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
62. Hawkeye Kate Bishop #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
69. Giant-Size Black Cat Infinity Score #1 (Marvel Comics)
74. Wonder Girl #5 (DC Comics)
83. Captain Marvel #34 (Marvel Comics)
91. Wonder Girl #6 (DC Comics)
97. Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
104. Ms. Marvel Beyond Limit #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
107. Hawkeye Kate Bishop #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
118. Catwoman Lonely City #2 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
132. Wonder Woman 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
145. Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #6 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
147. Phoenix Song Echo #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
149. Wonder Woman #782 (DC Comics)
151. Catwoman #38 (DC Comics)
165. Harley Quinn #10 (DC Comics)
187. Phoenix Song Echo #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
Batgirls leads the back. And it is not even close. After the Batgirls there really are no impressive sales rankings for female lead titles. The third best-selling female lead title is only at the number 62 spot.
It is shocking that a title by Titan Comics is outselling the iconic Wonder Woman. It is surprising that there are female lead comics like Buffy and Vampirella outselling Catwoman. Also surprising that Buffy, Vampirella, and Lady Mechanic are all selling better than Harley Quinn.
The Top Minority Lead Titles
41. Spawn #324 (Image Comics)
49. Demon Days Rising Storm #1 (Marvel Comics)
54. Black Panther #2 (Marvel Comics)
64. Miles Morales Spider-Man #33 (Marvel Comics)
75. Wonder Girl #5 (DC Comics)
91. Wonder Girl #6 (DC Comics)
98. Death of Doctor Strange Blade #1 (Marvel Comics)
104. Ms. Marvel Beyond Limit #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
125. Green Lantern #9 (DC Comics)
134. Marvel Voices Community #1 (Marvel Comics)
164. Darkhawk #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
147. Phoenix Song Echo #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
187. Phoenix Song Echo #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
The sales rankings are pretty weak for the minority lead titles. The best-selling minority lead title remains Spawn. That is no surprise. Spawn has been hot for several months.
Darkhawk #4 taking the 163 spot continues the abysmal rankings for this title. Darkhawk was dead on arrival with a poor debut sales number. Again, Marvel Comics never seems to learn that pointlessly killing off an established character just because of their sex and race and then replacing them with a nearly identical character with the exception of the sex or race is never a recipe for sales success.
Dead Titles Walking
Titles outside of the Top 100 are usually selling under the 30,000 unit sales mark. These are the Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles that are dead titles walking.
Marvel Comics
102. X-Force Killshot Anniversary Special #1
103. Kang The Conqueror #5 (Of 5)
104. Ms. Marvel Beyond Limit #1 (Of 5)
105. Fantastic Four Life Story #5 (Of 6)
107. Hawkeye Kate Bishop #2 (Of 5)
108. King Conan #1 (Of 6)
109. S.W.O.R.D. #11
113. Death of Doctor Strange #3 (Of 5)
115. Iron Man #15
120. The Thing #2 (Of 6)
121. Wastelanders Hawkeye #1
124. Darkhold Black Bolt #1
128. Savage Avengers #27
134. Marvels Voices Community #1
138. Star Wars High Republic Trail Shadows #3 (Of 5)
147. Phoenix Song Echo #2 (Of 5)
159. Star Wars Life Day #1
164. Darkhawk #4 (Of 5)
174. Dark Ages #3 (Of 6)
178. Star Wars Bounty Hunters #19
179. The Marvels #6
181. Star Wars High Republic Trail Shadows #2 (Of 5)
187. Phoenix Song Echo #3 (Of 5)
Marvel Comics placed twenty-three titles in the 101-200 range. This represents just 29% of Marvel Comics titles in December 2021. We get a real mix-mash of random titles from various franchises ranging from the Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men, and Star Wars.
What is notable is that The Thing #2 plummeted all the way to the 120 spot. That is such a low sales ranking for only the second issue of a title. Again, Marvel needs to examine why these titles fail. They need to look at who they hired as the writer and how the character was presented. Because there is a clear disconnect between what readers want and what Marvel Comics is delivering.
Phoenix Song Echo #3 was the lowest-ranked Marvel Comics title. Phoenix Song Echo continues to be the answer to a question no reader was asking.
DC Comics
106. Detective Comics #1045
110. Swamp Thing Green Hell #1 (Of 3)
114. DC Vs Vampires #2 (Of 12)
117. Swamp Thing #10 (Of 10)
118. Catwoman Lonely City #2 (Of 4)
119. Batman Urban Legends #10
122. Future State Gotham #8
123. I Am Batman #4
125. Green Lantern #9
127. Robin #9
129. Joker Presents A Puzzlebox #5 (Of 7)
131. Human Target #3 (Of 12)
132. Wonder Woman 2021 Annual #1
136. Superman Son of Kal-El #5
137. Justice League Dark 2021 Annual #1
139. DC Horror Presents Soul Plumber #3 (Of 6)
141. Justice League #70
142. Teen Titans Academy #8
143. Action Comics #1038
145. Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #6 (Of 8)
149. Wonder Woman #782
151. Catwoman #38
154. Batman The Adventures Continue Season II #7 (Of 7)
155. Arkham City The Order of The World #3 (Of 6)
157. One-Star Squadron #1 (Of 6)
158. Teen Titans Academy #9 Cover A Rafa Sandoval
161. Titans United #4 (Of 7)
165. Harley Quinn #10
167. Task Force Z #2
168. Task Force Z #3
170. Robin #8
173. Tis The Season To Be Freezin #1
175. Suicide Squad #10
182. The Flash #777
190. Legends of The Dark Knight #8
193. Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #4 (Of 6)
197. Superman 78 #5 (Of 6)
199. World of Krypton #1 (Of 6)
DC Comics saw Marvel Comics’ twenty-three titles in the 101-200 range and said, “Hold my beer.” DC Comics posted a whopping thirty-seven titles in the 101-200 range. Now, keep in mind that DC Comics only placed thirty-one titles in the Top 100. That’s correct. This means that 54% of DC Comics’ titles were in the 101-200 range. This is awful. And it is even more terrible that franchises like Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Harley Quinn are in the dead titles walking section.
All right, that is it for December 2021. Will Marvel Comics continue their domination of the Top 200 in January 2022? We will find out!
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